Eliot Spitzer is moving straight ahead on the driver's license issue, showing no inclination to bend even where there might be room for him to compromise. Here's what he said at his press conference earlier about whether or not New York would eventually have two kinds of diver’s licenses in order to comply with federal guidelines in the Real ID Act (which has not yet kicked in):

“Seven states opted out. I do not anticipate that New York will opt out. Just the contrary. I anticipate we will do what needs to be done to comply with Real ID and that statue what we realize what that means. But we don’t know yet what that means.”

Later, Spitzer’s deputy secretary for public safety Michael Balboni tried explaining to reporters why when he was in the state Senate, he supported an initiative by then-governor George Pataki to verify social security numbers for license applicants--a proposal Spitzer is trying to overturn.

“Why we do things when we do them is all in the context of when the bill is proposed,” he said.

The Republicans are now backing Maureen O'Connell, who in 2005 won a countywide election for Nassau County Clerk, and who served in the Assembly since 1999, making her a candidate with proven vote-getting credentials in Nassau.

But in Balboni's district, O'Connell narrowly lost: 49.9 to 50.1, according to a Democratic source who had access to information tabulated by the State Democratic Party.

I've been trying to verify these numbers with the county Republicans but haven't had any luck yet.

One state Democratic official told me that despite a report that he had already reject an overture, Serph Maltese was still "target number one" of the Spitzer administration's recruitment efforts, partly because of his close re-election this year -- meaning that his seat is eminently winnable for Democrats -- and because of his record of working with local Democrats around his district.

At a swearing ceremony last night at Christ the King High School, according to one attendee, Maltese thanked the roughly 250 guests for their help and jokingly noted that he really had needed each and every one of them to win this year. Maltese also said, meaningfully, that he loves being a state senator and wants to keep his seat for at least few more years.

Balboni, and one of his Republican predecessors, Michael Tully, both won the seat in special elections held on Election Day. (The years were 1997 and 1982, respectively, according to living encyclopedia Jerry Skurnik and state Board of Elections spokesman Lee Daghlian. After Tully but before Balboni the seat was held by Republican John Camera.) So in that respect, history seems to be on the GOP's side. [updated]

So far, officials from both parties still sound very much as if they're still coming to grips with the impending vacancy.

John Edwards is about to announce a run for president, using hard-hit New Orleans as a backdrop.

Eliot Spitzer denied that his appointment of Nassau County Republican Michael Balboni to be his top homeland security official is part of any "ulterior scheme" to help Democrats take back the state Senate.

Some supporters of Rudy Giuliani are reaching out to the families of 9/11 victims about 2008, Maggie reports.

Democratic pledges to restore civility to Congress "carry risks," according to the Times.

Republican state Senator John Bonacic sent out a letter calling for his colleagues to toss Majority Leader Joe Bruno.

Joe Biden is going to fight any proposed buildup of troop levels in Iraq.

The city Conflicts of Interest Board released a letter scolding a Council staffer for inappropriate use of a business card.

Developer Bruce Ratner has installed surveillance cameras outside the properties he owns at the future location of the Atlantic Yards project.

There will be no holiday clemencies from the departing governor.

Eliot Spitzer got himself a new Homeland Security czar. He's Republican Michael Balboni. Above, that's Steve Balboni, a fine baseball player. They're probably not related.

This is not the news Joe Bruno wanted to hear this Christmas.

Once again, Joe Biden announces that he's running for president. He's also written a new autobiography entitled The Audacity of Hope.

Eminent law professor suggests that Rudy Giuliani run as an independent, with Joe Lieberman as his running mate.

Federal agencies are moving to Virginia, outside the nuclear blast zone.

James Brown: a fine entertainer.

Here's the conclusion of that report on the process of impeachment co-written in 1986 by Long Island Republican state Senator Michael Balboni, then the counsel to the state Senate's Judiciary Committee John Dunne:

Newsday wrote it up as a possible line of defense for Alan Hevesi as Eliot Spitzer mulls the options for removing him.

Incidentally, this wouldn't be the first time vague legislative rules turned out to be an impenetrable defense against ethics-related allegations in Albany. Clarence Norman beat back charges that he double-dipped and fraudulently billed the state for travel expenses that other people paid for on his behalf. The Assembly rules about travel reimbursements were found to be so vague that Norman was acquitted.