Was Spitzer targeted for his criticism of Bush?
That's the question the House Financial Services Committee will begin to start investigating.
Eight months after a federal investigation into a prostitution ring brought about the downfall of Gov. Eliot Spitzer, the question still persists in some circles: Was the federal government out to get Mr. Spitzer?
No evidence has surfaced to support such an assertion, and the prosecutor in the case has said that politics played no role in the pursuit of Mr. Spitzer, a Democrat. But that has not put to rest suspicions, expressed on left wing blogs, that Mr. Spitzer, a zealous pursuer of Wall Street wrongdoing who some thought could one day be president, had been singled out.
Now, a congressional committee is pursuing what would be the first public examination of the events that prompted the initial inquiry into his bank transactions, which showed he was sending money to a front company for Emperor’s Club V.I.P.
The House Financial Services Committee intends to take up the matter early next year and tentatively plans to hold hearings that could include testimony from the United States Treasury’s law enforcement unit, along with Mr. Spitzer’s bank, North Fork, and HSBC, a bank used by a company connected to the prostitution service.
This should be interesting. After the whole USA scandal, I don't think any reasonable person will dispute the notion that justice has become politicized under George Bush. Whether or not it's the case here will remain to be seen.
Project Censored included this possibility in the yearly Top 25 Censored Stories for 2009. Check it out here.
Any reasonable person will likely also conclude that the Congress will do nothing of substance. They have abdicated. Especially when the subject is Wall Street.
statusquObama, change you can only pretend in
Right on the money Alice. Anybody paying any attention already knows that this spinless Congress and Senate will do nothing to upset the criminals on Wall St., sure you might see a few stand up, but the party won't back them up and nothing gets done. I've watched it for far too long...and as long as Nancy and Harry are leading the charge...there will be no charge.
I can't tell you how many angry e-mails I have sent to their offices pleading with them to do their job and hold hearings, but either the staffer who has to read all the e-mails never passed along the message or there were not enough complaints for them to want to do anything.
Spitzer was targeted because he was going after Wall Street.
statusquObama, change you can only pretend in
His editorial certainly must have made a few people on Wall Street nervous.
And there's no doubt he'd have been a fantastic attorney general pick for Obama, if not a VP pick.
Regardless of his misdeeds--which as we know, don't rank high enough to get most politicians to step down--it's stinkier than week-old fish.
I think one might want to give this a viewing.
Gadzooks! The Bush "Administration" looks slimier and slimier by the minute.
I'm still not convinced that they're going to allow a new administration to assume office.
Yes, I am paranoid.
Doesn't mean that I'm wrong - and these slimeballs push the fascist envelope at every turn.
Get ready to take to the streets.
Remember, just because you're paranoid doesn't mean someone isn't out to get you.
As a resident of New York State and one who campaigned for Mr. Spitzer, I too was shocked and disappointed at the scandal involving this man. But having viewed this video about the Washington Post editorial, I feel vindicated for my support. I also felt at the time that he was set up.
Wall Street hated his guts, his investigations had them pissing in their pants. It was just a simple matter of get him involved with a prostitute, then a few phone calls from the big-money boys on Wall Street to their buddies in the White House and Justice Dept. and "poof", just like magic, an FBI investigation.
And now, everything he was investigating has turned out to be even worse then he imagined. This whole deal smells worse that the Fulton Fish Market on a hot day. And the biggest stink is coming out of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, because sure as God made green apples, Bush and Gonzales were involved. It's just too bad Elliott Spitzer became the scapegoat.
Democratic Party progressive, Vietnam veteran and proud Union member for 41 years
Don't be silly, you tinfoil-hatted conspiracy nut. Next you'll be telling us that they put Don Siegelman in jail so he couldn't run for Governor of Alabama again.
Does it matter?
Yes. It does.
As long as Bush was in office, no. But in the words of Captain Queeg from The Cain Mutiny "These, gentlemen, are the kinds of details that we're going to start noticing again."
I have hope.
It is things like that that cannot be let go. Same with Siegleman. There is NO WAY that should be let go. It makes me sick to my stomach to think that Bush will get away with war crimes, but I never expected much from any political party here in the US. The only way any of these criminals will be held accountable is by a foreign entity. There is no way any US politician will make an indictment towards another politician.
