Gov. Eliot Spitzer's remark to a reporter inquiring about the scandal involving Spitzer staffers who tried to collect information damaging to Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno shows Spitzer's complete disregard for the seriousness of the issue and the people who want to know more about it.

Spitzer spoke to a class at Vestal High School last week and later spoke about the state's role in education funding. Reporters were welcome to attend.

When a television reporter asked about the pending testimony Spitzer's longtime aide Darren Dopp would be giving to the Albany County District Attorney's Office, the governor gave a terse reply and asked if any of the other reporters had any questions about “something that matters.”

When the reporter followed up by inquiring whether or not the scandal had become a distraction to the business of running the state government, Spitzer told the reporter to “get a life.”

The governor has every right to be less than enthusiastic about discussing a political scandal when he had hoped to offer a photo-op and a soundbite - on the first day of school - about what he's doing for education.

But to suggest that this is an unimportant issue is ridiculous. And to refuse to discuss it is arrogant unprofessional. He may not like talking about it, but it's not going to go away anytime soon.

An investigation by Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's office pointed to rules being broken when Spitzer staffers had compile records of Bruno's travels under the guise of responding to an outside request for the information.

But now the state Ethics Commission and the county D.A. are looking into it, too, and there's a real possibility that serious violations of ethics - or even criminal conduct - will be the next findings in the matter.

The fact is that the scandal has interfered with the running of the state government, and Spitzer needs to respond seriously to this serious issue.