27 Comments

1. Mike_Nargizian:

His ego is too big that he can’t keep his mouth shut on something like this… it’s not like he doesn’t have his hands full enough fighting the rabid left regarding Israel and the Middle East… he needs to have some counter opinion to take on a modern gossip situation in America to remain ‘chic’.

Mar 10, 2008 - 11:03 pm 2. jedrury:

James Carville got on CNN early Monday evening to suggest
that this was a Republican cockup proving that his idiocy
continues after so many years in civilized society.

Mar 11, 2008 - 12:20 am 3. Foobarista:

The irony is that it wasn’t the sex that nailed him, it was the coverup.

Mar 11, 2008 - 12:52 am 4. melk:

Dershowitz said much of the same on CNN last night. He is shamelessly partisan and is probably angling for the defense lawyer gig in this affair.

Mar 11, 2008 - 3:42 am 5. TerryeL:

I think this has more to do with Spitzer’s history as a prosecutor than it has to do with sex.

Mar 11, 2008 - 3:55 am 6. Barry Dauphin:

It’s hard to see why Alan D. would want to weigh in on this, other than to appease his firends among the Dems who don’t like his stance toward terrorism (i.e., he finds an alternative way to blame America first). Surely he understands that Spitzer prosecuted folks who particpated in the kinds of activities he did. He is a former prosecutor and current governor. He knew what he was doing was totally illegal and that he could get into monumental trouble if he got caught. He got caught. We can have all the debates we want about “repressed” America, a former law enforcement official and current governor broke the law. Getting into the some sociological analysis is for another day.

Mar 11, 2008 - 4:58 am 7. Bill Gnade:

The HuffPo blogger, Sam Stein, reported yesterday that Mr. Dershowitz CALLED MSNBC to get on the air yesterday. I tuned in just as the interview began; I’ve no idea if he called in or not. But it SEEMED like he had to have called in, for I cannot imagine any MSNBC producer shouting, “Get Dershowitz on the line. Now!”

I also caught Dershowitz on CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360 last night. His strident defense that Spitzer is actually a victim of America’s latent puritanism was repeated.

Indeed. Spitzer’s sin is America’s fault. Or so it goes.

Wow.

BG

Mar 11, 2008 - 5:50 am 8. Lem:

Dershowitz is taking advantage of an opportunity for little face time. No one is going on the air and putting up anything near a defence, so he’s doing the best he can when there is not much to say in the Gov’s defence.

His appearance was more about Dershowitz than Spitzer.

BTW – I expect that there will be lot of pressure on the DAs to get him indicted. Spitzer made very few friends on his way to the governorship.

Mar 11, 2008 - 7:11 am 9. Wellspring:

He’s obviously trying to frame this as a sex scandal rather than rank hypocrisy. As far as I’m concerned, this like the Jim Baker scandal, or the Larry Craig whatever-that-was. He can defend Mr. Clean all he wants.

Context drives much of this. I’m not sure I can make a final judgment yet without further information. Especially pictures.

Mar 11, 2008 - 7:29 am 10. Charlie (Colorado):

Alan Dershowitz showed himself to be monumentally out of touch with humanity….

Well, hell, he’s a tenured professor at Harvard. When would he have any contact with humanity?

Mar 11, 2008 - 8:36 am 11. Orion:

While we’re on the subject of lawyer-stuff, what about Spitzie’s license to practice law? Doesn’t the NY State Bar Association look down on lawyers dumb enough to run afoul of the Mann Act? Argue what you may about this 1910 statute it’s remarkably easy to avoid: simply hire a local working girl in DC instead of having one sent down from Albany. In this day and age you have to work up a sweat to break this law (pun intended).

Mar 11, 2008 - 8:42 am 12. tyree:

Years ago, during President Clinton’s Monica days, I asked a friend who is a French citizen about the American reaction. I was surprised when he wholeheartedly endorsed our opposition to Bill’s antics. He said, “The press, as usual, is focusing on what they want the story to be. The fact is by engaging in this behavior the most most powerful leader in the world has left himself wide open to blackmail. I think more Americans are aware of this than the press is reporting.”

