More political hypocrisy

[Oak Kitten]

Former New York Attorney General and current incumbent governor Elliot Spitzer (Democrat) got caught in a federal anti-prostitution probe. This is the guy who campaigned on a "law & order" and ethics reform platform.

For the life of me, I will never understand why the wives of these guys appear with them in public while they confess. Have they not been humiliated enough already? The Spitzers also have three young teenage daughters. Life is going to be hell for them.

The only interesting aspect of this is that once Spitzer is forced to resign, which I think is inevitable at this point, the Lieutenant Governor who will finish his term is a legally blind African American. He is a veteran of New York state politics, and apparently has a fairly good reputation as someone who can build consensus on issues.

Oak

[GodSistah]

For the life of me, I will never understand why the wives of these guys appear with them in public while they confess. Have they not been humiliated enough already?

That is exactly what I was thinking last night
when I saw that poor woman on tv.

I'm not at all knocking her.
It must have taken some powerful courage to do that.

I just know if it were me,
and they were trying to do damage control,
they wouldn't want my mouth anywhere near a mic after that.

~Andrea~

[Dee]

NY Republicans threaten to impeach Gov. Spitzer (http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/reuters/usreport_newyork_spitzer_dc)

2 hours, 35 minutes ago

NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York State Republicans threatened on Tuesday to impeach Gov. Eliot Spitzer if he does not quit over a sex scandal that has raised questions over whether he could face criminal charges.

The threat added to pressure on Spitzer, a Democrat and former state chief prosecutor who made his name fighting white-collar crime on Wall Street, to step down after a report that he hired a high-priced prostitute.

The Wall Street Journal quoted a person close to Spitzer, who is 48 and married, as saying he could resign as early as Tuesday but he wanted to deal with his family crisis first.

"If he does not resign within the next 24 to 48 hours, we will prepare articles of impeachment to remove him," said James Tedisco, leader of the Republicans in the state Assembly.

"We need a leader in place that has the support of people on both sides of the aisle," Tedisco told Reuters.

Democrats hold a majority in the Assembly and such a move toward ousting the governor would not succeed unless some Democrats voted with Republicans to produce the required majority vote....

[Oak Kitten]

I just know if it were me,
and they were trying to do damage control,
they wouldn't want my mouth anywhere near a mic after that.

~Andrea~

Amen to that, GS!

Oak

[Eva]

So the guy sees a prostitute now and then... Is that the big deal? Or is it more because he is who he is?

Eva

[Wildflower Fever]

So the guy sees a prostitute now and then... Is that the big deal? Or is it more because he is who he is?

Eva

I agree, Eva. His seeing a prostitute is his decision, and the results are to be dealt with between he and his family. I think the problem here is that prostitution is illegal in the U.S. and Spitzer was a strict law and order politician. So, he basically didn't practice what he preached.

[Bat]

Not just now and then, and not just a few bucks...they've dug up about $80,000 bucks worth(?) of call girls, pretty pricey ones, evidently.
As for his wife, she looks like she had been crying her eyes out all day and night, as well she should...I'd ditch him-- as soon as I sued him for every time he stepped out on me for as much or more than he paid the call girl!

Eva, he was known as Mr. Clean, a very strict guy when it came to seeing the letter of the law was followed...by everyone else but him, evidently.
Dems don't need that kind of guy representing the party, and I hope the vice-governor is a much better example of what a governor should be!

[sister rose]

he basically didn't practice what he preached
name a politician who has....like Bill Clinton, the only thing he did different from other politicians was getting caught :mad:


I think the problem here is that prostitution is illegal in the U.S
which is something I have never understood......if I'm allowed to give it away, why can't I make profit? After all, it's mine, I should be able to distribute it any way I want. I'm allowed to sell anything else I own....:confused:

[Bat]

name a politician who has....like Bill Clinton, the only thing he did different from other politicians was getting caught :mad:

I doubt that Clinton ever had to pay for much of anything!


which is something I have never understood......if I'm allowed to give it away, why can't I make profit? After all, it's mine, I should be able to distribute it any way I want. I'm allowed to sell anything else I own....:confused:

Because this country was founded by Puritans, and they are still with us, Alas.

