TOPICS

The Cafferty File: Should Eliot Spitzer Resign?

icon Download | play icon Download | play (h/t Heather)

Following the shocking revelation that New York Governor, Eliot Spitzer, had been caught in a prostitution sting, Jack Cafferty put the question to his viewers -- Should Eliot Spitzer resign? Jack felt that CNN had devoted too much time to the scandal, goes over the laundry list of recent political sex scandals then has fun with a few e-mails. Spitzer has apologized, but is that enough? Should he fight it out, or should he resign?



Login or Register to post comments.

155 comments

First, Vitter & Craig. Then........

He should resign, just as soon as David Vitter resigns.

When the repubic-hairs resign, then so should Spitzer.

herr dubyah should be the first to resign.

P.S. Obama is leading in Mississippi

Spitzer Escort: Governor Was a Nice Guy, Good Tipper. Says Spitzer "didn't do anything that wasn't clean."

I agree with post #1. After vitter and craig, then resign.

Spitzer should bargain with his resignation to lower any criminal charges brought against him. Simple as that.

I agree with the replys above, however, if he violated the Mann Act how can he just resign?

Republicans in NY want Spitzer to resign or they will seek IMPEACHMENT.
Funny how Repubs think cheating on a spouse is so much worse than, say, shredding the Constitution, internal corruption and voter fraud, among other things.

The New York Legislature should give him a standing ovation when he shows up, then dare the Republicans to impeach him.

if he had championed decriminilizing and regulating prostitution during his tenure i would have said no to resigning. he however supported opposing views. he should resign.

Of course he should resign, we hold ourselves with higher standards than republicans.

With that being said, I have this guy at work who is a republicans and we always take cheap shots at each other. First thing in the morning he asked me if I saw the newspapers and I said: - Too bad he didn't have sex with an underage boy, I'm sure Limbaugh and Fox News would come right on his defense.

I really can't believe Cafferty had the nerve to leave out David Vitter. Cafferty is the one who should resign.

It really doesn't matter; as someone who lives in the region, I can tell you he is a dead man walking. He'll be gone before Friday.

nyguy @ 12:

Of course he should resign, we hold ourselves with higher standards than republicans.

With that being said, I have this guy at work who is a republicans and we always take cheap shots at each other. First thing in the morning he asked me if I saw the newspapers and I said: - Too bad he didn't have sex with an underage boy, I'm sure Limbaugh and Fox News would come right on his defense.

What he said, in both parts.

Maybe Congress can grant him retroactive immunity.

If he's going to quit, sooner is better than later.

I can't believe that the republicans have the nerve to mention impeachment. But then I think they all hid when Foley, Vitter and Craig were brought up in the newspapers for a nano-second.

This scandle about Spitzer is going to be around til the election. Wanta bet. And with all bush has done in violation of the Constitution of this country they crap their pants when anyone mentions impeachment of him.

COULD SOMEONE EXPLAIN TO ME, WHY SEX IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN LYING TO THE COUNTRY TO START A WAR AND EVERYTHING ELSE HE HAS DONE BUSH IS BYPASSED.

There should be no "if so and so Republican resigns..." requirement. Spitzer should go, just like any other hypocritical law-breaking politician who gets caught. All the liberals (and I'm a big tree-hugging, pussified liberal) who are making excuses should be ashamed of themselves. Just because right wingers make a habit of bending principles doesn't make it okay for you to.

The man should resign, shut up, and go away....in that order.

L.A. Confidential @ 5:

Spitzer Escort: Governor Was a Nice Guy, Good Tipper. Says Spitzer "didn't do anything that wasn't clean."

Heck give the guy some credit. He wasn't at one of the White House Ped parties or Gannon fests.

Sidney Scooter III @ 16:

Maybe Congress can grant him retroactive immunity.

lol -- yeah, but that only works with AT&T, not STDs

Spitzer should resign. Although he's been a progressive champion and a strong proponent of good government he had the hubris to believe that the rules did not apply to him, and at this point I don't think there's any reason to believe that he didn't hire prostitutes or engage in a violation of the law.

An additional factor for politics-heads to consider: this scandal seriously jeapardizes the chances of the democratic party from winning the NY Senate this year. It is absolutely essential for the democratic party to win the state Senate in order to be able to take charge of redistricting in 2010. As it stands now, Rochester and Buffalo (the second and third largest cities in NY) share a single representative. As a resident of Rochester, this galls me to no end. The sooner Spitzer is off the political stage the better it will be for the NY Democratic party.

The corporate media is all over this shit about Spitzer, but they continue to ignore real crime and the criminals of the repubic-hair party. They now have the magical impetus of "coochie potential" to distract the masses. Nothing distracts from reality like someone either getting laid or showcasing their goods, i.e. Brittany, Paris Hilton et al. The media will certainly bone up to the task at hand and give us a fair and balanced report, over and over and over ad nauseum. Never a word will be said by the corporate media about the real fuckin' taking place in D.C. by a corrupt regime bent on raping the Constitution and the Nation's constituency.

gee Jack, what do you think?

I recall sex being reason enough to demand an impeachment but now they're asking if this idiot should have to resign?
And don't you just love the conservotards who don't see the problem with it.
But that's the conservotard rule "Do as we say, not as we do."

As the former king of moral rectitude -- but now the king of hypocrisy -- YES he should fucking resign. And this is coming from someone who voted for him as I once believed he was a Pit-Bull Democrat that wouldn’t put up with bullshit and corruption.

All that said -- I think he should state that he is going to resign -- but not until Vitter and Craig do -- that might bring some more attention back to those cocksuckers.

Obama takes miss. 5 min. ago

Impeach cheney and bush @ 8:

I agree with the replys above, however, if he violated the Mann Act how can he just resign?

I thought the Mann Act concerned itself with taking minors across state lines. Are the escorts in question under age?

Pol Pot-O-Cheesesauce @ 29:

Impeach cheney and bush @ 8:

I agree with the replys above, however, if he violated the Mann Act how can he just resign?

I thought the Mann Act concerned itself with taking minors across state lines. Are the escorts in question under age?

