What does everyone think of the Spitzer scandal?

1. 77

   MarloByDesignposted 16 years ago

   The governor of New York situation....

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2. 57

   Mark Knowlesposted 16 years ago

   Typical politician - Do as I say, not as I do - I am above the law and only here for my own benefit. (See wet tea towel approach.)

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3. 65

   Ralph Deedsposted 16 years ago

   I don't approve of Spitzer's conduct. However, I suspect he may have gotten a bit of "special treatment" by his bank, by the Treasury Department, the IRS and the FBI. He certainly had plenty of enemies in Wall Street and Washington. If they're worried about prostitution why do we see ads for it in newspapers in every major city in the country, not to mention on Craig's list? There are plenty of better ways to spend the taxpayers' money than the massive investigation into Spitzer's personal activities.

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4. 57

   Mark Knowlesposted 16 years ago

   LOL - Quite right. I could care less who is screwing who - or paying for it. But when his mission in life seems to have been to prevent this "crime," it's a bit rich.

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   1. 65

      Ralph Deedsposted 16 years agoin reply to this

      Well, that's not precisely true although he did prosecute prostitution rings and got a bill passed that made it easier to prosecute "johns." However, his main accomplishment was to expose the conflicts of interest in the big Wall Street brokers and investment banks which were recommending stocks to their little customers while advising their big customers to dump them. And many of their mutual funds were allowing late trading after the markets closed by hedge funds and other favored customers. Spitzer also exposed significant conflicts in the insurance business. These Wall Street and insurance malefactors were forced by Spitzer lawsuits and prosecutions to pay billions of dollars in fines and to curb some of their worst conflicts. He was a true friend of individual investors. He did as NY attorney general what the Bush Securities and Exchange Commission was not doing--enforcing the securities laws. In doing this he made a lot of enemies on Wall Street and in Washington.

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      1. 65

         SparklingJewelposted 16 years agoin reply to this

         As usual, I am sure there is scandal behind scandal in this. The money manipulators may have set him up for "weaknesses of the flesh", to shut him up.  His favorite call girl, on the news already, is going to make lots of money in her new found fame...who knows? I just hope he doesn't crawl away and hide..but get "back on the trail" to show the corruption in the money systems.

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5. 61

   lucysdoghouseposted 16 years ago

   The timing of all of this is very interesting.  A somewhat respected democrat from New York being taken down by a scandal as the race for the democratic nomination continues to heat up. 
   
   Coincidence?  Probably.

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6. 77

   MarloByDesignposted 16 years ago

   I am just shocked that his wife stood by him during his resignation.

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7. 57

   Mark Knowlesposted 16 years ago

   Ah. I wasn't aware of that - I agree he would have made the wrong sort of enemy doing that.
   
   Pity he couldn't keep it in his trousers - he must have known this would destroy him - give the big boys an inch and they'll take two miles.
   
   In that light, it's just more proof (if I needed any) that the entire system is designed to screw the little guy and pour all the wealth into the top two percent. Like I said, I could care less who screws who on a personal level, but I notice the latest investment bank casualty gets a helping hand from the government. I don't see them bailing any small construction firms out

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8. 67

   BrainFireposted 16 years ago

   I would have to say I am totally "underwhelmed" with what these guys do. They know fully well that they are high profile figures, yet they do countless things to jeopardize it. It boggles my mind, that he would:
   
   #1  Pay for a prostitute
   #2  Cater to the prostitution industry
   #3  Disrespect his wife, and family like that
   #4  Put his own future, and health at risk
   #5  Covertly create an alternate reality separate from his real life
   #6  Embarrass the entire State Of New York
   #7  have so little regard for people that work for him ,and how their lives will be changing now 
   #8  Make decisions that would inevitably hurt his family, and their future as well
   #9  Put "Sex" before critical priorities of our State
   #10 Disregard the Laws of The State Of New York for his own personal gain
   #11 Willingly risk everything, (including our futures) for romps with a prostitute
   #12 Publicly make excuses, with his wife standing beside him who was obviously distraught
   #13 Not resign immediately, and thinking he can fix this...Fix a cheater? Yeah Right!
   #14 Disrespect himself so badly that he is reduced to a pile of rubble, what a leader
   #15 Think so little of his position, governing the people of NYS
   
   There are many things about this that disturb me greatly. I really wonder about why men feel it's worth such a risk...to have sex. I find it to be less than classy, and it never ever works out in the end.
   
   I'm also disturbed by the women these guys are married to. They seem to be puppets in the mix. I for one would "Not" remain with a man who has paid for prostitutes, while being married to me. I was thinking he was lucky to even be married! lol
   
   His wife needs to dump him fast, if she is restore who "she" is, and what she will become now. She is merely collateral damage at this point. What will her future hold? Now that she has this permanent stigma, because of him. She had no clue what he was up to. I'm sure he always had the perfect array of excuses as to how he was able to fool her into thinking he was doing something honest, related to work.
   
   I can hear the excuses now: Honey, I'm going to work late tonight, or honey, I have a meeting, or I have to go out of town, and so on. I'm sure we know all the creative things he told his wife, to facilitate cheating on her.
   
