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SPITZER'S PROBLEM.
I can certainly understand the temptation some Democrats might feel to argue that Spitzer's hiring of prostitutes being a personal issue. I would make two points:
- If I were in charge of writing laws, I do not believe that anyone belongs in jail for procuring or (certainly) selling sex for money, or that any criminal sanction more severe than a ticket for the purchaser should be involved.
- If poor sex workers are thrown in jail under existing laws, then affluent white johns sure as hell should be too. This goes double for people who have positions that might allow them to work to repeal laws they don't feel are just.
And as Sam says, it's not as if he didn't aggressively prosecute other people for similar actions when he was AG. I don't have any sympathy for him.
--Scott Lemieux
COMMENTS (5)
small difference. Spitzer was prosecuting prostitution involved minors and illegals; that is exploitive in a certain way. The women of the high end service he is accused of using presumably are adults and legal citizens; a somewhat less exploitive situation.
Spitzer should suffer the same consequences as Senator Vitter. But he will probably suffer worse.
Posted by: drsteveb | March 10, 2008 4:56 PM
Stunning bad judgement. While there may have been some differences in specifics, Spitzer's moralizing on the LI ring he busted 'rings' pretty hollow.
I am sure that this was an outfit of the Any Given Sunday type deal; it's obvious that many of these women were professional models. So yes, there's a degree of difference in the type of activity. The question of Spitzer's hypocrisy, however, is not open to much debate.
Posted by: Max Renn | March 10, 2008 5:24 PM
If I were in charge of writing laws...
Well, you weren't and it is the law and Spitzer knowingly, as the Chief Law Enforcement Officer of the Great State of New York, broke the law.
He's been taking lessons from Bubba.
Nice...
Posted by: El Viajero | March 10, 2008 5:36 PM
"Spitzer should suffer the same consequences as Senator Vitter. But he will probably suffer worse."
For the duration of his his community service, he will go back to prosecuting Wall Street, during which he can live in daily fear of getting picked off by the real mob.
How's that?
Posted by: Anonymous | March 10, 2008 5:52 PM
I have no sympathy for Governor Spitzer if he is guilty as charged and the investigation that uncovered this was done legally and above-board. But what I do wonder about, in light of the fact that it is well-known that the Bush administration has illegally wire-tapped in the past, is whether or not Spitzer was caught in a "sting" or a "fishing expedition" from an illegal wire-tapping operation for political purposes by an over-zealous executive branch? I think that Democrats really need to make sure that there was no foul play in this. Sadly, when I hear that a prominent opposition party official was busted by the Feds using a wire-tap, it sends up all kinds of red flags for me. I hate the fact that I can't trust this administration for anything!
Posted by: lott | March 10, 2008 5:59 PM