Actually it's transporting women across state lines for "immoral" purposes. After all, we are but chattel.

Pol Pot-O-Cheesesauce @ 29:

Impeach cheney and bush @ 8:

I agree with the replys above, however, if he violated the Mann Act how can he just resign?

I thought the Mann Act concerned itself with taking minors across state lines. Are the escorts in question under age?

No, the Mann Act makes it a crime to take any woman across state line for paid sex, not just minors (although there are separate provisions and harsher penalties for minors). Plus he may have violated banking laws as well as the Mann Act. In any case, there is no way he could effectively govern with this hanging over him. He's going to make a deal with the U.S. Attorney's office and he'll resign by the end of the week, if not earlier.

viva @ 28:

Obama takes miss. 5 min. ago

Shocking!!! Another southern "red state" win. Yawn.

i for one am tired of the fucking hypocracy of the
gop. they all can go fuck themselves.

if a gop gets caught in sexual misconduct, they give them a standing ovation.
if it's a democrat, then the most fowl law has been broken and we must impeach.

well, repugs.........when you are for Impeaching the worst law breakers in the
history of the USA, that is bush and chenet, then you can pursue Eliot Spitzer.

until that time, please just take your hands out of each other's ass.
what a bunch of fucking lowlife gop bastards.

nyguy @ 12:

Of course he should resign, we hold ourselves with higher standards than republicans.

Not me. The only question is whether the Governor is doing the people's work, or not.

If he is, then he should continue, unless indicted in a felony.

President PNACcio @ 10:

The New York Legislature should give him a standing ovation when he shows up, then dare the Republicans to impeach him.

i am with you here. fuck all the repugs and their hypocracy

Can't he just go to rehab like everybody else?

Why is there so much interest in and condemnation of a politician's sex life in the US, and so little outrage over the fact that we have a mass-murdering lying criminal in the White House? Further, why can some perverted Repiglican solicit sex in the bathroom in the airport and the rest of his party leaps to his defense, but moments after Spitzer's peccadilloes were revealed, same Repiglicans were screaming for impeachment.
Something is very wrong with our sense of values.

@27 - what a great idea! He'll resign when Vitter and Craig resign. I like it. And I voted for Spitzer too ... here in Manhattan, he's hanging on tenterhooks.

Should he resign?
hmmmm? let me think about that one for a second.
Yes,he should resign.
But since the GOP has been reluctant to do so,I say sure,after you guyz.
Now personaly,I think he should resign.He was a DA,and this whole thing makes him a hypocrite.
And I'm sick and tired of hypocrites.
Then there's a side of me that says,Screwum..........(no pun intended)

I think there should be new legislation that prohibits transporting a man across state lines for sex. I feel so cheated!

A marine biologist developed a race of genetically engineered dolphins that could live forever if they were fed a steady diet of seagulls. One day his supply of the birds ran out, so he had to go out and trap somemore. On the way back, he spied two lions asleep on the road. Afraid to wake them, he gingerly stepped over them. Immediately, he was arrested and charged with transporting gulls across sedate lions for immortal porpoises.

Distraction.

And who else patronized the call girl service?

Spitzer is a dumb fuck (not even a scumbag). But to put his misdeed in perspective, we need to see who else was involved.

Anyone?

Ok, maybe not "set up" exactly ....but it looks like they were looking for other "dirt."

Hmmmm.

Resign and find Jesus.

[kidding!]

He was an Attorney General. If he had come from any other background, I'd say stick it out.

He should resign and go back to doing what he was good at: going after white-collar crooks and fighting corruption.

It's the hypocrisy that pisses me off too. Generally I don't think a person's sex life should factor into politics. However, in this case we have a former Attorney General and "tough on crime" guy who has blatantly flouted the law.

I don't care about how progressive he is after that. I hate hypocrites. He should go and the sooner the better.

Indeed, Democrats should be united in calling for him to resign. That way we can point at Rethuglicans and say "Gee, why don't you have the moral fiber to do that to your own hypocrites?"

Many of you guys are a bunch of hypocrites.
Spitzer is a scumbag.
I am a strong democrat and to suggest that he should "wait" until another disgraced politician resigns before he does is disgusting.
How about having the balls to do the right thing and set the example?
What the hell does anything any other politician have to do with this?

Nothing. Period.

dadams @ 36:

President PNACcio @ 10:

The New York Legislature should give him a standing ovation when he shows up, then dare the Republicans to impeach him.

i am with you here. fuck all the repugs and their hypocracy

Absolutely, he goes when Vitter goes. Why should we loose an advocate for rank and file Americans and New Yorkers when they keep a corrupt advocate for the rich and powerful for their side over the same thing? Give him a Vitter standing ovation!

go already. no discussion.

Oh, for crying out loud! Dumbest fucking Cafferty report I've ever seen!

What is it about politicians and illicit sex? It's not politicians, it's human beings. If our society would shed its Puritan remnants, politicians wouldn't have to go around pretending that they aspire to heterosexual monogamy.

Why should I care if Larry Craig solicits gay sex? Why should I care if Elliot Spitzer goes to prostitutes? Why should I care if Bill Clinton cheats on his wife?

Friggen legalize and regulate prostitution. Make it safe, and tax it. And then let's give up our hang ups about all the salacious gossip, and let politicians be human beings, whether they're straight, gay, have mistresses on the side, have bizarre fetishes or whatever.

You can't make the sex go away, but we can at least aspire to take the illicitness out of it.

His first action should be to pardon anyone he prosecuted and convicted for prostitution, then resign. Then he should explain to his daughters that not every men are piece of crap like him.

Can someone clue me in on what happened here? From all I have read, he (Spitzer) solicited sex from a working girl, previously known to him. He then made arrangements to meet her at some destination in another state. However, the story headlines state he was "involved with a prostitution ring".

