Gov Elliot Spitzer tied to prostitution ring

Sauron · #1 03-10-2008, 08:57 PM

Oops.

Quote:

Wiretap Recording Said to Implicate Governor as Client
By DANNY HAKIM and WILLIAM K. RASHBAUM 14 minutes ago

Gov. Eliot Spitzer has been caught on a federal wiretap arranging to meet with a high-priced prostitute, according to a person briefed on the inquiry.

LadyShea · #2 03-10-2008, 09:03 PM

Basically, I have decided that if any politician is ever on any kind of morality crusade publicly, we should just assume from the get go they are fucking someone they shouldn't be (according to their own rules).

ZEZOZE · #3 03-10-2008, 09:36 PM

nothing worse than being tied to the prostitution ring and then left there...

Farren · #4 03-10-2008, 11:39 PM

cappuccino · #5 03-11-2008, 12:21 AM

Yeah the only reason he's publically apologizing is because he's sorry he got caught.

California Tanker · #6 03-11-2008, 12:46 AM

Could be worse, could be a cut-price prostitute.

[ETA: Dear God, I just saw the price-per-hour.]

NTM

godfry n. glad · #7 03-11-2008, 01:29 AM

I have come to agree with LadyShea....

"George Fox" must be quaking now.

ChuckF · #8 03-11-2008, 03:36 AM

Shucks, I was gonna post an "Eliot Spiter: Boned" thread. :darn:

Stormlight · #9 03-11-2008, 12:16 PM

n/m

Petra · #10 03-11-2008, 12:45 PM

I wouldn't be surprised if the Emperor's Club had a bit to do with some of the big busts that horn-dawgs like Client 9 managed to execute, too. At that price, they are in a very lucrative - and made all the more by it's illicitness - business; with the illegal aspects - yet upper crust, high profile clientelle - paying as much for discretion as they are the sex. That can be quite a powerful position for the Emperor Club to be in, and could be used - through client 'relationships' - to eliminate, or at least seriously hobble, any competition. Interesting...

As for Spitzer himself, though - like so many of these damned fools - he should go sit in the corner with a huge ass dunce cap, while his wife gets a dirty lawyer and a big ol' strap on. What an idiot.

Adam · #11 03-11-2008, 03:06 PM

Has Spitzer actually been "tied to" a prostitution ring, or is he tied to it in the same sense that I've been tied to Best Buy?

I'm gonna have to echo several commenters on the intertubes here: one woman? Jesus H, Democrats can't even get sex scandals right! Where's the diaper? Where's the closeted gay? Where are the underage boys?

ChuckF · #12 03-11-2008, 03:10 PM

Farren · #13 03-11-2008, 03:35 PM

I'm pitching your big tent right here

...

...

LadyShea · #14 03-11-2008, 03:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adam

I'm gonna have to echo several commenters on the intertubes here: one woman? Jesus H, Democrats can't even get sex scandals right! Where's the diaper? Where's the closeted gay? Where are the underage boys?

LOL, I thought the same thing, "A high class call girl? How vanilla. Must not be a Republican". I didn't know his party, and it wasn't mentioned in the original article I read...so I looked him up and sure enough..Democrat!

BDS · #15 03-11-2008, 05:31 PM

ON the positive side of the story, Lietenant Governor David Patterson is one of my son's clients (my son is a political consultant in NYC). Patterson is also black, blind, and will soon be Governor of New York.

LIEUTENANT DAVID PATERSON SITE

Alex · #16 03-11-2008, 05:45 PM

It's always fun to see a politician hoist with his own petard.

#17 03-11-2008, 09:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adam

I'm gonna have to echo several commenters on the intertubes here: one woman? Jesus H, Democrats can't even get sex scandals right! Where's the diaper? Where's the closeted gay? Where are the underage boys?

Or using foster children for sex after co-sponsoring a Sex Offender Listing bill.

Adam · #18 03-11-2008, 10:52 PM

So, the more I read about this, the worse it smells. Apparently, the investigation initially had nothing at all to do with prostitution, but was a probe into Spitzer's finances, ostensibly launched because his bank reported "suspicious" transactions to the IRS.

