Has Client-9 Screwed us All?
As the Spitzer scandal continues to explode, I have felt a variety of emotions - from shock to incredulity to amusement to fury.
Right now, I’m stuck on fury.
Regardless of whether Spitzer resigns or not - and I think he will - his political career is probably over. It’s not over just because he hired a hooker. It’s over because he got caught doing it on tape, because he paid for her to cross state lines (a federal crime), and because he was supposed to be Mr. Clean the crime fighter.
The steamroller got steamrolled by the FBI.
“Kristen” will get rich off of this, probably getting a million from the Enquirer or Star to tell her story. Maybe she’ll do a Playboy spread, and parlay it all into a daytime talk show. From her description as a 5′ 5″ brunette at 105 pounds, maybe Anne Hathaway can play her in the movie. The FBI tapes of Spitzer making intricate arrangements to hire and pay for “Kristen’s” services will make their way to air, which will only make matters worse.
Kristen will also make some serious money explaining what it is that Spitzer likes to do that isn’t “safe”.
But amidst all of this tabloid fodder, we’ve lost a guy who promised us to do better. That on Day one, everything would change. That he would bring “passion” back to Albany (looks like he brought it to the Mayflower Hotel, instead). He promised reform - he promised a renewed focus on upstate - he promised to make the state more attractive.
By giving “Kristen” Acela tickets, cash, and two hours’ worth of God-knows-what, has he also screwed us all?
My guess is that Spitzer’s resignation is tendered the moment he is indicted for violation of the Mann Act. In that case, his lieutenant, David Paterson, becomes governor. There is no provision for anyone else to ascend to the post of lieutenant governor; Joe Bruno automatically becomes second-in-line.
Any movement for change and reform in Albany is on hold, but perhaps we’ve crossed some sort of threshold. Maybe with this shock to the system - where just about everybody checks and double-checks to make sure they’re not reading the “Onion” - we’ve laid a foundation for a true reformer to come in and shake up Albany. Because ultimately, Spitzer’s legal troubles, and his betrayal of his family are personal issues that affect us not at all.
What I care about is the state getting back on track. I care about lower, smarter spending and a moderation of taxation. I care about attracting, not repelling, residents and business. I care about getting a state government that doesn’t just talk about reform, but implements it.
Spitzer has dragged his heels on replacing Pataki appointees with his own. Very little tangible help has come to upstate. Spitzer instead became embroiled in a war with State Senate President Joe Bruno. There’s more to leadership than just being an arrogant know-it-all.
So, time will tell whether Governor Client-9 messed it all up. But the sooner he resigns, the better off the state will be. He can fight the charges all he wants, but not on my dime.
UPDATE: Commenters suggest it’s the money, not the Mann Act, that will be Spitzer’s ultimate undoing. I had only heard some vague reports about this, but the Times has more detail:
The rendezvous that established Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s involvement with high-priced prostitutes occurred last month in one of Washington’s grandest hotels, but the criminal investigation that discovered the tryst began last year in a nondescript office building opposite a Dunkin’ Donuts on Long Island, according to law enforcement officials.
There, in the Hauppauge offices of the Internal Revenue Service, investigators conducting a routine examination of suspicious financial transactions reported to them by banks found several unusual movements of cash involving the governor of New York, several officials said.
The investigators working out of the three-story office building, which faces Veterans Highway, typically review such reports, the officials said. But this was not typical: transactions by a governor who appeared to be trying to conceal the source, destination or purpose of the movement of thousands of dollars in cash, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Russell Says:March 11th, 2008 at 7:35 am
BP, it’s not just because he paid for a hooker to cross state lines. What’s really going to bring him down is the allegations of money laundering and tax fraud. If those charges stick, he’s really in deep.
I hope he resigns soon, but he may use his position as a bargaining chip. He might hang onto the governorship so he can use the resignation as part of a deal. That might not be possible if enough Democrats line up to tell him to get out, though.
