Should Spitzer resign?

[BuyingThyme]

Poll question: Should Spitzer resign?

Poll result (206 votes)
Yes.	(149 votes, 72%)	Vote
No.	(57 votes, 28%)	Vote

[Drunken Irishman]

1. If he broke the law, yes.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

2. the longer he stays, the longer he taints that national campaign he supports.

by the way, which campaign does this whoremonger support?

[ingac70]

4. Hillary. n/t

[NYdemocrat089]

7. If you're referring to the Presidential Race, then the answer is the Clinton campaign. n/t

[ingac70]

3. Law makers breaking the law? He's got to go. n/t

[rocktivity]

17. Assuming you're not being sarcastic, I agree

He good-guyed/attorney-generaled his way into the job, after all. Now all of a sudden he doesn't know how lawless he's been?


rocknation

[ingac70]

24. No sarcasm here...

I hate hypocrites.

[saltpoint]

5. I'm neutral. I don't like fanning any flame that burns Spitzer while

letting Vitter's house stand as is.

On the other hand it isn't the best possible development for his integrity-in-government profile.

I would seek a first-step resolution by legalizing prostitution.

Then leave it to those in marriages and relationships to work out the fine print in counseling.

[Swamp Rat]

34. It's amazing David Vitter hasn't been put out to pasture.

[saltpoint]

47. There he is, bathed in the blood-neon of his own disloyalties, betrayals of

Madison and Jefferson, and daily butchery of the public trust.

I could have just said "asshole" and covered all that, but I felt a grocery list of character flaws was called for.

Limbaugh fans the flames of the fire that burns the orphanage.

Great image, captures the traitor perfectly.

[Swamp Rat]

48. Thanks OC

[Hippo_Tron]

82. That's a good point

[KharmaTrain]

87. It's The Crime, Not The Sex

Vitter was never charged with his involvement with the DC Madam. Now we would probably agree that this should be the case, but while Diaper Boy should have resigned based on his holier than thou-ness, it's up to the folks of Louisana now to determine his political fate. The same applies to Craig...and in his case, the minimum he should have faced was a censure based on his admission of guilt. But neither has committed crimes that appear to have been attributed to Spitzer...and he, as of yet, has not denied. We're talking federal crimes that could send Spitzer to Bubbaville for several years.

If you want to find an equivelent case, I'd use Rick Renzi...recently indicted congresscritter from Arizona who was indicted on defrauding charities to spend on his campaign. This scumbag has refused to resign and even is still involved in Gramps McCain's campaign.

Want to prevent this from happening again...repeal the Mann act. Spitzer knew this law, broke this law and there's no way of justifying it.

[THUNDER HANDS]

6. not only yes, but HELL YES

I'm so fucking disgusted with him. I was a HUGE supporter of his and he's just been the biggest disappointment ever. He sickens me.

[Mojambo]

8. Of course. n/t

[Occam Bandage]

9. Yes.

No, it's not "as bad" as what the Republicans have done. No, I don't think sex is bad or evil, and no, I wouldn't care at all if he were just fucking a mistress. The problem is that he has made a career out of breaking up organized crime and prostitution rings. His use of a prostitution ring for personal pleasure makes him at best hypocritical.

[ScreamingMeemie]

10. It is unfortunate this poll has to be run. He should have already.

[goodhue]

11. yes, indeed

His whole political persona of crusading prosecutor fighting corrupt practices is entirely sullied by his conduct hiring prostitutes from the Emporers Club. The longer he stays, the worse for democrats.

[goodhue]

55. .

[goodhue]

56. .

[goodhue]

61. .

[goodhue]

86. .

[Leopolds Ghost]

63. Should the other 100 politicians who used the Emperors Club resign?

[ScreamingMeemie]

67. Whoever is involved should be brought to the light.

That isn't at issue. It never was. Because one does not think that Spitzer is a fall guy of some sort does not mean that one looks to absolve Bush/Cheney/INC. of their crimes. Juggling thoughts and beliefs is easy. One does not have to fall into Republican tactics of spinning a bad boy into a saint.

[goodhue]

80. you bet

[TheCowsCameHome]

12. The sooner the better.

[SecularMotion]

13. I say no

He admitted his mistake. The good he's done in his career, outweighs this error.

[ingac70]

21. He broke the law...

mistake my foot.

[alarimer]

14. Yes it is a distraction we (and the people of New York) do not need.

The sooner this becomes a non-story, the better. He would never be able to get anything done, while the next guy might still be able to accomplish something.

[samplegirl]

15. Ask Vitter's that!

[ingac70]

The Dems aren't suppose to be the party of hypocrites...

like Repubs.

Spitzer is known for prosecuting several prostitution rings while AG.

