Very interesting what Spitzer recently said about the predatory lending crisis.
"Not only did the Bush administration do nothing to protect consumers, it embarked on an aggressive and unprecedented campaign to prevent states from protecting their residents from the very problem to which the Federal government was turning a blind eye."
Yes, "The Sheriff of Wall Street" was once again on the case to protect the little people and against the bank bail out, a lone voice against the banking industry. I think this is the first high profile case of political wiretapping since the Nixon era. With no oversite by FISA, the Bushies can spy, wiretap or do what ever they like in the name of "protecting us." We need protection most from there abuses of power and subversion of The Constitution.
Eliot Spitzer: The Short Goodbye
I can't imagine Eliot Spitzer is not going to resign as governor of New York now that he has been caught in what today's papers are calling a sex ring. (How divine. A sex ring.) The Times has an editorial urging him to leave office on the grounds that he'll be so busy defending himself in this current legal mess that he won't have time to be governor. So it's a done deal, really: he'll be out by noon is my guess. So goodbye. I feel sad. I liked him. It's tragic. Etc.
But having read every word of the indictment, may I suggest that should he stay on, Spitzer will probably have far more time to focus on being governor, in that he won't have to spend hours on the phone with someone named Temeka arguing over his 55 per cent deposit, his in-store credit, the cash limits on bank machine withdrawals in late-night Washington, and ways for Kristen the prostitute to get into her hotel room without her having to give her name at the check-in desk downstairs.
Meanwhile, Spitzer, who a year ago had a shot at national office, is today a laughingstock because of his reckless involvement in ... what? Let's just say this right out: in nothing. He arranged for a date with a hooker and she crossed a state line. This violates something called the Mann Act, which was passed in 1910, before women could vote. It's the legal equivalent of an old chestnut, it seems barely constitutional, and no one with half a brain could possibly think of it as anything worth prosecuting anyone for. Although Eliot Spitzer might. This is the problem these guys get into: they're so morally rigid and puritanical in real life (and on some level, so responsible for this priggish world we now live in) that when they get caught committing victimless crimes, everyone thinks they should be punished for sheer hypocrisy.
But they shouldn't really. It's one of the things you have to admire about Senator Larry Craig: he's still there. And who can say he's doing a better or worse job than he was before? And compared to whom in the United States Senate?
Which reminds me, New York's Senator Chuck Schumer has been heard from on the question of what is to be done about Eliot Spitzer. He has gone out on a limb to say he is sad for Spitzer's family but he isn't going to comment until Spitzer is more forthcoming. I can only suggest that Schumer has not read the indictment, since there's no way to do so without hoping that there will be nothing more forthcoming.
New York's other Senator also had something to say on the subject yesterday, and it may not surprise you to hear that she somehow managed to make Senator Schumer look brave. "Let's wait and see what comes out over the next few days," Hillary Clinton said.
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Can anyone say "selective prosecution of Dem politicians?"
This is where the 1984 stuff gets very much into abuse of power by the party in power.
If the law is outdated, then he should have worked to change it rather than broken it. Especially when he had convicted other people for the same offense.
how can anyone have respect for any law when the president of the USA has no respect for the law? we have more laws in the USA then any other country in the world. you have probably committed a crime today and don't even know it. johns are hardly ever prosecuted or if they are its a slap on the wrist. the tell in this case is the resurrection of the mann act.. the mann act???!?!?!?! give me a break. that law can be applied to an unwed couple going on vacation in another state for the purpose of cohabitation in a hotel room and sex. only the man can be charged. the other interesting thing is the supposed probable cause to investigate spitzer. .... a red flag from a bank about a transaction by the governor of new york supposedly led to the prostitution revelation. in other words, a routine intrusion by the gov't led to the investigation of spitzer because he "appeared" to be laundering money. was he trying to hide millions of dollars? no. just a few thousand dollars. what the hell is the gov't wasting(abusing?) its terrorism granted powers on a coupla few thousand dollar transactions that were perfectly legal(no probable cause?) but led to the downfall of a politician who made his name taking down powerful people. the hypocrisy analogy, while logical , is spurious. does a traffic court judge resign because he failed to turn on a turn signal and is ticketed? does a person who hasdone so much for the little guy(in traditional democratic fashion) deserve the fate foisted upon him by even his own party for what is essentially a minor, albeit, illegal indiscretion?hell no!!! he should be prosecuted as a john, fined and sent home to his wife while keeping his day job.
