The NYT may have been trying to get McCain of late, but the real sex scandal has hit the Democratic side. It was poor Eliot Spitzer’s wife who was forced to be the latest spouse to be humiliated before the cameras by the actions of her spouse. The whole thing is straight out of Moliere — a crusading public official caught as the object of his crusade. According to the Times: Mr. Spitzer gained national attention when he served as attorney general with his relentless pursuit of Wall Street wrongdoing. As attorney general, he also had prosecuted at least two prostitution rings as head of the state’s organized crime task force.
In one such case in 2004, Mr. Spitzer spoke with revulsion and anger after announcing the arrest of 16 people for operating a high-end prostitution ring out of Staten Island.
This has got to be bad news for Hilary because this kind of public sexual hypocrisy reminds people of one person only more than others: William Jefferson Clinton. Now, to be clear, Clinton’s sad dalliance with Monica was not illegal (Spitzer allegedly violated the Mann Act), but it became illegal when Bill lied. The country was then shut down for essentially trivial private occurrence. Why people would to see a rerun of this kind of behavior in the White House eludes me. The Spitzer Scandal – one more step for Obama.
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23 Comments
1. Larry J:Now, to be clear, Clinton’s sad dalliance with Monica was not illegal.
And yet, if any corporate CEO did the same thing with an intern, the sexual harassment crowd would scream bloody murder about the presumption of coertion.
But you’re right when you say that lying was the crime. Not lying to us, mind you, but lying to the court under oath.
Mar 10, 2008 - 1:33 pm 2. David Thomson:Another question pops up in my mind: will this scandal help John McCain win New York’s electoral votes? It is my understanding that the new governor, David Paterson, may be something of a whack job. Knock on wood, the Democrats may have a serious problem on their hands. And yes, Hillary Clinton is further damaged by Eliot Spitzer’s self inflicted troubles. This may even be the straw that broke the proverbial camel’s back.
Mar 10, 2008 - 1:49 pm 3. Captain Hate:Maybe this will humpstart the economy. Wall Street has to be celebrating.
Mar 10, 2008 - 1:54 pm 4. Fausta:the latest spouse to be humiliated
Mar 10, 2008 - 2:05 pm 5. Neo:I am so tired of these wyfies standing by husbands who are “apologizing to their families”, Roger, that I would actually respect a wife that would refuse to stand by the jerk. He got himself into that mess, let him stand alone like a man and not mention the family while he’s at it.
Spitzer is a valued Hill superdelegate
“Kristen” thought so too.
Mar 10, 2008 - 2:18 pm 6. Roger:Fausta, couldn’t agree with you more on this. Spitzer, Larry Craig, et al, should be denied the support of their spouses at events like this.
Mar 10, 2008 - 2:27 pm 7. TerryeL:I am not so sure this is good news for any of the Democrats, including Obama.
Mar 10, 2008 - 2:48 pm 8. Larry J:I would actually respect a wife that would refuse to stand by the jerk.
If the look on her face in this photo says anything, something tells me he isn’t likely to get much sleep tonight.
When my wife and I were married 25 years ago, she told me in very graphic terms what she’d do to me if she found out I was having an affair. I’m talking about a full-Bobbit followed by chopping up the pieces (this was years before the Lorena Bobbit incident). I know for a fact that not only would she do it, she could (she’s an operating room nurse). As a wedding gift and statement of faith, I bought her a set of very sharp kitchen knives.
The Governor better hide all the knives in the mansion. He deserves whatever his wife chooses to dish out for not only cheating on her but humiliating her so publically.
Mar 10, 2008 - 3:16 pm 9. David Thomson:Nobody should feel much pity towards Eliot Spitzer. This is a very nasty man who damaged a lot of innocent people. He has prosecuted people employing weird interpretations of the law. Many people looked the other way because his victims were “wealthy capitalists.”
Mar 10, 2008 - 3:23 pm 10. David:We are sadly used to this kinda crap up here in the northeast. Mayors paying women to have sex with their underage daughters (Waterbury CT) corrupt governors, mayors, etc.
Mar 10, 2008 - 3:24 pm 11. Captain Hate:To hell with Spitzer’s wife; I have a lot more sympathy for Martha Stewart and others that got railroaded as he brought the unlimited power of the government behind his transparent fishing expeditions to make a name for himself. She made her Faustian bargain with this creep and was living the good life as he jobbed others.
I do feel sorry for the children.
Mar 10, 2008 - 3:25 pm 12. Buddy Larsen:There’s something else going on here. As Wretchard wondered (much earler today and just speculating off early reports) in the comments on his post titled “The Ring”:
I wonder how they got a judge to authorize a wiretap on a sitting governor of New York. Unlikely that they said, “well judge, we think he’s going to call an escort service.”
