It is not often that the editorial pages of the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal arrive to the same conclusion, but they’ve done so today even after having traveled differing routes. The WSJ characterizes New York governor Elliot Spitzer’s recent woes as an inevitable example of unchecked power and prosecutorial ambition:
In our system, citizens agree to invest one of their own with the power of public prosecution. We call this a public trust. The ability to bring the full weight of state power against private individuals or entities has been recognized since the Magna Carta as a power with limits. At nearly every turn, Eliot Spitzer has refused to admit that he was subject to those limits.
The stupendously deluded belief that the sitting Governor of New York could purchase the services of prostitutes was merely the last act of a man unable to admit either the existence of, or need for, limits. At the least, he put himself at risk of blackmail, and in turn the possible distortion of his public duties. Mr. Spitzer’s recklessness with the state’s highest elected office, though, is of a piece with his consistent excesses as Attorney General from 1999 to 2006.
The Times meanwhile disagrees with the governor that this was a purely personal matter and concurs that he has broken the public trust, but mostly seems to lament the lost opportunity of Wise Government to set everything aright:
A further tragedy here, beyond the personal one of the Spitzer family and the damage he has done to the reform cause, is that Mr. Spitzer
Occurs to me that voters and even his wife have a role in this too–which, in no way, mitigates his culpability or, as is popular theses days, to blame someone else.
Dems caught in criminal sexual scandals always get a pass from the Democratic spin machines like the NYT.
‘Cause- “It was just sex you know”.
Precedence- Clinton-McGreavey-now Spitzer. All (spit) lawyers.
Lie-deny-obsfuscate…wait…politicize..wait..
Aha they’ve forgotten! Works every time for ‘em.
b2
Lex, I know you could not resist the temptation. The title, “Eliot Mess”, says a great deal by itself. I have a question, how did he get caught? He was caught by the F.B.I. doing an investigation or oversight. They were looking into crimes involving prostitution and they find this individual. When I look at this, I think of something one of our Generals said during the Katrina debacle. His name was Russell Onre, he used the analogy of being, “stuck on stupid.” This is not Spitzer’s issue, he is stuck IN stupid, up to his eyeballs.
Now comes the big question, hypothetically, what would we know if he had some distortion of what some call, executive privilege?
You could say this is an example of an old saying. It goes something like this, “Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
Just thinking,
Grumpy
I just wish these clowns would spare their wives by not having them at their mea culpa pressers.
They’ve hurt them enough without further public humiliation.
She should have slapped him in public if he wants her out there for the full treatment.
Unless someone else was doing the unzipping, (and I may be older, but, I’m fairly certain that there aren’t too many proxy de-trouser-ifying coherts out there ) I’m not sure how any of this is anyones fault but Spitzers…
At least he didn’t drown a young girl in a Buick, then the Democrats would have made him quit…. oh wait. Well at least he didn’t have sex with an intern in the White House, then for sure…. Oh that’s right. Well, I guess he’ll have nothing to worry about.
Cap’n,
A very good friend of mine was one of King Eliot’s named accomplishments in 2003. That King Eliot’s goons judge shopped, my friend’s attorney sold him down the river and my friend’s life was turned inside out means nothing to King Eliot.
There is good news in all of this despicable display of gobsmackingly bad judgment: at least King Eliot won’t be able to complete his campaign to replace God.
BTW, no punishment is too good for His Arrogance the King.
Lex, it appears, I have learned more since my #3 post. The beloved I.R.S. at the prompting of Spritzer’s bank noticed large money transfers to questionable accounts. Then the I.R.S. made a call to the F.B.I..
What do we know? I don’t know all of the facts? Do you? Prove it!
If these are facts, how did you get the information, with methods and sources? There are many questions, stay tuned.
Leaders, before you make a move similiar to the one alleged to this one. My counsel, “Leader, use your big head for decision making, not your tiny one.”
Just a thought,
Grumpy
As I’ve posted before, this guy deserves everything he gets. He used the Martin Act to build a name for himself and destroy people in the process, with no thoughts other than furthering his ambition. He has beena lying snake since he started his career, and it’s worth noting that everyone who had the means and ability to fight this guy in court came out a winner.
While I feel sorry for his wife and kids, I have to say that I hope this destroys him both politically and personally. The only thing worse than this guy were his acolytes, who worshipped him and followed his pattern.
The only thing that’s worse than this is that, apparently, our LT. Gov. is a bit of a loose cannon as well. It’s kind of like watching a car crash.
Barak Obama would be happy to nominate Hillary for govenor.
In the end, he was brought down by the very system he had the banks put in place to track money laundering. Some sort of modern day Greek Tragedy.
So, once again we have a public official whose legislative agenda gets de-railed because he can’t keep his pants on. Deja vu all over again.
There’s been a resignation announced.
http://iowahawk.typepad.com/iowahawk/2008/03/amid-charges-of.html
Barak Obama would be happy to nominate Hillary for govenor.
Close, but what I think will happen is Hill will select Elliot for VP. Primary reason: she is the only one with the experience to handle the 3am “Ma’am, your husband has been implicated in a sex scandal” phone call.
This leaves Hill’s senate position open for the next “wife that has been cheated on by a former Governor” candidate that New Yorkers seem to like so much, which in this case would be a perfect fit for the ex-Mrs Spitzer’s recent qualifications.
So it comes out today (not surprisingly) that the money was transferred from his re-election funds. Now, as far as I’m concerned, that makes it a more serious crime.
But for the sake of curiosity, since it isn’t the woman’s looks that makes it worth $4300 an hour, what was it he needed to do that made him spend in excess of $80K? He transported the women to various cities, shelled out the money, hid all this from his wife(maybe), and all he wanted was dinner and a quick in and out? I doubt it. There must be something that turned his prop, and that will be the real punchline.