It was right to punish him for hypocrisy, because he spent the people's money locking up hookers.
It's not just moral hypocrisy -- he had other human beings locked in cages for doing the same thing he did.
This is the most incarcerated country in the world.
Wake up, Ephron -- this is about way more than moral priggishness.
Nowadays when someone comes out of jail, we do not see them as having "paid their debt to society."
Nowadays when you have a criminal record, your life is permanently ruined. Forever and ever.
You are discriminated against in many ways for the rest of your life.
Liberals like yourself are part of the problem, Ephron, because you don't take incarceration seriously.
I take it very seriously and I say -- Spitzer needs to suffer the same penalties that he wanted for everyone else in his situation.
Maybe if people see him go to jail -- they'll start to reconsider what it means to put someone in jail for this kind of activity.
I really hope he does time. He needs to do time, to make his supporters think about all the other people they've subjected to the same cruel fate.
Say it again Queen
does anyone else think that the timing of this is suspect? It comes out the day after Spitzer has an op/ed piece in the paper about lending practices are hurting many Americans and need to be changed. This investigation as gone on for how long? I think it is something they have kept in their back pocket for quite awhile, till he tweaked just the right noses.
For the interested- this op-ed
Spitzer on Predatory Lending
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/13/AR2008021302783.html
An erudite statement what with, Ms Ephron, your experience. Appreciated.
Really, what this whole sorry thing proves is that Spitzer was just too damn honest. If he had been a typical politician, he would have had an Abramoff to hire his hookers and met them on yachtes named the Spitzter and so on. Honestly, there's more outrage against this guy who paid for his own hookers than against Duke Cunningham and athat entire cabal who paid for their hookers be selling out Americans.
and the outrage - so much more than the outrage over far more serious publica sins such as bush's lies to Congress and the American people. Let's not forget that he stood int eh well of the House of Representatives and lied straight out to all of us. Lies that have lead to the death of 1000's, the squandering our nation's taxes and the wastage of our international reputation. With that sort of criminality getting a free pass, I resent that anyone be prosecuted for anything while that war criminal runs around.
I'm sorry ms. Ephron, but your comment needs to be rephrased;
"This is the problem these guys get into: they're so morally rigid and puritanical in real life (and on some level, so responsible for this priggish world we now live in) that when they get caught committing victimless crimes, {{{everyone}}} thinks they should be punished."
Not everyone, they themselves. There's an idea for a Saturday Night Live skit, Spitzer cross examining Spitzer.
Nora Ephron, I just don't understand your "educated" reasoning!. Let's see, Nothing to prosecute: Transferring money to a Shell Corporation, which arouses the suspecions of Homeland Security tracking terrorists organization funding deserves a hard slap on the hand! Fostering/participating in prostitution in a state(s) where it's illegal! That's something! Betrayal of ethics that were sworn to be upheld at his inauguaration are worthy of prosecution! Possible mis-use of taxpayers expense funds to participate in an illegal activity; there's more here!
Victimless crime is your statement! Certainly you are not a member of N.O.W. and a feminists are you? Victimless; let's see Wife Three Children ='s FOUR persons to start with. Let's move on to his family's pride and ethical bearing='s betrayed brothers/sisters/ Parents! Say 15more folks. Moving on to the State of New York and it's citizens='s a really large group of folks='s 30million?
