Eliot Spitzer Talks Financial And Personal Crisis In BBC Interview (AUDIO)

In a wide-ranging interview with the BBC's Carrie Gracie, former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer discusses crashes -- both personal and financial.

During his tenure as New York State Attorney General, Spitzer gained a reputation as a foil to Wall Street. "It is very difficult to have watched this story unfold," Spitzer told Gracie, referring to the economic crisis. "It was during the decade of financial excess that I...played a significant role in trying to highlight the failures that ultimately metastasized to bring down an entire financial system."

Spitzer also discusses his personal trials and the plight of his wife and family.

Click below to listen to the interview.

Comments

[Tierra]

Every minute Geithner and Summers are in power...ev­ery waking moment....­is a lost opportunity for America to find her way back.

A House Divided Can Not Stand.

Abraham...­..ah....wh­at was his name? Oh yes..... Lincoln.

[Tierra]

Sunshine, no matter where it comes from, and from what personal motivation, is the best disinfectant.

Folks, folks.....­Class is now in session...­.listen up.

The Truth Will Set You Free.

[JackRusselTerrier]

No regulation = No change

No enforcement of existing regulation = Continual abuse_ on Wall Street and from the banks.

No auditing of the FED = Perpetual abuse_ from the BANKING CABALS which ARE the FED.

No campaign finance reform = Corrupt government

$ to the Government from lobbyist = Corruption in government = No change in corruption Wall ST. etc.

Too big too fail = Too big too exist

Derivatives = Money for failure

Hedge funds = Betting on failure = Wanting failure

Money for failure does NOT = Capitalism

Socialism for the rich does NOT = Capitalism

Capitalism for the poor and Socialism for the rich does NOT = Fairness for all Americans

Universal health care *politicians get it, but the public doesn't = Unfair system in America

[Witchitalineman]

I look forward to listening to Spitzer when he appears on the Ratigan's morning program related to the banks, etc. He's a very intelligent man but I guess not so intelligent when it comes to his personal shenanigans.

[whitewater]

I hated Spitzer because as prosecutor he was shaking down the very people he was chasing. However, he has been spot on his charges of the financial community.

[Rog49Thomas]

And this charade would differ precisely how from all the previous ones?

[BillyPilgram57]

yes

[mrclark]

Elliot Spitzer is a leader, which is what is missing in today's government. I voted for Barack Obama, and I wish he had a tenth of the fire of this man. Sometimes you must stand against those people who are doing wrong and in some instances compromise is not an option. When you go against moneyed interests you must understand they will fight to protect their sources of revenue. FDR was closer to this man in his thought processes than he is to Obama, he was deemed a traitor by the wealthy. We need to get beyond holding peoples private lives as a standard for their service to America. Moralists are quite often hypocrites themselves who project their ideas of what they want to be onto someone else. Elliot Spitzer is a man who loves his country and is an example of what a public servant should be in today's world. Everyone has flaws but we no longer have time I believe to look for perfection in our leaders. We are becoming two America's, and leadership is currently at a premium, we need Elliot Spitzer back in the game.

[FloresdelaHoz]

ditto!

[factotem]

Yes, there's "detached," there's "beyond detached," and then there's Obama.

[Witchitalineman]

I agree.

[bobwalters]

Co-sign!!

[quentinm]

Eliot Spitzer was one of the first to recognize the corruption in the big financial institutions and to try to do something about it. Snarky comments about his personal life are beside the point. Spitzer paid for his foibles. How many elected officials know enough about financial dealings to have any possibility of protecting the public? Let's avail ourselves of Spitzer's rare intelligence and his rare defense of the public interest.

[oonamanoona]

from your keystrokes to Obama's ears.

[LHoney]

Cosign!

[bobwalters]

And to Eric Holder's ears as well. Appoint Spitzer as a Special Prosecutor to go after the Wall Street/ban­kster/corp­oratist thugs.

[SteveDenver]

"Let's avail ourselves of Spitzer's rare intelligence and his rare defense of the public interest."

And of his refusal to be intimidated or bought-off by big money interests!

Excellent post, quentinm, I am thrilled to read the eloquent, correctly-spelled posts supporting Spitzer.

[kesmarn]

Gov. Sanford is still in office with no end in sight. It's a shame Spitzer was forced to resign. Sanford did far worse, in many peoples' opinion.

[fijisailor]

What an interview. This guy has the integrity to face the prostitution involvement in the media. He cringed a bit but faced it down. I'm sure what he faced with his own family was much worse.

He says he was only doing his job as a regulator. Why is it so hard to find someone to simply do their job?

I hope that the US matures to the point where ones personal life and professional life can be judged separately.

[atexasdem]

This man paid $4,300 for sex with this hooker? This guy wants to be state comptroller ? Forget it. Not for having sex with the hooker but rather paying way to much for it. I don't want anyone who pays $4,300 for a hooker even near my money. She's not even all that pretty.

[phute]

This guy had to be taken down - way too good, way too competent, way too knowledgable.
No wonder Obama was the power broker's choice - how else would Wall St have got away with heisting the US economy?

[SteveDenver]

As Wanda Sykes so succinctly put it: "Bush peed on everything until it was soaking wet, and now people look at Obama like he just zipped up."

The crisis was Bush's craft; completing deregulation was Bush's craft; collapse of the markets, banks, job market, all Bush.

Obama's failure so far is the lack of reform. Get Geithner and the rest of the Wall St. cronies out of there!

[T Specter]

He didn't pay for sex, he paid for discretion.

[oonamanoona]

That goes over the heads of those who don't live their life in the public eye.

[talkingdog]

He didn't get it.

[SteveDenver]

I forget the comedian, but he pointed out that you don't pay a hooker to come, you pay them to leave: no cuddling, no phone calls, no drama, just put out and go.

[underoath]

2

[SiberianRat]

I finally got it to play--Eliot was impressive. He took it in the chops from Gracie and didn't miss a stride.

[SiberianRat]

Hmm...the interview isn't playing. Well, I can imagine anyway it's better than the tabloid junk in most American media interviews.

[sense oar sheep]

regulatory charades is what congress does best along with ineffectual legislation

looks good

sounds good

this will pass