[lucille]

......if I'm allowed to give it away, why can't I make profit? After all, it's mine, I should be able to distribute it any way I want.

You have to remember that men think they have control over womens bodies.:rolleyes:

[Wildflower Fever]

name a politician who has....like Bill Clinton, the only thing he did different from other politicians was getting caught


which is something I have never understood......if I'm allowed to give it away, why can't I make profit? After all, it's mine, I should be able to distribute it any way I want. I'm allowed to sell anything else I own....

Easy, sis.;) I think I've stated I don't have a problem with prostitution, and that I don't think we should lynch Spitzer. I'm just explaining why this case is more sensitive looking at his political past, I think it's more ironic. Perhaps more politicians should stick their neck out and advocate legalized prostitution, and while they are at it, marijuana. As much of a meathead as he was, when Jesse Ventura was governor of Minnesota he said he didn't think it was fair to criminalize certain things people did behind closed doors. He meant things like prostitution and marijuana, he then went on to call organized religion a crutch for sheep. I kind of miss the 'ol wrestler now.:confused:
I agree about your right to sell what's yours, but I think you'll need a pimp...err... a manager, yeah that's it. I could use the extra money.;)

[sister rose]

but I think you'll need a pimp...err... a manager, yeah that's it. I could use the extra money.;)
...and why can't I 'manage' myself? ;)

lol..I do understand what you were saying. I just never understood why prostitution is so taboo....just think how many jobs would open up if it were legal. And more women (and men) would actually enjoy their work. :cool:

[Wildflower Fever]

...and why can't I 'manage' myself? ;)

lol..I do understand what you were saying. I just never understood why prostitution is so taboo....just think how many jobs would open up if it were legal. And more women (and men) would actually enjoy their work. :cool:

Hey, some of these creeps are rough, so at least carry some mace, OK?:D
I don't like "taboo" either, and as a matter of fact, I once dated a burlesque dancer (OK, a stripper). I always told her if I looked like she did, I'd be up on that pole too!!! She was strong and levelheaded and saw what she did for what it was, a job. For the record, her profession wasn't what ended our relationship, it was her eventual fondness for cocaine.:rolleyes: The good news is that she is clean and sober now, and although she still has nothing against her former profession, she is now an insurance claims adjuster.

[sister rose]

Hey, some of these creeps are rough
ok...so I'll let you screen them first. But, make sure I get all the cute ones. :rolleyes:

I think my point was mainly that anything to do with sex and politics becomes an issue for impeachment, while the real criminals are the ones who are quietly ripping us off or sending our children off to war. I would much rather have a president who is doing his intern than one who is stealing my money, etc.....am I making sense, because it is actually getting late and I am sleepy.......

[Wildflower Fever]

ok...so I'll let you screen them first. But, make sure I get all the cute ones. :rolleyes:

I think my point was mainly that anything to do with sex and politics becomes an issue for impeachment, while the real criminals are the ones who are quietly ripping us off or sending our children off to war. I would much rather have a president who is doing his intern than one who is stealing my money, etc.....am I making sense, because it is actually getting late and I am sleepy.......

Yes, you make perfect sense. I use that analogy on my republican "friends" all the time, going back to JFK. All they could dig up on him was his tryst with Marilyn. And then when RFK made a run, his past trysts with her came up again. Then when Gary Hart ran, they caught him with his pants down. And we all know about "Bubba.":D Now let's look at the republicans since JFK, Nixon-Watergate, Reagan-Iran/Contra, trickle down economics, lack of AIDS research, etc., G.H.W. Bush-tied to the previous criminals, and G.W. Bush-well, we all know his issues. Not to mention Rummy and Cheney with the Bushes and Reagan all participated in some way in Nixon's tenure. When it comes to crime across party lines, democrats are usually "guilty" of sex, and republicans are just plain guilty.:rolleyes: Funny how this hatred and crime on the right seems to stem back to a great democrat pres, FDR, and all the "socialist" policies he espoused. He had to fight the repub robber barons of his day, and Reagan/Nixon decried his actions. Now the repubs want Reagan to replace FDR on the dime, in this current state of neocon Reagan lustfulness. At least Jimmy Carter moves up in the pantheon now that Dubya has really lowered the bar.