Now, when I see that, it suggests that he is a pimp, career planner, a talent recruiter, or just generally involved with the 'ring's operations. Yet, I do not see any actual involvement that way. Amy I missing something?

dadams @ 33:

i for one am tired of the fucking hypocracy of the
gop. they all can go fuck themselves.

if a gop gets caught in sexual misconduct, they give them a standing ovation.
if it's a democrat, then the most fowl law has been broken and we must impeach.

well, repugs.........when you are for Impeaching the worst law breakers in the
history of the USA, that is bush and chenet, then you can pursue Eliot Spitzer.

until that time, please just take your hands out of each other's ass.
what a bunch of fucking lowlife gop bastards.

Well said.

Congrats to Obama on another fine win and Texas too. The momentum is back!

Simple answer? You shouldn't care about the sex lives of politicians.
What you SHOULD care about very much is a scumbag who dedicates his life to putting people in jail for doing the exact same thing he has done.
You SHOULD care about the lies and the corruption and the hypocrisy.
Who he sleeps with is irrelevant.

Karen @ 51:

Oh, for crying out loud! Dumbest fucking Cafferty report I've ever seen!

What is it about politicians and illicit sex? It's not politicians, it's human beings. If our society would shed its Puritan remnants, politicians wouldn't have to go around pretending that they aspire to heterosexual monogamy.

Why should I care if Larry Craig solicits gay sex? Why should I care if Elliot Spitzer goes to prostitutes? Why should I care if Bill Clinton cheats on his wife?

Friggen legalize and regulate prostitution. Make it safe, and tax it. And then let's give up our hang ups about all the salacious gossip, and let politicians be human beings, whether they're straight, gay, have mistresses on the side, have bizarre fetishes or whatever.

You can't make the sex go away, but we can at least aspire to take the illicitness out of it.

Al M, Boston MA @ 47:

It's the hypocrisy that pisses me off too. Generally I don't think a person's sex life should factor into politics. However, in this case we have a former Attorney General and "tough on crime" guy who has blatantly flouted the law.

I don't care about how progressive he is after that. I hate hypocrites. He should go and the sooner the better.

Indeed, Democrats should be united in calling for him to resign. That way we can point at Rethuglicans and say "Gee, why don't you have the moral fiber to do that to your own hypocrites?"

Agreed.... screw Spitzer. (no pun intended)

VoR

4300 bucks for an hr.
W0W............can you imagine?

Prostitution is illegal. He isn't supposed to break laws. He should resign. Doesn't matter what initial is behind his name. The Repub assclowns should resign as well.

Al M, Boston MA @ 47:

It's the hypocrisy that pisses me off too. Generally I don't think a person's sex life should factor into politics. However, in this case we have a former Attorney General and "tough on crime" guy who has blatantly flouted the law.

I don't care about how progressive he is after that. I hate hypocrites. He should go and the sooner the better.

Indeed, Democrats should be united in calling for him to resign. That way we can point at Rethuglicans and say "Gee, why don't you have the moral fiber to do that to your own hypocrites?"

This would be the ONLY reason I would recant my earlier post and say he should go.

As client no.7, I assure you; money well spent!

PEI @ 55:

Simple answer? You shouldn't care about the sex lives of politicians.
What you SHOULD care about very much is a scumbag who dedicates his life to putting people in jail for doing the exact same thing he has done.
You SHOULD care about the lies and the corruption and the hypocrisy.
Who he sleeps with is irrelevant.

Karen @ 51:

Oh, for crying out loud! Dumbest fucking Cafferty report I've ever seen!

What is it about politicians and illicit sex? It's not politicians, it's human beings. If our society would shed its Puritan remnants, politicians wouldn't have to go around pretending that they aspire to heterosexual monogamy.

Why should I care if Larry Craig solicits gay sex? Why should I care if Elliot Spitzer goes to prostitutes? Why should I care if Bill Clinton cheats on his wife?

Friggen legalize and regulate prostitution. Make it safe, and tax it. And then let's give up our hang ups about all the salacious gossip, and let politicians be human beings, whether they're straight, gay, have mistresses on the side, have bizarre fetishes or whatever.

You can't make the sex go away, but we can at least aspire to take the illicitness out of it.

I don't disagree with that, PEI. I was commenting on the tenor of the Cafferty report. He asked the question, "What is it with politicians and illicit sex?" He also asked why they think they can get away with it.

This whole situation is ridiculous. Yeah, for Spitzer or anyone to dedicate their lives to ruining the lives of others for participating in activities that he himself participates in is infuriating.

But as long as we have these ridiculous laws and standards, that's the way it's going to be. Schmucks like George W. Bush will become coke addicts, and then call for tougher laws against doing cocaine. People like Spitzer will rail against the prostitutes they hire. It's always going to be this way when we try to outlaw basic human demands. The demand for sex isn't going away, and the demand for drugs isn't going away.

Until we shed our repressive, Puritanical unease with human nature, we'll continue to have stories like these.

Al M, Boston MA @ 47:

It's the hypocrisy that pisses me off too. Generally I don't think a person's sex life should factor into politics. However, in this case we have a former Attorney General and "tough on crime" guy who has blatantly flouted the law.

I don't care about how progressive he is after that. I hate hypocrites. He should go and the sooner the better.

Indeed, Democrats should be united in calling for him to resign. That way we can point at Rethuglicans and say "Gee, why don't you have the moral fiber to do that to your own hypocrites?"

I don't disagree with your point. Realize, though, that we'd be taking the high road for its own sake. There's nothing wrong with that, but we have to realize that. You can't shame the modern GOP into changing. Its members don't have the gene for shame.

Someone brought up Dick Cheney's Escort problems....

The guy was Attorney General. It sends a bad message when the chief crime fighter breaks the law. I like the guy, but he should resign.

Find an orderly succession strategy that gives the Republicans no gains, and then move on. He got caught, so now he needs to take one for the team.

I call bullshit on planning to meet with a hooker qualifying as "being involved in a prostitution ring"

Let me get this straight....they want to impeach this guy for sex...but we cant impeach two guys for two bogus wars and tons of dead people???

