This is an unfortunate day, because while Spitzer, like alot of politicians has a messed up personal life, he did alot of great things going after the nefarious practices of insurance companies and wall street firms. His crusades show ample proof that corporations will bend and even break the law if you let them, and why regulation, and particularly enforcement of those regulations is necessary part of our society. Even if they are handled by something as bureaucratic as a "government".

Power-trippin' fool. He may weather this (by somehow not getting indicted), but jeeze what a slimy bugger. A ho!. I shouldn't be surprised, what with the things politicians get busted for these days ... but it dumbfounds me.

You do that-sort-of-thing with full knowledge that you're turning your back on your family. I wonder which way his wife will go, stand-by-her-man, or pack-it-in-'nuff-said. If you've seen the video, she does not look happy (of course.) You gotta wonder how that conversation went, "Aw honey, it was only a couple times, I swear!" "If it weren't for your career, I'd be out of here!"

Way to shoot yourself (and the Democratic party) in the foot, Spitzer. The other thing I don't like about his actions today, is he never actually said what he had done. Probably to avoid legal trouble, but it made his press statements pretty empty, forcing everyone to assume the same conclusion.

And the Times! They didn't want to get scooped, I'd guess, but I can only hope this means they'll take the gloves off with everybody else, too (which they won't.)

Kerry, I read your last three paragraphs after my first comment - strangely, we seem to agree on this topic.

I find Spitzer's behavior worse than Bill Clinton's - by breaking his marriage vows in this way, Spitzer was also committing crimes. He should resign. That's right, you heard it here first.

And if he doesn't get indicted? In that case, you'll need no further proof that the system is totally rigged. That he went on TV to apologize - was it to stem the prosecutorial tide, or because he already knows he's off the hook? (Or thirdly, knowing he crashed his career as a Democratic politician during a Presidential election year -one that shows good prospects for the Dems- he went on TV to blunt the blow he knows is coming... indictment. A softer blow than 11-o'clock news footage of him in handcuffs, being whisked away by marshals.)

The prosecution's federal, so neither Albany nor City Hall can protect him. Sometimes they don't go after the johns ... and if *that* turns out to be the case, you then gotta wonder why this was leaked in the first place.

p_d,

As a woman, I find the fact that he was buying a $4300 hooker the day before Valentine's Day grounds for justifiable homicide. I understand he was testifying on Capitol Hill on the 14th, but I would like to know what he did for his WIFE that day.

"The prosecution's federal, so neither Albany nor City Hall can protect him. Sometimes they don't go after the johns ... and if *that* turns out to be the case, you then gotta wonder why this was leaked in the first place."

Oh, well, that would be because the money-laundering aspect of it is too complex to explain right out of the box, so they led with the sex part. Which is also a felonious act, luckily for the press.

Anybody want to speculate on the ramifications for the election, given that Spitzer is a Clinton Superdelegate, and his likely replacement for the office is an African-American?

As a New Yorker I was disgusted by this news yesterday. I literally felt sick- physically sick. Who can we rely on in the government? Corruption at a local, state and federal level can pop out of nowhere! Who do we trust? If someone has a "good record" and claims to be "ethical" what makes their word count? This was a huge news and surprisingly, I'm not sure I can get more cynical when it comes to politics now. Then again, my cynicism has only been increasing in recent years; I don't expect that trend to change.

I don't care what party you're a member of; this was sleazy, hypocritical, immoral, and just plain wrong; he must resign.

From news reports today, it's looking like Spitzer's about to step down. We'll always have this picture to remember you by... http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2008/03/10/us/11spitzer08_450.jpg

This is by no means a defense of Spitzer's alleged criminal behavior, just an observation... when things like this happen to seemingly smart people, you gotta wonder - how can a top-notch AG, who's probably familiar with all manner of financial scams, take financial transaction advice from a call-girl "booking agent"? (and gee, don't they make it sound innocuous, like a travel agency or something?) I mean, you'd think, being at high risk, he'd bring his funds along with him, in a brown paper sack.

