Spitzer, Sex and the Invisible Line

When I first heard the shocking news about Gov. Spitzer's participation in a prostitution ring, I said, "He's Done. Cooked. Finished"  Then I listened to his statement and realized that he wasn't going anywhere, yet.  I was confused.  So, I followed the news both print and video and realized there exists an invisible line of guilt or criminality on which he has yet to be placed.  

Some would say he isn't as bad as Gov. McGreevey who had an extra marital affair with a man. (that would be the homophobes) Others place him worse (therefore higher on that line) than Sen Larry Craig who was caught in a public toilet and admitted to a misdemeanor but whose crime seems to be about a wide stance.  Perhaps he is closest to Sen Vitter who also patronized a prostitute but then, Vitter is still in the Senate.  No one should overlook Rep. Barney Frank who patronized a male prostitute, survived without resigning and was even re-elected.  Of course, Barney never held himself out as a paradigm of virtue. So, is there a difference between being elected a Senator, a Governor, or President?

Add to all of this the fact mentioned today in the newspaper, that customers ("johns") are never prosecuted in this kind of sting.  Why?  I guess if the call girls are not prosecuted either then it might be fair and not unreasonably favorable to men.  Yet, no one can overlook the possibility of a Mann Act violation if the Gov paid to have the prostitute travel across state lines from New York to Washington.  Prosecutors have broad discretion when it comes to filing charges and they are not required to reveal their motives one way or the other.  So, this may come down to image.  He was the "Mr Clean" of politics and government and that is something he will never be again.  It definitely affects his credibility but does it impact his ability to govern? And so we get to the big sinner himself, Bill Clinton, who lied and lived to complete an impressive period of governing in this country.  

Someone on the news reported that the governor's wife, Silda, is one of the people around him urging him to stay on.  Does she know something we don't or is it a cultural thing in some groups that extra-marital affairs with women (yes, not men) are the norm for aggressive, dynamic, hard-working men? Or as Alan Dershowitz says this is a throw-back to a law which should have been off the books a long time ago.  He says the governor should not have done it and it is hypocritical but the voters can take all that into account in an election. Dershowitz also said we should get out of the bathrooms and the bedrooms and gauge a politician on his performance in the daytime especially where the crime is a victimless one.  Of course, AD is a friend of the governor and was a mentor for him earlier in Spitzer's career.  

Personally, Governor Spitzer has joined the ranks of ordinary human beings and if this makes him unfit to govern, then he will resign.  I believe his actions now will tell us much more about him and his skills and strength as a political problem solver than any task force he ever led.

I had planned to comment today on "code" words used by the presidential candidates but that had to take a back seat. I will do it another time.