Finally there's those pesky "puritanical" and "priggish" attitudes. This is a true window into your essence. Nora long before you were born our entire society was and still is based on the "10 Guidlines of Love" and respect for our fellow man. You shall not committ adultry is one issue. Then there's the old "Honor you Parents" thing about living a strong moral/ethical life. How about "You shall not steal" aka use of public funds for illegal enterprises. Maybe the last is "You shall not lie"aka bearing false witness in words or lifestyle!!! There's some very strong reason to show you that Eliot Spitzer committed a CRIME that affected many! AKA VICTIMS of immoral and ILLEGAL behavior!
There is no indictment yet, Nora. You're referring to the criminal complaint sworn out by an FBI agent.
As for "who can say" whether Sen. Craig is doing a worse job in the Senate now that he has been stripped of his committee assignments and is shunned by his colleagues, I'll go out on a limb and say that I can say he is doing a worse job as a United States Senator than he did before he argued that having only 3 weeks to decide to plead guilty to a public lewdness charge is something beyond his capacity to do rationally.
Always saddened and angered when featured bloggers pose misleading rhetorical questions that an interested (or responsible) person could find an actual answer to.
There are two problems I see with Spitzer's actions:
1. According to the news, his use of prostitutes goes back years ... back even to when he was a prosecutor. As a prosecutor he went after prostitution rings. Now, every one he managed to convict in those prosecutions is going to be filing appeals based on selective prosecution. He only prosecuted those prostitution rings he didn't himself frequent.
2. As NY Attorney General, he went after Wall Street wolves for their fraudulent activities, such as setting up dummy corporations and money laundering. Turns out Spitzer used dummy corporations and money laundering techniques to hide his own payments to prostitutes. Now the Wall Street predators are in position to undo every thing he accomplished towards reining them in.
Basically, he's undone everything he ever managed to accomplish for the people.
The problem is Spitzer's prosecution of such organizations and the hypocrisy of it all.
Having said that, I think this law needs to go the way of the horse and buggy as well..
http://www.cosmictap.com/spitzer-and-the-mann-act/
I just don't get why a modern society sees fit to legislate victimless personal behaviors. And don't start in about how these girls are "victims." No one's forcing them to engage in this profession, they're paid infinitely better than they would be in alternate professions, and besides, this is a slippery slope... The Mexican-American man who lives across the street from me and, despite a broken hand, is forced to get up every morning at 6AM to tile a roof so that he can feed his family is much more a victim, in my eyes, than a girl who gets five grand to have an hour of dull sex with a politician.
My $0.02.
victimless? what about his wife and children???
They would be victims regardless of statute. Unless you believe it's Congress' role to protect people from being hurt by family members' indiscretions?
So where was the media outrage with Vitter of Louisiana?
The Family Values senator who made the Madames List and kept the prostitues busy from Louisiana to D.C.
The Republican-leaning networks framed it as poor victim Vitter and his family.
(Don't imagine he exposed corruption in WallStreet or in Louisiana-the Republicans can't afford to loose all their "upright" senators-or they would have one third missing in action.
Funny how their were no petitions, there. Strange how justice works, ahem!
Spitzer was led to the plank by overzealous Republicans out for blood--they circled the waters and were in for the kill. He should never have resigned--he did not have time to think it over--Republicans have a way of dictating to the news networks who will have a circus and who will escape scrutiny-Vitter made out, in more ways than one.
Justice served by the conservatives is a free pass for their gang and it makes anyone who opposes them very vulnerable and screws our political system--how do we elect and keep good politicians?
So Nora ...he gets to bust other people for prostitution but we should look the other way when he wants to do it, right? ....
And the Mann act is still in play today, gangs get busted for this one all the time so its not some ancient out of step law.
And unlike you I don't ADMIRE Larry Craig! sheesh! He had some backroom politicking that got him off the hook, with the promise that he not run when his term is up.