Kerry, I hadn't noticed the Valentines Day timing... I get what you're feeling. Married guys, imagine the tables turned, your wife does business with a gigolo right before Valentines Day? I mean, if you're not from California with at least what they call an "open marriage," what would you do? It's just a totally blatant F-Y to your mate.

You know, I was wondering about where the booker tells "Kristen" that Client 9 might ask her to do things that might not sound "safe." I'm not sure that's a sex reference--because Kristen says her answer to that is "do you want the sex or not," basically. So I'm thinking maybe that's about how she's going to be paid, because they are concerned in the transcript with the fact that he won't do "traditional wire transferring."

Anyway, it appears that the money-laundering scheme in aid of the prostitute-patronizing was what touched off the whole thing. The bank notified the IRS that Spitzer appeared to be engaging in "structuring," where you deposit money in off-shore accounts in amounts less than the federal-tripping 10K threshhold. And then they found out why.

I am now wondering whether some of those accounts also contain illicit funds that Spitzer might have acquired by judicious stock trades from companies that he was about to financially destroy. After all, he certainly had a lot of inside information about what was about to happen to a lot of companies that lost value precipitously when he forced their execs to resign.

Just a thought.

I think you can tell if a politician is honest if you really pay close attention and look at their history. For instance, though I'll in all probability vote Republican in the general election, I strongly feel that Barack Obama is more genuine than Hillary Clinton. Kerry indicated that, of the two, she'd be more comfortable with Hillary's experience than Barack's lack thereof. I would actually go the opposite way and say I'd be more comfortable with Obama because he seems to be an honest individual. I respect him for staunchly refusing to run a dirty campaign even though Hillary was doing exactly that.

I don't honestly know much about Elliot Spitzer other than what I've learned from the non-stop coverage by NPR today. I don't know if he came across genuine or if his history might have been a predictor.

You know Kerry, we can all make further assumptions about the governor’s activities without actual evidence, heck, I say he has a fetish for one legged-hooked-handed-hookers. Right now, since we know the gist of his disgraceful activities, can we at least try to stay away from that speculation that the news media, and partisan groups love to discuss... for once? I mean, seriously, the guy is totally screwed anyway. Lets wait and see what develops rather than “might haves” they know what he did; let’s stay tuned for further developments; reality is much more exciting than fiction anyway.

On the lighter side, on the Daily Show yesterday, Jon Stewart made a comic reference to this craziness, "Was it Spitzer swallows?" I thought that was pretty hot.

Interesting. I'd hazard a guess that money laundering is integral to the prostitution business.

I am now wondering whether some of those accounts also contain illicit funds that Spitzer might have acquired by judicious stock trades from companies that he was about to financially destroy.

Alright okay, that's as much cross-partisanship speckewlayshun as I can participate in ... I'm liable to start blurt out, Tourettes-style ... "He's a patriot! He's done this great land a public service!!" ;-)

Hey, y'know what? If he's engaged in even more devious and nefarious crimes, I'd be happy to see them prosecuted, period. I was gonna say, "especially if it resulted in better scrutiny of our politicians' relations with business etc.," but Kerry, what you've already pointed out about the money-laundering aspect shows that our gov't is already pretty sharp at monitoring our transactions.

PD,

And you would think this dumbass would know better, when it comes to capabilities of tracking money. He went after wall street for petesake! I think this goes to show you that many high flying politicians of any political stripe are capable of deluding themselves into thinking they are untouchable.

The thing that always get under my skin is the back door apology folks give when they've been caught. The mistake is only half the issue...his pride and delusional self perception is what is making my skin crawl. He's so self absorbed that he can't even acknowledge his mistakes give a true apology.

Shield your eyes,

Foes of Sex Trade Are Stung by the Fall of an Ally - "Human rights groups have credited Gov. Eliot Spitzer with what they call the toughest anti-sex-trade law in the nation. ... Mr. Spitzer stands accused of being one of the very men his law was designed to catch and punish."

This is no ordinary fall... he betrayed not only his family, he betrayed his office, his constituents, the ideas of the laws he passed, and the exploited women he stood up for.

Spectacular crash and burn, Mr. soon-to-be-ex-Gov. Kick him to the curb.

