What some people do is not always only their "private business". Elected officials, like professionals, must behave in an ethical fashion, else their effectiveness is jeopardized. Whatever you think privately of prostitution, or marital unfaithfulness, these things are arguably not generally considered ethical in the eyes of the general public. Breaking the law, at least under these circumstances, is certainly unethical. And beyond simply unethical, which in itself would be enough, his actions have exposed him to blackmail pressure, which is not just stupid, but makes him easily (more) corruptable - an untenable liability for someone in his office. And even beyond that, his double-standard behavior has exposed him as actually corrupt, in word and deed.

This is not just a private citizen, whose private life is his own affair. This elected official must go. It's not a question of honor, but of the reliable integrity which are a non-negotiable item in his job description, and he has demonstrated he is unsuitable.

Here is why it is important to me as a US citizen, not a NY resident: Americans have an expectation that our chosen leaders live by the moral guidelines, the ethics, of our nation. Anytime that a US citizen steps forward as a representative of the public they must be aware that they are signing up to lead within the laws and guidelines they are sworn to uphold.

If this man Spitzer cannot control his libido then what else can he not control? If he missed such a basic moral lesson as fidelity - a mainstay of American marriages - then what other lessons did he miss.

If he is guilty, and he seems to have admitted that he is, then he is not fit to lead the public. He should resign.

In no other civilized / modern country do people treat anything sexual like this like we do in the USA. Everyone thinks on one hand we have to be these moral do-gooders for the world...when we go in and bomb the hell out of countries...killing innocents and not a single word of outrage from all you people trying to crucify this man. What a man does in his personal life is his business. We will lose another very good politican because some of you think you are so perfect.

Pathetic that this even gets the press it does.

I agree with you that it should be between consenting adults and it should not be a crime. However, Governor Spitzer spent his life and years as Attorney General prosecuting people for the exact crime he was caught doing. He should resign because of this, not because of the prostitution charges, because of his hypocrisies.

That's exactly the problem with this Spitzer thing! It's absolute hypocrisy on his part if he doesn't resign given his zealous prosecution of prostitutes! The question isn't 'should prostitution be legalized', the question is 'did he commit a crime that he zealously prosecuted & would presumably be against?' He should resign on his own. He's an absolute embarrassment to the party.