As I am sure many of you have already heard, New York's governor, Eliot Spitzer, is (still allegedly) involved in a Prostitution Ring scandal that has been under investigation. He was caught on a Federal wiretap communicating with a prostitute from the "Emperors Club VIP" prostitution ring. Check out NPR's coverage of the story here --> http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=88080697&ft=1&f=100.... You can find The Times coverage of the story here --> http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1720953,00.html?xid=rss-t.... The story is "Top News" on almost every major news outlet so check out your favorite news site for more info.
If anything, I find this just so sad. I really feel for his wife. He did this to himself, and I believe he deserves the embarassment for indulging in a sort of corruption he has previously fought against. But his wife and his three daughters do not deserve this. I admit that his wife is brave to stand by his side as he gives his apology, though he did not actually identify for what he was apologizing. I can see that I would never be good as a politician's wife. If my husband committed adultery with a prostitute, and it was broadcast to the world, I would not stand by his side in an effort to support his political position. I truly hope she did that of her own free will and that she was not forced. Who knows, I guess I don't agree with the fact that she was by his side, but I still admire her courage to do so.
At this point I guess we have to wait to see if "Client 9," as he was identified in the investigation, will be proven guilty. It remains to be seen whether or not he will resign as governor to be replaced by Lt. Gov. David Patterson. Republicans are pressuring him to resign, what do you think?
I think that if his political crusades were not aimed against political corruption, and at times prostitution rings, that I might feel differently about whether or not he should resign. But his transgressions can only lead us to wonder whether he truly believes in his own mission? If he really wanted to reform corrupt politics, why not be more careful? Why make such a huge mistake? Was one night with a prostitute, possibly more, really worth it? The fact that he would so easily jeapordize his political career is very strange.
This being said, though we will have to see what the federal investigation reveals as he has not been proven guilty, I believe Spitzer should resign as governor. It is clear that New Yorkers can no longer trust their governor, and is that not an integral compentent to non-corrupt politics?
It is so sad, New York has been betrayed by their "Crusader".
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
No way, well, funny stuff. Guess that AT & T wiretap is paying off huge for the Republicans and their cohorts. Kind of sad what I am about to say...
These guys both sides are corrupt no doubt, I think it's a dime that was dropped for a reason. And the truth was discovered before a warrant was issued. Unsubstantiated, sure, but just like Monica Lewinsky, any one heard from her lately.
So the Republicans had a plan all along with the wire-tapping issue? Haha, possible but I think this was a convenient result of wire-tapping. I agree it appears more and more that corruption exists on both sides of the political spectrum, but seeing as Patterson would replace Spitzer and he's a democrat, there is way more to this than a Democrat-Republican bash.
Spitzer would most likely have enemies in the prositution industry if he's tried to crack down on the rings before, it could definitely be someone from the prostitution ring that set him up and knew he would get caught. It's very interesting actually, all the possible theories, I can't wait to see how this all plays out.
*~* Cat *~*
I wrote a similar blog: http://www.progressiveu.org/161229-politics-and-prostitution#comment-242...
As for your mention of his wife, I think that's just what politics are. It's just a facade. I'm sure his wife still cares about him, and she knows that if she didn't stick with him it would tarnish him even worse publically. For all we know, she may have known about this for a long time.
At this point though, it seems his political career is over. I understand that she is probably doing this for him and his career, but wouldn't you just love to see a political wife leave her husband after something like this? Maybe that's just me, but it would all seem so much more real if she left him as I feel a woman who is not married to a politician would be more apt to leave her husband were it a normal relationship. Well, that isn't certain either as infidelity is so common among marriages. Either way, I would be more impressed if she left him. But the fact that she is not leaving him I guess confirms, as you said, that it is all a facade. So dissapointing.
*~* Cat *~*
She may be only staying with him to keep up the facade, but it could be that their marriage is real and she's willing to work things out for everyone's sake. I'm optimistic, I know. I just don't think she would undergo all the embarassment standing by him if there wasn't something real there. I read that when she first became a political wife, she asked Hillary for advice. I bet is that Silda will follow in Hillary's footsteps.
www.progressiveu.org/blog/americangirlinchina