I don't like infidelity, but I think that's between the two spouses involved. What we're talking about here is breaking the law.Different matter entirely. You've violated your oath of office. I'm not a New York voter, but if I were, Spitzer would be done, in my book.

Kim
BlogHer Contributing Editor|Professor Kim|

I don't care that he had sex outside of his marriage - that's between him and his wife, and for all we know she was all in favor. Nor would I care if it turned out he had done it in a vinyl cat suit or on all fours with a ball gag in his mouth.

The point is that:

1. He made his career busting prostitution rings and then was found as a client of said prostitution rings. Too hypocritical to be trusted.
2. He knowingly and willingly (and presumably with happy endings) broke very clear laws that he - of all people - should be upholding.
3. It's just stupid. I'm sorry, the lack of judgment here is just mind-boggling and not worthy of someone holding such an office.

Now, as I've heard others say, maybe prostitution should be legal. Fine. I happen to agree with that. But it isn't, and when your job and your reputation are stakes 100% on the ability to uphold the communal contracts that we call laws, you have to do it. This sucks.

That said - there must be a back story here.... He just isn't this stupid, is he?

As for the Clinton reference - it's a pretty different ball game. (No pun intended, really.) That was stupid infidelity and, while no less idiotic, it doesn't speak to such wide spread corruption and hypocrisy.

The larger issue for me will always remain honesty - including the ability to honestly manifest our fully sexual selves with integrity in our lives in a way that we don't have to sneak around breaking all sorts of laws and bonds to do so.
___________
Alyssa Royse
JUST CAUSE
make some good news!
www.JustCauseIt.com

Not a New Yorker bu that isn't stopping me from having an opinion. If he had an ounce of integrity left he would have resigned today. That's it. For me its completely black and white. He's the governor. He was once the attorney general. He prosecuted prostittutes.

I would like an explanation why he isn't resigning. I don't get it.

.I recently had a conversation with a very good friend who frequents prostitutes in another country and his explanation to me is that women just don't get how men are wired. Seems that Elliot's problem is that someone else was wired.

Of the entire sordid affair I wish that his wife would have said, " Face the music by yourself Elliot. You don't deserve to have me with you as you face the nation with your shame."

Alas, she did what so many public wives do-- they stand by their man. I do admire her strength in a horrendously humiliating moment. I for one could not have done it.

elana
Blogher Contributing Editor,Business&CareersFunnyBusiness

As they like to say, " that is his truth." It certainly isn't mine. Oh, I just visited your website and the juxtaposition with what you are trying to do and the hypocrisy of Elliot Spitzer couldn't be more vivid.

elana
Blogher Contributing Editor,Business&CareersFunnyBusiness

Think about how all the talking and listening that the Spitzers are about to do, if it had been done, well, anytime before now, should have been done before now and then maybe there wouldn't be a now?

I really believe people know this but their flaws and fears keep them from engaging in the most difficult discussions.

Jill
Writes Like She Talks

With power come responsibility, perks and sex. Pretty lobbyists, campaign workers, co-workers and Rent-A-Perky set of 38s are embedded into the system. I don't know what the female political equivalents to 38's are, well I do but I gotta try to keep this clean.

This didn't just happen when he got into the governor's office. He ain't that stupid or smart. This is some long term creeping. In the next couple of days it will be floated that it was drugs, painkillers, childhood issues or my personal favorite "the devil made me do it".

We collectively shake our hands and say "boot him out" but maybe this is the kind of stuff we need to live with. Really how many frigging times has a politician been caught doing the hankie pankie with someone other than his or her wife?

For the record, yes he has to go. You can't be the governor and have access to high priced hookers and the rest of the fellas get reamed through the judicial system.

I just don't want to be hypercritical - there were some powerful forces invoke to cause him to self-destruct like this. Not male or female forces, but human emotional needs that were suppressed and then acted on.

We've never had a national conversation or healing event that recognizes we all have different sexual levels and needs, and yes this includes politicians.

Gena - Out On The Stoop

The people of NY voted him in - should they be given the chance to vote him out?

I'm not sure - but I'm just wondering. Who loses them most - how is his work compromised - what if he was the target all along? That doesn't make what he did right, but who is really the injured?

Yes - people are betrayed because of how he's presented himself, but has the work that he's done suffered, will it suffer?

If the answers are yes, then he probably should step down. But if not...and the answers may not be yes.

Other thoughts?

Jill
Writes Like She Talks

The sex? I think people could not care less.

