Leno: More Weiner Jokes

DEMOCRAT Anthony Weiner is still starring in Jay Leno's monologue.

Brett Favre, Eliot Spitzer, and Bill Clinton are also playing roles.

Jokes from Thursday's Tonight Show:

JAY LENO: It was so hot in Washington, everyone was sitting around in their underwear like Congressman Weiner. He finally felt at home.

Oh man, that story! Oh, please! This is the story that just won't go away. It gets worse and worse. You've probably seen this. It now seems there's a picture going around the Internet of Congressman Weiner's naked penis. And you can tell it's him because it looks just like him, you know? You know, if he was bald. I mean, you can see the resemblance.

Let me tell you how graphic this picture is. Even Brett Favre won't return his calls now. That's how bad... it's terrible.

You know, I mean, I don't understand taking... how many photos of his crotch did he take? You know, I don't have any photos of my crotch. I mean, I've got a couple of oil paintings, some sketches, sure, a couple of charcoals, but I mean, you know, I don't, really... No, it's awful.

See, I don't understand the way Washington works. Now explain this to me: We are not allowed to see bin Laden's death photo because it's too explicit; but our Congressman's penis, that's fine.

Well, the latest news is that Congressman Weiner's wife is pregnant. I'll tell you how creepy this is: When his wife first called to tell him she was pregnant, he said, 'Uh, who is this?'

Well, you know who married Weiner and his wife? Bill Clinton. In fact, Weiner called Bill Clinton and apologized. See that's when you know you have a problem, OK, when your sexual behavior has offended Bill Clinton. That's where you just go, 'OK, time to draw the line.'

Well, more and more people are now calling for Anthony Weiner to resign. But it's not all bad news. Eliot Spitzer said if Weiner does resign, he can join him on his show and they'll call it 'Weiner Spitzer.'

How many people feel he should resign?

(Audience applauds)

How many people feel he's doing a good job and this has nothing to do with his job?

(Little audience applause)

Interesting, interesting.

Now, as I said, Weiner is adamant now about not resigning. In fact, CNN caught up with him today on the streets and they talked to him. Here, take... here's the interview:

(Clip of actual CNN video, followed by video with CNN audio)



I don't want to see that member of Congress, OK? Thank you.

Ashley Dupre: Spitzer's Whore Takes the Legal Road

UPDATE, November 19, 2008: Ashley Dupre Exclusive: 'My Side of the Story'

VIDEO.
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UPDATE, July 5, 2008: Spitzer call girl drops 'Girls Gone Wild' lawsuit
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One of Eliot Spitzer's whores, the now infamous whore, Ashley Alexandra Dupre, is trying to make big bucks in the courthouse.

Dupre gained notoriety in March when it came out that she was the high-priced call girl named "Kristen" named in court documents who was hired by Spitzer for at least one tryst at a posh Washington hotel. Spitzer, known as "Client 9" in the documents, resigned as New York governor a few days after the scandal broke.

["Girls Gone Wild" founder Joe] Francis made a public $1 million offer for Dupre to appear in a "Girls Gone Wild" video and go on a promotional tour, then rescinded the offer after he realized he already had footage of Dupre from 2003. Dupre's lawyer warned she was only 17 when the video was shot, not 18 as Francis claimed.

Francis said in March that Dupre spent a week on a "Girls Gone Wild" bus and made seven full-length tapes after signing release papers. He also said he bought her a bus ticket home to North Carolina.

Francis said he was surprised by the lawsuit.

"It is incomprehensible that Ms. Dupre could claim she did not give her consent to be filmed by Girls Gone Wild, when in fact we have videotape of her giving consent, while showing her identification," Francis said in a statement.

He said the photos were taken "in front of a room full of people, including two newspapers and multiple crews we had in the room." Francis also said he would be happy to discuss the $1 million offer with her again.

The lawsuit claims Dupre is the victim of unfair trade practices, false advertising and unauthorized use of her likeness.

I think the immoral Spitzer was an idiot for paying Dupre so much.

Hopefully, a jury won't make a $10 million mistake. I think it's highly unlikely.

The lawsuit does give the whore Dupre attention and puts her back in the spotlight. That might be worth it to her, the media whore.

Once a whore always a whore?

NY Gov. David Paterson: Sex and Drugs and...?

New York has had a new governor for one week. David Paterson replaced the disgraced Eliot Spitzer after it was revealed that the ruthless, unforgiving, tough guy, Mr. Clean Spitzer was a client of prostitutes.

A day after Paterson took the reins of government, he revealed that he had not been faithful to his wife. The couple both had affairs.

Gov. David A. Paterson acknowledged on Tuesday that he had had several extramarital relationships, including one with a state employee, but said he had done nothing illegal and had been faithful to his wife in recent years.

Mr. Paterson said he made the disclosure because he wanted to clear his conscience and avoid being blackmailed. He said he hoped his openness about his past affairs would help him to gain the trust of New Yorkers and move forward to focus on governing.

“I didn’t want to be compromised, I didn’t want to be blackmailed, I didn’t want to hesitate taking an action because the person on the other end might hurt me or my family,” Mr. Paterson, a Democrat, said during the tense and often awkward appearance with his wife, Michelle Paige Paterson, at his side. “I just thought this was the time to come forward and reveal this.”

Mr. Paterson said no state funds had been used as he carried out his affairs. He said he may have used his campaign credit card for some expenses that he did not detail, but said, if so, he would have reimbursed his campaign for the spending.

Mr. Paterson’s revelation comes less than a week after Gov. Eliot Spitzer, who was caught on a federal wiretap arranging to meet with a prostitute, resigned, and a former governor of New Jersey, James E. McGreevey, and his estranged wife publicly traded claims about the nature of their sex life together.

Mr. Paterson said he had asked Mr. Spitzer to delay the effective date of his resignation until Monday as he grappled with how much to disclose about his past infidelities.

“I didn’t know that I was even going to be here until last Wednesday,” he said, referring to the office of governor. “I put it back a few days to try and organize things, and this is one of the issues I just want to get straight with New York’s citizens so that they know who their governor is and that their governor takes this office seriously.”

...Just after the swearing-in, while Mr. Paterson’s supporters were still celebrating, the new administration was plunged into its first crisis, as a Daily News columnist inquired about a past affair and Mr. Paterson and his mostly untested advisers debated how to handle the matter.

The governor and his wife told the columnist that they had each strayed during the marriage, and then Ms. Paterson, an executive at the Health Insurance Plan of New York, canceled a morning appearance in Manhattan and came to the capital to meet the crush of reporters.

Last week, Paterson put his sex life on the table.

This week, he's talking about his past illicit drug use.

NEW YORK -- New York's new governor, who disclosed last week that he and his wife both committed adultery several years ago, said Monday that he used cocaine in his 20s and smoked marijuana when he was younger.

In reference to cocaine, Gov. David Paterson, 53, said in a television interview that he "tried it a couple of times" when he was "about 22 or 23."

"And marijuana probably when I was about 20," he said on the NY1 cable news station. "I don't think I touched marijuana since the '70s."

"More Americans have tried a lot more during that period of time and gone on to lead responsible lives and hopefully have lived their lives to their fullest," he said.

...In Monday's interview, Paterson pointed out that he had acknowledged to a television journalist in 2006 that he had used illegal drugs.

It's good that Paterson was already on the record as a user of cocaine and pot.

He wasn't hiding it. However, I do think it was a mistake for him to say, "More Americans have tried a lot more during that period of time."

I don't think the governor should be sounding like a kid making an excuse. His assertion that "more Americans have tried a lot more" is irrelevant. Rather than assuming full responsibility for his activities, he chose to say that illicit drug users have "gone on to lead responsible lives."

Hear that kids?

You can use drugs and break laws and be governor.

If there are any other skeletons in Paterson's closet, he should bring them out now. It's better that he get any other negative tales out there rather than letting the press or his political opponents control the narrative.

With all these recent revelations and scandals, I feel that I know more about the governors of New York and New Jersey than I do about Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle.

Can you imagine Doyle being involved in a prostitution ring?

Thankfully, I cannot.

Sex, Lies, and Governorship

I think it would be a good idea for all U.S. governors to inform their constituents of their infidelities.

I can't take this trickle, this drip, drip, drip.