The press has begun connecting Spitzer's crash with the Larry Craig case.

The article says, Craig has hung on to his office, appealing his guilty plea through the judicial system.

Far different cases, Spitzer and Craig. Craig's actually got a splinter of a chance, and as much as his fellow Republicans may not like it, he seems to be doing what he believes is right. I mean, if you found (or put) yourself in his position, your political career basically over, wouldn't you try to salvage something out of it? Besides the obvious revolving door lobbying jobs that chase departing Congresscritters.

Now we know where Mrs. Spitzer stands...

"Several aides said that they expected Gov. Eliot Spitzer to resign on Wednesday, but close aides said his wife was urging him to stay on."

"Who can we rely on in the government?"

No one. That's why the Founders, though insisting on the importance of character in the office, still centralized the Rule of Law in the system they set up.

P-d, that bit about his work with the sex trade is very illuminating. My guess would be that, like so many self-hating perverts, he was dropping the bread crumbs to make it easier to catch people just like him. In fact, it's psychologically fascinating. Look at this:

"“He understood,” she added. “He got it, unlike hundreds of other politicians and law enforcement officials that we talked to.”"

Yes, he "got it." Exactly. Because he WAS "it." And he eased some of his guilt by helping the very people he was using, pushed his inner demons away by externalizing them into very real other people who could be punished in his stead. He was the bad guy, but he kept his self-image from fracturing by stamping out the bad guys.

It explains a lot about the near-frenzied way he reportedly went after his cases. He wasn't going to listen to the hooker-blaming john, because he knew his heart--from hearing it beat every day in his own life. His theory that eliminating the demand would solve the problem stemmed not from some criminological brilliance, but from his own simple observation of himself. If only HE didn't want it, it wouldn't exist. He KNEW it wasn't enough to get rid of the women; because even when the women weren't there, he wanted them. And he KNEW that the men were afraid of getting caught--because that was his fear, as well.

It's amazing. And it's much more than the betrayal of his constituents and his family. It's his own descent into the madness of guilt. Dostoyevsky couldn't have written it better.

As to Larry Craig, I remain one of the few holdouts who believes Craig's story. I still don't see any evidence of guilt, or any overt act deserving punishment.

But I'm much more interested in the media's frenzy to link Silda Spitzer with Dina Matos McGreevey. Why stay with men like this? everyone wants to ask. Mrs. McGreevey explains it perfectly. The women are in shock. And they have children. And they are so used to the politician telling them how to play the game, where to stand, what to say, and when to shut up, it's the only thing they still know how to do in that moment.

I loved Mrs. McGreevey's book, by the way. It really showed her rat of a husband for what he had always been and always hidden from everyone. And it prepared me from the totally delusional self-image he has presented since then. I highly recommend the book (I read his book, too; unlike Oprah, I didn't believe a single word of it, including the title. There was no "confession" there, because there was no remorse. It's all self-justification and character assassination of others.)

Perhaps as a private citizen, Mr. Spitzer could make some cash in endorsements:

"I'm not just the prosecutor of high-class call-girls--I'm also a client!"

And with regard to Mrs. Spitzer not wanting him to step down, I can see that, too.

"You are NOT going to humiliate me like this. You are NOT going to tell people that you PAID for some pretty little tart on Valentine's Day. You are NOT going to make me the laughingstock of the daily news."

So long as she is holed up with him, and he is trying to make up with her, she doesn't have to face the truth about it all. She doesn't have to admit that her husband has betrayed her in front of the entire world, recklessly, stupidly, and without any concern for what would happen in the end.

I would guess that, until she can figure out what to do next, she doesn't want to find herself without a roof over her head, fending for herself as a single mom, or becoming the poster woman for all women spectacularly, publicly, permanently humiliated and ruined.

While they are there, she can pretend her life is still "normal." Once there is a definitive endpoint, the dealing with reality has to begin. And I'm not surprised at all that she's not ready for that. Many women in her position would be locked in the bathroom wondering how to choose between a booze and pills cocktail and just throwing up for a week.

God, help her. This has got to be the worst moment of her entire life.