[ScreamingMeemie]

19. Thanks. I have no idea why screaming "Vitter!" somehow makes this

better or a nonevent.

[Leopolds Ghost]

65. Uh... because you aren't pushing post after post demanding Vitter's resignation

[Dr. Strange]

64. Vitter says yes...

Spitzer should resign.

[michreject]

16. Yes. nt

[Clovis Sangrail]

18. as governor... maybe .. as AG definitely /nt

[backscatter712]

20. If Vitter can get away with having a call girl put diapers on him

and still be a Senator, why shouldn't Spitzer be able to get away with it?

[ingac70]

22. Because Dems aren't suppose to be hypocrites...

Spitzer liked shooting his mouth off about the evils of prostitution when he was going after it as AG.

[backscatter712]

28. Good point.

[Leopolds Ghost]

73. And Republicans ARE allowed to be hypocrites? Vitter shot his mouth off about morality too

Yet you guys are not up in arms demanding his resignation, even though he's blocking a bill to prevent the Demolition of New Orleans public housing.

Add that and Wall Street corporate crime to the list of crimes for which a Democrat (or at least, a Republican) CANNOT be prosecuted.

[acmavm]

23. Did Vitter prosecute 'em? Spitzer did.

[MiniMe]

60. Did Vitter have them cross state lines?

That is the difference between a local crime and a federal crime. He knows better than that.

[Leopolds Ghost]

68. A "federal crime" (Mann Act) set up by guys like Hoover to entrap "immoral" celebs/politicians

Like that famous boxer who was accused of miscegenation in the 1910's.

They couldn't get him on that, so Congress created the Mann Act,
bringing a girl across state lines for immoral purposes,
forcing him to flee to Canada (I believe).

[MiniMe]

81. Sorry, Spitzer was a prosecutor. He knew the law

Aside for being big on prosecuting prostitution rings, he knew what the law was about across state lines. This was dumb, dumb, dumb on his part. And I think he should resign. We can't be calling for Vitter and Craig to resign and give a pass to Spitzer. I won't be a hypocrite about it.

[DainBramaged]

25. You want Spizer to resign, demand the Rethugs with "sex problems" to resign too

Boy we sure know how to eat our own.


(Fucking) sex is nobody's business but your own. And no one can see the set up here by the Justice Department.

[ScreamingMeemie]

27. I think most have... and, in my opinion, it's more of a legal problem

than a sex problem. I couldn't care less about the sex. It's the prosecution of the crime for which he is apparently under suspicion and has admitted to some form of.

I can't remember too many people (who remained here) defending the crimes of the right.

[Leopolds Ghost]

69. "I can't remember too many people (who remained here) defending" prostitution

What are you smoking? Prostitution is not and has never been a legal
priority to anyone other than Prohibition types. It is a moral issue, not
a legal issue. It has been legal in many places throughout US (and world)
history to the present day.

[ScreamingMeemie]

84. Winston Lights.

Not what I posted, but really a nice try. It's not about the sex. It's about the hypocrisy, the abuse of the laws he prosecuted. I don't give a good damn who he is screwing.

[JI7]

29. it's about legal issues and him involved in what he prosecutes

he was a fucking moron to do this. there was so much hope for him and it's all over for him now.

[Thepricebreaker]

30. Wow.. talk about a double standard.. if this was a repug.. you would be SCREAMING BLOODY MURDER.

[A-Schwarzenegger]

26. Spitzer should have simply denied it and said ...

"I am not heterosexual. I have never been heterosexual."

[tachyon]

35. God help me I laughed out loud at that one!

[A-Schwarzenegger]

51. Me too.

[Birthmark]

31. Yes, he should resign

And the sooner, the better. It's sad, though.

[Inspired]

32. Yes. n/t

[Johonny]

33. Not right away

He should at least wait 1 full news cycle. These days the standard political thing is to wait and see how the news cycle turns. When you look at the news stories the media and the public has gotten bored with it's not hard to imagine this story simply not lasting long. Vitter's similar story had no legs. Craig on the other hand has become a walking embarrassment to his party. So Spitzer should at least wait out at least one full new cycle. Tomorrow is another primary vote which is sure to drive this to the back pages.

[Leopolds Ghost]

70. Vitter's story had no legs... what makes this different?

[DainBramaged]

36. Bush and Cheney broke hundreds of laws, so who is the hypocrite here???

[BuyingThyme]

37. You?

[DainBramaged]

38. Too bad, I disagree with your premise so I'm a hypocrite?

Another big red x checked off for posterity.


Goodbye.

PS I don't hide behide a blind profile either.

[BuyingThyme]

43. You're a hypocrite because you judge the situation not

according to standards of ethics or morality but according to how the bad behavior compares to the bad behavior of others.