   This is not just your run of the mill citizen, and the damages sustained by the family are tremendous...Well he doesn't deserve to have a family, if that's how he's going to treat them!
   He's not even good looking which is probably the reason he had to pay for it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
   
   Let's put ourselves into the prostitutes position for a moment. I'm wondering if she saw this as a future opportunity, or if she felt she had a chance at becoming something more than a prostitute, or if she planned to later black mail him. Maybe she charged him a lot more than the usual to cash in on the State Of New York...who knows right?
   
   Either way it's a very muddy situation that will never have good results in the end. Didn't anyone tell this macho macho dude, they always get caught!
   
   High Profile figures are the target for this, and people will never stop trying to bring them down...because they can!
   
   Just think about the risk(s) this guy took...Just to have sex. Do you think he was thinking about the State Of New York when all of this was going on? NOT!
   
   None of the real priorities of our state mattered. Only what he wanted mattered. There are kids involved here too. What about them? No thought, or concern was given to them, or their future. His future is gone now...which means...theirs is too. What a low blow to force upon a family.
   Maybe their campaigns should have the motto: How Low Can You Go?
   
   My opinion is that the men that do this, and engage in less than favorable behavior, are indeed willing to give up everything they have. They are playing Russian Roulette with their lives, their families lives, and our futures! I am thoroughly disgusted, and not impressed by any of these so called representatives who claim to have "our" best interest at heart.
   Stroke me some more!

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9. 0

   RFoxposted 16 years ago

   I can't stand hypocrites or lier's of which he is both. Then again, these traits seem to be job requirements for politicians, so this doesn't surprise me.

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10. 77

    MarloByDesignposted 16 years ago

    BrainFire, I agree with you completely. Wow! Thanks for taking the time to write your opinion - I think you hit the nail on the head...

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11. 60

    Jeromeoposted 16 years ago

    Are we realy surprised that this man like the rest of us is not perfect.  None of us are perfect.  to illude ourselves; that just because a person didn't do wrong today; means he or she, never has or never will, do wrong; is beyond nieve.
    
    I think its unfair to put others in a position, that we know they can't live up to.  And then to where is the forgivness we're suppose to show for each other.
    
    The real villian in this whole mess is the media.  They make money off of everone elses misery, and we tolerate their intrusion into our lives.  We accept their corrupting or sense of fair play.  and allow them to manipulate our sense of better judgement.
    
    It's OK for the paparazi to shove cameras up under Briney's dress. Then all the female anchors show the pictures and say how much of a slut she is.  They didn't have to show the pictures then we would not have known.
    
    Mr. Spitzer and the poor young woman both are only being used to make more money for Rupert Murdok, the media barron who is running the election process in America.  And we sit around instead of thinking for ourselve and gossip about other peoples shortcomings
    
    I think I'v got enough problems of my own to work out without; so I don't have time to add to Spitzers, troubles by casting a negative opinion on his short comings.
    
    He is human he's made a mistake hopfully he and his family can work it out.

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12. 63

    Mishaposted 16 years ago

    Jeromeo,
    
    The more I read of what you write, the more I admire your wisdom

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13. 65

    SparklingJewelposted 16 years ago

    Yes, I think we have heard from two very profound perspectives, indeed!
    I personally like the concepts of forgiveness and change, and not crawl under a rock, but after appropriate humiliation turned humility (and whatever other price needs to be paid), get back on the horse regardless of what other people think of you. There will always be people out there that forgive our "biggies" and ask us to help them with doing good once again.

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14. 77

    barrancaposted 16 years ago

    What happens between consenting adults is none of our business.  But hypocrisy in politicians and law officers is.  America wants more titillation...no one seems concerned about justice and the differential ways various exposed men are treated from Clinton to Vitter to Larry Craig to Spitzer.  Notice how the prostitute is now being celebrated and getting rich quick?  Time was when she would have been humiliated and he would have been patted on the back with a "boys will be boys."  Standards seem to be changing quickly.  They say power is an aphrodisiac...better than viagra evidently.  Did everyone notice that client number six was the richest man in England, the Duke of Westiminster?  Wonder what ignominy he will suffer?

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15. 61

    knolyourselfposted 16 years ago

    My theory is that 'Kristen' got paid $5,000 an hour to play a dominatrix. A domenatrix took down Bernie Ward, 'The Lion of the Left' just recently in SF.
    Some powerful men seem to have a need for domination by the opposite sex, as a counterpoint to their own super dominant personalities. Maybe like depression as counterpoint to manic.

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16. 77

    robie2posted 16 years ago

    I think this scandal is more about hypocrisy than sex. I know I was really surprised that the great crusader for the rights of the individual investor got caught with his pants down( so to speak) but sadly, far from shocked. I suspect many of the people who voted for him felt cheated, and if he hadn't been such a crusader for the rights of the little guy, I don't think the scandal would have been as juicy. I also think Ralph is right about his enemies making it happen.
    
    I also don't think this will be in the news much longer.  It has, after all ,achieved the desired effect of ruining Eliot Spitzer's political career--as for his private life, who knows? He's a trust fund kid with a great education and contacts in all the right places. He could turn over a new leaf and do a lot of good in the not for profit world-- you never can tell  (forgive me my Pollyanna moment but I really think these things can happen)

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