Why should this fool get blasted, and Hillary Clinton is running for president, and has a lot of backers. She was the most gullible person I think I have known believing her cheating husband, and we want her to perform international issues? What the heck is wrong with the USA

I agree with Raymond that availing oneself of the services of a prostitute is much less destructive than invading a country that had nothing to do with Al Qaeda, detaining prisoners without due process, and vetoing legislation that would prohibit torture such as water-boarding. Go after the politicians who are committing crimes against humanity, not those who are just being human.

I also agree that it is hard on the political wives who have to "stand by their men." If it were me, I'd tell the press that my reaction is none of their business and stay home. I suspect there's a certain mind-set to being a political wife--putting one's husband's career first and one's own feelings second.

Finally, I agree that prostitution should be legalized and regulated. Ladies who choose that profession should be screened regularly for STDs and required to use condoms and should have to pay stiff fines if they don't. As a Navy wife, I know that my husband used such services in foreign ports on long cruises. I did not consider those transactions to be a risk to my marriage. Who knows what sort of agreements couples have regarding sex? It is none of our business.

What if Spitzer had just flatly denied any wrongdoing, rejected further inquiry on the grounds of jeopardizing national security, and proclaimed accountability only to some Higher Power. Sound familiar? This is the typical response to bad news that we've been hearing for seven years now from the White House.

"Cornax:
I'm sorry, but Spitzer is a Democrat. I thought something like this would be considered resume enhancement."

Yeah but to be a Republican't you have to be a closet homosexual (with a "wide stance") who publicly calls homosexuality a scourge, a child molestor (particularly fond of teenage male Congressional pages) or a war criminal (we know they have WMDs, we sold them to them)... do yourself a favor and STFU!

My only comment is that Eliot Spitzer, the "steamroller," hit a ditch and turned turtle. We also have a black presidential steamroller candidate, but will he hit the ditch eventually?

"Malcolm:
In the olden days a mob would have tarred and feathered Spitzer and ran him out of town on a rail."

That's BS... in the olden days he would have been let out the back door with a nod and a wink unless there was a political crusade against him by the opposition party. The point is who cares about the sex... the hypocricy is unacceptable. He put other people in jail for the same thing! For the Dems pointing to the Republican scandals and saying "but they did it".... you are hypocrites too... now you are defending Sptizer because the Republican'ts did it too?! Bush should be impeached, Cheney should be impeached, AND Spitzer should be impeached... ANYONE guilty
of corruption should be held accountable. We all need to stand up for what is right... and not for some BS, twisted puritanical views on sex, or partisan politics but in the name of honesty and integrity! Politics won't change unless we demand it and even then, very slowly, but if you don't at least try to do something to change it you have no right to complain about it!

The problem is that everyone is turning the Spitzer issue into a morality play about vice, the sanctity of marriage, and hypocrisy.

It is not a morality play. It is about the "honey trap", the fact that a governor or president are public officials whose political judgment may be compromised by their fear of exposure. If Eliot Spitzer had presidential ambitions, and was ever elected, could he not be blackmailed into doing something against the public interest, either a corrupt act or a betrayal of a national interest?

I was a Clinton and Spitzer supporter. What disappoints me is not the fact they had sex outside their marriage, but the way the political agendas which they pledged the electorate to achieve -- and the reason voters voted for them --could not be realized because of their lack of personal responsibility.

The problem is that everyone is turning the Spitzer issue into a morality play about vice, the sanctity of marriage, and hypocrisy.

It is not a morality play. It is about the "honey trap", the fact that a governor or president are public officials whose political judgment may be compromised by their fear of exposure. If Eliot Spitzer had presidential ambitions, and was ever elected, could he not be blackmailed into doing something against the public interest, either a corrupt act or a betrayal of a national interest?

I was a Clinton and Spitzer supporter. What disappoints me is not the fact they had sex outside their marriage, but the way the political agendas which they pledged the electorate to achieve -- and the reason voters voted for them --could not be realized because of their lack of personal responsibility.

Sorry, but I think there are a lot of "low-priced" hookers that are getting plenty of business, and the johns are neither rich nor powerful. I don't think this really has anything to do with how power corrupts, but rather how many men, including those in positions of power, simply have no self-control over their physical desires. Its quite pathetic actually.

