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A Governor Fulfils His Promise [Eliot Spitzer]

Posted: March 11th, 2008, 10:48am CDT by Nick Denton

Tags:  Eliot Spitzer  

From a 2006 campaign ad when Eliot Spitzer, now linked to a $3,000-a-session call-girl called Kristen, promised to bring energy—and "passion"—to the government of New York State. For the full commercial, click.

Eliot Spitzer: Shanda fur die Goyim [The Jews]

Posted: March 11th, 2008, 10:40am CDT by harlan

Tags:  Eliot Spitzer  

And he could have been the first Jewish president! Eliot Spitzer, (still) governor of New York State, is weighing his resignation following his tryst with a shiksa prostitute. Though the idea of a Jewish president is great, let's be real: The guy was way too bald to ever make it into the Oval Office, regardless of his foreskin status. Some have blamed the Portnoy's Complaint instinct for this mess, but honestly, if this affair shows anything, it's that Jews are just like any other politicians, only occasionally more so.

Spitzer's education, propensity to argue and dedication to fitness all made him a nice Jewish boy. But he never conflated his moralist streak with his religion the way some Jewish politicians do (cough, cough Joe Lieberman). Instead, like Michael Bloomberg, also a member of the tribe, Spitzer was a crusader. As attorney general, he went after white collar criminals, as well as prostitution rings, and created a reputation as do-gooder fighting evil. (Bloomberg, less didactic, went after smokers and fatties.) And the public loves when anyone self-righteous, regardless of religion, takes a fall.

Prostitution affairs ensnare B-list political goys like Randall Tobias, Ken Calvert and Allan Howe all the time. Eliot Spitzer proves that Jews can violate the codes of marriages just as well as any other religion, and his fall from pious grace makes it more shocking (or entertaining, depending on the observer). But only a Jew would've thought to put a down payment for future services.

Should Spitz Quit? [Poll]

Posted: March 10th, 2008, 3:47pm CDT by Pareene

Tags:  Eliot Spitzer  

Governor Eliot Spitzer still might resign tonight. David Paterson—whoever the hell that is—could be our governor by 7 p.m. tonight. But nothing's actually happened yet, and Fox already falsely reported resignation rumors this afternoon. So obviously the only fair way to do this is by putting it to a vote. Gawker readers, New York's fate is in your hands. He's done something shockingly, breathtakingly stupid, but also something that, outside of its illegality, has absolutely no bearing on his ability or inability to govern (you know where we stand). So, a poll:

Gawker Media polls require Javascript; if you're viewing this in an RSS reader, click through to view in your Javascript-enabled web browser.

Cele|bitchy

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  NY Governor Eliot Spitzer admits using prostitutes

  Posted: March 10th, 2008, 3:36pm CDT by Celebitchy

  Tags:  Elliot Spitzer  

  
  NY Governor Eliott Spitzer was caught up in a federal investigation of a prostitution ring, and made a statement to the media today acknowledging his involvement without getting into specifics. The NY Times broke the explosive story this morning that a wiretap from a federal investigation revealed that the Governor had arranged for a high-paid prostitute to travel from NY to Washington to meet him at a hotel.

  Spitzer owned up to his actions in a public statement, his wife standing by his side. His eyes were welling up but he did not cry. He refused to answer any questions, including whether he would resign his post:

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

  “I have acted in a way that violates my obligation to my family and violates my or any sense of right or wrong,” said Mr. Spitzer, who appeared with his wife Silda at his Manhattan office. “I apologize first and most importantly to my family. I apologize to the public to whom I promised better.”

  “I have disappointed and failed to live up to the standard I expected of myself. I must now dedicate some time to regain the trust of my family.”

  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.

  [From the NY Times]

  According to the NY Times, Spitzer can be charged with a crime under the Mann Act, which is meant to deter human trafficking and “makes it a crime to transport someone between states for the purpose of prostitution.”

  Ironically, Spitzer has gone after prostitution rings in his role as Attorney General of NY from 1998-2006. As Attorney General he was known for his high profile lawsuits against major corporations and was widely lauded as a man who could change fraudulent corporate practices. He sued the NY Stock Exchange for paying its director $187 million. He sued GlaxoSmithKlein for withholding damaging information about Paxil. He sued the top investment banks and was instrumental in exposing fraud on Wall Street. He collected multi-million dollar settlements from ten of the top investment banks including Bear Stearns, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan Chase, Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, and UBS Warburg. Spitzer even sued a major spam network along with Microsoft and collected a $7 million settlement.

