I don't want to say, "poor" Governor Spitzer but I will have to say I feel sorry for the guy in an odd sort of way. At first, I thought, "How can a guy be this stupid in addition to so hypocritical." I've always liked his crusading spirit. In the world in which we live, not easy to be a crusader at any level. Think about it. Who else do you know went after those making the obscene money on Wall Street through insider trading. Afterall, he got Martha (Stewart). At least we know this, us common folk didn't have a chance at the info that the Wall Street bigwigs did and Spitzer nailed some of them. I always kind of cheered and now to discover that he has been hanging out with the ladies of the night even if in cozy quarters, is slightly unnerving. Two rooms no less: sneaking out while his caretakers were sleeping, having their own trysts, whatever. And, he didn't do it like once but was a regular customer.
Lots of commentary you can put on it for sure. The amount of money--you've got to be kidding me but since I don't know the market--thousands of dollars. Sad, regardless. And, the spectacle of his poor wife standing beside him when she should have been showing him the door. Basically, my first thought was that he should be hung up by his ankles and his gonads cut off. So, that is the hypocrite part.
The media circus is unreal and yet, I, like many, have been glued to the sorry episode while asking questions. What is it about men in our culture that would make them risk it all for a sordid tryst or engaging in "what is the 'is' " of the Bill Clinton era? I don't know. My buddy, Michael, says it is power, then greed and finally stupidity. For a smart type like Spitzer to think that, as a high profile politician, he could get away with something like this is beyond me.
I'm sure there's lots of psychobabble that could be put on it: sex addict, expects to get caught, immoral character or some sort of other addiction: alcohol is a convenient one.
And, then again, I get to thinking about issues like how did they catch him? Big Brother. A wire tap. An example to me of how all of us are vulnerable. Obviously, most of us won't be chasing expensive call girls and we don't have the profile, but theoretically, it could happen. I don't like it. And, then my favorite TV show that just finished, The Wire, was built around the whole concept of wire taps. And, some of the very things that Spitzer put into play while he was Attorney General to combat human trafficking actually jumped up and bit him in the posterior.
And, let's face it, a reality, Spitzer probably didn't have a lot of money in the bank with anybody, in terms of good will. Another buddy thinks it was merely payback time. Nobody mentions this. The Guv hung himself for sure but think about it: Spitzer had nailed all these Wall Street tycoons, made enemies when he was Attorney General. He had no money in the bank. We saw in The Wire, which was more truth than fiction that at the highest levels, politicos cut deals to enhance their own careers or go up the political ladder. Spitzer didn't get the chance for a deal. No Police Commissioner came to him early on and said, "we have you on a wire tap. This could be scandalous, watch it." Or, they could have said, we're going to downplay this one for you. Don't think those things don't happen? They do and not just on TV. Watch The Wire, you'll see. Spitzer had no money in the back.
And, finally, let's invoke the Jesus principle, not like the Prez recently when wanting to make his case for the Iraqi war to a bunch of like minded so called Christian broadcasters: he invoked the idea that all men should be free and tied it to the Christian view. Broadly speaking, that's surely true but doubt Jesus would have said it to justify a war. But, one incident we would do well to take note of:
according to the Gospel of John, the Pharisees, (Jesus enemies of the moment) in an attempt to discredit Jesus, brought a woman charged with adultery before him. Then they reminded Jesus that adultery was punishable by stoning under the law of Moses and challenged him to judge the woman so that they might then accuse him of disobeying the law. Jesus thought for a moment and then replied, “He that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone.” The people crowded around him were so touched by their own consciences that they departed. When Jesus found himself alone with the woman, he asked her who were her accusers. She replied, “No man, lord.” Jesus then said, “Neither do I condemn thee: go and sin no more." Now that is a sermon.
Let's let Spizer fade away (we know it's not going to happen because of the media and now that his paramour has been identified, she'll get her 15-30 minues of fame and write a book which will be made into a movie)--he's been punished, disgraced, embarrassed, finished. For those of us who have an ounce of charity, let us apply the "Jesus principle." Amen.
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