If they have affairs that they want to reveal, let them speak now or forever hold their peace.

From the New York Times:

In an extraordinary news conference on his first full day on the job, Gov. David A. Paterson acknowledged on Tuesday that he had had several extramarital relationships, including one with a state employee, but said he had done nothing illegal and had been faithful to his wife in recent years.

Mr. Paterson said he made the disclosure because he wanted to clear his conscience and avoid being blackmailed. He said he hoped his openness about his past affairs would help him to gain the trust of New Yorkers and move forward to focus on governing.

“I didn’t want to be compromised, I didn’t want to be blackmailed, I didn’t want to hesitate taking an action because the person on the other end might hurt me or my family,” Mr. Paterson, a Democrat, said during the tense and often awkward appearance with his wife, Michelle Paige Paterson, at his side. “I just thought this was the time to come forward and reveal this.”

Mr. Paterson said no state funds had been used as he carried out his affairs. He said he may have used his campaign credit card for some expenses that he did not detail, but said, if so, he would have reimbursed his campaign for the spending.

Mr. Paterson’s revelation comes less than a week after Gov. Eliot Spitzer, who was caught on a federal wiretap arranging to meet with a prostitute, resigned, and a former governor of New Jersey, James E. McGreevey, and his estranged wife publicly traded claims about the nature of their sex life together.

Mr. Paterson said he had asked Mr. Spitzer to delay the effective date of his resignation until Monday as he grappled with how much to disclose about his past infidelities.

“I didn’t know that I was even going to be here until last Wednesday,” he said, referring to the office of governor. “I put it back a few days to try and organize things, and this is one of the issues I just want to get straight with New York’s citizens so that they know who their governor is and that their governor takes this office seriously.”

The news conference capped an astonishing 24 hours that began with Ms. Paterson holding the Bible as her husband was sworn in before an ebullient audience of lawmakers in the Assembly chamber as dignitaries, including Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and prominent black politicians, looked on.

Just after the swearing-in, while Mr. Paterson’s supporters were still celebrating, the new administration was plunged into its first crisis, as a Daily News columnist inquired about a past affair and Mr. Paterson and his mostly untested advisers debated how to handle the matter.

...Mr. Paterson said he had had affairs at a time when he “was jealous over Michelle” but later said he “didn’t take the actions because I was jealous; I was just trying to explain how I was feeling.”

“I’m not trying to blame anyone,” he added. “I’m not trying to say I was upset, so you can’t blame me. I was just pointing out that this happens to people.”

Mr. Paterson said that he and his wife had sought counseling and had since resolved their marital problems.

For her part, Ms. Paterson said “the message I try to teach my children is that a marriage is going to have peaks and valleys, so you want to show them how to get through them and how to work through them, because no marriage is perfect.”

Paterson and his wife act like they're doing a public service announcement.

They're teaching their children about marriage. They're being courageous.

Sure they are.

This teaching moment just happened to coincide with the Daily News inquiring about whether Paterson had been unfaithful. What a coincidence!

Paterson never felt it was necessary to have a clear conscience before this. It's not as if this is the first time he has held public office.

Michelle Paterson never felt it was necessary until now to give her children that lesson on how to be an unfaithful spouse and how to handle an unfaithful spouse.

How transparent!

Senator Kevin S. Parker, a Democrat from Brooklyn, said that Paterson's revelations "make him stronger."

"I think a lot of people admire his forthrightness and his honesty," he added.

While I think it's good that Paterson and his wife worked out their problems, my admiration for them is limited.

As long as no laws were broken, their various affairs are their business. There's no need for a public airing of that stuff. Spare me the honesty.

I have much greater admiration for people capable of living up to their marriage vows in the first place. Remaining faithful and having respect for one's spouse is a worthy lesson for children.

Instead of having all the philandering governors come out and reveal their infidelities, perhaps it would make more sense to have the governors who have remained faithful in their marriages step forward and tell the public.

Then for a change we could see a governor holding a news conference with his or her spouse standing nearby and looking happy instead of ready to collapse.

Jason Itzler

UPDATE, November 19, 2008: Ashley Dupre Exclusive: 'My Side of the Story'

VIDEO.
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We can thank soon to be former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer for introducing us to bunch of pimps and whores.

Since the scandal, cable TV has been crawling with them.

Larry King interviewed Jason Itzler, Ashley Alexandra Dupré's former pimp. Itzler bragged that he's "the king of all pimps." Prior to the interview with King, Itzler was interviewed by Anderson Cooper.

Watch Itzler and King.

Now, Itzler is bragging about his escapades on Studio B, FOX News.

Rapper "Mysterious" is also being interviewed. He featured Dupré in the video for his song "Pop Off." It was shot in the summer of 2006.

And here's a surprise!

It's being reported that Dupré "met" with Charlie Sheen. There's a shocker.

I have a problem with showcasing these whores and pimps.

They aren't good role models, unless you aspire to be a whore or a pimp.

Ashley Alexandra Dupré and Carolyn Capalbo

Note, June 14, 2010:

There's more than one Carolyn Capalbo.

It may not be easy being Ashley Dupré's mother, but it must be worse to be mistaken for her.

Here's another Carolyn Capalbo: The Real Carolyn Capalbo.

She's a real estate agent serving the Northern Virginia market.
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UPDATE, November 19, 2008: Ashley Dupre Exclusive: 'My Side of the Story'

VIDEO.
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Ashley Alexandra Dupré


Eliot Spitzer's "Kristen" has been identified.

She is 22-year-old Ashley Alexandra Dupré.

She was born Ashley R. Youmans, legally changed her name to Ashley Rae Maika DiPietro, and now goes by Ashley Alexandra Dupré.

From her MySpace profile:

I am all about my music, and my music is all about me… It flows from what I’ve been through, what I’ve seen and how I feel. I live in New York and am on top of the world. Been here since 2004 and I love this city, I love my life here. But, my path has not been easy. When I was 17, I left home. It was my decision and I’ve never looked back. Left my hometown. Left a broken family. Left abuse. Left an older brother who had already split. Left and learned what it was like to have everything, and lose it, again and again. Learned what it was like to wake up one day and have the people you care about most gone. I have been alone. I have abused drugs. I have been broke and homeless. But, I survived, on my own. I am here, in NY because of my music. It started when I moved in with a musician during my odyssey to New York. One day, I was in the shower singing “respect.” He and his lead guitarist burst in, had me repeat it and it started. We wrote, rehearsed and toured. After recording a bit with them, I decided to move to Manhattan to pursue my music career. I spent the first two years getting to know the music scene, networking in clubs and connecting with the industry. Now, it’s all about my music. It’s all about expressing me. I can sit here now, and knowingly tell you that life’s hard sometimes. But, I made it. I’m still here and I love who I am.

Well.

Ashley loves who she is.

That's nice.

I'm sure she loves that she's a celebrity now.

In our twisted culture, she doesn't need to hang her head in shame. No. She's proud. She's a star.

NEW YORK -- The call girl at the center of the prostitution scandal that prompted Gov. Eliot Spitzer to resign in disgrace has been identified as a 22-year-old aspiring musician who struggled in a broken home as a child.

The New York Times reported that the real name of the woman — identified as "Kristen" in court papers alleging that Spitzer paid thousands of dollars for her services — is Ashley Alexandra Dupre.

Don D. Buchwald, a New York lawyer, confirmed to The Associated Press that he represents Dupre, but he wouldn't comment further.

Law enforcement officials have said Spitzer had a Feb. 13 tryst with Kristen and paid her $4,300, according to court papers. Spitzer said Wednesday that he's resigning.

Dupre briefly spoke to the Times about the Spitzer scandal but didn't offer details on her involvement in it.

"I just don't want to be thought of as a monster," Dupre told the Times. "This has been a very difficult time. It's complicated."

Dupre told the newspaper she had slept very little since the allegations against Spitzer were revealed, and she declined to comment when asked by the Times when she first met him and how many times they had been together.

She told the Times she was worried about paying her rent in a ninth-floor Manhattan apartment since her boyfriend recently left her. She said she was considering moving back in with her family in New Jersey.

A man who answered the phone at her mother's home in New Jersey and identified himself as Dupre's brother told The Associated Press he had no idea why Dupre would agree to be interviewed in the scandal.