  Spitzer has been Governor of NY since January 1, 2007 and has not yet addressed whether he will resign his post.

  Huffington Post has screengrabs from the website of the prostitution ring that Spitzer may have used. Their rates start at $1,000 an hour and go up from there, depending on their “diamond” level.

  Spitzer has been married for 20 years and has three teenage daughters. His wife is also a graduate of Harvard Law School and runs the nonprofit agency Children for Children.

  Header image from the NY Times.

  

  

Gawker

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  Surviving A Sex Scandal [How Things Work]

  Posted: March 10th, 2008, 3:33pm CDT by harlan

  Tags:  Eliot Spitzer  

  The bad news for Eliot Spitzer is that he's been linked to a prostitution ring. But the good news is that it's a high-class prostitution ring. He's not the first public person to get caught having inappropriate sex, and he won't be the last. Spitzer's reputation as the moral Governor may be over — and our idealization of Spitzer ended before this scandal — but that doesn't mean his career is. In the case of sex scandal, there are three models Spitzer can follow.

  Be Nice
  Remember how Hugh Grant cheated on his then-girlfriend Elizabeth Hurley with a Sunset Boulevard Prostitute? Neither does the rest of America, because Grant went on the offensive soon after the charges were brought against him. Appearing on Jay Leno, Grant was contrite and honest about seeking a prostitute, saying, "I think you know in life what's a good thing to do and what's a bad thing, and I did a bad thing. And there you have it." Things are different for a career politician and family man than a caddish actor, to be sure. But an appearance on NY1 apologizing for his actions could help his follow-up consulting career.

  Be Honest
  Before Jerry Springer was a musical or a talk show host, he was a politician. When he ran for Governor of Ohio, he also went on the offensive, apologizing for his actions in the clip above. Of course, that strategy didn't work out so well for him politically, but did lead to a successful media career. If Spitzer wants out of politics and anything else high brow, he could be candid with his history with prostitutes, and parlay that into a successful media career.

  Pretend Nothing Happened
  Larry Craig went wide-stance, refused to resign and is still recruiting interns. This is the likely route for Spitzer. In his speech, he didn't lie, but he didn't directly admit to seeing prostitutes. All he said was that he "acted in a way that violates my obligations to my family, and violates my or any sense of right and wrong." Spitzer has more time, and power, than Craig to make up for this scandal. He can play the move on card and make the most of the next two years.

  
  

  

  
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  Oopsy Daisy! [Open Caption]

  Posted: March 10th, 2008, 3:32pm CDT by Richard

  Tags:  Eliot Spitzer  

  [New York governor Eliot Spitzer, who may resign over a prostitution scandal, with his wife Silda at today's press conference; image via AP]

  
  

  

  
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  Did One Of These Ladies Take Down the Governor? [Eliot Spitzer]

  Posted: March 10th, 2008, 3:22pm CDT by Pareene

  Tags:  Eliot Spitzer  

  These are the lovely ladies of the Emperors' Club Spokes Model Portfolio—the front for the high-class prostitution ring that counted New York Governor Eliot Spitzer among its devoted clients. While these photos look like they've either been cut from magazines (Albany Vogue?) or borrowed from the headshots pile at local news station, there's a chance one of them might actually be "Kristen", Governor Spitzer's date that lonely February night in Washington DC. Other models, some of whose pictures are rapidly disappearing from here, might be more likely candidates, but these are the only ones with faces we've got. If you spot "Kristen", described in the FBI affidavit as "American, petite, very pretty brunette, 5 feet, and 105 pounds", please send a picture our way.

  
  

  

  
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  Governor Spitzer Is an Idiot (But He Shouldn't Resign) [Eliot Spitzer]

  Posted: March 10th, 2008, 2:28pm CDT by Pareene

  Tags:  Eliot Spitzer  

  With Eliot Spitzer's announcement today that he was a client of a recently busted prostitution ring, and the speculation on his resignation flying, it's probably safe to say that his Governorship will not, in the end, be remembered as the glorious flowering of a new and reformed Albany. How the hell did it ever come to this? And, uh, are we the only ones who think he shouldn't resign?