The real story here is WHY did the FBI target Spitzer in the first place. Generally you suspect a politician of accepting bribes when he takes in too much money, not when he spends his own.
Why did the IRS or Spitzer's own bank feel compelled to rat him out for spending his own money? Who asked for a wiretap based on money transfers of less than $10,000? What judge approved the tap?
What probable cause allowed a federal case to be made, here? Who did the FBI think Spitzer was taking bribes from? Why didn't they drop the matter after it became apparent that there was no public corruption taking place?
The press is again dropping the ball by not asking the right questions.

nyguy @ 12:

Of course he should resign, we hold ourselves with higher standards than republicans.

With that being said, I have this guy at work who is a republicans and we always take cheap shots at each other. First thing in the morning he asked me if I saw the newspapers and I said: - Too bad he didn't have sex with an underage boy, I'm sure Limbaugh and Fox News would come right on his defense.

Love it!

i spit out some of my corona as jack called larry craig a 'mutant.'

hahahaha...

oh for goodness sake just give cafferty his own show already, CNN!

Unless I'm wrong, this is how political power works. Oppos (or seppos) in charge, you're fuc&ed.
Git yer own people in, oppos are fuc&ed.

It's very unenlightened basic mammalian groupthink.

When you reckon we might attempt to graduate from that?

Johnny2Bad @ 32:

viva @ 28:

Obama takes miss. 5 min. ago

Shocking!!! Another southern "red state" win. Yawn.

They are only red states until they turn blue. I love the 50 state strategy.

The thing is, if he resigns, we will have a Democratic politician resigning for his indiscretions being exposed while Republican politicians won't resign for theirs.

If he gets impeached, we'll have a Democratic politician being impeached for something that, while hypocritical, is harmless compared to all we know about the top two Republicans in office for whom impeachment is off the table.

All animals are equal, but some pigs are more equal than others, huh?

perhaps if he had tortured the hooker, the gop wouldn't be making such a big deal out of this. it's my opinion that he needs to resign.

NY Legislature said to Spitzer, "Resign, or you'll be impeached." Strange, Bush, when he committed war crimes/ NSA violations, got a yawn.

Why is the legislature challenging "lesser" offenses like war crimes with an impeachment; but Pelosi isn't willing to challenge, with the same threat "resign or impeach" for war crimes?

This man betrayed the Democratic party with his unbecoming actions. I don't know why we have to treat him with kid gloves just cause he's on our side. Send him on his shameful way just like any other. Make an example out of him and show the repugs that we don't tolerate this hypocritical crap.

He should resign. I say this as a Spitzer donor and volunteer. He can't achieve his reform agenda now. He is a laughingstock and exposed as a hypocrite, having prosecuted others for the same offense.

More at my blog:

http://hudson.typepad.com

Note, regarding the comment about wire transfers under $10,000:

There is a lot of bad info out there. If you make multiple transfers under $10,000 that add up to a large number, it can also trigger the system.

Spitzer is now reported to have spent upwards of $80,000 on hookers.

Let's stop with blaming the (admittedly awful) Bush Justice Department and start facing the fact that a Democrat who set himself up as Mr. Clean -- including prosecuting people for exactly the crime he was committing -- let us down.

Who else was in the emperors club? Spitzer had to be enticed by someone that made him feel he was in safe company.

He should resign. I'm a Democrat. Hypocrites should burn twice as hot. We all remember Bill in times like these and hope for change and better times.

Reply to #30...Fanon

I don't know

I keep flip flopping on this one..

i say let him hang in there for a while and see what happens

It all seems like too an easy set up for a misdemeanor

For all the good he has done for the state and the nation to take him out over seeing a hooker is nuts.

He has set the ground work to keep it a family matter yet an embarrassment to the great state of New York none the less

Oops...reply to #30 Fanon.....they shoulda just dropped the gal at the state line and let he hop over. Would it then be a crime?

gwen @ 65:

I call bullshit on planning to meet with a hooker qualifying as "being involved in a prostitution ring"

Well, from what I've read today, the reason he was caught is because large amounts of money were being moved around in his banking accounts for a while, and this activity may stretch back to when he was AG.

I find it disturbing that the government requires banks to alert the FBI if employees notice any "Suspicious Activities." I don't think that prostitution should be illegal. However, Mr. Spitzer was very willing to follow-up on Suspicious Activity Reports when he was AG and a prosecutor, and he actively pursued criminal charges for sexual acts illegal under the law. So, regardless of what you may think the GOP gets away with, Spitzer deserves to be treated exactly like he would have treated anyone else in his position.

Stop using their bullshit to justify an ally's bullshit. You know how it pisses you off when every GOP scandal becomes a comparison study of something Bill Clinton was accused of? Well, that's what Spitzer appoligists sound like now.

Aren't his pants or lack of, his biz? The USA's office involved? They are prosecuting small call girl rings instead of dealing with terrorists and actual crime where there are victims?
justice doesn't exist in this country any more. law enforcement is going to need to do a lot of damage control to look anything other than corrupt, bought, and frankly, retarded. Our highest law enforcement officials are inept or crooks. How can the little guys find anything to look up to?
do we have any priorities left as a civilization? this is really embarrassing, again.

bj @ 83:

Oops...reply to #30 Fanon.....they shoulda just dropped the gal at the state line and let he hop over. Would it then be a crime?

Apparently. They found a guy guilty under the Mann act for travelling with his "wife" in a polygamous relationship. (check wikipedia for the case). Good news, though, if you transport a whole bunch of females it still only counts as one infraction of the Mann act.

He ought to explain to anybody he prosecuted for prostitution related offenses why the law doesn't apply to him.

Should he resign? Not being a resident of New York, I don't really care.

He should resign for the sake of consistency. And if he doesn't, we'll hear wingnuts whining about how Democrats never resign when their sex scandals hit, ignoring the ratio of scandals. In fact, we'll hear it anyway but it'll be easier to argue back.

when will this country stop the hypocracy and legalize prostitution and drugs?

$80,000. bucks in call girls? Did he expose his wife to Aids or any number of other sexually transmitted diseases? Is someone so unconcerned with the effect he has on his own family and the people who elected him fit for office? I think not. I think he deserves jail time and whatever else the Republicans can dish out for for him.

rainbird @ 91:

$80,000. bucks in call girls? Did he expose his wife to Aids or any number of other sexually transmitted diseases?