"She's just trying to get through this," he said. "We are all trying to be supportive of her."

Ashley, brother Kyle, Ashley's mother, Carolyn Capalbo, and Ashley's grandfather, William Youman Sr., seated. (Photo/NY Post)


Ashley's brother Kyle and mother Carolyn (Photo/NY Post)

These photos don't fit with Ashley's dramatic tale of her family life. Her family doesn't seem to be too broken. She certainly wasn't struggling for money. If her older brother split, he's back.

So Ashley doesn't want to be thought of as a monster.

I wonder if Silda Wall Spitzer thinks of Ashley as a monster. Spitzer's three daughters -- Do they think Ashley is a monster?

Personally, I don't think she's a monster. She's a whore.

Her brother said that the family is "trying to be supportive of her."

Why didn't she go to them for help when she was worried about paying her rent?

It bothers me that she's achieving some fame now for prostituting herself.

Let's remember: She's not a role model. She's a whore.

The New York Times treats her gently and calls her a "star":

She left a broken home on the Jersey Shore at 17 and came to New York City to work the nightclubs as a rhythm and blues singer. Now, at 22, she is the unwitting, and as yet unseen, star of the seamy drama that is the downfall of Gov. Eliot Spitzer of New York.

Kristen, the prostitute described in a federal affidavit as having had a rendezvous with Mr. Spitzer on Feb. 13 at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, has spent the last few days in her ninth-floor apartment in the Flatiron district of Manhattan. On Monday, she made a brief appearance in federal court, where a lawyer was appointed to represent her. She is expected to be a witness in the case against four people charged with operating a prostitution ring called the Emperor’s Club V.I.P.

In a series of telephone interviews on Tuesday night, she said she had slept very little over the past week, with all the stress of the case.

“I just don’t want to be thought of as a monster,” the woman said as she told the tiniest tidbits of her story.

Born Ashley Youmans but now known as Ashley Alexandra Dupré, she spoke softly and with good humor as she added with significant understatement: “This has been a very difficult time. It is complicated.”

Awww, little Ashely spoke softly and with good humor. Isn't that sweet?

Ms. Dupré said by telephone Tuesday night that she was worried about how she would pay her rent since the man she was living with “walked out on me” after she discovered he had fathered two children. She said she was considering working at a friend’s restaurant or, once her apartment lease expires, moving back with her family in New Jersey “to relax.”

Dupré is looking at her options. She might work at a friend's restaurant or move back in with her family "to relax."

Yes, the poor thing probably needs to unwind. Good grief.

Were these options available to her before she was identified as Eliot's whore?

If they were, she CHOSE to sell her integrity and her body to make big bucks. She was not some desperate victim forced into prostitution to stay alive.

Ms. Dupré’s mother, Carolyn Capalbo, 46, said that after her daughter finished sophomore year in high school, Ms. Dupré moved to North Carolina. “She was a young kid with typical teenage rebellion issues, but we are extremely close now,” Ms. Capalbo said in a telephone interview Wednesday.

In 2006, Ms. Dupré changed her legal name, according to records in Monmouth County Superior Court, from Ashley R. Youmans to Ashley Rae Maika DiPietro, taking her stepfather’s surname since she regarded him as “the only father I have known.” But in the interview, she referred to herself as Ashley Alexandra Dupré, which is how she is known on MySpace.

Mother Capalbo says that she and her daughter are "extremely close now."

I wonder if Ashley has told her mom all the details.

I don't know why the mother talked to the media. I can't imagine that interview.

"Yes, my daughter's the whore. That's right. We're very close."

...Ms. Capalbo said that she was “shell-shocked” when her daughter called in the middle of last week and told her she had been working as an escort and was now in trouble with the law. She said she was not sure that Ms. Dupré realized who Mr. Spitzer was when he was her client.

“She is a very bright girl who can handle someone like the governor,” Ms. Capalbo said. “But she also is a 22-year-old, not a 32-year-old or a 42-year-old, and she obviously got involved in something much larger than her.”

Oh, my God.

"She is a very bright girl who can handle someone like the governor."

I can't believe her mother said that! Her daughter is not very bright. She's a whore.

Actually, I can't believe her mother is saying anything.

I guess Capalbo wants her time in the limelight, too. I really hope Dupré isn't rewarded for her immorality and her illegal activities.

I hope she doesn't do the interview circuit and write a book and start selling her own line of purses or something. I hope she doesn't get invited to Oscar parties, like Monica Lewinsky did. I certainly hope this doesn't launch a recording career for her.

This makes me sick. It really does.

Ashley the whore is only four years older than Spitzer's oldest daughter. How could he do this to his daughters?

How could he betray his wife like this?

How could Silda stand at his side when he addressed the press on Monday and then on Wednesday when he resigned?

I think Dupré should have been there too, standing right next to Spitzer -- the john and the whore, the governor and the star.

Spitzer in the middle with Spitzer's wife and daughters on one side and Dupré on the other -- I think it would be pretty clear who the monsters are.
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UPDATE, March 14, 2008, from the New York Post:

The high-priced hooker at the center of Gov. Spitzer's sex scandal trysted with him several times before he was caught on a wiretap - but it was only during their last encounter that she realized the real identity of her john, sources said yesterday.

...The 22-year-old call girl had several dates with the governor over the past year, the sources said, but always knew him as "George Fox" - the name of one of Spitzer's close friends that he used to hide his identity.

I thought Dupré was a bright girl. Well, this "bright girl" didn't recognize her governor.

...[A]s the Democratic governor prepared to slink out of office on Monday with his tail between his legs, sordid details of Dupre's decline into prostitution emerged.

Sources say Dupre got involved with the Emperors Club as early as 2006 after responding to an ad from the agency seeking girls to "party" with deep-pocketed men.

After meeting with her, the escort service's operators liked what they saw. She took to the job quickly.

"Like all of them, she wanted to hang out with guys with money," a source said.

After moving to New York to pursue a music career in 2004, Dupre worked as a cocktail waitress, hostess and bartender at New York hot spots like Viscaya, Pink Elephant and Retox. She partied with club promoters and bragged about hobnobbing with hip-hoppers like Sean "Diddy" Combs.

"She's been hanging around the night-life scene for a few years," said one well-connected club source. "She's definitely a party girl. She was out four, five nights a week and was a staple. She danced on tables and had fun."

Few knew she was financing her high-octane lifestyle through the oldest profession on earth.

"Nobody knew she was a prostitute," the club source said. "Everyone assumes it goes on, but you never know which girls are involved. Now it makes sense where her Cartier watch, her Louis Vuitton bathing suit and her trips to St.-Tropez came from."

...On her MySpace page - where she admitted, "Yeah, I did it," after word of her involvement with Spitzer emerged - Dupre described struggling with drugs. Sources said the tattoos were mantras to help keep her clean.

Born Ashley Youmans, Dupre grew up in Seaside Heights and Wall Township by the Jersey Shore. She also mentioned being abused while growing up, saying it forced her to run away - a claim one family friend called ridiculous.

"She crashed up [her stepdad's] Porsche and wanted another one, and he wouldn't give it to her, so she left," said the friend, who asked her name not be printed.

I think we can put to rest the notion that Dupré was a victim.

She made her choices. She chose to be a whore. She loves her life.
________________

UPDATE, July 5, 2008: Spitzer call girl drops 'Girls Gone Wild' lawsuit

"Private Failings" Force Spitzer's Resignation

When Eliot Spitzer resigned as governor of New York, he didn't appear to be remorseful. He said he was sorry.

I'm sure he has regrets that he screwed up royally, but I don't buy that he's sorry. He looked and sounded as smug and ruthless and arrogant as ever.

As he spoke, I heard echoes of "I will be coming after you (John Whitehead, former Goldman Sachs chief). You will pay the price. This is only the beginning, and you will pay dearly for what you have done."

I heard him say, "Listen, I'm a f---ing steamroller, and I'll roll over you (James Tedisco) and anybody else!"

In a way, I don't even think he views his participation in illegal activities as "private failings." After all, he was "privately failing" for years. Did it really take years of trysts with high price prostitutes for his conscience to kick in? Did it really take that long for him to realize that he was betraying his wife and children and the PUBLIC trust by being a client of a prostitution ring even as he went after prostitution rings as attorney general?

