Eliot Spitzer's Ruined Governorship
Only fifteen months after he rode a wave of public support as the Sheriff of Wall Street to change Albany for the better on "Day One" as the newly-elected Governor, Eliot Spitzer has fallen so far, so quickly.
The latest scandal broke today, as he admitted his link to a prostitution ring earlier today. He has since apologized, during an announcement this afternoon, to his family and to the public for failing to live up to the standards he set, though he did not discuss the allegations.
More so than his fighting with Republican leaders over the past year, this will likely shatter any effectiveness he has left in guiding state policy and would render his term, even if he somehow recovers in public opinion, as a lame duck governorship. Therefore, whether it will be proved that he breached the law or not (and forget about the salacious details that will likely be plastered all over the media, since that will distract from the potentially worse details stemming from this investigation), ethics and his usefulness (or lack thereof) in office after this dictate that he should resign and transfer the office to Lieutenant Governor David Paterson.
Eliot Spitzer must resign. For the good of this state.
The latest scandal broke today, as he admitted his link to a prostitution ring earlier today. He has since apologized, during an announcement this afternoon, to his family and to the public for failing to live up to the standards he set, though he did not discuss the allegations.
Just last week, federal prosecutors arrested four people in connection with an expensive prostitution operation. Administration officials would not say that this was the ring with which the governor had become involved.
But a person with knowledge of the governor’s role said that the person believes the governor is one of the men identified as clients in court papers.
The governor’s travel records show that he was in Washington in mid-February. One of the clients described in court papers arranged to meet with a prostitute who was part of the ring, the Emperors Club VIP on the night of Feb. 13.
Mr. Spitzer appeared on a CNBC television show at 7 a.m. the next morning. Later in the morning, he testified before a Congressional committee.
An affidavit filed in federal court in Manhattan in connection with that case lists six conversations between the man, identified as Client 9, and a booking agent for the Emperors Club.
-From the New York Times article as posted at around 3 PM thus afternoon
More so than his fighting with Republican leaders over the past year, this will likely shatter any effectiveness he has left in guiding state policy and would render his term, even if he somehow recovers in public opinion, as a lame duck governorship. Therefore, whether it will be proved that he breached the law or not (and forget about the salacious details that will likely be plastered all over the media, since that will distract from the potentially worse details stemming from this investigation), ethics and his usefulness (or lack thereof) in office after this dictate that he should resign and transfer the office to Lieutenant Governor David Paterson.
Eliot Spitzer must resign. For the good of this state.
posted by Will at 5:20 PM
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