Once again they hit us with the “puritan” angle because that is the medias story. Spitzer went to a service that in all probability is controlled by organized crime. Even if it was legal, he willingly opened himself up to blackmail by the mob and thus eliminated his ability to act in our interest. I think my French friend was right, and I think most Americans are aware of more than one reason why he what he did was wrong.

Mar 11, 2008 - 9:08 am 13. MikeD:

Just another day in America’s “Culture of Corruption”. What is truly amusing is all the feigned outrage over Jack Abramoff and the Republican crooks of the last several years. That, after the eight years of dishonesty and slime that characterized Bill and Hillary’s first (and hopefully only) occupation of the White House! But then that didn’t have anything to do crooked cattle futures and dishonest land deals and lies, it was only about sex and the VRWC. And now Eliot Spitzer, another paragon of Democratic concern for the little people, fighting the corruption of Wall Street and the robber barons of American industry appears to be able to afford $5000 per hour hookers. (Gee, I didn’t know the governor’s salary was so high–I always assumed it to be only slightly higher than that of the common man and that people ran for such public office out of a burning desire to serve and sacrifice for their fellow citizens!) I’m sure Spitzer earned every penny doing honest manual labor and so the similarly important intellectual elite like Alan Dershowitz must rally to his cause. Why it is only prostitution, for crying out loud!

The news about whatever salacious behavior is the entre du jour is not the issue people. What is surely the story here (and damn near the story every day) is the rank stupidity of the American population that accepts the transparent dishonesty of both Republicans and Democrats and re-elects it every cycle–deluding themselves into thinking they have effected meaningful change. (Is the U.S population really that easy to hornswoggle?) But hey, maybe in 2008 “Hope!” and “Changeyness” will finally arrive. Why, we have a major candidate that assures us that is what he stands for–and that the fancy mansion in the Chicago suburbs, obtained through dubious financial transactions is nothing of consequence. Come on now, he is black, we have never had one of those as President before, and that is justification enough. Or if that doesn’t float your boat, how about a woman! We haven’t elected one of them before either, and we have one in the wings, eschewing any personal agenda, hesitant to step forward, ready to represent the little people and the disposessed, as long as we are willing to ignore that she and her scumbucket husband have amassed a multi-million $ fortune in the last 7 years (undoubtedly a reflection of the effort represented by Bill’s sweat-drenched brow).

Dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb. When asked after the Constitutional Convention of 1787 what kind of government had been formed, Franklin is reputed to have said, “A republic if you can keep it.” Congratulations, America. You are trying awfully hard to blow it!

Mar 11, 2008 - 9:12 am 14. MikeD:

Gad, what a terrible cynic I am!

Mar 11, 2008 - 9:20 am 15. markus:

I agree with Dershowitz here. I also think a country that sanctions prostitution but permits no-fault divorce for parents with dependent children is a country with screwed up values.

Mar 11, 2008 - 10:01 am 16. Ripper:

Alan Dershowitz’s only redeeming value is that he is spot-on with his support for Israel and his recognition of the threat of Islamofascism; otherwise he is a typical narcissistic, ego driven, publicity hound, pointy headed liberal who longs for the glory days of 1973-74 and the Watergate Inquisition. This is a man by the way who was one of O.J. Simpson’s lawyers.

Mar 11, 2008 - 11:49 am 17. contrarian:

I’m with Dershowitz. Only moreso. We need to stop being prudes about sex – and not just regarding politicians. You have one life to live. An occasional release from the monotony of monogamy is necessary for a healthy, balanced life. It makes you nicer to your wife, who stops being your jailer. – You guys rail against the mullahs, but then you want to impose your moral sharia on normal people and deprive the nation of the chance to be represented by normal people.

Mar 11, 2008 - 11:53 am 18. goodspkr:

Is he still alive?