Why do you think it's so expensive?

The call girls of politicians are not a major disease vector, except perhaps in reverse.

[Deleted-Sitemonitor]

Has he been indicted for a felony?

No, he has not.

How many other hundreds of politicians on the East Coast can be linked to the same sort of petty crime?

• The transfer of a prostitute across state lines was a set-up.

Being a lawyer, he should have known better. The real question, though, is why has this come out now? What work is he in the middle of doing that they are trying to stop?

If you said (gay rights) you were probably correct.

U.S. Senators from the States, I meant.

Did he harm or steal from anyone? Sure he probably devastated his family by the revelations... which I might add the government saw fit to make such a public spectacle despite that he has daughters. Yet I still think his "crime" is very weak here, and when I think of the BIG crimes going on in Washington, maybe that's why I feel that way.

NO NO NO. Democrats need to stop caving in and start FIGHTING back. These REPUGNICANS are the lowest slime of em all. Spitzer is a great guy no matter what he allegedly did or did not do in his PERSONAL life. Need to focus on PUBLIC issues and not on the PRIVATE issues of PUBLIC people.

This is a Republican vendetta against the one guy who has put those CROOKS and LIARS in jail. Call and support Eliot!!!!!!

Hudson @ 78:

Spitzer is now reported to have spent upwards of $80,000 on hookers.

That's at least 80 hours. And at least 8 wire transfers; probably 16 or more transfers.

rainbird @ 91:

$80,000. bucks in call girls? Did he expose his wife to Aids or any number of other sexually transmitted diseases? Is someone so unconcerned with the effect he has on his own family and the people who elected him fit for office? I think not. I think he deserves jail time and whatever else the Republicans can dish out for for him.

first, he was seeing high paid call girls at between 3500 to 5k a pop...so he didnt go that often

second, the girls have more fear of diseases from johns then visa versa

third, who made you the fucking moral overlord

fucking liberal asshat

Helloworld @ 98:

Did he harm or steal from anyone? Sure he probably devastated his family by the revelations... which I might add the government saw fit to make such a public spectacle despite that he has daughters. Yet I still think his "crime" is very weak here, and when I think of the BIG crimes going on in Washington, maybe that's why I feel that way.

If Spitzer and Clinton could face an impeachment/threat of impeachment over this, the GOP cannot explain why the President could not be impeached for alleged war crimes, FISA violations, and other POW abuse.

Daniel K. @ 89:

He should resign for the sake of consistency. And if he doesn't, we'll hear wingnuts whining about how Democrats never resign when their sex scandals hit, ignoring the ratio of scandals. In fact, we'll hear it anyway but it'll be easier to argue back.

No. You just don't get it. Republicans just don't care. They'll whine either way and you are taking their bait. They want him to resign. It's better to keep him in office so he can continue to prosecute them.

uncle joe mccarthy @ 90:

when will this country stop the hypocracy and legalize prostitution and drugs?

Hear, hear!

Prostitution is a state matter (for the moment), but the federal government claims jurisdiction on drug offenses (under the ridiculous commerce clause interpretations). So, maybe a few states more than Nevada might see the light on that one. As for drugs, states can revise their own laws as well, but I fear for anyone caught by the feds for it.

Anonymous @ 100:

Hudson @ 78:

Spitzer is now reported to have spent upwards of $80,000 on hookers.

That's at least 80 hours. And at least 8 wire transfers; probably 16 or more transfers.

again....when does a bank report a multimillionaire spending his money to the irs?

and it just goes to show ya....no matter what the socioecomic level, level of intelligence or level of power....when it comes to a hot broad and a nasty sanchez, most men think with their dicks

since so much planning went into these rendevous, the dude shoulda kept caishe on hand

btw

while the repug convention is going on, dont even try to find a high class hooker in your city, they will all be in minneapolis

Reading some of the comments here is really disheartening. No wonder so many are disgusted by politics and just choose the apathy route.

For once it would be nice if one party who accuses the other party of malfeasance didn't apologize, make excuses, point fingers when one of their own gets caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Remember the righties screaming about Gary Studds back when the Mark Foley thing broke. Same old bullshit here.

Run this guy out on a rail and prove that the Dems can be something besides that other political party that puts party loyalty above ethics.

Must'a been one hell of a whore! I hope she was worth it!

F**k you Uncle Joe. It only takes once. And my 'opinion' is as valid as yours and I'd be willing to bet my IQ is higher. He stole from his wife. He stole from his children. He stole from the people who believed in him.
Sticks and stones, Uncle. I laugh at you... and all those like you.

Have Senators David Vitter (R) and Larry Craig (R) resigned yet !?
Did the Florida AG ever get ex Rep. Mark Foley's (R) congressional computers to investigate the allegations of underage sex with minors !?
Have (R) ?
Have (R) ?
Have (R) ?
you get the picture...

uncle joe mccarthy @ 106:

btw

while the repug convention is going on, dont even try to find a high class hooker in your city, they will all be in minneapolis

esp the male ones, there will be a shortage of young muscled boys everywhere except during the RNC bash in MN this year.

ferrofluid @ 110:

Have Senators David Vitter (R) and Larry Craig (R) resigned yet !?
Did the Florida AG ever get ex Rep. Mark Foley's (R) congressional computers to investigate the allegations of underage sex with minors !?
Have (R) ?
Have (R) ?
Have (R) ?
you get the picture...

With all due respect, that sounds like the argument of an eight year old

"She hit me first!"

How about we lead by example?

For what? Being a non-Republican crook?