What would the fallout be if he were caught with a mistress ( wife's best friend, for example )? Isn't the key here that it was a prostitute ? Which do you think his wife and family would have preferred a prostitute or an affair with another woman ?

As for his viability as Governor , it is the hypocrisy that he would engage in an activity by night that he prosecuted by day. It's not the sex that matters. It is the hypocrisy.

Still I think Spitzer's crime pales when compared to falsifying intelligence in order to mislead a country into war. Yet that man still has his office-- and a nice one too!

I don't believe prostitution should be illegal, two consenting adults have a RIGHT to decide when and with whom they have sex with, for any reason they see fit including but not limited to monetary compensation. Cheating on your wife shows a pattern of dishonesty which should cause most voters to abandon home him like the Titanic (once a cheater always a cheater), but it's not impeachable. Hypocricy on the other hand, should be an impeachable offense. His offical position as Governor is strongly against prostitution. He has championed strict enforcement of anti-prostitution laws and ruined other peoples' lives over it. Do as I say not as I do may work for your 5 year old child but not your adult constituents.... For this, he should resign or be impeached.

I'm sorry, but Spitzer is a Democrat. I thought something like this would be considered resume enhancement.

I wish he'd put his dentures back in his mouth before he frowns.

Excellent analysis of the situation! Mr. Spitzer literally stepped in it and he isn't going to walk away unscathed. The DEMS are going to hang him from the highest tree, so to speak, because he is an embarrassment and because he is taking press coverage away from their candidates. Although, I've heard enough about both of them!

Spitzer needs to quietly disappear and let the next in line step up to see if he/she is any smarter!

Ah, what politics hath wrought!

It never ends. They all claim the moral high ground to get elected when in truth I think to get elected to any office in this country above the county level one must be completely amoral.
Politics has been described as the art of compromise. However, if Everything in one's life is up for grabs then sadly any kind of integrity must be absent. If you have no core values that are non-negotiable that in itseld speaks volumes.
In this particular case it seems fitting that a posturing bully like Elliot Spitzer gets brought down by his own base desires. I feel very sorry for the wife and children. They certainly don't deserve this. Maybe she will dump him as she certainly should and his destruction should be complete. Even by NY political standards he appears to be a real low-life.

Prostitution is a crime under U.S. laws. If Spitzer committed the crime, he must do the time, just like other Joes....no exceptions.

1.Thx 4 the oppty. to comment.
2.Try something more sophisticated to get users to interact so you can market your stuff & get our personal data.
3.Grow up. Its personal. = This is a perfect example of throwing out the baby with the bath water.
He is good at nailing white collar sleaze bags.
We ALL need such people. So he has a weakness, are you perfect ?
Not at all perfect but darn good at what I do
(better than you are at what you are doing here now).
Sincerely Joe Kocon

I think bush should be forced to resign for his promotion of prostitution by Iraqi refugees in Syria. That prostitution is being done for survival, and some of the prostitutes are as young as 13 years old. There are thousands of them, maybe tens of thousands.

Of course, there is his torture record, his rape rooms in Iraq, his extrajudicial killings, kidnapping and mass murder - all good reasons why he should be forced to resign ...... unless we are a country of total hypocrites, in which case we should focus on Vitter and forget bush.

Vitter and Craig need to resign first.

Prostitution is not always consensual. Women and girls are sexually exploited throughout this world, and yes, even in the US. The argument that prostitution is consensual denies this ugly fact and condemns many women and girls to a life of victimization. That aside, this guy needs to resign, because 1) he has committed a crime repeatedly, 2) he has tried to cover it up w/ potentially illegal fund shifting, and 3) he has destroyed the trust of his public. And if those three things aren't enough to convince people, consider this: how can you expect Spitzer to be honest and to crusade against corruption and crime when he has a history of engaging in dishonesty and in criminal acts?

In order to be a politician in America, a person has to engage in politics; and in order to engage in politics, a person has to be a hypocrite. Are politicians to blame or are we?

A good read on the case :
"Spitzer tripped up on laws he enforced"
By SAMANTHA GROSS and DEVLIN BARRETT, Associated Press Writers
A quote from the article :
"A half-million or so times every year, banks alert the federal government that a suspicious transaction has occurred. Although the public sometimes thinks it requires a transfer of $10,000 or more to attract attention, banks can label transactions suspicious even if they involve far less money ..."
Oh, yes, he should resign.
He is probably waiting with that step to see what kind of a deal he can cut with the prosecutors.

