Back and forth on Elliot Spitzer

Email Print posted by Dogger 03/12/2008 11:11:25 AM EST

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I’ve been going back and forth on Elliot Spitzer. ("That’s what she said.")

I agree with Ana that he violated the law he was charged to enforce. Then again, recent revelations establish that Spitzer has been whore-mongering for quite some time, and has managed to be an effective public servant in spite of it. I wish I could say the same about the Bush League.


And I do condemn his hypocrisy, not just for violating the law he enforced against others but for seeing the stupidity of such laws and doing nothing to change them. It appears that Spitzer suffers from an elitist belief that he and his class need not obey the rules, but the rest of us are not so entitled. I can say the same about the Bush League.


And his difficulties have been cheered by the Republicans, the Wall Street types who brought us the mortgage crisis, and other organized criminals. No sane person wants to gets on board with that ilk.


Ultimately, I believe that Spitzer should stay because of the direction in which his resignation will push future governors and other politicians. Either we will be left with nothing but sanctimonious tight-asses who actually believe in laws that regulate private morality, or political hypocrites who understand the futility of such laws, but do nothing to reform them as ordinary human beings suffer the consequences.

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Back and forth on Elliot Spitzer | 20 comments (20 topical, 0 hidden)
I believe he'll be stepping down today at 11:30 E (none / 0)
He's scheduled to give an address in about 15 minutes, and "insiders" say it'll be to resign.

SAM: What's new, Normie?
NORM: Terrorists, Sam. They've taken over my stomach and they're demanding beer.

by Spinny on 03/12/2008 11:13:47 AM EST

He's gone. (none / 0)

SAM: What's new, Normie?
NORM: Terrorists, Sam. They've taken over my stomach and they're demanding beer.

by Spinny on 03/12/2008 11:48:26 AM EST

[ Parent ]
Spiegelman down, Spitzer almost down, next... (none / 0)

DOJ strikes again against Dems when infinitely more heinous Republicans haven't been charged with their crimes. The REAL crooks are still not in jail, only their adversary. It's not too late, go to this petition: Urge Spitzer to fight BushCo's "Justice"!

Spitzer announces today, but will not step down until Monday. There's still time:

* * * 

Dear Governor Spitzer,

Don't let the Republicans and the rightwing media drive you out of office!
You made a lot of powerful enemies in your career because you took on the most powerful crooks on Wall Street. Now your enemies are trying to get even by destroying your career and your life. Don't let them!

The whole investigation by the Bush Administration stinks to high heaven. This isn't a case of "structuring" or "money laundering." The FBI never investigates johns - so why are they investigating you?

The answer is obvious. George Bush and Karl Rove turned the Justice Department into the political destruction arm of the Republican Party. They've prosecuted 5.6 Democrats for every Republican.
That's why former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman is rotting in jail, and that's what they want to do to you.

As Americans, we are outraged by Bush's endless abuses of justice. If anyone should be removed from office, it's George Bush!

Governor Spitzer, please stand and fight against this outrageous and naked partisan Republican assault. We support you!

Sign the petition: http://savespitzer.com

 

by zenie on 03/12/2008 11:54:31 AM EST

Call Spitzer's office: Tell him to fight this (none / 0)
 
I received this message today:
 
 
I called this number & told him not to resign & all about Don Siegelman and BushCo's politicizing the DoJ & wiretapping. Told them the GOP didn't make Vitter resign or Larry Craig, & that they didn't prosecute Mark Foley- whose antics they knew about and covered up.

Here's the number:

Governor's Office
633 3RD Ave Ste 38
New York, NY 10017-6706
Phone: (212) 681-4580

by zenie on 03/12/2008 12:00:17 PM EST

get a fork he is done (none / 0)
He already resigned. How they got him is of course suspect. What they found out, that he spent 80,000 dollars on prostitutes has not been disputed by him. I personally dont think he should resign but I do think he betrayed his constituents and his family.

by Chinese Democracy on 03/12/2008 12:17:26 PM EST

[ Parent ]
Spitzer isn't out until Monday (none / 0)

Whether he's still governor or not, Spitzer should fight this. These are minor crimes that people get slapped on the wrist for all the time--felonies or not.

The main thing is that there are so many bad things happening to good people around the country that are being ignored while the FBI is going afte victimless crimes instead of, say, the deliberate destruction of the Gulf coast through negligence, willful neglect, deliberate theft and deception or the outing of a covert CIA operative or rampant election fraud.

And they're going after prostitution? It's ludicrous. 

by zenie on 03/12/2008 12:34:23 PM EST

[ Parent ]
We Must Not Be Hipocrits (none / 0)

Let's leave that to the right wing.