President PNACcio @ 10:

The New York Legislature should give him a standing ovation when he shows up

[Deleted-Sitemonitor]

Spitzer is probably praying to god for Hillary to be President to beg for a pardon

rainbird @ 109:

F**k you Uncle Joe. It only takes once. And my 'opinion' is as valid as yours and I'd be willing to bet my IQ is higher. He stole from his wife. He stole from his children. He stole from the people who believed in him.
Sticks and stones, Uncle. I laugh at you... and all those like you.

what....do you think 80k is gonna break that family???

give me a break

yes, he swore an oath to uphold the law, and for that, he should resign, for he broke a law, no matter how goofy it is

laff at me all you want....but i lay odds your hubby or bf has seen at least one call girl

and my apologies if you arent female...but you think like one

ferrofluid @ 111:

uncle joe mccarthy @ 106:

btw

while the repug convention is going on, dont even try to find a high class hooker in your city, they will all be in minneapolis

esp the male ones, there will be a shortage of young muscled boys everywhere except during the RNC bash in MN this year.

That's the white elephant in the room:

How can prostitution be so bloody prevalent, but Spitzer (the man who JUST HAPPENS TO BE the one who investigated a lot of bigwigs on LEGITIMATE charges, meaning bilking the public and the stock market of billions) is the ONLY ONE who gets investigated?

To quote Kansas City Fat Guy, "it's an 8-year-old's argument," but it certainly smells like someone's fighting like an 8-year-old.

BTW-Remind you of anything in recent history? "We can't get 'em on anything legitimate, so let's go after the blue dress."

KansasCityFaGt @ 107:

Reading some of the comments here is really disheartening. No wonder so many are disgusted by politics and just choose the apathy route.

For once it would be nice if one party who accuses the other party of malfeasance didn't apologize, make excuses, point fingers when one of their own gets caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Remember the righties screaming about Gary Studds back when the Mark Foley thing broke. Same old bullshit here.

Run this guy out on a rail and prove that the Dems can be something besides that other political party that puts party loyalty above ethics.

here is the diff

there should be no question that the investigation and possible prosecution are politically motivated

yes, he should resign

but congress needs to run a full investigation as to how this entire incident occured

there are ceo's who spend more on hookers, yet no bank is looking at their transactions

uncle joe mccarthy @ 105:

Anonymous @ 100:

Hudson @ 78:

Spitzer is now reported to have spent upwards of $80,000 on hookers.

That's at least 80 hours. And at least 8 wire transfers; probably 16 or more transfers.

again....when does a bank report a multimillionaire spending his money to the irs?

and it just goes to show ya....no matter what the socioecomic level, level of intelligence or level of power....when it comes to a hot broad and a nasty sanchez, most men think with their dicks

since so much planning went into these rendevous, the dude shoulda kept caishe on hand

According to NPR, among the millions of money transfers going on every day, the IRS also targets the financial dealings of senators, congresspeople, governors, etc. and their families for hints of wrong doing (selling secrets or who knows what else). A software program tracks these transfers and flags anything suspicious. As someone has said earlier they look for multiple transfers of lower denominations.

The sex thing is only happenstance. They were investigating him bcause of the money transfers. It turns out the money laundering was to cover his use of prostitutes. The irony is that as AG he supposedly pushed for the software to be so powerful in the first place.

Hubris.
Spitzer deserves to be impeached because of his arrogance and stupidity crippling his train of thought.

I do not care if he got call girls, that does not bother me. That is small patatos.

But, what bothers me is his transfers of large amount of money to other account of sums of 10K increments going up to 80K.
Downright retarded and downright stupid.

Sidney Scooter III @ 42:

A marine biologist developed a race of genetically engineered dolphins that could live forever if they were fed a steady diet of seagulls. One day his supply of the birds ran out, so he had to go out and trap somemore. On the way back, he spied two lions asleep on the road. Afraid to wake them, he gingerly stepped over them. Immediately, he was arrested and charged with transporting gulls across sedate lions for immortal porpoises.

Aw fuck!!! LOL!

Another Dem, another Scandal, wait til Hillary gets into office...

It's interesting that Cafferty and the rest of the MSM insist on phrasing it "involved in a prostitution ring" rather than simply "caught renting a hooker." Makes it sound like Spitzer was a controlling partner. Was Spitzer having barbecues with lobbyists for this corporation?

Oh I'm sorry, that's more of a John McCain thing. Points for style, senator McCain.

Fuck him. I don't have the tiniest bit of sympathy. He's shown his judgment sucks, so he's gotta go. The sooner and quieter the better.

Stop pansying around this. He should DEFINITELY resign, especially because of the type of CORRUPTION is has tried to stamp out, and then to be the biggest hyprocrite -- these men are DANGEROUS.

There needs to be examples set so that others will think twice. Men in power are only controlled by consequences, and even then many think they will never get caught. Many never do. But Spitzer should suffer. Democrat or Republican, I don't give a fuck. Get him the fuck out.

Spitzer should tough it out.

This whole thing reeks of another Don Siegelman-like political hit.

In Spitzer's case, I just wonder how many other Democrats are being kept under surveillance by the Bush/Cheney/Republican-controlled homeland security apparatus, which was "sold" to American citizens as necessary to stop another right-wing religious fundamentalist terrorist attack? How many bank accounts of Democrats are being monitored, under a program "sold" to U.S. citizens as a means to track terrorist funding?

The culture of corruption Republicans responsible for this invasion of Eliot Spitzer's privacy, through highly questionable tactics, are probably betting that he'll resign and won't put up a fight.

On the other hand, I hope he will hold on until there is a Democrat in the White House next year, so an investigation into the investigators can be conducted.

.

From Harpers:

http://harpers.org/archive/2008/03/hbc-90002589

These facts are likely to dominate the punditry’s discussion of the issue. Spitzer will be labeled a hypocrite (a charge he can hardly refute).

However, there is a second tier of questions that needs to be examined with respect to the Spitzer case. They go to prosecutorial motivation and direction. Note that this prosecution was managed with staffers from the Public Integrity Section at the Department of Justice. This section is now at the center of a major scandal concerning politically directed prosecutions. During the Bush Administration, his Justice Department has opened 5.6 cases against Democrats for every one involving a Republican. Beyond this, a number of the cases seem to have been tied closely to election cycles. Indeed, a study of the cases out of Alabama shows clearly that even cases opened against Republicans are in fact only part of a broader pattern of going after Democrats. So here are the rather amazing facts that surface in the Spitzer case:

(1) The prosecutors handling the case came from the Public Integrity Section.