By "private failings" I think he means that he failed to follow his own advice:

"Never talk when you can nod, and never nod when you can wink, and never write an e-mail because it's death," the then-New York attorney general said. "You're giving prosecutors all the evidence we need."

Full text of Spitzer Resignation

In the past few days I have begun to atone for my private failings with my wife, Silda, my children, and my entire family. The remorse I feel will always be with me. Words cannot describe how grateful I am for the love and compassion they have shown me. From those to whom much is given, much is expected. I have been given much: the love of my family, the faith and trust of the people of New York, and the chance to lead this state. I am deeply sorry that I did not live up to what was expected of me. To every New Yorker, and to all those who believed in what I tried to stand for, I sincerely apologize.

I look at my time as governor with a sense of what I might have been, but I also know that as a public servant I, and the remarkable people with whom I worked, have accomplished a great deal. There is much more to be done, and I cannot allow my private failings to disrupt the people’s work. Over the course of my public life, I have insisted, I believe correctly, that people, regardless of their position or power, take responsibility for their conduct. I can and will ask no less of myself. For this reason, I am resigning from the office of governor. At Lt. Gov. Paterson’s request, the resignation will be effective Monday, March 17, a date that he believes will permit an orderly transition.

I go forward with the belief, as others have said, that as human beings, our greatest glory consists not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. As I leave public life, I will first do what I need to do to help and heal myself and my family. Then I will try once again, outside of politics, to serve the common good and to move toward the ideals and solutions which I believe can build a future of hope and opportunity for us and for our children. I hope all of New York will join my prayers for my friend, David Paterson, as he embarks on his new mission, and I thank the public once again for the privilege of service.

Bill Maher Syndrome

Greg Gutfeld has a theory about Eliot Spitzer.

He writes:

So what can Eliot Spitzer do to make this all go away? My friend Andy, who is a world class nerd, explains that Spitzer needs to be honest. Fact is, he's an ugly dork. He spent most of his young adult life saddled with a goofy physique, one that served as a pedestal for a mug designed to give children nightmares. And that's why he ended up where is he today.

Instead of picking up chicks, he picked up books. He scored an amazing 1590 on the SAT exam, and went to Princeton, where he was elected chairman of the undergraduate student government. Then he nailed a perfect score on the LSAT and went on to Harvard Law. He got married and had kids.

But something was missing - and that was something called "getting your freak on." His hard work, his determination and his creepy nerdiness - prevented that. But now as governor of New York - he had real status. And he fell victim to "Ugly Rich Guy Disorder" - otherwise known as Bill Maher Syndrome -in which a dorky guy is determined to make up for lost time by having as much sex as possible - now that he has power. Maher, no lady killer in the lean years, practically lives at the Playboy mansion now. Spitzer would have done the same - if he didn't have to be so discreet. Hence - the whores. It's hard to chat up waitresses at Applebees, when you're the governor.

So how does Spitzer get out of this? By being honest, and getting other ugly rich guys to back him. If he just says, "Look, I'm not an attractive guy. I didn't get laid in high school," then wealthy nerds across the country will rise up to defend him, led by Bill Gates, and possibly even Jeremy Piven.

Interesting.

Spitzer NOT an American Political Tragedy

Where's the tragedy here?

Eliot Spitzer made a choice. He wasn't a victim. He knowingly took part in illegal activity.

From sex scandal reporter extraordinaire, Brian Ross:


(Photo/ABC News)

A 22-year-old escort found on another call-girl Web site told ABC News in a phone interview that Gov. Eliot Spitzer had been one of her customers two years ago when he was New York attorney general and that he was a nice guy who tipped well.

"He didn't do anything that wasn't clean," she said, adding that she knew who he was because he had made calls from the attorney general's office in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Federal investigators say there is no evidence Spitzer used state money or campaign funds to pay the prostitutes, but that the way he moved an estimated $40,000 through various accounts violated federal money laundering laws.

"These are serious laws and laws that given the amount of money involved here could mean a prison term of 10 to 18 months," Sean O'Shea, a former federal prosecutor specializing in financial crimes, said.

A prison term is one of the issues holding up the governor's resignation as well as whether or not he pleads guilty to criminal charges.

Other than that, lawyers close to the case say New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer is prepared to resign and has his letter written.

From the Associated Press:

ALBANY, N.Y. -- With pressure mounting on Gov. Eliot Spitzer to resign over a call-girl scandal, investigators said Tuesday he was clearly a repeat customer who spent tens of thousands of dollars — perhaps as much as $80,000 — with the high-priced prostitution service over an extended period of time.

...Speaking on condition of anonymity, a law enforcement official said Tuesday that Spitzer, in fact, had spent tens of thousands of dollars with the Emperors Club. Another official said the amount could be as high as $80,000. But it was not clear over what period of time that was spent.

Still another law enforcement official said investigators found that during the tryst with Kristen on the night before Valentine's Day, Spitzer used two rooms at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington — one for himself, the other for the prostitute. Sometime around 10 p.m., Spitzer sneaked away from his security detail and made his way to the room where she was waiting, the official said.

Insiders on Tuesday said the governor was still trying to decide how to proceed. Options included quitting immediately, or waiting to use resignation as a bargaining chip with federal prosecutors to avoid indictment.

Democrats privately floated another option, telling The Associated Press that Spitzer was considering what was almost unthinkable immediately after Monday's bombshell apology: hanging on.

"If the public is fine, he'll stay," said a Democrat who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject.

Still, Spitzer's many enemies from Albany and Wall Street were emboldened, and some of his friends went from shock to outrage.

There is no way Spitzer should be allowed to hang on. How can there even be debate about that?

...Privately, several Democrats in the Legislature and in the administration said resignation appeared inevitable. "He's weighing the rest of his life," one Democratic official said sadly.

Late Tuesday, freshman Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand became the first Democratic member of New York's congressional delegation to mention resignation. "This is very grave and sad news," she said. "If these serious allegations are true, the governor will have no choice but to resign."

But more than a day after the scandal broke, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and other senior Democrats in the delegation had yet to call on Spitzer to quit.

Why don't the Dems get out there and condemn the guy?

What's really sad about this is that Spitzer showed no respect for his wife and children. If his wife was OK with Spitzer's "habits" these past years, then that's even worse.

What's really sad is that Democrats are such power hungry hacks that they won't stand up for what's right.

They can't bring themselves to call on Spitzer to resign.

That's truly disgusting. That's the tragedy-- that Democrats, members of one of America's two major political parties, are so slimy that they would be willing to give Spitzer a pass if they could.

I've heard the lib media speak of this as an "American political tragedy" for Spitzer. Tragedy for Spitzer? He chose to be reckless. He chose to be a hypocrite. He chose to participate in illegal activities for YEARS. This supposedly brilliant man knew exactly what he was doing.

The Dems unwilling to speak out know exactly what they're doing, too.

It's positively sickening.

Pro-Prostitution Democrats as Reckless as Spitzer

UPDATE, March 11, 2008--

According the New York Post:

Gov. Eliot Spitzer has been soliciting high-priced hookers for at least six years and possibly for more than a decade, sources tell The Post.

The revelation yesterday that the crusading governor was in fact "Client 9" named in a federal prostitution indictment did not shock insiders in the city's sex industry.

Sources tell The Post that Spitzer had frequented high-priced hookers as far back as 2002 and possibly earlier.

That timeline makes this seem even more hypocritical.

He was busting a prostitution ring while he was an active client of a prostitution ring!

While Spitzer was busy destroying people and businesses like Strong Funds, putting people out of work in the process and impacting communities, this "crusader" for the good was engaged in sleaze, spending as much as $80,000 on prostitutes.

With pressure mounting on Gov. Eliot Spitzer to resign over a call-girl scandal, investigators said Tuesday he was clearly a repeat customer who spent tens of thousands of dollars - perhaps as much as $80,000 - with the high-priced prostitution service over an extended period of time.

Spitzer should have resigned yesterday.
_____________________

We know that Eliot Spitzer is a risk taker.

We know he's no "Mr. Clean." He's no "Eliot Ness."

Apparently, the Democrats aren't clean either.