Where was Mr. Emmott when Rdi Giuliani was a known adulteror and still the leading Republican candidate for President.

The real stench of hypocrisy is coming from the Republicans -- who apparently have no problem finding stupid people who ignore how Republicans seem to never mind when THEIR politicans have the affairs!

**It's only a problem when Democrats have affairs.**

Schwarzenegger fondles women in elevators and has had affairs.

No problem -- He's a Republican you see so he gets a free pass.

In the olden days a mob would have tarred and feathered Spitzer and ran him out of town on a rail.

No, no!!!
Spitzer can't resign!!!
He's going to be our first jewish president!!!

Exactly! The keyword is hypocrisy. I can stand bad people better than hypocrites. Thank you for an excellent excerpt.

Pablo

Why has this story about Larry Sinclair not being brought to light, It is just as important as this one about Spitzer. If you haven't heard of it look at the Cleveland paper on the net, He is willing to take a lie detector test to help prove that Obama and him doing Cocain and having sex in 1999. Seems to me that someone is not reporting everything. If spitzer is at wrong then I think that the country should know of these alligations don't you. Or is the whole country afriad of him and his?

I wish all you right wingers, including this publication, would pursue your Repubicans with same zeal as you are pursuing Spitzer. It is WaPo and newspapers like it that see no evil hear no evil when Repubicans do it. But the moment you catch a Democrat being human, he must be lynched. Why is David Vitter still in the Senate? Remember Larry Craig? Maybe we should assemble a package deal for all the Repubicans, who have difficulty keeping their pants on for Spitzer? But I will tell you, even if you were to have twice as many R's I still would not trade Spitzer. I consider him a great governor, and just because of a hatchet job by the Bush Department of Justice, he has been compromised. Can you imagine the number of Repubicans that are being protected by the same DoJ? The pressure for Spitzer to resign is not coming from the people of NY but from right wing press.

I seem to remember a fellow STILL in the US Senate who was ARRESTED and pled QUILTY of doing some nasty stuff in a mens airport bathroom - LARRY CRAIG ring any bells? Unless Spitzer used public funds or resources to get his knob polished, who cares? Yes, he's a hypocrite, but these days, WHO ISN'T???

What the Spitzer episode confirms is that my respect for prostitutes is above that for politicians.
You observe the person,you reach agreement,get what you pay for and know what you are receiving.
With politicians however it seems continually to be about hypocrisy,self interest and deception.

Nick

Disagreeman, you're a pure, unadulterated dope. You say that prostitution ''should'' be legal. On your planet, that's fine, but in New York, it's NOT LEGAL. Spitzer prosecuted hundreds of people for the very thing he's being accused of. It IS illegal. ''Should'' belongs only in your vocabulary, which apparently doesn't include ''hypocrite''. Get out of the house more often. Spitzer lived by the sword...now, he dies by it. You, on the other hand, appear to have died never having read a dictionary.

Spitzer's relentless pursuit of
those in the radio business who engage in
paying or receiving payola (money or favors
in exchange for airplay) is ironic because
the practice was described as ''pay for play.''
Governor Spitzer is guilty of very much the same
thing. I'll look forward to having him deliver my pizza.

Before we pass judgment on Governor Spitzer, please be aware of all the good things he has accomplished. He was the ONLY elected official to go after the shady Wall Street and corporate executives. (and you have not heard the end of their greed in the curent banking scandal) We still insist on our puritanical sexual mores, which we of course do not indulge in. He has tremendously hurt his own family and his image will suffer for years. I for one prefer to preach forgiveness and desire for him to continue and not resign.

Spitzer broke the law when he set up a dummy company to funnel money into, to pay for his activities. He broke the law when he had her cross state lines. I personally don't care about the sex, he can do who ever he wants as far as I'm concerned.
But, HE should be prosecuted exactly like HE would prosecute you or me if we were to get caught breaking the same laws.
Resigning would be a good idea. NOW

Look at how you whiny liberal hypocrites cry and rationalize when one of your own does wrong.