Mar 11, 2008 - 12:22 pm 19. Jay Stranahan:

Contrarian… you’ve never been in a functional monogamous relationship, have you?

Mar 11, 2008 - 12:54 pm 20. MarkD:

They are going to get him on a law that makes it a felony to structure financial transactions to avoid reporting requirements. As a former AG, he can hardly argue ignorance of the law, or that the law should not apply to him.

His popularity was in Bush territory before this scandal broke. The man has no political capital to spend. He’s done. The Feds should trade his law license and resignation for a plea bargain with no time to serve.

Can you spell “Governor Andrew Cuomo” by the next election?

Mar 11, 2008 - 1:08 pm 21. chuck:

Gad, what a terrible cynic I am!

Look on the bright side. If government really mattered it would attract the best and brightest instead of the low grade hacks and scammers most of our political elites are these days.

Mar 11, 2008 - 1:49 pm 22. JEM:

I tuned into a program on NPR earlier, heard some of the most absurd bloviating on the topic I’d yet heard. Then the commentator wrapped up the show thanking Dershowitz.

Should prostitution be legal? Yeah, probably.

Does that make it any less troubling that a man who made his bones taking down such operations, a man in a position of great authority who has presented himself as a great moral exemplar, put his reputation (as well as $4300 a, uh, pop) into the pockets of the people who run this one?

I don’t care about the penis, I care about the influence.

Are we going to believe that a criminal enterprise that goes through as much money as this one does has no business ties that could compromise the Governor’s office?

Mar 11, 2008 - 2:25 pm 23. MikeD:

“low grade hacks and scammers most of our political elites are these days”

You’re probably right Chuck. It probably doesn’t matter that much, and the day to day impact on me personally is pretty minimal. Besides, as has been remarked too frequently, we ultimately get the government we deserve. What amazes me is the number of folks (of whatever political persuasion) who feel compelled to not only accept the exhibited behavior of these absolutely transparent charlatins and clowns but take such pains to justify it on some level (usually a variant of either “everyone else does it”, or “it really isn’t that bad”). Now there’s real intellect! Kind of like continuing to hit yourself in the head with a hammer because you know it will really feel good if, someday, you stop.

Mar 11, 2008 - 3:11 pm 24. Lem:

Spitzer is acting like a man who wants to hang on.

Mar 11, 2008 - 3:53 pm 25. Barry Dauphin:

So, Spitzer might have spent as much as $80,000 on prostitutes. If Dershowitz “cares” about his “friend” Elliott (like the good Democrat he is), then he should not be in front of the cameras justifying this, he should be counseling Spitz to get some “help”. Hey maybe Dr. Phil can lend a hand.

Next, where the hell did he get that kind of money to blow on an AG/governor’s salary? Who does he think he is Edwin Edwards or something?

Mar 11, 2008 - 4:19 pm 26. Captain Hate:

I’ve been ignoring Dershowitz for quite a while whenever he talks about anything other than Israel. Serenity now.

Mar 11, 2008 - 4:33 pm 27. qrstuv:

“You guys rail against the mullahs, but then you want to impose your moral sharia on normal people and deprive the nation of the chance to be represented by normal people.”

I can’t let this piece of idiocy go unremarked.

Contrarian, you’re just repeating the standard liberal talking point without giving it any thought whatsoever. (What a surprise.)

Most conservatives do have stricter morals than liberals. On the other hand — and this is the critical part — conservatives believe in representative government, you know, laws written by people who are accountable to the rest of us.

Sharia says all laws come from allah and have already been written down. Sharia says that laws written by man are blasphemy.

If you can’t see the difference here, you have no brain.

Incidentally, I can’t help but think that progressives such as yourself really do not care for representative government. You want the Supreme Court to declare things as rights so that they’re beyond discussion, you despise the country when it doesn’t vote your way, and you fight like hell to retain control of the education system so that the next generation can be correctly taught.

Mar 11, 2008 - 5:38 pm

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