Eliot Spitzer - WTF were you thinking?!!!

[J70]

Jaw-dropping news here in NY as the crusading former attorney-general, now governor, gets caught in a federal wire-tapping prostitution sting (up to $31,000 a day these women cost!), on the night before Valentine's Day! Spitzer brought down at least two prostitution rings while state attorney general. Less than 18 months ago, he won the governorship of NY state with more than 70% of the vote and was being touted as a future US presidential candidate! Not any more. He has no choice but to resign now.

[An Fear Rua]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7288540.stm

[Square Ball]

Funny enought I was just reading that on the BBC, they were quoting "More than 50 prostitutes were employed by the ring, charging fees ranging from $1,000 to more than $5,500 an hour, prosecutors said last week"

will he resign or will he try and ride it out?

[J70]

Funny enought I was just reading that on the BBC, they were quoting "More than 50 prostitutes were employed by the ring, charging fees ranging from $1,000 to more than $5,500 an hour, prosecutors said last week"

will he resign or will he try and ride it out?

He has no choice but to resign. He built his reputation on law enforcement and prosecution, including busting some prosecution rings. He's finished. Stupid f**ker.

[deiseach]

Given Larry Craig, card-carrying member of the moral majority, survived confessing to soliciting gay sex in a public jacks a la George Michael, anything is possible

[Shamrock Shore]

$5,500 an hour

Tell him to come over to Slapper Face Jacks where he'll get an hour for a simple vodka and red bull and perhaps the taxi fare home after.

(certainly not speaking from experience) 

[J70]

Given Larry Craig, card-carrying member of the moral majority, survived confessing to soliciting gay sex in a public jacks a la George Michael, anything is possible

Craig's an irrelevant nobody from Montana. If people gave a shit about him, he'd be gone. At this stage, he's seen as a pathetic joke, even by the Republicans. Spitzer is the governor of New York: given the nature of his job and the state he works in, he is not really in a position to brazen it out.

[deiseach]

Craig's an irrelevant nobody from Montana. If people gave a shit about him, he'd be gone. At this stage, he's seen as a pathetic joke, even by the Republicans. Spitzer is the governor of New York: given the nature of his job and the state he works in, he is not really in a position to brazen it out.

No matter how lowly, a United States Senator is never a nobody. Even one from the Spud State.

As with all scandals, you live or die by whether you have the support of your party. Craig survives because the weasels who dominate the Republican Party would sooner die than be seeing lose one of their own to the liberals in the New York Times. I don't know if Spitzer has the support of his party - note in the BBC report that only the Republicans are having a pop at him at this point. He's probably put a few noses out of joint with his abrasive rise to power. But again, anything is possible.

[deiseach]

Incidentally, who would want to be his wife? She must be bating the tar out of him up and down the Governor's mansion as we speak.

[tyssam5]

Funny enought I was just reading that on the BBC, they were quoting "More than 50 prostitutes were employed by the ring, charging fees ranging from $1,000 to more than $5,500 an hour, prosecutors said last week"

will he resign or will he try and ride it out?

Looks like he's been doing that already. 

A lot of Wall Street types will laughing their nuts off tonight. That headline in NY Times is the first one in a long time that made me choke on the coffee, we all know a lot of these guys have a secret dirty as f**k side, but this is the one person who you would not expect it from.

[J70]

Craig's an irrelevant nobody from Montana. If people gave a shit about him, he'd be gone. At this stage, he's seen as a pathetic joke, even by the Republicans. Spitzer is the governor of New York: given the nature of his job and the state he works in, he is not really in a position to brazen it out.

No matter how lowly, a United States Senator is never a nobody. Even one from the Spud State.

As with all scandals, you live or die by whether you have the support of your party. Craig survives because the weasels who dominate the Republican Party would sooner die than be seeing lose one of their own to the liberals in the New York Times. I don't know if Spitzer has the support of his party - note in the BBC report that only the Republicans are having a pop at him at this point. He's probably put a few noses out of joint with his abrasive rise to power. But again, anything is possible.

I can't speak to exactly what the Republican congressional leadership did for Craig (as far as I remember, they basically left him to fend for himself), but right wing talk radio hammered him and he's pretty much seen as an embarrassing pariah whom they all wish would go away.

As for being a nobody, there's a huge difference between a (formerly!) low profile senator from a state like Montana, and a crusading governor from New York!

Personally, I think Spitzer should do the decent thing and step down. I will be very disappointed in the Democrats if they support him should he decide to stay.

[Declan]

You gotta love these type of stories - But the thing that really fascinates me is the prurient fascination with all things sex related in US politics yet they don't thinkk people should resign over torture, rendition, illegal wars etc

[Hardy]

Given Larry Craig, card-carrying member of the moral majority, survived confessing to soliciting gay sex in a public jacks a la George Michael, anything is possible

Not to mention a prominent current Labour TD (except it wasn't a public jacks, it was a public park - and he didn't confess and wasn't charged ... OK maybe the case is weakening a little). But anyway there's a big difference - you can't criticise gay activities, but it's open season on straight sex.

[Gaoth Dobhair Abu]

Craig's an irrelevant nobody from Montana. If people gave a shit about him, he'd be gone. At this stage, he's seen as a pathetic joke, even by the Republicans. Spitzer is the governor of New York: given the nature of his job and the state he works in, he is not really in a position to brazen it out.

No matter how lowly, a United States Senator is never a nobody. Even one from the Spud State.

As with all scandals, you live or die by whether you have the support of your party. Craig survives because the weasels who dominate the Republican Party would sooner die than be seeing lose one of their own to the liberals in the New York Times. I don't know if Spitzer has the support of his party - note in the BBC report that only the Republicans are having a pop at him at this point. He's probably put a few noses out of joint with his abrasive rise to power. But again, anything is possible.

Given that he backed Hillary Clintons campaign, could he hold out until the nomination process is over and if Mrs Bill gets the nod, he may slip through the noose??

[Bogball XV]

Given Larry Craig, card-carrying member of the moral majority, survived confessing to soliciting gay sex in a public jacks a la George Michael, anything is possible

Not to mention a prominent current Labour TD (except it wasn't a public jacks, it was a public park - and he didn't confess and wasn't charged ... OK maybe the case is weakening a little). But anyway there's a big difference - you can't criticise gay activities, but it's open season on straight sex.

The issue here isn't the sex, it's the hypocrisy - up until I read that he'd been heavily involved in several cases clamping down on prostitution, I thought it was a non-issue, but for my money, he can't stay - idiot, now if he were an irish taoiseach, it appears that he'd try and brazen it out.