It is dead wrong, I know. But it just will not happen. Hell, even in Germany, initially, many didn't want to blame Hitler. I was watching a documentary on 7/20/45 (I think that was the date), which was what Tom Cruise's new movie is based on, and many of those people were initially (and for many, many years thereafter) thought of as treasonous traitors to their country, even knowing what Hitler did.
And I doubt, we, as a country will ever accept that our own POTUS, the most powerful person in the world, was a sociopathic, lying, torturing, POS. Hell, he still has damned near 30% of the population supporting him.
Why? He fucked up. They didn't force him to do anything. The point is, that's the only scandal surrounding him and besides this they had nothing else to go after him.
If he hadn't called a hooker he would still be the governor of NYS.
to DENSITY.
Some stuff you can't make up!
I had such high hopes for Spitzer when he was elected. As Attorney General he had taken on causes for New York's consumers, and as Attorney General of the state where Wall Street is located he had taken on fat cat crooks on behalf of all Americans, even as Bush's SEC people seemingly looked the other way as abuses occurred against investors. His crime in many ways is unforgivable on a personal level - that of the betrayal of his family - but at the same time I feel like America lost a true warrior for the people. The dirty and poorly kept secret that such trysts are dead common in his world (as anyone who has ever heard of the "Bear Mountain Compact" knows) does not absolve him for what he did to his wife and children. But I can't help thinking that whatever conspiracy took him down did a disservice to the people of America.
It was the political version of a gangland hit, pure and simple.
They took the guy out clean, with no fingerprints. There was never any need to charge him with a crime. Why bother? He was already dead.
Of course, Spitzer left himself open for it by being a libidinous fool. That doesn't make it any less of a hit.
My sentiments, exactly!
He could of done so much good, but he down his family and his country for sex with a prostitute. I am always amazed when people in positions of power risk their reputations and social/political standing for seedy/illegal dealings.
GW Bush is fond of saying that history will judge him kindly. Wait until the new guys take over in all the government positions and start uncovering all the egregious doings. History is going to have a field day.
Unfortunately nothing will be done or come of it.
It always struck me as a little odd how the press jumped all over the idictment story. Many major media outlets seemed to have information that wouldn't necessarily be readily made available to the public. Come to find out this information was put in the actual idictment which would seem to suggest Spitzer was being tried in the court of public opinion for which the Bush justice department is well versed in. Idictments typically list the items a person is being charged. Prosecutions don't want to give out too much information that might hurt their case. Also, the feds were tracing wire transfers that would not have triggered such interest because the amount of money being transferred was below the threshold that would trip banking systems thus flagging Spitzers transfers.
... At least in politics, don't give your opponents ammunition to totally confuse the issue. Prosecuting people who use prostitution while making use of it yourself *is* painting a giant bullseye on yourself - all your good work elsewhere gets lost in the confusion.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTSX91J6UtE&fe...
Reality has a liberal bias
I go quite an education when my son got a job a bank and he related to me how currency transaction notices got turned into the treasury department.
All cash transaction over $10,000 had to be sent to the feds. However, the feds have another form for "suspicious" transactions of ANY amount. Essentially the clerk behind the bank counter can turn you into the feds for ANYTHING they think is funny. During his training, the bank "discouraged" tellers from doing such for obvious reasons.
Just think of that the next time you make a transaction at the bank. A teller can turn you in for any reason, even if you have not done anthing wrong, and the next thing the Feds are up your ass. Big Brother is watching you.
Treat your teller nice.
Mr. FISA
I'll take a dime bag.
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
that Spitzer committed a relatively minor legal wrong but a big political wrong, and that he was taken down for purely political reasons.
Questions remain. Do we want a Spitzer in power? Do we want a shrub in power?
I say no to both questions.
I want justice to be blind.
compare Spitzer's crime to Bush's. Night and day does not begin to cover the gross difference between their respective crimes. Spitzer hooked up with a prostitute. Bush lied us into war, killed probably a million Iraqis, killed and maimed tens of thousands of Americans, near completely eradicated the middle class of this country. Honestly, you're not making this comparison, are you?
Wed, 11/26/2008 - 15:56 — They all suck
I want justice to be blind.
____________________________________________________
I thought eye-gouging was considered cruel and unusual punishment.
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
Of course he was targeted because of his criticism of Bush. That's why he should have been smart enough to keep his nose clean. You have to be pretty stupid to attack the Cons while having an affair. You have to be extra stupid to have that affair with a hooker when you made your name going after prostitution.
