Spitzer, prostitution, and superdelegation
By Michael J.W. Stickings
NYT: Spitzer Is Linked to Prostitution Ring
**********
Chait at The Plank:
Clinton Loses Superdelegate?
Still waiting for him to speak...
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The NYT article has been updated: "Gov. Eliot Spitzer has been caught on a federal wiretap arranging to meet with a high-priced prostitute at a Washington hotel last month, according to a person briefed on the federal investigation."
Spitzer = Client 9.
Whoops. Nice job, Mr. Crusader.
(Whatever my views on prostitution -- I do think prostitution laws should be relaxed, but, obviously, it doesn't look good when a crusader against prostitution rings gets caught in one himself.)
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Spitzer has apologized (via CNN): "I apologize first and most importantly to my family. I apologize to the public, to whom I promised better... I am disappointed that I failed to live up to the standard I expected of myself."
Alas. I have always liked Governor Spitzer, but this looks to be a pretty damaging scandal.
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New NYT: "Gov. Eliot Spitzer, who gained national prominence relentlessly pursuing Wall Street wrongdoing, has been caught on a federal wiretap arranging to meet with a high-priced prostitute at a Washington hotel last month, according to a law enforcement official and a person briefed on the investigation."
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Update (5:37 pm): It is being reported that Spitzer could resign as early as this evening. Lt. Gov. David Paterson would be sworn in as governor.
What a sudden, and dramatic, political fall.
NYT: Spitzer Is Linked to Prostitution Ring
**********
Chait at The Plank:
Clinton Loses Superdelegate?
Eliot Spitzer is about to have a news conference, allegedly regarding his involvement with a prostitution ring. (As a customer? Prostitute? Did he handle their finances? We'll see.)
Anyway, let me be the first to go there: Spitzer is a superdelegate and has endorsed Clinton. I assume he may lose his superdelegate vote.
Still waiting for him to speak...
**********
The NYT article has been updated: "Gov. Eliot Spitzer has been caught on a federal wiretap arranging to meet with a high-priced prostitute at a Washington hotel last month, according to a person briefed on the federal investigation."
Spitzer = Client 9.
Whoops. Nice job, Mr. Crusader.
(Whatever my views on prostitution -- I do think prostitution laws should be relaxed, but, obviously, it doesn't look good when a crusader against prostitution rings gets caught in one himself.)
**********
Spitzer has apologized (via CNN): "I apologize first and most importantly to my family. I apologize to the public, to whom I promised better... I am disappointed that I failed to live up to the standard I expected of myself."
Alas. I have always liked Governor Spitzer, but this looks to be a pretty damaging scandal.
**********
New NYT: "Gov. Eliot Spitzer, who gained national prominence relentlessly pursuing Wall Street wrongdoing, has been caught on a federal wiretap arranging to meet with a high-priced prostitute at a Washington hotel last month, according to a law enforcement official and a person briefed on the investigation."
**********
Update (5:37 pm): It is being reported that Spitzer could resign as early as this evening. Lt. Gov. David Paterson would be sworn in as governor.
What a sudden, and dramatic, political fall.
Labels: 2008 primaries, Democrats, Eliot Spitzer, Hillary Clinton, prostitution, scandals
posted by Michael J.W. Stickings at
3:03 PM
6 Comments:
Maybe he can just blame it on the Liberals at the Times? It worked for McCain.
By
Capt. Fogg, at 4:26 PM
Ok, its official. Every politician who champions "family values" is a hypocrite!
By
Anonymous, at 6:19 PM
i think the whole thing is ridiculous. who really cares if folks visit a prostitute? he isn't attorney general anymore- and i have a feeling he can govern as well as pataki did. the hypocrisy aside- the gop here in new york and federally wanted spitzer out from day one. why the puritanical prudes in this country give a flying you-know-what about sex in office is absolutely beyond me. the legality stuff- that's an issue. but i have a feeling that won't be played up in the press. i really would love to know what it is about politicians that they can't keep their pants on. it completely baffles me.
By
billie, at 7:47 PM
I agree with you, Betmo. What Spitzer did or did not do with a prostitute has no bearing on what sort of governor he is -- and this is the case with any politician who gets caught being a "bad" boy or girl.
The problem is that he was known as a "crusader" (to quote Time) against such vices as prostitution. Indeed, he built his political career out of it. Which makes this worse than it normally would be. I certainly do not defend America's retrograde views on sex and sexuality -- consider what Sarkozy did, for example, and he's still the French president -- but, in this case, Spitzer should have known better. And he should have known the risk -- and not risked it.
Now, I don't know what, if any, role the GOP played in this -- why did this happen so suddenly? -- but what bothers me is that when a Republican (or conservative) does something like this, or worse, he (and it's usually a he) apologizes, finds God, blames the "liberal" media, and gets away with it. Isn't that always what happens? Look what Gingrich did, for example. Or Craig. Or countless others.
It's a shame that this happened to one of the stars of the Democratic Party. Yes, he did it to himself, but it's the larger culture, including the larger political culture that lets Republicans get away with their various sins and transgressions, that has brought him down.
By
Michael J.W. Stickings, at 10:06 PM
"but, in this case, Spitzer should have known better. And he should have known the risk" Thats kind of the issue here, it's about judgement. And as Gov. he is sworn to uphold the law. The best thing for him to do would be resign immediately. The sooner he can slide into obscurity the better for all of us.
By
Anonymous, at 11:02 PM
Spitzer's garbage and a megalomaniac, he's been bad news for years. It's amazing that he got over 65% of the vote for Governor.
.
absurd thought -
God of the Universe loves
abusive prosecutors
wasting money on weak cases
then blackmailing defendants
.
absurd thought -
God of the Universe says
sabotage your career
give America a gift
leave politics forever
.
absurd thought -
God of the Universe says
never believe in karma
what goes around never comes
back around to bite your butt
.
http://www.freemarketcure.com
http://haltterrorism.com
http://absurdthoughtsaboutgod.blogspot.com
:)
.
By
Anonymous, at 11:06 PM
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