Harper's rounds up some of the oddities surrounding the scandal.

lisarea · #19 03-12-2008, 12:28 AM

I have to admit that I'm not sure what the 'stunning' hypocrisy is supposed to be. ('Stunning' seems to be the default adjective they're using.) I saw where the NYT said he spoke 'with anger and revulsion' when prosecuting a prostitution ring once, but I think that's the closest I've seen him come to moralizing over sins of the flesh or anything--and without context, I don't even know that that's the aspect he was addressing, anyway.

Yeah, there's some hypocrisy there, of course, because he did prosecute a couple of prostitution rings, apparently, but most of the 'moralizing' I'm aware of was over corporate fraud and corruption and such. Granted, I don't live in NY and I really only see what makes the national news. So maybe he really is railing against hookers all the time and I just don't know about it. It just seems that, if he were, we'd have a lot more concrete examples right now. I've been looking for them, though, and I can't find them.

California Tanker · #20 03-12-2008, 01:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adam

So, the more I read about this, the worse it smells. Apparently, the investigation initially had nothing at all to do with prostitution, but was a probe into Spitzer's finances, ostensibly launched because his bank reported "suspicious" transactions to the IRS.

If you're a public official, transferring batches of cash of that magnitude to what turns out to be a holding company, you don't think that's going to justifiably trigger some sort of "Hang on, what's going on here?" questions?

NTM

Ymir's blood · #21 03-12-2008, 03:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lisarea

I have to admit that I'm not sure what the 'stunning' hypocrisy is supposed to be. ('Stunning' seems to be the default adjective they're using.) I saw where the NYT said he spoke 'with anger and revulsion' when prosecuting a prostitution ring once, but I think that's the closest I've seen him come to moralizing over sins of the flesh or anything--and without context, I don't even know that that's the aspect he was addressing, anyway.

I felt the same way after reading several news articles. However, the wiki page on him shed some light on the subject. He's portrayed himself as a crusader against various social ills, but is accused of using a lot of strong arm tactics against his opponents. For instance, there was a scandal where he (or someone on his staff) employed the state police to track the movement of a political opponent (NY senate majority leader). Less seriously, but still odious, he's been accused of becoming verbally abusive towards other officials and business leaders who wouldn't cooperate with his programs or whatnot.

Wikipedia

So the charge of hypocrisy seems to come from his self righteousness in pursuit of his goals while at the same time breaking the law.

There is a lot of political motivation here as well though. He's alienated even the Democrats in the legislature and his popularity was around 33%. This just gives his opponents (in both parties) a reason to call for him to resign.

Qingdai · #22 03-12-2008, 03:23 AM

Apparently, from the CNN report I saw at the gym, Wall Street Traders hated him because he was going after them with what they called, "heavy handed tactics." Which was, also according to some Wall Street trader they interviewed, because he went to the press with his complaints before he went to Wall Street.
Nothing like having powerful enemies to create a media hoo-haa.

Ymir's blood · #23 03-12-2008, 03:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Qingdai

Apparently, from the CNN report I saw at the gym, Wall Street Traders hated him because he was going after them with what they called, "heavy handed tactics." Which was, also according to some Wall Street trader they interviewed, because he went to the press with his complaints before he went to Wall Street.
Nothing like having powerful enemies to create a media hoo-haa.

Well naturally he should have gone to them first. I mean it's not like they were doing anything wrong. Surely this could have been settled with a nice quiet campaign donation?

Still, despite the fact that he seemed to have good causes and all, he comes across as being a power crazed bully. It's hard for me to feel sorry for him. On a less emotional level, you'd think someone going out of their way to make enemies would think twice about giving them ammunition to use against him.

Qingdai · #24 03-12-2008, 06:35 AM

A nice quiet campaign contribution and the silencing of some prostitutes maybe.

Yes, he seems to be hated by many.
I was thinking the enemy of my enemy, could still be my enemy, but it's nice to see them go at each other instead of me.

lisarea · #25 03-12-2008, 02:02 PM

Yeah, the guy is definitely kind of a dick, and I do sort of remember the police thing. But that might have been a better target for the outrage and claims of hypocrisy. It was an actual abuse of power and all.

This just strikes me as opportunistic--like someone just went on a fishing expedition to catch him at something. The claims of hypocrisy are so fuzzy and yet so universal, it's like they were preordained. It's not much more specific than, "He says to be good, but then he did somethung BAD!" Hardly anti-gay crusader mens' room buttsex party level hypocrisy or anything.