Can you identify as many as five proseutions under the Mann Act during the last 12 months? I doubt it, despite your assertion that "gangs get busted for this one all the time." The fact is, the Mann Act was used for the first time to punish "miscegenation" in the Jack Johnson case. It was the weapon of choice in the campaign to get the leftist film actor, Charlie Chaplin, out of the country. The Mann Act is as nearly moribund as the Witchcraft Act of 1541.
The point about Larry Craig is not that he was more or less admirable as a consequence of his experience in the rest room, but his capacity for the job of senator; i.e., providing cover for an administration of war criminals and blocking progressive legislation that might occur to a member of the other party (ridiculous thought!).
Okay, I have no objections to what a grown man does in his private life, but the Governer of any state CANNOT engage in illegal activities OF ANY TYPE that require him to hide his money trail and put him in any position in which he might be blackmailed or otherwise compromised.
Why not just an affair? short trysts with women for no money? THAT would have been his own business which, although embarrassing, would not necessarily lead to blackmail or further illegal behavior.
No. This is NOT nothing. He engaged in an ongoing pattern of Illegal behavior that required him to launder money and opened him up to potential blackmail and coersion that could have ultimately harmed millions.
Let's face it, if you are engaging in a behavior on an ongoing basis which, if it were to come to light, you would IMMEDIATELY need to resign, you have already failed your post as Governer.
You hit the nail on the head!
"Short" maybe but not over...
http://pacificgatepost.blogspot.com/2008/03/sex-trumps-presidential-race-coverage.html
We're in for the long term as observers, and as bewildered as we may be.
So if a person get's caught breaking the law which he, in this case has pledged to inforce.It's not the real problem.The real person or persons who enforced the law are to blame.It's the poor criminal,again.This sorry excuse for a man has no defense.What will you say if it turns out he has transmitted a disease to his wife?Did you know that this scum wanted to and probobly had sex with the hooker without his condom.No matter, right?After all it's the fault of those evil law enforcement types that set him up.If you really think like that you are the worst enemy of women.All you must care about is your favorite politician retaining power.How Sick
Great post Nora. Thanks.
One aspect of this story that has gotten little attention, however, is the why.
Not the why of what Spitzer did, which is pretty obvious (see Bill Maher's post today).
But why did the guns get turned on Spitzer?
And the answer is easy: Spitzer took on Wallstreet and the mega-dollar elites, shining a public light on some publicly embarassing practices and down-right disgusting levels of selfish greed and disregard for the rights of shareholders, workers, and the public generally.
Spitzer humiliated them and cost them money, so it was just a matter of time.
Eliot made it easy for them . . . but his fall was a corporate hit.
Spitzer's prostitution story sells papers . . . but the real story here is WHO WAS BEHIND THIS STING AND WHAT WERE THEIR REAL MOTIVATIONS.
Moshe -- that was my first reaction. This is a corporate hit to destroy an up-and-coming Democratic STAR. It is vicious, worthy of the yellow press we have had these last few years. Why didn't the Times ask Larry Craig to resign? Oh I see, he wasn't a threat to the poobahs. This is disgusting!!!! And it has to stop. If the Governor's wife stood by him, good enough for me. Why are we SOOOOOOOOOOO concerned about PERSONAL peccadilloes? I am not. Sex ring? my foot.
Reflections On A Call Girl"s Friend
This morning, "The New York Times" ran an article: "Spitzer Linked To Sex Ring, As A Client Gives An Apology." Of course, the New York paper is talking about their governor, Elliot Spitzer¦. And not some sort of San Francisco "sex ring," by the by.
Now Governor Spitzer is an honorable man; he"s the guy who goes after all those scurrilous con men and crooks who rob the poor, steal money from retirement funds and their workplaces or their country or their state. In general, Spitzer"s a "White Knight."
Apparently over the course of human events, many people have sought the services or perhaps "company" of a "Call Girl," so the point of this column will be to examine, in a non-judgmental way of course, the reason this is so.
First of all, there are men and then there are women.