He had it coming.
Good luck keeping your nose clean in Texas during hay-fever season.
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
You're about as funny as rubber crutches for crippled children.
Not sure what your day job is or igf you even have but if you do, for your own sake, DON'T QUIT!!
Touchy, touchy.
That's pretty much all he/she adds to most discussions. After awhile, I get a little tired of it.
Yeah, I was a big-time Spitzer fan too, thought this guy was going to be a champion for the little guy. But no one forced him to hang out with hookers and he [should have been/probably was] smart enough to know it wouldn't stay hidden. He was unable to quit the chickies despite the high profile job, that indicates an obsessive compulsive disorder, better he was snagged now instead of after achieving an even higher profile within democratic politics.
Is it a good thing or a bad thing that chainey didn't target Spitzer?
chainey tends to miss what he aims for.
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
...Heck of an earring he's got there.
they used the patriot act...which is supposed to track payments to terrorist orgs...not watch when a private citizen moves money from one account to another
how many people have been busted by the feds overs simply hiring hookers???
of course he was targeted
and of course he was targeted cuz he was getting too close to finding out about the ponzi scheme of the century
If only Americans would read they would have known why Spitzer was targetted. Now Spitzer was investigating Wall Street Corruption by Bush and others. He found out the money was being funneled out with subprime and other acts. He had to names and the companies and those in Washington who played a part of the crimes. Long before the Stock Market Crash. Yes the GOP quickly looked for something and found the Emperior Club which the Feds didn't know involved the former PM of England, the Duke of England and other American CEO's. Quickly they pushed the headlines so as usual the American people would react. The GOP plan was to have a recall election and put a Republican in office. Spitzer quickly resign there by his assistant took over. The Law doesn't allow a John's name to be release but only Spitzer's name was leaked. ABC and othe Media run with the lies to make sure the indictments wouldn't be given out. It worked really well and the American people brought it hook line and sinker. Yes because Spitzer was pushed out we now see the results of the Stock Market and millions of Americans lost their jobs, homes and life savings. But still Americans condem Spitzer for his personal action. We saw Clinton be attacked for having an affair, but the GOP yelling the loudest not only had affairs but out of wed lock kids, mistresses and even paying for aides they knocked up to have abortions. I guess the GOP are role models for what the USA stands for. Senator Vitters got caught with prositutes, came back to work and was cheered and now continues to hire prostitutes. Mark Foley selected kids to molest and had his actions covered up by fellow Law Makers. The Media and Americans didn't have mush to say about Foley and now he is free to continue his acts. The Spitzer case showed how easy it is for the Bush Administration to continue their crimes. Like sheep Americans follow what ever their told. Now things are different with Senator Obama. Americans now demand he fix this problem now and are tired of listen to his speeches about this team selection. As for Bush, Americans think he's doing a hell of a job and know if they even thing of speaking up they will be arrested. Just leave him and Cheney alone so they can continue to steal as much as possible. Blame it on Obama or Clinton because it seems it works as Americans believe anything their told.
Like Chicken Little the Sky is Falling, Americans just keep looking up while being robbed blind. The World sees just how gullible Americans are.
Elliot Spitzer hurt his family but George Bush has destroyed our country. Which is worse? I believe that Bush and Chaney would do anything and everything, legal or ilegal to destroy a political opponent. Spitzer was one of many good men who has gotten caught with his pants down. I believe that he was taken down on purpose but he should have been a lot smarter. Is there any difference between a trophy wife who is kept and replaces the first,older,original, droopier wife and a call girl?
Spitzer was neutralized. He blew the whistle on Bush's friends they didn't like that.
So what! He bought some sex. Clinton got BJ. Anybody dead? Did the economy crash?
Where Newt Gingrich is considered rehabilitated, and Eliot Spitzer isn't. In a better world, he would be turned loose on Wall Street criminals and their enablers at the Dept. of Treasury and the SEC.
I haven't noticed Sen. Vitter of Louisiana stepping down from the Senate...
I wouldn't belong to an organization that would have me as a member...
All he had to do was be governor and not commit crimes. I mean, I'm expected to do the same thing, right?
If you live your life as a politician, you can't have any skeletons in your closet. He was taken down because there was an opening.
So before the nutjobs start with the "have you ever made a mistake" crap, I'll state that I never ran for governor and I was never considered as on the fast track to the white house.