Spitzer has to go.  He broke the law, period.  I don't care if it was "the bad guys" who caught him.  With regard to Spitzer, it's irrelevant that the DOJ is a bunch of hipocrits who won't prosecute Republican criminals.

Spitzer broke the law.  Let him hang for it.  The only way that the left can repair our country is if everyone knows that we stand for morality, and if we actually are guided by morality.  It will be easy, then, to contrast us with the immorality of the right.

by EveningStarNM on 03/12/2008 12:45:20 PM EST

Hoisted by his own petard (none / 0)
As I've heard the reporting via NPR ...

The problem that triggered his being investigated was a series of suspicious money transfers.  They had no way of knowing it was to hide his prostitution bills, but the pattern triggered IRS alarms in software that tracks bank transactions of everyone--but most especially those of "politically exposed persons" such as Spitzer.

Software that was put into place at the direction of:  Spitzer.

How could he--of all people--not know his bank activities would be noticed and would result in his being investigated?

SAM: What's new, Normie?
NORM: Terrorists, Sam. They've taken over my stomach and they're demanding beer.

by Spinny on 03/12/2008 12:47:52 PM EST

ouch (none / 0)
and you know how painful it can be to be hoisted by your own petard

by Chinese Democracy on 03/12/2008 06:26:39 PM EST

[ Parent ]
enough shame to go around (none / 0)
I'm afraid I agree that Governor Spitzer made a good choice to resign but I loath the hypocritical, puritanical, moralistic rational behind it.
Republican Senators Craig and Vitter now should resign, too, if they had any shame. Of course, they won't.

by toosinbeymen on 03/12/2008 12:54:03 PM EST

Spitzer (none / 0)

Spitzer may be only leaving because of things that have yet to come out. Some of those statements were dot dot dot statements that the police had but did not release.


by acroso on 03/12/2008 01:29:23 PM EST

call girl (none / 0)
I have a feeling his call girl got more than she asked for now that her photo and real name are plastered on Drudge, the NYTimes, and etc etc etc.

by acroso on 03/12/2008 07:54:36 PM EST

err (none / 0)

The media's on a "great all American Hooker Hunt."

 

Who's Kristin?

by acroso on 03/12/2008 10:03:02 PM EST

[ Parent ]
Have you guys seen her yet? (none / 0)

This is Spitzer's lady on the side.

She looks a little like Katie Holmes in this one.

 Cute Getting hotter.

Whimsical

AND she's a terrible musician. 

I don't know if she's worth that much money and a political career but...  Here's the link to her myspace.

by Spencer on 03/13/2008 12:20:55 AM EST

You Rule Spencer! (none / 0)
I'm digging the St. Tropez picture.  So bizarre that she has a myspace page that I had to "friend" her.  I alwa ys knew there were working girls on myspace, but you just made it a reality.  Hopeful ly she gets her music career going, though major points deducted for saying "boo" in her song....

by rev24 on 03/13/2008 03:02:55 AM EST

[ Parent ]
I have a feeling (none / 0)
Her "big break" in music won't be long in coming, now.  This is just the kind of notoriety that can open doors.

SAM: What's new, Normie?
NORM: Terrorists, Sam. They've taken over my stomach and they're demanding beer.

by Spinny on 03/13/2008 07:51:02 AM EST

[ Parent ]
Thanks, Spencer (none / 0)

She's way hotter than the HBO Cathouse girls.

by Dogger on 03/13/2008 10:36:57 AM EST

[ Parent ]
Nice looking (none / 0)
She kind of has that Sandra Bullock sort of thing going, doesn't she?

by bfaul on 03/13/2008 11:00:46 AM EST

[ Parent ]
Hotter, maybe. Better looking, sure. (none / 0)

But she still does it for the money.  When you can buy it, it isn't worth much.

<EveningStarNM throws ice water over the crowd.>

What I don't get is why someone would pay that kind of money to be lied to.

by EveningStarNM on 03/13/2008 11:52:03 AM EST

[ Parent ]
splash! (none / 1)

"<EveningStarNM throws ice water over the crowd.>"  

Ahhh, that was refreshing, thanks. 

"What I don't get is why someone would pay that kind of money to be lied to."

I don't think lying is quite the right word here.  I would use the word pretending.  I doubt seriously if either party was fooled for a second about the whole nature of the transaction.  Other than that I can't say why except I suppose he must have wanted what she was selling and he somehow felt it was worth it.  I wonder if he still does?

by bfaul on 03/13/2008 02:54:13 PM EST

[ Parent ]
Back and forth on Elliot Spitzer | 20 comments (20 topical, 0 hidden)
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