Eliot Spitzer

March 14, 2008, 3:54 AM

He resigned from being governor of NY because he paid for prostitutes.

Should what a politician does in their private life be of any consequence as long as its legal?
If a politician was to have an affair then they would be under pressure to resign, even though it doesnt effect how well they do their job.

Honestly i dont think that they should

March 14, 2008, 5:00 AM

Cerri said he spent like what, 65 grand on hookers over the past ten years? I can't remember exactly now, but it was a massive amount of money. Course that brings into question whether or not it was his own money or taxpayer money...

But he pretty much stepped down on his own, so *shrug* I feel pretty bad for his family though, he's going to need the time off from his resignation to try to fix things.

March 14, 2008, 7:49 AM

I was going to start a topic like this...but I wasn't really sure if anyone would care seeing how he's only New York governor. Obviously, it's huge news in New York, but I wasn't sure if the rest of the country would know about it.

Honestly, I think it's bullshit that he resigned as governor or was threatened with impeachment. Did he break a law? Yes. Was it an important law? No, not really. He paid for these girls with his OWN money. It was the large withdrawals from his bank accounts that were the first indications of a problem that was then investigated. The girls he was paying for were very high class hookers. He wasn't driving up and down some seedy street looking for hookers with pimps. He was patronizing a very organized and, in a way, legitimate business. That said...what is the difference between an expensive call-girl and a mistress? Can someone explain that? Currency is exchanged (whether in the form of money, clothing, jewelry, etc) and sexual favors are given. Was he hurting anyone (except maybe other than his wife)? I don't think he was.

That said, I think I agree with a theory I heard about him. Now, before he was governor, he was New York State Attorney General. As Attorney General, he really went after white collar criminals on Wall Street. And I say good for him. It's bullshit that these powerful rich men were exploiting the system to make themselves richer while screwing over everyone else. However, in doing so, he definitely made some powerful enemies. You think that the men he put in jail/heavily fined forgot about this? I don't think so. I think they were probably watching his every move, just waiting for him to slip up. And he finally did. I think it was very stupid of him to give them something to use against him. As a politician, it is your job to act as close to perfect as humanly possible. Or if that isn't possible...learn to cover your tracks very well.

It's a shame. He did technically break a law, so what he did leaks from the private sphere to the public sphere. I think he was a good man. He earnestly tried to do the right thing. (Lest we forget the whole giving illegal immigrants driver's licenses debacle). He also introduced a bill that would have made gay marriage legal in New York. While some of what he did was definitely unpopular (especially the former proposal), he stood by what he thought was right. I think it's stupid that he had to resign for such a frivolous reason. People are probably more morally outraged that he cheated on his spouse than that he used a call-girl. It's stupid. It's also very strange. He really used to be the golden boy who could do no wrong, and now he's fallen from grace. Poor guy.

...Oh and as a totally unprofessional sidenote, UGH did you see the ugly slag he paid for?! Talk about not getting your money's worth! For that price, you think they could provide him with someone better looking.

March 14, 2008, 9:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Erythritol

Honestly, I think it's bullshit that he resigned as governor or was threatened with impeachment. Did he break a law? Yes. Was it an important law? No, not really. He paid for these girls with his OWN money. It was the large withdrawals from his bank accounts that were the first indications of a problem that was then investigated. The girls he was paying for were very high class hookers. He wasn't driving up and down some seedy street looking for hookers with pimps. He was patronizing a very organized and, in a way, legitimate business. That said...what is the difference between an expensive call-girl and a mistress? Can someone explain that? Currency is exchanged (whether in the form of money, clothing, jewelry, etc) and sexual favors are given. Was he hurting anyone (except maybe other than his wife)? I don't think he was.

I've never understood this, but...why exactly is the prostitution business illegal anyway? I mean I can understand if it's a nasty business being run in the ghetto where the pimp is abusing his women, but if it's a high-class one like the one he was patronizing...I don't see why not.

Meh, it's just that when you're in the public eye you're expected to be perfect, and then this happens and so naturally everyone's going to be all "ZOMG ILLEGAL SECKS ZOMG U CHEATING BASTARD ZOMG WE DONT NEED GUVNAS LIEK HIM!"

