Yet another of former New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer's legal cases flamed out yesterday, as a state appellate court dismissed the heart of his suit against former New York Stock Exchange chief Dick Grasso...

That's about all that's left after the appellate judges tossed out four of the six counts that Mr. Spitzer brought against Mr. Grasso in 2004 over a $187.5 million pay package. Mr. Spitzer, who is now Governor, had claimed authority to sue Mr. Grasso under New York's "not-for-profit law," arguing that the pay was "unreasonable." But as the court ruled yesterday, Mr. Spitzer had also done an end-run around the law, claiming authority not found in any statute. As a result, the court ruled, "the Attorney General does not have the authority" to proceed with most of the case...

Mr. Spitzer yesterday called the appeals-court ruling a mere "technical issue"...