Isn't that pretty much the definitive hypocrisy?

[Leopolds Ghost]

74. Obviously you regard prostitution as worse crime than the underlying blackmail by the ring

Who tipped off Wall Street enemies to wayward politicians.

Fortunately, ethical prosecutiors don't share your sense of priorities.

[Blue-Jay]

40. Pointing out that Bush & Cheney are worse doesn't make Spitzer less of a hypocrite.

[BuyingThyme]

42. But does it make the poser a hypocrite?

Me thinks so.

[Blue-Jay]

50. Poser? Huh?

Portraying yourself as a law-&-order, family values type of person and getting caught hiring hookers makes you a hypocrite. Certainly, there are many worse things that you can be guilty of, but that's not the point. I don't know what else I can say about that.

PS - Drop the "me thinks" stuff. It's pretentious, and it takes more keystrokes than typing "I think".

[BuyingThyme]

52. It should have said "poster."

BTW: The PS-pretentious-keystroke stuff wins the pretentious blue ribbon.

[lolamio]

39. Yes. And it makes me very sad to say that...

I had such high hopes for him.

[JackRiddler]

41. The poll doesn't matter. He will resign tomorrow. nt

[Crabby Appleton]

44. As soon as his lawyers make a no prosecution deal

in exchange, he'll resign.

[JackRiddler]

49. True.

Forgot that, you're right. It will take a few days. Ugh. (The groan is because of what this means in terms of what the mediascape is going to be like during that time.)

But his position is utterly untenable for remaining in office. Zero chance. Bank on it.

True enough that he hasn't committed much of a crime, no crime at all by the reckoning of many of us, but he's as good as cuffed. Many true criminals - war criminals - will outlast him in office.

[aikoaiko]

59. Which was exactly his tactic while DA, if I recall correctly

and the screw is turned another quarter turn.

[RB TexLa]

45. No. He hasn't even been charged, let alone convicted of anything

[mondo joe]

46. I think he'll need to, shame though it is. NT

[BuyingThyme]

53. ..

[BurtWorm]

54. Has he made himself indispensible as governor?

Not in the least. He should resign and take this furor onto his own court. The longer he waits, the more damage he can do to Democrats in NY state.

[Leopolds Ghost]

72. Depends. Who else in Washington or Albany is prosecuting Wall St corporate crime?

[Hawkowl]

57. NO. Highlight the wire tapping by TRIAL

He may very well lose his job, but he try and take down this whole illegal wire tapping/telecom immunity thing by portraying his case as entrapment and a political case vs. a criminal one.

[ScreamingMeemie]

58. Except it's too close for comfort.

He supported Bush and the DOJ when it came to wiretapping.

[BlooInBloo]

62. Probably. Though it's a loss to us, we're ok - our bench is deep...

... They can't politically assasinate enough of our bench in the few months they have left to make much of a long-term difference to our viability.

Naturally they'll try nevertheless, of course.

[citizen snips]

66. Fuck no.

If the gay bathroom senator gets to serve the rest of his term so should Spitzer.

[fascisthunter]

71. Let's Wiretap the GOP and See What They are Hiding as Well

[ScreamingMeemie]

75. I support that...just as Spitzer supported the wiretapping that netted him.

Just because one is not blindly supporting Spitzer does not mean that one is not calling for accountability on all levels, up to and including the president and his group.

[fascisthunter]

76. It Was Tongue and Cheek

I don't want Spitzer representing me or the party I am part of. But I would love to see the faces of those so eager to fry this guy get the same treatment he got. Our country is full of filth and corruption....

[ScreamingMeemie]

77. I am sorry for missing that...

I have met a couple of people here that really meant that. I didn't think it would jive with your avatar. Apologies.

[fascisthunter]

78. Oh nO.... I Can Understand WHy You Would Think So

by the way I posted what I did... no problem. I'm in a really bad mood today after reading the news..... I post sometimes without realizing how some of what I post sounds. I just want my country to be decent and something to be proud of.... I guess we all do.

[Mike03]

79. As high as my hopes were for Eliot Spitzer, he has no choice

but to resign, and unless I'm going to be morally disingenuous, I have to say that I support his resignation. He messed up, Big Time.

[Spirochete]

83. Yes - as soon as

Diaper Boy does likewise.

[PsciStudent]

85. Probably

I think that he should resign because this is a moral lapse that flies in the face of what he had been preaching about ethical restraint. For a less vocal and pushy ethicist, perhaps it wouldn't have to come to that.

[L. Coyote]

88. IF proven guilty in a court of law of a crime, he might want to think about it.

Or, if he is pleading out as guilty, like Larry Craig did!