Spitzer Fumbles in Red Zone

All of the sudden, Eliot Spitzer, Wall Street's dragon slayer, doesn't look so scary.

Over the past five months, the New York attorney general has suffered a series of courtroom defeats that have tarnished his well-crafted image as protector of the small investor. No longer does Spitzer carry the aura of untouchability that marked the first six years of his administration.

The losing streak began this summer when a New York court tossed out most of the criminal case Spitzer's office had filed against former Bank of America(BAC Quote) broker Theodore Sihpol in the mutual fund trading scandal. Close on the heels of that, a federal judge said Spitzer had overstepped his authority in investigating the home-lending practices of the nation's big banks. ...