(2) The prosecution is opened under the White-Slave Traffic Act of 1910. You read that correctly. The statute itself is highly disreputable, and most of the high-profile cases brought under it were politically motivated and grossly abusive. Here are a few:

Heavyweight boxing champion Jack Johnson was the first man prosecuted under the act — for having an affair with Lucille Cameron, whom he later married. The prosecution was manifestly an effort “to get” Johnson, who at the time was the most famous African-American. (All of this is developed well in Ken Burns’s film “Unforgiveable Blackness”).

University of Chicago sociologist William I. Thomas was prosecuted for having an affair with an officer’s wife in France. Thomas was targeted because of his Bohemian social and his radical political views.

In 1944 Charles Chaplin was prosecuted for having an affair with actress Joan Barry. The prosecution again provided cover for a politically motivated effort to drive Chaplin out of the country.

Canadian author Elizabeth Smart was arrested and charged in 1940 while crossing the border with the British poet George Barker.

(3) The resources dedicated to the case in terms of prosecutors and investigators are extraordinary.

(4) How the investigation got started. The Justice Department has yet to give a full account of why they were looking into Spitzer’s payments, and indeed the suggestion in the ABC account is that it didn’t have anything to do with a prostitution ring. The suggestion that this was driven by an IRS inquiry and involved a bank might heighten, rather than allay, concerns of a politically motivated prosecution.

All of these facts are consistent with a process which is not the investigation of a crime, but rather an attempt to target and build a case against an individual.

The answer of the Justice Department to all this is likely to be: Trust us. But in the current environment, the reservoir of trust is tapped. The Justice Department needs to submit to some questions about how this probe got launched, who launched it, and to what extent political appointees were involved in its direction. This has nothing to do with Spitzer’s guilt or innocence. But it has everything to do with the fading integrity of the Public Integrity Section.

I long for the America that was robbed from We the People in 2000.

.

Breaking: Spitzer's Sex Life Is Weapon of Mass Distraction for Bunch of Bad News for Bush 10 Mar 2008 By Lori Price
On Monday, we learned: The Iraq war will top 3 trillion dollars; a former Pentagon official has written a book attacking the CIA and other US officials over the US-led Iraq war; 5 US soldiers were killed in a Baghdad blast; an Iraqi tribal leader - the head of an 'Awakening Council' - and three others were killed in a Diyala province suicide bombing; CIA torture will continue, per Bush; the House Judiciary Committee has filed suit to force two White House officials to provide information about the firing of U.S. attorneys; oil has soared to $108 per barrel; gas prices have reached a new record; a lawsuit has been filed claiming that the Fish and Wildlife Service is now in breach of its own mandate; an AP investigation has revealed that a vast array of pharmaceuticals are in the US water supply. But, here is the mainstream media's headline: Spitzer Is Linked to Prostitution Ring.

too many ironies, it is a modern day Greek tragedy unfolding...

OF COURSE he has to resign. No question.
He broke the law.
It's elementary and not to be politicised, apologized, and especially not to be confused with LEGAL consensual activities that "appear" immoral... Clinton and Spitzer is a false comparison.

Having said that,

Immediately after Spitzer's resignation, there ought to be a well-organized campaign to get rid of Vitter, and whoever else is legally vulnerable.

Look, Spitzer made a lot of enemies. He fucked up, broke the law, and got caught. Let him go. He played and lost. His demons were too much. BUT, if we lost "one of our own" because of his stupidity, we can still hold the Republicans accountable for all their illegalities as well. That's the only way to make the lemonade.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

An Other Greek @ 130:

too many ironies, it is a modern day Greek tragedy unfolding...

OF COURSE he has to resign. No question.
He broke the law.
It's elementary and not to be politicised, apologized, and especially not to be confused with LEGAL consensual activities that "appear" immoral... Clinton and Spitzer is a false comparison.

Having said that,

Immediately after Spitzer's resignation, there ought to be a well-organized campaign to get rid of Vitter, and whoever else is legally vulnerable.

Look, Spitzer made a lot of enemies. He fucked up, broke the law, and got caught. Let him go. He played and lost. His demons were too much. BUT, if we lost "one of our own" because of his stupidity, we can still hold the Republicans accountable for all their illegalities as well. That's the only way to make the lemonade.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

NO!

VITTER SINNED FIRST!

VITTER GOES FIRST!

.

John Hall @ 9:

Republicans in NY want Spitzer to resign or they will seek IMPEACHMENT.
Funny how Repubs think cheating on a spouse is so much worse than, say, shredding the Constitution, internal corruption and voter fraud, among other things.

If everyone in politics resigned over what this guy did ( some have done much worse) there won't be anyone in washington.
I wonder if gullini has more than a few scandals under his belt and he didn't do near the good that this guy did in rooting out the bad guys- a side note wall street is happy that spitzer has egg on his face must mean he was doing something right when the scum of wall street see a white knight fall

This Spitzer story makes a very convenient distraction. Wonder what shenanigans Bush is going to pull while we're all watching Spitzer?

Here's another question: why didn't Spitzer's wife bolt?

The most revered and exalted figures of American history were pussy chasers. Ben Franklin was a renowned whore monger. Thomas Jefferson had more with black women than with his own wife. Spitzer is a credit to the male sex because he is a great lover of good ole American poon-tang.

American society suffers from mass psychosis. 100 million males privately enjoy hookers but publicly denounce them. Hypocrites are "shocked, shocked" that men hire prostitutes.

Step down.

I say he should stay put.

If the New Yorkers want to impeach him, fine.

If they don't reelect him, fine.

If he felt he's lost his effectiveness, or he's imprisoned,than and only then step down.

Sneer @ 134:

Here's another question: why didn't Spitzer's wife bolt?

How do you know the Spitzer aren't into bondage?

abob @ 135:

The most revered and exalted figures of American history were pussy chasers. Ben Franklin was a renowned whore monger. Thomas Jefferson had more with black women than with his own wife. Spitzer is a credit to the male sex because he is a great lover of good ole American poon-tang.

Spitzer should get a mistress.