Secondly, in the course of male/female partnerships there are times when in the best of relationships, the husband and the wife are not on the same page; for example:
The husband wants a little comfort¦ a little hug, a little caress " You get the point.
The wife wants the garbage taken to the street.
There is no practical solution to this exercise¦ because the wife"s going to get the garbage taken to the street and the husband"s going to lose any interest he had in the before-referenced "comfort," so he"s going to be, technically speaking, "un-comfort-able" for the remainder of the day.
So now he"s going to work loaded for bare¦
What"s the first thing that happens? He sees some available babe on the elevator, at Starbucks, buying a paper, parking her car -- Whatever. Now the beauty of the American Male"s brain (perhaps "beauty" is the wrong word) is that in the above "moment," all intelligence leaves. "Why?" because he is a male, and, furthermore, he is a horny male. So¦ he"s "on patrol" ¦with a brain that"s starved for blood. This is not good for decision making.
A further problem is¦ he"s truly not deeply interested in this particular available women¦ all he"s interested in is a little "comfort."
But¦ as we know " This guy"s married " Otherwise "Why" would he have taken the garbage out? Duh!
This problem, by the way, could easily have been solved: The wife could have said:
"¦Wasn"t that "fun," darling¦ Oh, by the way, could you take the garbage out on your way to work?"
"Oh yeah¦ Zippity-Doo-Dah " My Oh My, What A Wonderful Day¦ Oh Thank You So Much Honey! Should I Bring Home A New Car, Today?" You can notice the change in the husband"s attitude after just a little comforting¦ huh?
Well¦ the above happens in only a few households. Most husbands "¦leave home without it," and that"s not a good thing for American Express, either. In fact, American industry suffers BECAUSE of unsatisfied, garbage-tasked husbands.
So¦ What"s the answer?
The Call Girl¦ The Hooker¦ The Ho ¦ well you know..?
Look. This has been going on since the beginning of time " It"s Biblical!
Okay¦ so we"re talking about the Governor of New York¦ so what? He"s the same as any other guy¦ Well, not quite. Because this particular Governor is "Good," otherwise "Why" would he devote all this time to making sure the criminals of the world (those people who rob us in ways we don"t even understand until after Governor Spitzer nails "em) serve a few extra years in the "cooler" to contemplate all their bad deeds?
Well these criminal dudes are in overwhelm! They"re so happy Spitzer is under the gun that they"re probably flooding into the securities markets right now.
James Carville said it best:
"I think something else"s going on¦"
Duh!
Look¦ This is a human situation.
Not to brag about California, but can you imagine Governor Schwarzenegger faced with the same situation?
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha¦.
It"s already happened; in fact, it happened BEFORE he was elected. Californians voted for him knowing that he had a history of mild indiscretions. After all, he"s the "Governator"¦ everyone knows that:
"I"ll be back." Sure you will, Arnold " We expect that¦ that"s the reason we voted for you¦ you"re just like every other male who"s EVER walked the earth " You can be h o r n y, and we"ve even got you on video! Golliee¦ who cares?
Even Maria Shriver, his wife, in case you"ve forgotten, admitted she knew all about him, but as she said:
"Have you looked at him?"
That"s all she had to say. Immediately, all the uproar about Arnie"s sexual indiscretions faded like bad paint on the General Lee. Californian"s overwhelmingly nominated and voted him into the state"s highest office.
But¦ boy¦ oh boy " If you have a reputation as a crime fighter, as someone who stares down the bad dudes of the world, and if you make one little teensy tiny mistake, you get EVERYONE kicking you. Suddenly everyone"s a Minister and extremely God-like. The media mines old chestnuts like Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson¦ why they"d even raise Jerry Falwell from the grave to take pot shots¦ if they could find someone to blow him¦ up.
As ol" Carville said:
"¦something else"s going on."
Okay¦ so what is it? Why are we so quick to condemn those who hold themselves to a higher standard so they can protect the general public?