It is disgraceful that Democrats have not publicly called for Spitzer to resign as governor of New York.

Meanwhile, only Republicans are demanding his resignation.

And the Democrats... chirping crickets.

ALBANY, N.Y. -- Pressure mounted Tuesday on Gov. Eliot Spitzer to resign because of a prostitution scandal, with a top state Republican threatening to push for impeachment proceedings if the governor doesn't step down in 48 hours.

The state "cannot have this hanging over their heads," said Assembly Minority Leader James Tedisco.

The scandal erupted Monday, when allegations surfaced that Spitzer, who built his political reputation on rooting out corruption, spent thousands for a night with a call girl named Kristen at a glitzy Washington hotel.

Spitzer, a first-term Democrat, remained hidden from public view Tuesday, and his plans regarding his poltical future weren't known. Three New York newspapers called for his ouster, and the New York Post called him "NY's naked emperor."

To get articles of impeachment to the floor, Tedisco would need support from the Democratic majority in the Assembly. If the measure passed there, it would still need at least two-thirds approval of the combined vote of the Republican-controlled Senate and the nine-member Court of Appeals to proceed to trial.

The case started when banks noticed the frequent cash transfers from several accounts and filed suspicious activity reports with the Internal Revenue Service, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press Tuesday. The accounts were traced back to Spitzer, prompting public corruption investigators to open an inquiry.

...The inquiry found that Spitzer was a repeat customer with the Emperors Club VIP, a high-end prostitution service, the official said. In an affidavit filed in Manhattan federal court last week, Spitzer appeared as "Client 9," according to another law enforcement official who also spoke on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing investigation.

Spitzer allegedly paid for the call girl to take a train from New York to Washington — a move that opened the transaction up to federal prosecution because she crossed state lines. The governor has not been charged, and prosecutors would not comment on the case. A Spitzer spokesman said the governor has retained a large Manhattan law firm.

Client 9 wanted a high-priced prostitute named Kristen to come to Washington on a 5:39 p.m. train from Manhattan Feb. 13. The door to the hotel room would be left ajar. Train tickets, cab fare, room service, and the minibar were all on him.

"Yup, same as in the past. No question about it," the caller told Kristen's boss, when asked if he would make his payment to the same business as usual, a federal affidavit said. The client paid $4,300 to Kristen, touted by the escort service as a "petite, pretty brunette," according to the court papers.

The tryst took place in the Mayflower hotel, where Spitzer rented a second room for the woman under another name, the law enforcement official who spoke to The AP on Tuesday said. Spitzer had to sneak past his State Police detail to get to her room, the official said.

Spitzer, a 48-year-old father of three teenage girls, was elected with a historic margin of victory, and took office Jan. 1, 2007, vowing to stamp out corruption in New York government in the same way that he took on Wall Street executives while state attorney general.

If the Democrats permit Spitzer to stay on as governor, they will solidify their reputataion as being morally bankrupt.

Although Spitzer is a super delegate for Hillary Clinton, she has to distance herself from him.

Hillary has to come out strongly against him. Barack Obama should do the same. They both should do it now.

Are they pro-prostitution?

Every hour that passes without statements of condemnation from Democrats will hurt the Dems in the upcoming election.

The fact that they're staying mum is unconscionable.

TIME magazine named Spitzer "Crusader of the Year" in 2002.

What title will Spitzer get in 2008? Will he be deemed the "Comeback of the Year"? I think that's what Spitzer and the "see no evil" Dems would like.

The thought makes me ill.

Top Ten Eliot Spitzer Excuses

From Late Show with David Letterman:

"Top Ten Eliot Spitzer Excuses"

10. Oh come on, like you were never involved in a prostitution ring

9. Hookers is fun

8. Just trying to help the economy

7. Have you ever been to Albany?

6. It's part of my new MTV prank show "Spitz'd"

5. Haven't been myself since Roy Schieder died

4. Uh, tainted beef?

3. Whether it's a hooker or your wife, you're always paying for it -- you married fellas know what I'm talking about

2. Wanted to be known as the Charlie Sheen of politics

1. I thought Bill Clinton legalized this years ago

Resign, Client 9

Eliot Spitzer (Client 9) should resign as governor of New York.

If he doesn't have the decency to do it, than his Democrat colleagues should pressure him to step aside and soon.

He is not fit to be the chief executive of the state. He's brought disgrace to the office. He has shamed his family and himself.

I can't imagine the pain that this ruthless arrogant man has caused his wife and daughters.

NEW YORK -- Gov. Eliot Spitzer's political career teetered on the brink of collapse Monday after the corruption-fighting politician once known as "Mr. Clean" was accused of paying for a romp with a high-priced call girl.

The Democrat faced immediate calls to step down after a news conference in which a glassy-eyed Spitzer, his shellshocked wife at his side, apologized to his family and the people of New York.

It's good he apologized. Now he should resign.

...He did not discuss his political future and ignored shouted questions about whether he would resign. And he gave no details of what he was apologizing for.

But Spitzer was clearly examining his legal options; a spokesman said the governor had retained the Manhattan law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind Wharton & Garrison, one of the nation's biggest.

Spitzer was caught on a federal wiretap arranging to meet in a Washington hotel room the night before Valentine's Day with a prostitute from a call-girl business known as the Emperors Club VIP, according to a law enforcement official who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the investigation is still going on.

The governor has not been charged, and prosecutors would not comment on the case.

But an affidavit based on the wiretap told of a man identified as "Client 9" — Spitzer, according to the law enforcement official — paying $4,300 in cash, some of it credit for future trysts, some of it for sex with a "petite, pretty brunette, 5-feet-5 inches, and 105 pounds," named Kristen.

The scandal came 16 months after Spitzer stormed into the governor's office with a historic margin of victory, vowing to root out corruption in New York government in the same way that he took on Wall Street executives with a vengeance while state attorney general.

I hope pretty little Kristen the prostitute doesn't do an interview with Diane Sawyer. I hope she doesn't write a book. I hope she doesn't start a business, selling handbags.

..."He has to step down. No one will stand with him," said Rep. Peter King, a Republican congressman from Long Island. "I never try to take advantage or gloat over a personal tragedy. However, this is different. This is a guy who is so self-righteous, and so unforgiving."

Democratic Assemblyman John McEneny said: "I don't think anyone remembers anything like this — the fact that the governor has a reputation as a reformer and there is a certain assumption as attorney general that you're Caesar's wife. It's a different element than if you were an accountant."

Democratic Lt. Gov. David Paterson would become New York's first black governor if Spitzer were to resign.

Spitzer shouldn't drag this thing out. If he doesn't resign quickly, he'll be damaging the Democrats.

Members of the Democrat Party can't stage another rally around such a high profile hypocrite without paying a signficant price.

How can Barack Obama talk about ushering in change, a new brand of politics, when this supposed reformer is allowed to remain as governor?

This is Bill Clinton redux. It's the same "private matter" stuff being trotted out as an excuse. That reflects poorly on Democrats in general. The Spitzer scandal is a reminder of how the Dems excused Clinton's repeated lies while under oath.

American voters flocked to Republican candidates in 2000. If Spitzer hangs on to his job, in spite of his illegal activities, the Dems run the risk of a big time backlash. They'll energize their opponents and I think Americans will respond with support. This is bigger than New York.

Spitzer is representative of politics as usual. He can't stay. He can't.

Here's an accomplishment from his days as attorney general that reveals him to be a world-class hypocrite:

18 Arrested in Lucrative Prostitution Ring Out of Staten Island
April 8, 2004

Eighteen men and women were arrested yesterday on charges that they helped run a sophisticated prostitution ring that masked its operation behind a series of corporate fronts and escort services with names like Gentlemen's Delight, Day Dreams and Personal Touch, officials said.

Records that were seized in a search at the home of one of the ring leaders indicated that the operation brought in $1.6 million in nine months, a law enforcement official said.

Prosecutors from the State Organized Crime Task Force, working with the New York Police Department and the F.B.I., charged 16 people with enterprise corruption and two others with falsifying business records and promoting prostitution and money laundering.

...''This was a sophisticated and lucrative operation with a multitiered management structure,'' the state attorney general, Eliot Spitzer, who oversees the task force, said in a statement. ''It was, however, nothing more than a prostitution ring, and now its owners and operators will be held accountable.''