[sister rose]

Thank you....those were my thoughts exactly...I just couldn't collect them enough to relay them correctly.....

oh...and the fact that prostitution should be legal. ;)

Good night.

[Elliott]

Some people got it, and make it pay.... And some people can't even give it away! Sing it Rose!

[DaveM]

Gosh, Sister Rose, this will really put a damper on our marriage.

Mind, I know damned well you're more than capable of "managing" yourself.

This opens up lots of possibilities....perhaps the Rudie Bus could be remodeled into a mattress-filled "hell on wheels"?

[Dee]

Dr. Laura: Women share blame for cheating men

Tues., March. 11, 2008

Dr. Laura Schlessinger has never been one to shrink from controversy, and she leaped headlong into one on Monday when she said that if a husband cheats, his wife may share some of the blame.

“When the wife does not focus in on the needs and the feelings, sexually, personally, to make him feel like a man, to make him feel like a success, to make him feel like her hero, he’s very susceptible to the charm of some other woman making him feel what he needs,” the popular psychologist and radio personality said.

More commonly known as just “Dr. Laura,” Schlessinger made the remarks while participating in one of several panel discussions on TODAY dealing with the breaking news that New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer had been connected to a high-priced prostitution ring.

The comment touched off a storm of protest, both from other members of the panels and from viewers, who flooded the show’s online mailboxes with mostly conflicting views.

(con'd)

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/23575221/

[Rickster]

All I can say is: NEW YORKER'S TAX MONEY AT WORK!

[GodSistah]

“When the wife does not focus in on the needs and the feelings, sexually, personally, to make him feel like a man, to make him feel like a success, to make him feel like her hero, he’s very susceptible to the charm of some other woman making him feel what he needs,” the popular psychologist and radio personality said.

Words, words, words from Dr. Laura...

As soon as she is up to it,
Mrs. Governor ought to pull out his Visa and MC Cards
and use 'em like a Smith and Wesson!

;)

~Andrea~

[DaveM]

Geez....I thought Dr. Laura had faded mercifully into the woodwork. What is it with these "conservative" frauds who somehow manage to maintain a near-hypnotic grip on their audiences? They never seem to go away....

Apparently Mr. Spitzer has resigned. Without so much as a mention of a wide stance....sigh.

[Dee]

"Dr” Laura is not a psychologist. Her doctorate is in Physiology, not Psychology. Her comments on this situation hold no influence as far as I'm concerned, especially given her own track record.

[Elliott]

If he had spelled his name correctly, with two l's and two t's, perhaps he would not be in this pickle...

[GodSistah]

If he had spelled his name correctly, with two l's and two t's, perhaps he would not be in this pickle...

I don't think he could afford the extra "L" and "T".
His money was all tied up elsewhere! ;)

:)

~Andrea~

[Wildflower Fever]

I don't think he could afford the extra "L" and "T".
His money was all tied up elsewhere! ;)

:)

~Andrea~

I know, $80,000? Sheesh!!! If he had gone with the economy plan that would have kept him in prostitutes for a lot longer than 10 years!!!;)

[Oak Kitten]

March 12, 2008
Op-Ed Contributors
The Myth of the Victimless Crime
By MELISSA FARLEY and VICTOR MALAREK

WHAT do we know about the woman Gov. Eliot Spitzer allegedly hired as a prostitute? She was the one person he ignored in his apology. What is she going through now? Is she in danger from organized crime because of what she knows? Is anyone offering her legal counsel or alternatives to prostitution?

“I’m here for a purpose,” she said in a conversation with her booking agent after meeting with Governor Spitzer, according to the affidavit of the F.B.I agent who investigated the prostitution ring. “I know what my purpose is. I’m not a ... moron, you know what I mean.”

Her purpose, as a man who knew patiently explained, is “renting” out an organ for 10 minutes. Men rent women through the Internet or by cellphone as if they were renting a car. And now, in response to the news about Governor Spitzer, pundits are wading into the age-old debates over whether prostitution is a victimless crime or whether women are badly hurt in prostitution no matter what they’re paid.

Whose theory is it that prostitution is victimless? It’s the men who buy prostitutes who spew the myths that women choose prostitution, that they get rich, that it’s glamorous and that it turns women on.