  Back when Spitzer was a crusading Attorney General, he was maybe the most respected and beloved man in New York politics, especially by the sort of New York City residents who both ignore Albany politics and are exhaustingly cynical about New York politicians (this is the Bloomberg electorate). But how could we not love our tough-talking liberal fighter? He seemed as happy in a scrap as mean old Giuliani, but unlike Giuliani, he went after the fucking banks, not modern artists and ferret-owners.

  Spitzer waged high-profile campaigns against AIG and investment banks and even anti-abortion "crisis pregnancy centers." He was the great hope of reform in Albany and he won his gubernatorial election in a landslide. With his reputation the way it is today, it's hard to remember how much he was beloved back then. The Daily News even wrote a story on how to deal with your straight man-crush on him.

  Then he was suddenly the Governor of New York and everything went to hell for him. He immediately came up against a state assembly full of life-long gridlock enthusiasts who refused to change the way they did business and hated newcomers. They frustrated him, and the real Spitzer emerged. He's an angry asshole, it turns out, who doesn't play well with others. The fact that starry-eyed New Yorkers hadn't noticed this when he was "crusading" (i.e. expanding the purview of his former office to take on high-profile cases that endeared him to said starry-eyed New Yorkers) says more about them than him.

  30 days into his Governorship, Spitzer said to Assembly Minority Leader James Tedisco, "I'm a fucking steamroller, and I'll roll over you and anybody else." That remark, immediately and widely reported in the tabloids, proved to be as utterly untrue as it was impolitic. Spitzer has accomplished nothing but the creation of bullshit scandals (gold star to the first commenter who can succinctly explain STATE TROOPERGATE, in a way that actually makes it seem worthy of a "-gate" suffix). All of these things, from the Steamroller comment to the flap over his plan to give licenses to illegal immigrants, were the mark of a man who, it turned out, was not actually all that good at politics. But this? The hooker thing? The mark of a man who's a fucking idiot.

  As AG, Spitzer had prosecuted prostitution rings. He knows, especially with the classy ones, that the client lists are well-maintained, and they get out, eventually. So to head down to DC and hook up with a whore the night before a CNBC appearance (at 7 a.m.!) and a Congressional appearance is the height of abject stupidity. D.C. is quite boring, in Eliot's defense, but still.

  Now he's maybe retiring, and everything in Albany will return to normal, and the Democrats probably won't pick up that Senate seat they need to secure a majority and force reform bills through. But you know what? We think he should stick around. Not even just to piss off Joe Bruno.

  2010 is a long, long, long ways away, especially in politics, and especially in New York politics. If he doesn't resign, he can redeem himself (after the storm of boring moralizing bullshit that is sure to follow). How long could it be before the golden boy long since brought down to size would be able to recast himself as a changed, meeker man, human as everyone else, and enjoy a quiet resurgence in the polls? And Jesus, what better way is there to get everyone to forget the bullshit of his first year in office than this? Doesn't he see? Getting caught up in a high-class prostitution ring could've saved Spitzer's legacy!

  
  

  

  
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  When Hero Governor Eliot Spitzer got the ...

  Posted: December 10th, 2007, 10:10am CST

  Tags:  Eliot Spitzer  

  When Hero Governor Eliot Spitzer got the MTA to freeze subway fares at $2, he also promised that the raises in other fares would drop from the proposed 6.5% to 3.85%. So naturally the MTA is now going to raise the cost of the monthly unlimited Metrocard from $76 to $81, in the hopes that no one will bother to do the math involved in figuring out that everyone is a greedy liar. [NYT]
  [Image via NYDN]

  
  

  

  
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  Governor Spitzer will hold a press conference ... [Walk-ups]

  Posted: November 20th, 2007, 8:00am CST

  Tags:  Eliot Spitzer  

  Governor Spitzer will hold a press conference at 9 to recommend that the MTA hold off on a fare hike. NY1 may not cover the conference live, because the Governor's office is all the way up on the 34th floor.

  
  

  

  
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  Words To Live By: Advice from an aide to Hillary Clinton to ...

  Posted: August 23rd, 2007, 9:30am CDT

  Tags:  Eliot Spitzer  

  Advice from an aide to Hillary Clinton to a former Spitzer aide: "Those pesky press people will sneak up behind you when you least expect it!!! Assume they can always hear you and are always watching you for any type of reaction!!!" [NYS]

  

  
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  Our Dysfunctional Government: Big swinging Republican political consultant ...