The hypocrisy of prosecuting others for the same illegal conduct you're engagaing in? Not so fine.

It's the power thing and the attitude of those with power who believe they are above the law that is the problem. And not knowing when the supposed champions of the law are breaking those laws behind our backs.

We need to be done with these kinds of politicians.

And the wives need to stop standing behind their husbands for the horrible photo-ops.

PunditMom
http://punditmom1.blogspot.com
BlogHer Contributing Editor, Politics & News

As I mentioned in a late-breaking CUSS post about this, I'm pretty distressed by what he did. As the former NYS Attorney General, he made a reputation for himself by standing for reform. He ran on that promise. I voted for him with pride and excitement. This would be the man to clean up Albany, by golly!

Many missteps later, he seems to have wandered off a cliff. As my wise and funny friend wondered, "Why couldn't he just settle for a DC call girl like the other politicians? Is he too good for them?" A former colleague who works in New Jersey sent me an email asking me what was wrong with my governor. "My governor may pay for sex," I replied, "but yours is trying to buy a new Florida primary for his friend Hillary Clinton." (I'm not really sure which is worse, but that's another story anyway.)

I hate that Spitzer violated the public trust in him, or what little was left anyway. The whole thing is gross and vile. If anyone is familiar with NYS politics (and if you aren't, be very glad - ignorance is truly bliss!), you know that Spitzer just handed over a HUGE victory to the Republican Senate leader, Joe Bruno, who himself is under investigation by the FBI for corruption. Who will pay attention to boring old corruption charges when there's illicit, dangerous (literally, according to the affidavit) sex out there? The real losers of all this are New Yorkers, and quite frankly, women who truly are sex trafficked.

Speaking of which, in light of this event and the great discussion here, I would like to write about legalizing prostitution for my CE post on Thursday. If anyone else takes this topic up on their blogs, let me know so I can link to you.

Suzanne Reisman, Contributing Editor - Feminism & Gender
Campaign for Unshaved Snatch (CUSS)& Other Rants

It's that he thinks he can buy women as it we are objects. As a man who seemed to build a heck of a lot of his career on feminist issues, I am heartbroken. He could have taken a bribe, tipped off a Wall Street investor, etc. And it is the fact that he went out and bought a woman. Married or not, I can't and won't stand for that.

He's done. Resign and slither off into the sunset, E. And don't even show your face on any of the talking head shows.

I agree that as far as the infidelity goes it's a matter between him and his wife.

As far as the legal matter goes I think it should be prosecuted along with all the other cases resulting from that sting operation. If he has to appear in court then so be it. It's not like he didn't know what the potential consequences of his actions were.

However he has quite ably demonstrated a lack of personal control as well as a lapse in judgment and I think those speak against his record and qualifications for public office. We have quite enough politicians who think they're above the law or they get perks of that nature. And the system can never be repaired if we don't hold people accountable for their actions.

If you're going to talk the talk be prepared to walk the walk gentlemen.

Jim Heivilin

Regardless of whether or not paying for sex is something we need to look at as a culture, Spitzer had to cobble together $4,300 of his family money to get laid. He couldn't get the money together in time for his first assignation, so it got delayed a day, according to the text messages released to the public. He had reserved a hotel room but couldn't get the $4,300 together to reserve the girl. The pimp/madam texted him again and again asking for money. When, during that whole 'negotiation' did he ever think about the hypocrisy? Or the terrible gut blow he would deal to his wife when he had to tell her 'oh, honey, the feds have me on tape hiring a prostitute'? The pimp/madam interacted with him several times, 'we need the money, the $500 you have ON ACCOUNT with us isn't enough for the girl, please get us more money'. He's not fit to be in office. He's just not.

Mary Wallace

Liza Sabater has an interesting take on Spitzer's political vulnerability here -- she says his failure to connect with the grassroots leaves him without a base of support in a crisis. She also points to this item from Harpers suggesting that Spitzer might have been deliberately targeted by the Bush Justice Department to keep him from consolidating Democratic power in NY state.

Kim
BlogHer Contributing Editor|Professor Kim|

My issue is that he's a hypocrite. First off, he broke the law, so that's that. If he hadn't paid for sex, though, if he had an affair with his wife's best friend? Then I'd say it's none of my business. Except that he's Spitzer, and he's someone constantly up in everyone's grill about their conduct and ethics, and so I think he deserves every last bit he got.

Surrender, Dorothy - When I was your age, we just let them ride in the back window.