Investigators with the task force came across the ring while looking into the activities of a Gambino crime family gambling operation, the law enforcement official said. They had wiretapped a Gambino-linked social club on Fingerboard Road in Staten Island as part of that inquiry and saw the prostitution ring's leader, Frank Farella, 44, of Staten Island, visiting at the club, the official said.

Spitzer busted a prostitution ring. He got the bad guys.

Now he's on the wrong side of the law.

It's not a private matter.

Are the Dems willing to let the positively unforgiving Spitzer drag down the party? Will they protect him? Will we be treated to a return of all those rationalizations that were applied to Bill Clinton's behavior?

Not again.

According to the New York Times, when things began to unravel yesterday, Spitzer began cancelling meetings, an indication that something was amiss. He had to cancel a scheduled private meeting with Cardinal Edward M. Egan. That's a bit of odd karma.

The governor learned that he had been implicated in the prostitution inquiry when a federal official contacted his office on Friday, according to the person briefed on the case. On Saturday night, he attended the Gridiron Club annual dinner, a political roast put on by Washington journalists, and appeared ebullient, according to people in attendance.

The governor informed his top aides on Sunday night and Monday morning of his involvement.

Mr. Spitzer’s family and his top assistants debated Monday morning at Mr. Spitzer’s apartment about whether he should step down, a person who spoke to the governor said. Silda Wall Spitzer, who was among them, told her husband that he should not resign in haste; as did Lloyd Constantine, a senior adviser and a longtime friend of the governor. But most of his others saw no way for him to survive.

Silda Wall Spitzer advised her husband not to resign in haste?

What is with the spouses of these politicians?

How can she be advising him on his next political move?

Maybe it's easier to focus on the politics of the situation than to dwell on the incredible personal betrayal. It can't be easy for a wife to learn that her husband has been hiring prostitutes at between $1,000 and $5,500 an hour.

From the Associated Press:

Carl Tobias, a law professor at the University of Richmond, noted that prostitution customers are often not charged, and said charges against Spitzer might be unlikely.

"Especially if he resigns, he may just be left alone. It may be that the public is satisfied by his resignation as governor," Tobias said.

The question is: Will egomaniac Spitzer resign?

The sooner the better for the Dems.
________________

In an editorial, the New York Times takes issue with Spitzer's assertion that his other life as Client 9 is a private matter.

New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer could not have been more wrong in his brief public appearance after the world learned that he was suspected of patronizing a prostitution ring. He did not just betray his family in a private matter. He betrayed the public, and it is hard to see how he will recover from this mess and go on to lead the reformist agenda on which he was elected to office.

...It is likely that every aspect of Mr. Spitzer’s other life as Client 9 for the Emperor’s Club V.I.P. — as he has been identified by law enforcement officials — every text message and other secretive communication will be made public. Any politician would have a full-time job just dealing with such revelations. There have been elected officials, over the years, who have survived scandals of this sort. But for Mr. Spitzer, who runs a large and complex state, the burden is especially heavy to show that he has not lost the credibility to push for change, a sound budget and good government, as he promised so confidently a year ago.

...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’s targets are now relishing their tormentor’s torment. Those on Wall Street who fumed at having to make their world fairer for ordinary shareholders can now chortle with satisfaction in their private enclaves. For New York Republicans, who have blocked some of the most important reforms in Albany, it is hard to imagine the private glee — especially at a moment when they are fighting desperately to hold their majority in the State Senate.

...Mr. Spitzer did not seem to understand on Monday what he owed the public — a strong argument for why he should be trusted again. The longer he hesitates, it becomes a harder case to make.

I think it's very odd that a rather lengthy paragraph is devoted to the presumed glee of Spitzer's past targets, "relishing their tormentor's torment."

That's called a tragedy.

Rather than go down that path, the Times should stick to the issue at hand -- Spitzer's wrongdoing. What point is there in imagining the glee of Spitzer's opponents?

Generally, the editorial is tough, but it stops short.

The case is made that Spitzer betrayed the public and he didn't provide a convincing argument that he should be trusted again.

Nevertheless, there is no call for Spitzer's resignation. There also is no explanation as to why he shouldn't resign.

Is this supposed to be an obligatory firm slap on Spitzer's wrist? A "now let's move on" sort of thing?

Client 9: New York Governor Eliot Spitzer

New York Governor Eliot Spitzer addresses the media with his wife Silda Wall Spitzer at his office in New York, March 10, 2008. (Shannon Stapleton/Reuters)

Democrat New York Governor Eliot Spitzer is not having a good day.

Trouble, oh he's got trouble,
Right here in New York City!
With a capital "T"
That rhymes with "P"
And that stands for Prostitution,
That stands for Prostitution.
He's surely got trouble!

Spitzer the Merciless finds himself in a BIG mess.

ALBANY -- Gov. Eliot Spitzer has been caught on a federal wiretap arranging to meet with a high-priced prostitute at a Washington hotel last month, according to a person briefed on the federal investigation.

An affidavit in the federal investigation into a prostitution ring said that a wiretap recording captured a man identified as Client 9 on a telephone call confirming plans to have a woman travel from New York to Washington, where he had reserved a hotel room. The person briefed on the case identified Mr. Spitzer as Client 9.

Mr. Spitzer today made a brief public appearance during which he apologized for his behavior, and described it as a “private matter.”

...Before speaking, Mr. Spitzer stood with his arm around his wife; the two nodded and then strode forward together to face more than 100 reporters. Both had glassy, tear-filled eyes, but they did not cry.

The governor spoke for perhaps a minute and did not address his political future.

He declined to take questions and promised to report back soon. As he went to leave, three reporters screamed out, "Are you resigning? Are you resigning?", and Mr. Spitzer charged out of the room, slamming the door.

The governor learned that he had been implicated in the prostitution inquiry when a federal official contacted his staff last Friday, according to the person briefed on the case.

The governor informed his top aides Sunday night and this morning of his involvement. He canceled his public events today and scheduled the announcement for this afternoon after inquiries from The Times.

The governor’s aides appeared shaken before he spoke, and one of them began to weep as they waited for him to make his statement at his Manhattan office.

The man described as Client 9 in court papers arranged to meet with a prostitute who was part of the ring, Emperors Club VIP, on the night of Feb. 13. Mr. Spitzer traveled to Washington that evening, according to a person told of his travel arrangements.

The affidavit says that Client 9 met with the woman in hotel room 871 but does not identify the hotel. Mr. Spitzer stayed at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington on Feb. 13, according to a source who was told of his travel arrangements. Room 871 at the Mayflower Hotel that evening was registered under another name.

During Client 9's brief statement, his wife Silda Wall Spitzer stood at his side.

She looked absolutely miserable. Her pain showed on her face.

It was ridiculous for Spitzer to claim that this is a private matter.

No, it's not. It's not private all. Crime isn't private.

It's utterly lame for Spitzer to dance around like that. It's as if he can't come to terms with the fact that he's toast. I don't see how the former attorney general of New York can survive this.

This isn't an extramarital affair. He wasn't just unfaithful to his wife. This is prostitution, not a personal matter but a social matter. He broke his vows to his wife but he also broke the law.
__________________

Watch the press conference.

Read the complaint.

Read text messages and excerpts from the affidavit detailing Spitzer's alleged activities.