  Posted: August 22nd, 2007, 3:24pm CDT

  Tags:  Eliot Spitzer  

  Big swinging Republican political consultant Roger Stone has "resigned" in the wake of accusations that he left an obscene phone message on Governor Spitzer's father's answering machine. Stone still proclaims his innocence, but it's pretty clear that the state Republican party realizes the last thing they want to do is make the governor look like a victim, which is a role Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno would like to preserve for himself. [NYP]

  

  
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  Our Dysfunctional Government: Who Made Mean Calls To Governor Spitzer's Dad?

  Posted: August 22nd, 2007, 10:50am CDT

  Tags:  Eliot Spitzer  

  Things just keep getting weirder for Eliot Spitzer. The papers are awash this morning with the news that Bernard Spitzer, father of the beleaguered governor, received an abusive phone call from Republican political consultant (and, as the Post notes, known swinger) Roger Stone. The governor is, of course, currently embroiled in the controversy over whether or not he directed the state police to issue damaging information about Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno's use of state aircraft for political purposes, but the current fuss concerns an earlier scandal—taking money from his dad.

  Back in 1994, when Spitzer made his first, unsuccessful run for Attorney General, his dad loaned him $4.3 million for the campaign; during his 1998 run, Spitzer admitted that he had lied about repaying the loan. Cut to the present: Senate Republicans, seeking to damage the governor, are investigating the loans. Stone's phone message to the elder Spitzer, using the kind of language one usually expects from the governor, went like this:

  You will be subpoenaed to testify before the Senate Committee on Investigations on your shady campaign loans. You will be compelled by the Senate sergeant at arms. If you resist the subpoena, you will be arrested and brought to Albany. And there is not a goddamn thing your phony, psycho, piece-of-shit son can do about it. Bernie, your phony loans are about to catch up with you. You will be forced to tell the truth and the fact that your son's a pathological liar will be known to all.

  Wow, nice way to talk to an elderly grandfather suffering from Parkinson's disease! Roger Stone should be ashamed of himself! Except Stone claims that he had nothing to do with the call, despite the fact that it was clearly traced to a phone at his Central Park South apartment.

  Stone tells the Times that:

  [H]is apartment building on Central Park South is owned by H. Dale Hemmerdinger, a fund-raiser for Mr. Spitzer who is the governor's nominee to be chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and suggested that allies of the governor might have given access to his apartment to someone who made the threatening call. An official at Mr. Hemmerdinger's company said she was not prepared to comment.

  Mr. Stone said: "They have unfettered access to my apartment. I am on television constantly. As Gore Vidal said, never pass up the chance to have sex or be on television. Putting together a voice tape that sounds like me wouldn't be hard to do."

  Mr. Stone said he could not remember where he was on the date of the call and had no specific evidence that his apartment had been entered without authorization. But he said he believed that things have been missing from his apartment recently.

  Perhaps realizing that his excuse sounds sort of like a lot of totally crazy bullshit, Stone somehow remembers his whereabouts when the message was left: He tells the Sun that he was taking in a performance of Frost/Nixon, the play about our dirtiest trickster president (for whom, unsurprisingly, Stone once worked). Stone sees a vast conspiracy.

  He's not the only one. Democratic consultant Hank Sheinkopf also thinks there might be a cunning strategy at play, but on the part of the Republicans: "The loan story is revived and Stone gets a black eye. Stone can live with a black eye but the governor doesn't need another bad story. Some people say bad things about Roger Stone, but he doesn't care. Stone can't be hurt, but the governor can. It's not the wackiest theory I ever heard."

  And that pretty much sums up Albany for you: Everyone is so crooked and corrupt and looking to screw everyone else that it's not only believable that the governor might orchestrate an angry call to his father in an attempt to gin up sympathy, but it's equally credible that the opposition may have committed the act simply to keep the governor's tarnished image at the top of the news. If we're Andrew Cuomo we're going to sit back very quietly for the next three years and wait for our shot at the mansion.

  Also, if you're scoring at home, the Times was the only paper out of the three major dailies and The Sun to spell out the word "shit." Good for them.

  Gov's dad threatened [NYDN]
  The Phone Call That's Rocked the Capital [NYS]
  Politics Seen in Nasty Call to Spitzer's Father [NYT]
  PSYCHO RANT AT GOV DAD [NYP]
  [Image: NYP]