When a reformer is shown to be a fake and a fraud, the successor does not normally pick up that mantle and carry on. Unfortunately, we are probably heading right into much more business as usual in NYS. Paterson is a long serving product of the Albany system who has very little accomplishment to show for his two-plus decades in Albany. This state is about to take a giant step backwards.
Terry Says:March 11th, 2008 at 7:35 am
I am unimpressed with the Mann Act charge…current lifestyles have extended beyond those times during which that legislation was enacted and it is all too likely that any hook-up these days may involve some degree of travel…as is the case with most legislation, it is overkill. Nor am I necessarily troubled with the prostitution, per se, as I was not privy to the status of the marital boudoir….where I do take issue, of course, is the seemingly amateurish manner in which he operated. All of the mechanisms should have been handled by a trusted functionary. In any event, at least he was doing a woman, ha ha….
ike Says:March 11th, 2008 at 7:58 am
the real problem here is the he opened himself to potential blackmail through his use of these prostitutes, and the hypocrisy of mr. clean getting what’s coming to him after nailing everyone to the wall that he possibly could to further his career
good riddance. bring on the blind guy
steve Says:March 11th, 2008 at 8:25 am
Russell — “The state is about to take a giant step backward.”
Without commenting specifically about Paterson, exactly how many steps forward has the state taken since Spitzer took office?
That said, I agree that Paterson does not instill a sense of hope.
Terry — “I am unimpressed with the Mann Act charge…”
So what? Are you suggesting that we are allowed to violate laws if we feel they no longer fit “current lifestyles?” I’m unimpressed with the speed limit on my street because current lifestyles suggest that all the little kids that used to roam the driveways have now grown up. Am I now free to drive 50 in a 30?
Let’s be clear that Spitzer made his mark — in fact, built his career — not on policy smarts or patronage or fund raising (all of which he is good at). No, he built his his career on the image of the squeaky-clean ethics crusader. And on that front, so far, he has been a boatload of fail, as Pundit might say.
Greg Says:March 11th, 2008 at 9:33 am
I keep hearing about him using resignation as a bargaining chip for a plea deal. If I was the prosecuter I’d laugh in his face and tell him he’s resigning regardless of a plea and that they won’t reduce charges just because he says he’ll resign
Robin Says:March 11th, 2008 at 9:54 am
Those that live by the sword, die by the sword. I will be appalled but not surprised if he tries to lessen the charges by refusing to resign. The scuttlebutt is that he was prepared to resign yesterday until the lawyers got to him. I would hope that his wife would say, “Resign and get your family out of the spotlight now.”
Paterson is a supporter of school vouchers, so that’s something.
Ben Franklin Says:March 11th, 2008 at 10:04 am
I hope the USA takes him down and shows no mercy - just like the way that Turd screwed over so many before him.
starbuck Says:March 11th, 2008 at 10:29 am
Listen dudes, you really want the comment?
After seeing what he did as governor for 14 months, anybody who still really thought he’d bring hopeful passionate change should realize that was always just a fairy tale. We should be long past the morning after for all that.
As Kristen would say, it’s just kind of like whatever… Upstate is here for a [purpose]. We should know what that purpose is. Let’s not get it twisted - we know what we do, you know.
Timothy Domst Says:March 11th, 2008 at 3:39 pm
The problem with Spitzer was that he didn’t go after structural changes in the State Government, and he didn’t use the bully pulpit to get the public behind him. Maybe it’s because the problems with the state are complicated. People want a sound bite, they don’t want to hear about committee appointments and the way our state committees operate, and how the constitution has a bazillion amendments, and about the authorities. Spitzer instead went after ONLY Bruno, in a gotcha way that would just get rid of Bruno, and let someone else take his place. Silver is just as much an enemy of reform.
Now he’s done in a gotcha way, which is fine, because he wasn’t going to do anything to really reform NYS as far as I could tell.
Aside from that, why isn’t prostitution legal? Is it opposition from wives who can’t stand the thought of their husbands spending money on anyone else? The strip club opponents always seem to be women and a few male preachers.
Greg Says:March 11th, 2008 at 10:22 pm
He was going to raise taxes and fees. Oh wait, that’s not reform that’s the status quo in this state.