85. On February 14, 2008, at approximately 12:02 a.m.,

TEMEKA RACHELLE LEWIS, a/k/a "Rachelle," the defendant, received a call from "Kristen." During the call, "Kristen" told LEWIS , that "he," a reference to Client-9, had left. LEWIS asked "Kristen" what time he got there, and "Kristen" said "15 after . . . maybe 10." LEWIS asked "Kristen" how she thought the appointment went, and "Kristen" said that she thought it went very well. LEWIS asked "Kristen" how much she collected, and 'Kristen" said $4,300. "Kristen" said that she liked him, and that she did not think he was difficult. "Kristen" stated: 'I don't think he's difficult. I mean it's just kind of like . . . whatever. . . I'm here for a purpose. I know what my purpose is. I am not a . . . moron, you know what I mean. So maybe that's why girls maybe think they're difficult . . . . " "Kristen" continued: "That's what it is, because you're here for a [purpose]. Let's not get it twisted - I know what I do, you know." LEWIS responded: "You look at it very uniquely, because . . . no one .ever says it that way." LEWIS continued that from what she had been told "he" (believed to be a reference to Client-9) "would ask you to do things that, like, you might not think were safe - you know - I mean that . . . very basic things. . . . "Kristen" responded: "I have a way of dealing with that . . . I'd be like listen dude, you really want the sex? . . . You know what I mean." Near the end of the call, LEWIS and "Kristen" discussed "Kristen's" departure via Amtrak, the room that Client-9 had provided for "Kristen," and "Kristen's" share of the cash that Client-9 had provided to her. (Call 9750R)

From the New York Times, Spitzer's statement:

Over the past nine years, eight as attorney general and one as governor, I’ve tried to uphold a vision of progressive politics that would rebuild New York and create opportunity for all. We vowed to bring real change to New York and that will continue. Today, I want to briefly address a private matter. I have acted in a way that violated the obligations to my family and that violates my — or any — sense of right and wrong. I apologize first, and most importantly, to my family. I apologize to the public, to whom I promised better. I do not believe that politics in the long run is about individuals. It is about ideas, the public good and doing what is best for the State of New York. But I have disappointed and failed to live up to the standard that I expected of myself. I must now dedicate some time to regain the trust of my family. I will not be taking questions. Thank you very much. I will report back to you in short order. Thank you very much.

The story of Spitzer's public life, how he has conducted himself, has been a violation of right and wrong.

His involvement with "Emperors Club VIP" should come as no surprise.

Hillary: NO to Driver's Licenses for Illegals

After Eliot Spitzer abandoned his plan to give ILLEGAL immigrants driver's licenses, Hillary Clinton made the bold, decisive move of coming out against giving licenses to ILLEGAL immigrants.

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton on Wednesday came out against granting driver's licenses to illegal immigrants, after weeks of pressure in the presidential race to take a position on a now-failed ID plan from her home state governor.

Clinton has faced criticism from candidates in both parties for her noncommittal answers on New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer's attempt to allow illegal immigrants in his state to receive driver's licenses. Spitzer abandoned the effort Wednesday.

"I support Governor Spitzer's decision today to withdraw his proposal," Clinton said in a statement. "As president, I will not support driver's licenses for undocumented people and will press for comprehensive immigration reform that deals with all of the issues around illegal immigration including border security and fixing our broken system."

Wow. What leadership!

Her opponents' campaigns seized on her John Kerry-esque moment.

..."When it takes two weeks and six different positions to answer one question on immigration, it's easier to understand why the Clinton campaign would rather plant their questions than answer them," said Barack Obama spokesman Bill Burton, referring to the Clinton campaign's admission that aides had staged a question for her at an Iowa event.

Colleen Flanagan, a spokesman for Chris Dodd, called Clinton's position "flip-flopping cubed. She was for it before she was against it, before she was for it, before she was against it."

The Obama and Dodd campaigns are totally justified in their reactions to Hillary's series of blunders. It's not piling on to tell the truth.

This driver's licenses episode is going to dog Hillary. This one isn't going to be forgotten.

There's really a lot of pressure on her to turn in a powerhouse performance at tomorrow's debate.

I don't think she can do it.

Spitzer Gives Up on Licenses for Illegals

I wonder if Hillary Clinton is breathing a sigh of relief now that New York Governor Eliot Spitzer is dropping his plan to give driver's licenses to ILLEGAL immigrants. The issue caused her so much trouble.

Maybe she's really ticked off that her defense of Spitzer's proposal derailed her campaign. She was thrown off balance for nothing.

She looked like a slimy, indecisive, word-parsing politician because she couldn't answer a simple question: Driver's licenses for ILLEGAL immigrants -- YES or NO?

Now it doesn't matter.

From the New York Times:

Gov. Eliot Spitzer is abandoning his plan to issue driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants, saying that opposition is just too overwhelming to move forward with such a policy.

The governor, who is to announce the move formally on Wednesday, said in an interview Tuesday night that he did not reach the decision easily. “You have perhaps seen me struggle with it because I thought we had a principled decision, and it’s not necessarily easy to back away from trying to move a debate forward,” he said.

But he came to believe the proposal would ultimately be blocked, he said, either by legal challenges, a vote by the Legislature to deny financing for the Department of Motor Vehicles or a refusal by upstate county clerks to carry it out.

“I am not willing to fight to the bitter end on something that will not ultimately be implemented,” the governor said, “and we also have an enormous agenda on other issues of great importance to New York State that was being stymied by the constant and almost singular focus on this issue.”

Mr. Spitzer’s plan touched off a national debate over whether issuing licenses to illegal immigrants would make the state more secure or improperly extend a privilege to them that should be reserved for legal residents.

Opposition to the proposal sent his poll numbers plunging and stalled his broader agenda.

The decision is likely to be a relief to many of his fellow Democrats in Albany and in Washington, who feared the issue could haunt them into next year’s election season.

In the interview, the governor sounded disappointed but resigned. He acknowledged that he would be criticized for changing course on the issue for the second time in three weeks. (“You think so?” he said facetiously when a reporter suggested as much.)

“Part of leadership is listening to the public’s opposition,” he said. “Having heard that, and assessed the realities of implementing this policy, part of leadership is realizing that getting results is more important than sticking to what may be a principled position.”

Spitzer isn't a leader.

He's a follower, a follower of the polls.

His poll numbers plunged, so he flip flopped.

Contrary to what Spitzer says, part of leadership is sticking to a principled position in the face of opposition.

I don't think Spitzer and other Dems were prepared for the public's outrage over issuing licenses to ILLEGAL immigrants.

...Mr. Spitzer’s decision to abandon his plan comes as a poll released Tuesday by Siena College found that seven in 10 New York voters who had heard about it — and more than 80 percent of the 625 registered voters polled had — opposed it. It also found that for the first time, more people viewed the governor unfavorably than favorably.

The governor and his aides said that they were not reacting to the slumping poll numbers, but acting pragmatically. That the dispute had even tripped up Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, who stumbled to answer a question about it in a presidential debate, “was symptomatic of where we were,” he said.

What a load!

Of course Spitzer was reacting to the poll numbers.

Do you think for one minute that he would have abandoned his plan if his poll numbers had been soaring?

I think it's funny that it's noted even Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton stumbled to answer a question about the proposal, as though if the brilliant Hillary couldn't handle it, no one could.

The reason she tripped up was because she was trying to defend an indefensible plan. Simple.

EMBRYONIC Stem Cell Races

The competition is heating up.

New York's Governor Eliot Spitzer is challenging Wisconsin's pro-clone Governor Jim Doyle to be the EMBRYONIC stem cell research Grand Poobah.

From The New York Times:

Five years ago, the Bush administration decided to severely limit federal financing for embryonic stem cell research, a move that set off vigorous competition among the states to provide support for a research field that many scientists say could bring about major medical advances.

New Jersey was first out of the gate, pledging millions of dollars for stem cell research in the state. California raised the stakes with a huge $3 billion bond initiative, and other states followed with ballot initiatives or legislation to give scientists grants or to build research centers. Those efforts, supporters promised, would also bring in new jobs and tax revenue.

But New York — home to leading research universities, medical centers and biotechnology companies — has remained absent from the list. Legislative efforts in recent years to direct state money to embryonic stem cell research have stalled, and then fizzled.

...In his first address to the Legislature, Gov. Eliot Spitzer called this month for passage of a $2 billion 10-year bond initiative for research and development, at least half of which would be set aside to pay for stem cell research. And the project is being tailored as an economic development effort in the hopes of attracting support from upstate Republican lawmakers.

Advocates for stem cell research say that if successful, the initiative — by pledging a sizable investment over a sustained period — would catapult New York to the forefront of the field. They also say that bringing the state’s academic and scientific institutions more into the research mix could have significant ripple effects across the country.

...To win support for the initiative from upstate lawmakers, the administration is promoting it as primarily an economic measure. In his speech, [Lt. Gov. David A.] Paterson cited upstate research universities and centers in Albany, Buffalo and Rochester, whose officials have lobbied heavily for more state money for the research.