Well¦ it"s America, and American"s LOVE to see the high and mighty fall. That"s the reason all these STUPID tabloids sell at the supermarket check-out lines; that"s the reason there"re all these STUPID entertainment shows dwelling on the foibles of the Stars clogging up early night programming on the Tv networks. It"s really stupidly simple.
For our American press to excoriate Elliot Spitzer for just being a plain and simple human being is another example of American foolishness.
Hell¦ we"ve had Presidents who"ve gotten away with worse...
Copyright March 11, 2008; Lucien Harlan Hubbard, imagine, inc.
He shouldn't have resigned because he went out with a professional, not even because he paid her. Although he did break a law, as stupid as that law is (prostitution is illegal, that law). But I think he resigned because of other factors. Like having strctured payments (to cover his tracks) and having used state money for his escapades. Now those are really bad things to do, and it is not between him and his wife anymore. If it was only the prostitution itself it would have been ok. What's good for the US senate ought to be good for NY mansion too.
My problem with this writer's post is her attitude of "Whatever". We do have laws in this country
which are defined and whether a person is blue collar, white collar, President, or Governor, we are all
held accountable. When do we change the laws just to suit a person, a political position, or the latest movement? The guy blew it, simple as that, and now he is out(as of March 17, anyway). What I find hypocritical from the Left are those who play off this governor's actions as nothing big and yet, when someone who is a conservative(the Right) is caught in such a situation, they are hung out to dry. With the exception of that Congressman who was caught "tapping his shoes..." every other conservative was removed. So, to those on the Left who think that such actions by the soon to be removed NY governor to be OK, look at yourself in the mirror. Perhaps the Left needs some morals and ethics afterall. It would certainly help Bill and Hillary, at least.
Not "cool" dude. "When do we change the laws just to suit a person, a political position, or the latest movement?" Anyone care to bat this one outta the park?!?!? And please NAME those "conservative" POLITICIANs who [as you say] were removed from office for "such a situation"!
As for the LEFT's "hypocrisy", let me state that this is NOT a LEFT/RIGHT issue. There are many Americans, like myself, who are uncomfortable [to say the least] with watching politicians being forced to "fall upon their swords" because of their sexual "exploits". No MAN . . . I repeat, NO MAN, is "squeeky clean" when it comes to sex! We all have our "peccadilloes" and not one of us would like to go under the microscope because of them!! Did the man break the law, apparently so. Were his actions incredibly stupid? Obviously. Did it destroy New York [or the nation]? No [and anyone who claims to have had their "trust" shattered is lying!! What idiot in this day and age "trusts" a politician (family, friends and close colleagues aside) . . . at most, you'll give them the benefit of the doubt and hope for the best]. We'll all still sleep tonight. Was it overhyped? Ya think!!
Unfortunately, Spitzer, like several before him and more to follow, built his political platform on "cleaning out corruption" and having a high "moral code of ethics" in which to live by. And we as a nation don't seem to want to elect any politician unless they profess to embrace such a high moral code. Of course, historically speaking, that's setting one's self up for failure. Many men have "high moral standards" . . . but there's ALWAYS a nick in that "morality" and it's sad that this self-proclaimed Judeo-Christian nation hasn't yet learned how to recognize, accept and forgive man's inherent weakness[es].
Wait a minute! Wait-a-minute. The MAN WAS AN OATH taking Attorniey General and OATH TAKING GOVERNOR of New York State. Doesn't an OATH mean anything anymore? The HONOURABLE and logical thing considering his OATHS was to resign immediately. That shows some class. Understanding implicely and following the laws of his State explictely get up stage to be 5 listed, even considered for PRESIDENT material. He had absolutely NO choice. None. A sense perhaps of decency and facts told him what has to be done. Goodbye.
i think we need to look at the media presenting the story as 'Spitzer's prostitution ring'. Did they present the Larry Craig story as 'Larry Craig's gay-sex ring'?
Posted March 11, 2008 | 03:49 AM (EST)