But most women in prostitution, including those working for escort services, have been sexually abused as children, studies show. Incest sets young women up for prostitution — by letting them know what they’re worth and what’s expected of them. Other forces that channel women into escort prostitution are economic hardship and racism.

The Emperor’s Club presented itself as an elite escort service. But aside from charging more, it worked like any other prostitution business. The pimps took their 50 percent cut. The Emperor’s Club often required that the women provide sex twice an hour. One woman who was wiretapped indicated that she couldn’t handle that pressure. The ring operated throughout the United States and Europe. The transport of women for prostitution was masked by its description as “travel dates.”

Telephone operators at the Emperor’s Club criticized one of the women for cutting sessions with buyers short so that she could pick up her children at school. “As a general rule,” one said, “girls with children tend to have a little more baggage going on.”

Whether the woman is in a hotel room or on a side street in someone’s car, whether she’s trafficked from New York to Washington or from Mexico to Florida or from the city to the suburbs, the experience of being prostituted causes her immense psychological and physical harm. And it all starts with the buyer.

Melissa Farley is the author of “Prostitution and Trafficking in Nevada: Making the Connections.” Victor Malarek is the author of “The Natashas: Inside the New Global Sex Trade.”


Emphases in the above article are mine. I know some of you are just having fun with this topic, but I for one DO have a problem with prostitution. I find it highly doubtful that any woman who had it together mentally and had any other kind of option would choose to be a prostitute. If so many men think it's so great and is a "victimless" crime, why aren't they out there spreading the appropriate body parts? It is the worst and most base kind of exploitation, but never underestimate the ability of people to rationalize anything.

Spitzer spent a lot of time prosecuting other people for engaging in prostitution. Well, it has cost him more than $80K - he resigned his office today. Good riddance.

Oak

[Dee]

And let's not forget the male prostitutes who are also frequently victims of the trade.

[Wildflower Fever]

It's definitely a tough topic. There is no doubt that many who enter this trade do so because of former abuses, and they usually end up discarded or worse, dead. Still, there are some who do so without reason tied to their past, and come out of it OK. Amsterdam is an example of how it can work, although I'm sure a percentage of those prostitutes have past issues as well. No matter what, "world's oldest profession" is not a completely false statement. I don't think it will ever go away, just like drug abuse, so the best we could hope is to legalize and monitor it so that it can be safest for all and kept out of the streets. I think this is the only logical and real solution, unless anyone here actually believes we can eradicate it. I also know that like many things, it's different for women than it probably is for men. That said, I'm no Don Juan, but I think I'd have a hard time not trying this if there were women who were actually willing to pay me.;) Just being honest.

[Oak Kitten]

Just because you can't eradicate it doesn't mean you should condone it or legally sanction the exploitation of other human beings.

There was an article in the press recently about wealthy (relatively) Western women traveling to Africa to find their "boy toys." I am sure some people will portray this as some kind of blow for feminism. It is just as disgusting as when men do the same thing to women.

Dee, your point is well taken. I think it is pretty safe to assume that most male prostitutes are not doing it out of free choice.

Oak

[GodSistah]

I find it highly doubtful that any woman who had it together mentally and had any other kind of option would choose to be a prostitute.

You ain't never lied, Dr. Oak!
Well said!

~Andrea~

[lucille]

This opens up lots of possibilities....perhaps the Rudie Bus could be remodeled into a mattress-filled "hell on wheels"?


The Rudie Shaggin' Wagon.:p

[Dee]

Dee, your point is well taken. I think it is pretty safe to assume that most male prostitutes are not doing it out of free choice

I believe prostitution is a very complex matter, and not one that can be easily understood by anyone outside of that world.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch . . .

New York Gov. Spitzer resigns but more woes likely (http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/reuters/080313/n_top_news/news_newyork_spitzer_col)

Thu Mar 13, 2:26 AM

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Resigning over reports he paid for a $1,000-an-hour prostitute, New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer leaves behind his political post but could face legal trouble from the stunning sex scandal.

Spitzer, who fought malfeasance on Wall Street with publicity-conscious vigor, fell from grace after The New York Times reported this week that his conversations to arrange for an expensive call girl in a Washington hotel were caught on a federal wiretap.

"The remorse I feel will always be with me," a grim-faced Spitzer, 48, said as he resigned on Wednesday with his wife by his side.