Most people here don't think he committed a serious crime (and I'm in agreement) but he did commit a crime. I think there's room for debate on whether prostitution should be legalized but I pity the governor or president that signs that into law.
I know as progressives we're not supposed to like people like Alex Jones and all that alternative media news, but they did this story right when the Spitzer case was hot.
Believe it or not sometimes the alt.media is right on the money. They also predicted this economic crash 2 years ago. I guess most sensible economist did, but no one was paying attention to the warning signs. We were all focused on who was gonna run for president
RD comment:
Most people here don't think he committed a serious crime (and I'm in agreement) but he did commit a crime. I think there's room for debate on whether prostitution should be legalized but I pity the governor or president that signs that into law.
Your right RD but one problem with that statement. Senator Vitter is still a Senator after hiring prostitutes for years. He was cheered when he came back by his fellow Law Makers.
Bush has committed more crimes then any President in the history of America. As Bush himself said after proof with documention of his crimes came out, he said he was the decider and has executive privilege.
Senator Dodd got 200,000 dollars from kick backs from Subrime nothing said or done.
Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell got inside trade information to sell their shares for big profit. Nothing done or said.
So many other crimes committed by Law Makers will come to light after Jan. 20th but you feel Spitzer is a Law Maker that we must take down.
Somethng wrong with that statement you made or it must be a Law that only Democrats should follow. No problem as there will be an investigation as to how Spitzer's name come out as none of the other names by law were allowed to be released. The Brazilan Madam was given 150,000 dollars no charges and sent home. All the other high level parties were told no charges would be filed against them. The Prosecutor asked the Judge to dismiss all charges against everyone after Spitzer resigned. The Emperior club is still in business and doing very well. As for the names of the others not told by US Press the Foreign Press released their names. Formeer PM of England, Duke of England, many US CEO's and other rich American business men who have 4 to 5000 dollars an hour for sex. So it's good to see you have and demand morals from Spitzer and not others. Also I guess having him kicked out so the Stock Market could Crash was also a good thing for yourself and the American people. Yes your right millions of Americans lost their homes, jobs and life savings are happy we didn't let Spizter file those indictments to stop the Crash.
No wonder Bush/Cheney got in office twice it seems people like being robbed and having 4000 plus soldier lied and and die for the oil rights of US big business. AIG and Citi Group are laughing as they still keep getting free money while Americans attack Obama and any other Democrat/Republican trying to stop the crime wave.
Hiring a Prostitute is a high crime for anyone who's not a Republican. But bring down the US Treasury, Stock Market and torturing innocent men/woman/children is not a crime at all in the new Bush US Democracy Policy.
Stuff like this still needs to be discussed, there are enuff disrtactions in the MSM that attempt to frame the debate of topics. There is no question that Spitzer was targeted, both sides do it...you dont think Hilary has a file on who is gay in the senate and commiters of hienous,salacious,and other emarrasing ...career ending screw ups??
"Dance to our tune or we will pull the trigger...and well if we really need to youll end up like Wellstone!"
I dont think Spitzer is done...he is a maverick...but her does want to live
when I heard that the information came from a "bank investigation" I was immediately suspicions.
Spitzer is, of course, a dumb prick in the same way that Clinton was, but if he was targeted as I strongly suspect, it just is another confirmation of the lawlessness of the Bush regime, enabled by the same spineless Dems who are the TARGETS.
Maybe the dumb ass Dems will learn to connect the dots someday, but letting Traitor Joe keep his senate committee is not a good sign that they will.
Having followed Mr. Spitzers' Fall of Shame (engineered by the right remember it was very personal information released BY WALL STREET as pay back), I am asking that Mr. Spitzer be appointed SPECIAL PROSCEUTOR for investagating WALL STREET and the PHONY CREDIT crunch as well as the Sept.15th debocile of falling stocks. NO HOLDS bar Turn this man loose and LOCK all the thieves up and any threats stock failures or resistance gets the wall street people total lock down mandatory 5yr jail time and 10,000,000.00 fine nonnegociable participation these thieves STOLE the MONEY now let them PAY with their LIVES and FORTUNEs, please appoint Spitzer Special Prosecutor nail thieves, LAIRS,THIEVES and CHEATS on the Right and Wall Street.
Disgusted with the present bumbling fumling MORONS in office.
http://im-a.blogspot.com/search?q=eliot+spitzer
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