Resign by ALL means if he is that dishonest to his family,can you imagine how dishonorable he is as a politican and to his country.

I agree 100% with the author. I admired Spitzer when he took down wall street crooks. I admired him when took down corporate crooks. I thought finally, someone who did not just wag his tail for the corporate world. (Was not too hot on his methods and shaming attitude.) He should be held to the same standards. Live by the sword and die by it. He should resign.

Shame on you, Spitzer!

Yes he should resign or live with the clintons who will have adultry follow them around the rest of their lifes , I know some people may say that is their personal life NO it is not when you are a politican it is the American people rights to know who they voted for, and just how much integrity they have, and sad but true a lot of them have no integrity.

Where Gov. Spitzer puts his private parts is his business. If he uses state money to do it, it's our business.

How can there be any question that the man should resign? To my knowledge, he was infamous for showing no mercy to those he went after as AG for NY state, often hounding them into (usually some kind of monetary) capitulation rather than a court trial. Shouldn't he suffer the same fate he imposed repeatedly on others?

I have no doubt that were Spitzer a member of Bush's cabinet, say, rather than a liberal governor, there would be no need for this discussion: Those currently wringing their collective hands about Spitzer's fate would have demanded the head of Bush's pal...yesterday. All of which just gives one more indication of the sick state of American politics these days.

You are ALL the hypocrites.

If he so-called "ruined his family", then they were not much of a family in the first place. Families are supposed to stick together, be understanding, supportive, etc. They need counceling if they can't handle this. That is not his responsibility if they are weak and cannot process the events within themselves.

Prostitution should be legal.

If yall did not have puritanical views about sex, then this would be nothing at all.

Who are you to say that his wife is supposed to be his sex provider? You do not know what they were into. Some couples get into fantasies like that where they like that sort of thing. Ever visit the web much?

Butt out. Do you want the whole world talking about your sex life?

He should absolutely resign. Could he not wait to get out of office to pay for prostitutes? What a fool to fly around the country and pay for sex when he could get it for free from his wife and likely others, if he had wanted it. Now, he's violated laws, will have to resign, and ruined his family. What an ass! Some people don't know when they've got it good and just have to push it.

Moreover, paying $1,000 per hour, as a repeat customer, on a government salary? It makes one wonder what else he was up to.

Charles Karr (3:05 PM) has it exactly right.

When you hire on for a government job (and undoubtedly many others)where you handle sensitive information, you're expected to have nothing in your past that makes you liable to blackmail - including past bad credit, drug use, and the like.

What is the matter with all these men??? There's such a long list of those who've had families destroyed and careers ruined - Spitzer, Larry Craig, David Vitter, Wilbur Mills, Gary Hart, Bill Clinton, Jim Baaker, Jimmy Swaggart, Ted Haggard...the list is endless. Surely they've noticed that people DO get caught...can't they keep their zippers up when it's really important?

And Anotheridiot at 3:43 PM is exactly that. He has to do what's right for his body??? That's what hands are for. Get real.

If power corrupts and you influence others through your editorials, doesn't this make you hypocritical? Who is left to lead, the naive and inexperienced?

Nowhere in these postings does anyone mention that participation in a prostitution operation across state lines is a federal crime, a violation of the same federal statutes that Spitzer was sworn to enforce in previous positions. Of course he should resign. He should be disbarred too.

It is HIS p.enis, it is HIS money, it was on HIS time, and its none of YOUR business.

If he broke the law, pay the price. As a MISDEMEANOR crime, it is just like passing withouth your turn signal on. Hardly anything to resign over.

The REAL hypocrites are YOU PEOPLE that have your own sexcapades and fantasies and point fingers at him.

The WHOLE WORLD is laughing about this. "What's the big deal" they all ask.

He committed a crime. A crime that he is bound by his office to execute.

Had he a fling with no money changing hands, the matter would be a completely private one, but he crossed that line and it became not a matter of extramarital sex, but a matter of having broken a law that is has sworn to uphold. Clearly he failed at his job.

Then again, Clinton didn't step down after he committed perjury, did he?

Just resign already! I mean, clearly if you're doing something that going to finish your political career if its exposed, you're totally subject to blackmail. Besides, clearly if you're at the point where you're cheating on the woman who's been on your side since forever, you've got a lot of problems and need some time off- take a break rich boy! Maybe get into some physical shape, develop a repor with God, and rebuild your life.

