Breaking News -- NY Governor Linked to Prostitution Ring

[Dan Wishengrad]

And yet another political scandal unfolding:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080310/ap_ ... ostitution

[Zamboni_Driver]

Since the bias in media is discussed often here - noticed that cnn didn't identify the governor as a democrat to the second to last sentence, whereas fox news had it up front. If he was a republican would the trend been reversed?

[UkraineNotWeak]

Since the bias in media is discussed often here - noticed that cnn didn't identify the governor as a democrat to the second to last sentence, whereas fox news had it up front. If he was a republican would the trend been reversed?

If he was a Republican, CNN would have mentioned it in the first sentence. If he was a Republican, Fox would have labeled him as a Democrat.

[Sonny]

Since the bias in media is discussed often here - noticed that cnn didn't identify the governor as a democrat to the second to last sentence, whereas fox news had it up front. If he was a republican would the trend been reversed?

Neither the primary CNN or AP article mentioned the factoid that Client No. 9 was a Dem. Fair and balanced indeed.

TheSmokingGun.com has the FBI affidavit:
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/ye ... tzer1.html

[Jana]

Feel bad for the wife & kids, with all the publicity.

Should prostitution be illegal in this country? I certainly wouldn't want my s.o. to visit one, but given the modern human trafficking, would it be better to regulate it to remove the secrecy?

At least Spitzer isn't quite as stupid as this guy...but this guy probably still has a secure job....
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/354 ... ort09.html

[Sonny]

[Jester]

Even to my liberal ears, it sounded odd that MPR never mentioned Spitzer's party affiliation. They said over and over "Spitzer built his reputation as a man bringing order and morals to the state and government...", but never noted that he was a Democrat, or that he was a major Clinton backer. I can't tell if they felt it isn't necessarily germaine to the early reporting in the story, and they are waiting for the opportunity to do analysis later, but it's a glaring omission.

I'm fascinated to hear how someone as incredibly high profile as the Governor of New York could totally escape the attention of any of the rabid political wolfhounds on both sides when apparently he's be doing this for years.

I'm also fascinated to see what a $5500/hour call girl looks like. I don't think I'd drop a month's plus pay on the SI cover girl, much less some random hooker.

[Beta]

$5500/hour

Holy sh-nike's!

Tell this man to go back to college! At an American university...prostitution is essentially legalized and with younger...non-hooker women...all for the cost of dinner and a movie

[KnoxVegas]

Since the bias in media is discussed often here - noticed that cnn didn't identify the governor as a democrat to the second to last sentence, whereas fox news had it up front. If he was a republican would the trend been reversed?

If he was a Republican, CNN would have mentioned it in the first sentence. If he was a Republican, Fox would have labeled him as a Democrat.

At least they got the party right. Fox has a well-documented history of fonting members of the Republican party as Democrats.

While I believe that prostitution is a victimless crime, he is yet another shining star in the Democratic party to be brought down with hubris. Again, stupid is not exclusive to one race, sex or in this case political party.

[Zeuslax]

Supposedly he wanted to do dangerous things, things he couldn't do at home. I have no idea what that means. Maybe it involved something with a wobbly chair or tall counter tops? Possibly he thought he could have sex without a condom because these hookers are $5,500/night and not $150 clean?

Always question someone that crusades for a higher morality and civility!

[KnoxVegas]

He wanted to run with scissors?

It just proves that people self-righteousness will be their ultimate downfall. I would not have an issue with this if he was not married with children. What two consenting adults do behind closed doors is there business. If money changes hands or goods in kind, what is the big deal?

[Zeuslax]

He wanted to run with scissors?

Crap, I should have came up with that one.....

It just proves that people self-righteousness will be there ultimate downfall. I would not have an issue with this if he was not married with children. What two consenting adults do behind closed doors is there business. If money changes hands or goods in kind, what is the big deal?

Couldn't agree more. He probably put his families future in jeapordy. Imagine these kids going to school in the next year?

[Dan Wishengrad]

It just proves that people self-righteousness will be there ultimate downfall.

Dead-on. It is the hypocrisy of this scandal which is the big deal. Spitzer was known as "Mr. Clean", a former prosecutor who built his reptuation as a guy who took on organized crime and reveled in taking down prostitution rings.

This is no different than self-righteous Republicans who publicly blast Democrats for being immoral sinners (David Vitter, Newt Gingrich et al) while carrying on their own secret affairs and/or perversions (Larry Craig). Those who live in glass houses but love to throw stones.

One of my all-time "favorites" is that sanctimonious phony Dan Burton (R-Indiana), who called Pres. Clinton a "sleaze bag" (and worse) for having sex with an intern, and making viscious public moral prononouncements about Bill during Monica-gate -- only to be "outed" himself for having a long-time mistress while parading himself as the loyal, loving husband and family-values man. It is not adultery which is the issue here, it is the hypocrisy purporting yourself to be something better and cleaner than somebody else while secretly living a lie.

The fact that Spitzer is a Democrat doesn't change the fact that he is this exact kind of hypocrite. His career is over, he is finished -- expect a resignation any minute. Curious though that Craig and Vitter continue to serve in the U.S. Senate, isn't it?

[BucLax13]

let me see here... 5,500/hour for 3 minutes that is only 275 bucks

I agree knox... you can buy them dinner, but you can't save a couple hours and just give them the cash...

it doesn't make sense that an individual doesn't own the service or products of their own labor... at the same time the red light district in amsterdam has become a red mafia/eastern european slave trade market... so

[KnoxVegas]

... at the same time the red light district in amsterdam has become a red mafia/eastern european slave trade market... so

And while that is true in some way, prostitution has been legal in the Netherlands for over 400 years. It is government regulated and is an accepted part of society.

This incident reminds me of a conversation that I had when I first moved to Australia. I was on the subway and an Aussie in his 70s asked me if I was an American to which I reply that I was. He told me that he loved Americans and I asked him why. He said that because if it was not for Americans, "We (Australians) would all be speaking Japanese."

(Please read here: The Planned Invasion fo Australia by Japan http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planned_invasion_of_Australia_during_World_War_II) and here about the Brisbane Line http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Australia_1942.jpg)

He then went on to tell me that while Australians and Americans are alike in many ways, there is one fundamental difference: "America was settled by people living the way that they thought God wanted them to live. Australia was settled by people just trying to live." Amen!

I love the Puritan work ethic while hating the repression.]