“The best stem cell researchers in the country are in California, Wisconsin and New York,” said David A. Carmel, a supporter of the research who helped create the Spitzer administration’s proposal. “To have major restrictions on federal funding, and no state funding here — many talented researchers in New York are disgruntled with this state of affairs.”

This has to be making Doyle nervous.

He wants Wisconsin to be the nation's leader in cloning embryos and destroying them. He wants to be the Embryo king.

It's bad enough that California took away Wisconsin's title as America's leading milk producer and is knocking on the door when it comes to producing cheese.

Now Wisconsin may take a back seat to New York and California when it comes to creating life to kill it.

Poor Doyle.

Culture of Corruption

There is no question that a culture of corruption is permeating the party, leaving it reeling from the many criminal and ethical investigations.

If you read Newsweek and other liberal publications, or if you watch any news channel other than FOX, you probably assume that I'm referring to the Republican Party.

I'm not. I'm talking about the corruption that embroils the Dems and their liberal media mouthpieces.

To find examples, we don't need to go back to the Clinton era, though it might be worth it to recall a few stats from what Bill proclaimed to be "the most ethical administration in American history."

- Number of individuals and businesses associated with the Clinton machine who have been convicted of or pleaded guilty to crimes: 47
- Number of these convictions during Clinton's presidency: 33
- Number of indictments/misdemeanor charges: 61
- Number of imprisonments: 14
- Number of congressional witnesses who have pled the 5th Amendment, fled the country to avoid testifying, or (in the case of foreign witnesses) refused to be interviewed: 124

In terms of fostering a culture of corruption, the Clinton administration deserves special recognition for all that it accomplished. However, for the sake of time, let's just review a few instances of Dem corruption from the past twelve months.

1) Dan Rather and CBS used forged documents in a story intended to sway the U.S. presidential election. CBS fired producer Mary Mapes and demanded the resignation of three senior CBS executives -- senior vice president Betsy West, executive producer Josh Howard and his deputy, Mary Murphy. Dan, of course, was forced to relinquish his anchor chair and "retire" in disgrace.

2) David Rosen, Hillary Clinton's finance director for her 2000 Senate campaign, was indicted on federal charges of filing bogus financial reports with the Federal Election Commission.

3) Bill Clinton's former national security adviser stole classified documents from the National Archives and then destroyed some and misplaced others. In early September of this year, a federal judge ordered Sandy Berger to pay a $50,000 fine and give up his security clearance for three years as the penalty for smuggling classified terrorism documents out of the National Archives.

4) Air America Radio and the Gloria Wise Boys & Girls Club were involved in a loan scheme that is currently under investigation by New York City's Department of Investigation and New York's Attorney General Eliot Spitzer. Al Franken claimed that he was not involved. Oops! According to Michelle Malkin, Franken lied about that.

5) House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi was among many Democrat lawmakers who amended missing or incomplete travel reports. Pelosi failed to file records for three trips she accepted from outside sponsors that were worth $8,580.

6) Harry Reid arranged for federal grants for two Las Vegas pastors and the wife of one of them. They were indicted when they were accused of mishandling the money.

7) Paul Krugman, editorial columnist for the New York Times, has been reprimanded repeatedly for his compulsive lying by Times "public editor" Byron Calame.

8) A scandal involving Chuck Schumer's staff -- working for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee - is currently unfolding. Schumer's staff fraudulently obtained credit information on Maryland's Republican lieutenant governor. Schumer's research director Katie Barge and staffer Laura Weiner reportedly used the Social Security number of Lt. Gov. Michael Steele in an attempt to find something politically damaging to him.

Less than a week ago at a White House press briefing, Terry Moran asked Scott McClellan, "Is the President concerned that there's a stench of corruption around the Republican establishment in Washington?"

McClellan responded, "Terry, I don't think you can make such a broad characterization. There are some instances of individual situations, and we'll let those -- the legal process proceed in those instances."

Of course, it's wrong for Moran to make that sort of sweeping generalization; but Dems and the MSM are shouting it from the rooftops--

There is a Republican culture of corruption.

Speaking of "stench," the Democrat establishment doesn't exactly smell like a bouquet of roses.

AIR AMERICA IN DEEP

This is a REAL scandal.

This isn't just throwing stuff at the wall hoping something will stick. This is the real deal.

New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer is probing Air America's loan. Of course, he's a huge lib and wanted to avoid looking into it at all costs.

According to the New York Post, Spitzer was pressured into launching the probe by "Internet bloggers and Republican critics [who] began pounding Spitzer for not intervening" when it was learned last month that the New York Department of Investigation was examining the dirty dealings of Air America.

For weeks, the MSM have tried to ignore it. Al Franken has tried to ignore it. Even the state's AG tried to ignore it.

Billboard Radio Monitor writes:

New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer is looking into questionable loans made by the New York-based Gloria Wise Boys and Girls Club to Air America Radio (AAR) early in the liberal talk network’s life. Spitzer’s interest in the case, which is already being investigated by the New York City Department of Investigation (DOI), was first reported by the New York Post and has been confirmed by Billboard Radio Monitor.

At issue are government funds which were earmarked for the charitable, not-for-profit organization, but were funneled to AAR through its former CEO, Evan Cohen. At the time of the loans, Cohen was serving as a paid development director for Gloria Wise.

Although AAR is no longer affiliated with Cohen, who sold his interest to Piquant LLC in 2004, the current owners have said they will repay the loans to the club, even though they maintain they have no legal obligation to do so.

What huge hearts the current Air America owners have!

It seems to me that Billboard Radio Monitor is eager to distance the scandal from today's Air America. Why are they helping the lib radio network's CYA efforts?

Meanwhile, the DOI has recommended that Piquant place $875,000 in an escrow account, pending the outcome of the investigation, according to the Post. The company, however, has reportedly deposited $50,000 into an account controlled by an attorney for the network, to the dismay of investigators.

How pathetic!

Piquant had to reserve $50,000. For what? Is that the legal defense fund?

Cohen was forced out at the liberal network shortly after its launch when employees, affiliates and detractors learned that instead of three years' worth of funding there was actually three weeks' worth.

The libs are using Cohen as their scapegoat. It seems pretty clear that Cohen is a crook, but that doesn't let Air America off the hook.

NewsMax writes:

Last month, the DOI said Gloria Wise was under investigation for approving "significant inappropriate transactions" and using "falsified documents that were submitted to various city agencies."

In July, the Bronx News reported that the Air America loan "is at the center of the city’s probe of corruption at the local club." Subsequent reports have pegged the loan's amount at $875,000.

Spitzer's spokesman said the probe is examining "the conduct of the board of [the] charitable not-for-profit organization. The question is: Was their action appropriate?"

Appropriate?

How could it be appropriate for tax dollars to be funneled to a partisan, political organization?

Finally, after weeks of pretending that there was no scandal, Al Franken addressed the matter.

Again, from NewsMax:

Liberal yakker Al Franken blasted the man who founded his Air America radio network as "a crook" on Monday - even as he laughed off the financial scandal that continues to dog his broadcast.

...Franken was finally forced to discuss the scandal when a caller asked him to explain.

"Here's the deal," the Air America host said. "The first guy who was chairman of the board of Air America - Evan Cohen - was a crook, it turns out. I mean, I guess that's the only way to put it."

Explaining Cohen's role in ripping off the kids' club, Franken suddenly turned giddy.

"He borrowed $875,000," he said, erupting in laughter. "I don't know why they did it and I don't know where the money went."

Franken said he "imagines" that the funds earmarked for childrens' programs were instead "used for operations" at Air America, which was strapped for cash at the time.

"[Cohen] was robbing Peter to pay Paul," he explained.

Franken finds this all funny?

What's funny is Franken saying that Cohen was "robbing Peter to pay Paul."

That might be fitting if Cohen was illegally shifting funds between two private sector organizations or two public sector groups.

It gets a lot messier for Air America because the people's tax dollars, funds meant to aid children and the elderly, were channeled into their privately-owned, anti-Bush hatefest.

Air America is desperately trying to wash its hands of the scandal by blaming Cohen and claiming innocence.

They may manage to do some legal wrangling to distance themselves, but let's be realistic.

This scandal belongs to Air America. They can't disown it.

It's not as simple as Franken makes it out to be.

AND, it's not funny.