Indeed, his legal worries are likely far from over.

Spitzer, who came into office in 2007 promising to clean up state politics, faces the possibility of federal criminal charges over how he may have paid for prostitution services, specifically charges of structuring, which entail payments made so as to conceal their purpose and source.

Another violation may involve money laundering, if payments made to the suspected prostitution ring's shell corporations are found to be part of a larger conspiracy, legal experts said.

Legal observers speculated Spitzer was seeking to reach a deal to avoid or reduce any criminal liability before he left office. On Wednesday, the top federal prosecutor in New York said there was no such deal.

Prostitution is illegal in most U.S. states, but clients are rarely prosecuted and he is unlikely to face such charges.

But because he allegedly paid for the prostitute to travel to Washington from New York, he may have violated the Mann Act that bans interstate transport to engage in prostitution.

The Times reported on its Web site the prostitute was a 22-year-old woman who had left home in New Jersey at 17, originally hoping for a career as a singer in New York.

"I just don't want to be thought of as a monster," the woman told the newspaper.

It said she had been born Ashley Youmans but now is known as Ashley Alexandra Dupre, and that she was expected to be a witness in the case against four people charged with operating a prostitution ring. It said she had not been charged.

Political woes also may follow. Spitzer feuded with the state Senate's top Republican, Joseph Bruno, who claimed that Spitzer used the state police to spy on him.

On Thursday, attorneys were due in state court for a hearing on Spitzer's efforts to block further state Senate investigation into the matter. An earlier probe by the state attorney general was highly critical of Spitzer's administration.

It's a stunning change of fortune for Spitzer, who in his previous post as the state's chief prosecutor aggressively pursued wrongdoing on Wall Street. His disgrace was cheered by some financial power brokers who resented what they considered his heavy-handed and self-righteous ways.

[Oak Kitten]

You know, a few years ago the Defense Department implemented a new mandatory training module on "Trafficking in Persons" that every member of the military is required to complete on an annual basis. It explains that people who avail themselves of the "services" of prostitutes are furthering the exploitation of women and children, aiding and abetting organized crime, and violating the Uniform Code of Military Justice, for which they can be prosecuted.

Now I am not so delusional as to think that the military has taken ANY steps towards actually prosecuting its personnel for utilizing prostitutes. I have been waiting for some enterprising journalist to follow up on this and ask the hard questions, "How many troops have been charged under this policy?" I am willing to bet the answer is zippo.

But, the reason I bring this up is that it may be the loophole we need to end the war in Iraq. If the military actually followed through on this policy, they would probably end up jailing or discharging more than two thirds of the troops, including the top brass. Stop the whores and stop the wars. It's a win, win.

Oak

[Judy]

The media, politicians and scores of Americans are up in arms and calling for the resignation of insignificant guy having an insignificant tryst -- meanwhile, back at the ranch, the Senate Intellegence Committe has released the final report that Saddam had no link to Al-Qaeda. Where's the uproar and call for resignation of Bush whose actions actually mean something to this country?

[DaveM]

Yep, they released the report--then unreleased it and canceled the press conference scheduled to accompany it. I guess it's tough when you look exhaustively for the truth and come up with the "wrong" results.

Lucille--the Shaggin' Wagon might have a lot of potential as a rental item during periods when Janis is not on tour.

An enterprising Minnesota coverted a box car into a mobile brothel during the 1880s--the railroads were all too happy to haul her and her entourage out to various lumber towns, where business was apparently very good. Apart from a few moralistic newspaper articles (one of which referred to the enterprise as "Hell On Wheels"), everyone seems to have been quite happy with it.

Perhaps the best way to get the U.S.A. out of Iraq would be to publicize the number of American soldiers who are undoubtedly screwing Iraqi women. The troops would be driven out with stones in short order, I would expect.

[lucille]

Perhaps the best way to get the U.S.A. out of Iraq would be to publicize the number of American soldiers who are undoubtedly screwing Iraqi women. The troops would be driven out with stones in short order, I would expect.

Except, that I think it would be the women who would be stoned.:mad:

Well, this is according to a reliable historical reference - "The Life of Brian"

[DaveM]

Unfortunately, you may be right. Sigh.