Quote:

...Oh and as a totally unprofessional sidenote, UGH did you see the ugly slag he paid for?! Talk about not getting your money's worth! For that price, you think they could provide him with someone better looking.

I didn't know they had pics of her released xD I saw her hooker AND real names in one article and I was kind of surprised they actually released that...sucks to be the hooker now. I bet her mommy and daddy will be proud.

March 18, 2008, 12:09 AM

What he did was dishonest, not to mention illegal. Politicians should uphold the law and, most importantly, be honest and well-meaning in their deeds. (except with sensitive security matters, obviously.)
Honest, non-corrupt politicians are in short supply, sadly. But the corrupt bastards must be exposed for who they are. Makes you wonder what else this guy has to hide. But so do many other politicians. Bribes and blackmail from companies.

However, I do not think that organised, honest, consensual prostitution should
be illegal itself. If people want to sell themselves for sexual services, and if people desire such services, let them, but regulate the industry, make it legitimate.

March 18, 2008, 2:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Major Zero

What he did was dishonest, not to mention illegal. Politicians should uphold the law and, most importantly, be honest and well-meaning in their deeds. (except with sensitive security matters, obviously.)
Honest, non-corrupt politicians are in short supply, sadly. But the corrupt bastards must be exposed for who they are. Makes you wonder what else this guy has to hide. But so do many other politicians. Bribes and blackmail from companies.

I know everyone likes to pick on politicians because they're some of the most prominent figures and easy targets. I think you should revise your ideas. Non-corrupt people are in short supply. I don't know why people keep thinking that politicians are here to be the moral leaders of the country. If you want morality and well-meaning, go to church. Politicians govern this country, which is not always a pleasant or easy job. They need to be ruthless and calculating. And if politicians were honest, no one would like them. People are gullible and like nothing more than to be told what they want to hear to self-soothe. Politicians fulfill this desire.

And please, explain how what he did was really that harmful. Whom, exactly, did he hurt in sleeping with some high-class call girl? He didn't take advantage of anyone. Just because he's a politician doesn't mean that he isn't a human or a man. He has needs too. If you had actually looked into his past, you'd notice that he had a history of doing very good things for New York state. He prosecuted the very people you are talking about: those who accepted bribes from companies and those who exploited others to make more money. Until this call-girl scandal, his record was relatively clean. If anything, people disliked him because he was too lenient and generous towards people who needed help, like illegal immigrants.

March 18, 2008, 10:19 AM

Ah, thanks for cleaning that up. Yes, like I said, there are worse things to be prosecuted for. If he was indeed exposing the more corrupt politicians, then perhaps they used that against him. A politician's private life should be private, but if something illegal transpires, then oh dear.

Of course governing isn't an easy job.
That's what really angers me though, people being lied to. Another problem is that many people won't accept the truth, too many want some actor to tell them that everything's ok, naturally. It's a cruel world, and a blanket of lies does not remedy that, really. I know exactly what you mean, though.

Non-corrupt people in short supply? Yes, people can be turned, and too many are easy to corrupt. But the leaders, the people who run the country, should try to set an example, and defend their peoples' best interests when it comes to the crunch. I still have some faith in humanity, believe it or not.
I don't think morals are just for church, either; I don't even go to church, I'm agnostic.

March 20, 2008, 8:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Placebo

He resigned from being governor of NY because he paid for prostitutes.

Should what a politician does in their private life be of any consequence as long as its legal?
If a politician was to have an affair then they would be under pressure to resign, even though it doesnt effect how well they do their job.

Honestly i dont think that they should

In an ideal world, a politicians personal life would be private. But let's face it, politicians are basically celebrities and this is juicy material. People will pay big money for a story like this even if it is just a govenor. Though people act like they are disgusted by this kind of stuff, it truth... well they love hearing about it. I mean look at the senator who was caught soliciting a male prostitute in a bathroom...

As for should they resign? Absolutely not. But it is a bit embarassing to be caught having an affair and many people will no longer think highly of you. So I guess it's only natural that he should feel that he should resign.