There's plenty of college girls who need help paying their expenses.

Anonymous @ 102:

Helloworld @ 98:

Did he harm or steal from anyone? Sure he probably devastated his family by the revelations... which I might add the government saw fit to make such a public spectacle despite that he has daughters. Yet I still think his "crime" is very weak here, and when I think of the BIG crimes going on in Washington, maybe that's why I feel that way.

I agree. The whole things smacks of a vendetta. Spitzer made a lot of enemies who would be motivated to destroy him. But he should have known better than to antagonise with someone as powerful and thuggish as for instance Joseph Bruno, and it is mighty coincidental that Bruno's investigation should still be ongoing at the same time;It would be easy to get a detective or two to follow Spitzer
like a cuckolded wife does to get the goods on him. I find it weak and implausible that the IRS would launch an investigation over something like prostitution, but more plausible if someone as powerful as Bruno would initiate it to destroy the man. The whole story of the banks being suspicious of money being transferred is a clever one because it takes the vendetta line off the radar.

Either way, he HAS been destroyed and was very very very stupid to indulge in such risky behaviour in the first place.
He has to have been unhinged in some psychological way to carry on with such self destructive behaviour.

The quote lines got screwed up in @141 above. My words start from "I agree. Smacks of a vendetta"etc

Only after David Vitter resigns. And he should state this on TV for everyone to see. If someone who commits the same "crime" can come back to the United States Congress and be given a standing ovation by Republicans, then Spitzer deserves the same treatment.

I agree. Only if Vitter AND Craig resign. Someone was after him for all the good he has done. Let's see if they expose any of the other customers. I feel bad for his wife and I wish our representatives had more morals, but he has been doing a good job. That should be taken into consideration. The boys on Wall Street were after him.

A lot of us Joe six packs out there know there is something more to this Spitzer thing than is revealed.

Going to a whore house is really raising the flag, hay here I am. You want a piece of me come and get it. Sometimes you have to jump in and play the game this might be one of those things.

Please folks to me it looks like Spitzer is gaming the system and taking the fall, sure maybe a little Nookie on the side but the details of no warrant wire tapping is clear. Shifting bank account records in banks loyal to the Republican Party all part of that shadowy partisan real reason for the FISA battle.

Is it personal passion with a mix of a plan and Spitzer is collateral damage that may if worked through impeachment flush out some serious flaws in the system. Guess that’s for them to decide. Actually a little battle like that might be cool and give us a break from Media smears of the Democrat Primary. The media certainly rants the Democrats are exploding inside the Democrats are a horrible mess, the Democrats are fighting internally, the Democrats don’t know what they are doing. Sheesh None of that’s true. What is true the Media does not want a Democrat in the president s office period that’s their mission period.

No...he should NOT resign!
these damn repugs, callin for his impeachment. What chutzpah! They get so fired up about ANY DEMS extramarital activities, yet turn a blind eye to their own party members shenanigans. They cry for impeachment over this BS, while the repug preznit destroys this nation and the middle east, while his pals make BILLIONS in TAXPAYER DOLLARS. GODDAMN HYPOCRITES!

Is prostitution illegal? My guess is that it is in these jurisdictions in which he is alleged to have sought out "escorts". If that is the case, the moral thing to do is to step down. We can't have our elected representatives making and breaking laws now, can we. Is that a pink elephant or a flying pig I see.

Sure is cold down here.

IMNSHO, not only should they resign, but they (Vitter, Craig, Spitzer, et al.) but they should be tried and charged the same way that other "regular" johns.

But the real question remains; did she spitzer or swallow?

I think Spitzer should resign, because he derived political advantage working against prostitution - which makes him untrustworthy by virtue of hypocrisy, because he is providing ammunition to the Reptilicans through their propaganda organs (commercial media), because it is/will be used to inject endless distraction into the national debate(such as it exists) by the commercial media, because it is what we should expect from any politician of either party who betrays the public's trust and maybe most important, because it would further differentiate Democrats from Reptilicans, demonstrating that, while the Reptilicans tolerate all lies, hypocrisy and criminality, that kind of shit won't fly in Democratic circles.

If there is one thing that seems to be emerging as a major, if not always stated issue amongst disillusioned Americans, it's that trustworthiness and accountability are as necessary to the political process as the breath of life itself. The nation is being methodically and systematically destroyed by a malignant cancer of corruption. Whichever party offers unimpeachable integrity offers hope for a way out of the mess we are in.

A pitbull prosocuter against corporate corruption caught having sex outside his marriage. what a novel idea. Seems the corporate media has forgotten all about the DC madame's list of top politicians. This list has yet to be fully revealed. It is rumored to have Dick Cheney on it. What an incredible group of fascists we have in this country. Lies, fraud, and corruption get no media and sex is the end all of media coverage only when it benefits the fascist movement. We have become a nation of shame, and disgrace. I wish you well Mr. Spitzer, however you should have known they were out to get you. You just got Roved by the media.

I thought the Mann Act concerned itself with taking minors across state lines. Are the escorts in question under age?

Wasn't the Mann Act more about White slavery than what we have now. These high priced hookers are hardly the victims of White slavers and probably earn a lot more than us poor schmucks.

Denny's @ 99:

NO NO NO. Democrats need to stop caving in and start FIGHTING back. These REPUGNICANS are the lowest slime of em all. Spitzer is a great guy no matter what he allegedly did or did not do in his PERSONAL life. Need to focus on PUBLIC issues and not on the PRIVATE issues of PUBLIC people.

This is a Republican vendetta against the one guy who has put those CROOKS and LIARS in jail. Call and support Eliot!!!!!!

A great guy, huh? You are an idiot. He cheated on his wife, disgraced his completely innocent daughters, and hurt everyone who has ever supported him. The investigation probably was politically motivated, and I don't think prostitution should be illegal, much less a federal matter, however, Spitzer did this to himself. He is a hypocrite and a scumbag, and anyone who tries to defend him with comments like: David Vitter didn't resign! or What about Larry Craig? are the lowest form of party hacks.

155 comments

Login or Register to post comments.