Mar 10, 2008 - 4:11 pm 13. jedrury:To Buddy:
The wiretap was never on Spitzer, it was on the perpetrators and they picked up Elliot Ness by accident.
But all kidding aside, the Almighty God, Zeus, tapped fair Aphrodite on the forehead with his finger and said “go forth and spite this abuser of justice,” and she did so with a vengeance. Never has justice been meted out so fairly and equitably.
Mar 10, 2008 - 4:27 pm 14. Barry Dauphin:Spitzer Is Linked to Prostitution Ring
I blame Bush.
Mar 10, 2008 - 5:54 pm 15. markus:“public sexual hypocrisy reminds people of one person only more than others: William Jefferson Cinton.”
Clnton never talked much about sexual morality prior to the discovery of his affair, and so I’m not sure he is synonymous with “hypocrisy.” Call it the bigotry of low expectation or whatever, but I don’t think people were really THAT surprised that he was getting some action on the side.
Most of the hypocrites were on the Republican side, I’m afraid. (Although I think the charge of hypocrisy is a bit of a bum rap: often people are aware of the evil of certain temptations precisely because they ARE so tempted themselves.)
I see here a messed up individual, driven to self-destruction in spite of his type A personality and hyper-ambition. A head case. Also, a typical human being: fundamentally IRRATIONAL, IRRESPONSIBLE, and SELFISH, when he thinks he isn’t being watched.
But I bet he can whether the storm, a la Clinton, providing he isn’t charged. Americans have short memories, and love to see a cocky person cut down to size.
Mar 10, 2008 - 6:52 pm 16. Buddy Larsen:Barry, this time I think you’re right.
Mar 10, 2008 - 7:12 pm 17. Captain Hate:Clnton never talked much about sexual morality prior to the discovery of his affair, and so I’m not sure he is synonymous with “hypocrisy.”
He wasn’t above having his two-for-one “wife” appear with Anita Hill on the 92 campaign trail during which Muffer stated “we must never again be shy in raising our voices against harassment.” Pretty funny in retrospect. And hypocritical.
Mar 10, 2008 - 7:46 pm 18. Buddy Larsen:Well, the left gave him a pass on Monica because she was only his daughter’s age — not his grand-daughter’s.
Mar 10, 2008 - 8:17 pm 19. Barry Dauphin:Well, this is a story that keeps on giving in so many ways. Tonight on Nightline, who do they pick to provide us with the sociological and psychological perspective on “men like Spitzer”? None other than Heidi Fleiss. You can’t make this stuff up. The MSM at its finest. You go, Terry Moran. Way to class up the story and provide such penetrating insights, as only ABC can. I guess Brittney was too busy.
Mar 10, 2008 - 8:58 pm 20. CaliforniaDreamer:Larry J is almost correct when he writes:
Now, to be clear, Clinton’s sad dalliance with Monica was not illegal.
And yet, if any corporate CEO did the same thing with an intern, the sexual harassment crowd would scream bloody murder about the presumption of coertion.
The harassment crowd would do more than scream bloody murder. The CEO would be out of a job and likely out of his or her golden parachute as well due to a “conduct clause”. He or she would then be subject to legal action. In that sense, Clinton’s actions were illegal, but Monica chose not to prosecute.
Mar 10, 2008 - 10:51 pm 21. Buddy Larsen:(apologies to R Kipling)
OH, East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet,
Till Earth and Sky stand presently at Godís great Judgment Seat;
But there is neither East nor West, Border, nor Breed, nor Birth,
When two strong men stand face to face, thoí they come from the ends of the earth!
While one is afoul of the Cali green street, for taking a jet to commute;
Mar 11, 2008 - 8:09 am 22. MagicalPat:The other has wrecked his rectitude, for hiring a prostitute!
Let’s take a look at Hillary’s inner circle of male politicians that could potentially be advisers to her or serve in her administration.
There’s Eliot Spitzer who publicly disgraced his wife and his office by getting caught cheating on his wife with a prostitute.
There’s Gavin Newsome, the San Francisco treat who publicly humiliated his wife by having an affair.
There’s Antonio Villargaroisa, who publicly humiliated his wife by having an affair with a news reporter.
And there’s Bill Clinton, who publicly humiliated his wife by having multiple affairs, a credible rape claim and sex with a young intern when he should have been attending to affairs of the state.
You just gotta love this girl power thing…
Mar 11, 2008 - 5:27 pm 23. dankingbooks:For a book about prostitution, you may enjoy Naked in Haiti: A Sexy Morality Tale About Tourists, Prostitutes & Politicians. You can get there via http://www.dankingbooks.com.
Mar 11, 2008 - 7:21 pm