Leave Eliot Spitzer alone. He made a mistake.Overall he has been doing a good job. All you guys in Wall Street, do not gloat because Mr. Spitzer is not going away.

Spitzer will resign. The pressure will be so great from the opposition in Albany, perhaps from his own party. He truly disgraced himself and his family. Righteous protector of citizens as he proclaims to be, what sort of message does his behavior send to future generations? His actions, yet again, bring a crescendo to the thoughts that this America, this politics, is pure ego-driven drivel...the only comfort that Spitzer's immoral behavior and pure selfishness pale in comparison to the current leadership in Washington and their maniacal actions of the last seven years. At least Spitzer didn't kill the hooker.

Hypocrisy is the greater crime here, but this is not by far the worst case of it in politics, American or otherwise.

Americans go into a feeding frenzy whenever there's hormones in the water though. *Shrug*. He's an idiot for doing it, and will likely resign under the usual firestorm of equally hypocratic and idiotic calls for his proverbial lynching. Someday we'll get to the point where consensual adults can do whatever they wish behind closed doors, but not today...

Mr. Spitzer is more than just an idiot. If the allegations swirling about him prove true, he has committed multiple criminal acts. This inarguably disqualifies him for public office.

When an Attorney General prosecutes a prostitution ring operating out of Staten Island while frequenting and not prosecuting another run out of Manhattan, we all should care.

If Gov. Spitzer is obviously so capable of deception, is it not at least possible that his prosecution of a rival escort agency had ulterior motives?

We should at least get the opportunity to watch him squirm while answering such allegations.

This kind of behavior from a rich and powerful CEO is understandable and some what expected, but this behavior from an elected person so prominent in the public eye is completely ridicules in it's stupidity. This has nothing to do with privacy or morality and has everything to do with personal judgment. Resign!

I have murder, torture, false imprisonment, and war above sex with hooker in the order of sins. Does anybody really rank this as worse than what we have seen from bush-cheney the last 7 years ? please....and oh, if you don't think bush jr is a hypocrite, why is he always talking about god ? nothing about him reflects god's teachings

Let' see - the same man who in the words of the NYT espressed "revulsion and anger" at a NY based prostitution ring he busted, caught up in a prostitution ring?

While hypocrite is close, I think the word idiot perfectly describes Spitzer.

I am guessing that while he was "paying for it", he didn't realize what the final cost would be.

This Spitzer is a real moron. Corrupt and immoral - is that what you want in a state governor?
Bastards like this should do double-time for their crimes. Elected officials are expected to uphold the laws, not wiggle around them.

I am all for him resigning, but why doesn't David Vitter resign too?

Personally, I am saddened for his family, and for him too, since this stain will remain part of him until eternity.

wish that life is that simple.
what if your wife does not want to have sex with
you for a period of time.She still loves you and
you still loves her. But you can not have it.
Yes he has to do what is right for his body.
if prostitution is legal... what is the problem
here ?.

Prostitution is consenual, torture is not. Which one should be legalized?

Before Spitzer resigns, Bush and Cheney should go to jail. Let's get our priorities straight. Catch the murderer first, then worry about the guy who won't stay off the grass.

Correction to last paragraph of previous post by me.

PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD!!! THE GOVERNMENT IS NOT GOING TO DO SO. THIS IS HOW THEY CATCH PEOPLE.

NP Day

Prostitution is consenual, torture is not. Which one should be legalized?

Before Spitzer resigns, Bush and Cheney should to to jail. Let's get our priorities straight. Catch the murder first, then worry about the guy who wont's stay off the grass.

If having sex is a crime, then Spitzer should pay whatever fine the courts decide after a trial.

It will probably be less than a traffic ticket.

At that point, he will have repaid his debt to society.

How naive can Spitzer be to think that his personal life would remain private?

When are Democrats going to learn that you can't make a career investigating corrupt corporations and then think you can just move on like nothing happened. Those corrupt corporations pay for powerful friends and wiretaps are everywhere in our modern police state, so those with power know everything about your personal lives. All records about your finances, purchases, medical health, employment, and other details are in the hands of the authorities so they can stop Osama and others from taking away our freedom.

Or catch political opponents who have sex with other people.