HOW those ladies can "stand by their man" after suffering the biggest of humiliations, I don't know. And they're always there. Time after time, scandal after scandal. Sure hope they bargain for a good reward--before stepping out into the cameras. Time to say bye-bye to silent yet supportive behavior--what an awful message they send

["I'll stand next to you, to lend credence to your 'family values'".] Women used to be silent about rape, too. Can't see too much difference here.

I love it when hypocrites get caught with their pants down. But the most disturbing fact is that he was caught via wire tap from the US Government. Is this the Patriot Act protecting us from terrorism? Doesn't the FBI have more important things to do?

I would love it if I could afford a $5,000 whore... I would even brag about it. Lighten up, America. No crime here... just poor judgment.

Judging by the letters in the editors pick there are not many Salon readers who think anything should happen to Spitzer as a result of calling on a Call Girl. Add me to the list. There is something heroic about going after Wall Street corruption and winning. You almost earn an hour with a pricey maddam for doing something good for a change. Mr. Shapiro seems to agree with the zealots in Bush World linked to the religious right that myopically seek to tear down highly gifted, super effective people like Spitzer (presumably to insert one of their own god fearing and ineffectual patrons) in the name of some vaporous moral that is, what, supposed to make the world better? Better like, oh, say, Saudi Arabia maybe? Lots of high octane morality coming out of the death-by-stoning oh so civilized middle east. We should strive to be so righteous!

I've come to the point where it's hard to read Mr Shapiro's moralizing idealistic rants. Give me a world where Clintonian & Jeffersonian realists hold sway and God save me from the idealists.

As an Attorney General, Spitzer took no prisoners and made it known that he considered no one above the law. Regardless of our various views on prostitution, there is no question that what Spitzer did was illegal. This is not a guy having an affair. This is the law and order governor not only participating in a knowingly illegal activity, but also engaging in financial shell games to hide that activity. While these bad actions do not negate the ethics improvements Switzer has made in Albany, it fatally compromises his moral authority and his future effectiveness. Further, if Spitzer is not punished for his behavior (through losing his office or otherwise) , he would essentially be saying, "no one is above the law, well, except for me."

The fact that Spitzer prosecuted escort agencies and then used one himself points to the fact that our politics these days is dominated by focus groups and marketing, and that politicians do not run for office on honest platforms based on what they personally believe.

We have seen it in other sex-scandal politicians in recent scandals, and we are seeing it here.

It would be a lot better if Spitzer had refused to prosecute escort agencies and had spoken up in favor of legalizing prostitution, but if he had done, he almost certainly would not now be Governor of New York.

Now consider that we have an election campaign going on. Hillary and Barack Obama have had something like 18 debates devoted to the cause of concealing what they really think about each other, and about just about any topic of the day.

But do we still really know what thought processes impelled Hillary to vote to authorize military action against Iraq, and what thought processes led her to regret her vote later. Do we really know where she thinks she went wrong, and how she would avoid such a mistake in the future. I think not.

Can we, in fact, believe that any politician really stands for the values they claim to believe in, or do we just have to accept that ritualistic play acting is part of the comedy of life?

A few years ago, the country was paralyzed because a large chunk of the population felt the President's sexual lapses made him morally unfit for office, while another large chunk felt that the lawbreaking he engaged in to conceal illicit sex required removal from office. Between the two of them, they ruined a Presidency, paralyzed the government, and resolved absolutely nothing.

Let Spitzer be prosecuted. Skip the calls for resignation and impeachment.

The perhaps-temporary loss of political power experienced by the Governor is nothing more than the ordinary day-to-day wind shifting. He'll either recover, or he won't.

A few questions:

1. What federal laws did Spitzer break that would mandate the involvement of the FBI?

2. Public opinion is clearly very much in favor of hanging him for the sin of hypocrisy. Is that warranted?

3. HRC has run on a ticket with Spitzer; what sort of statement do you think she'll issue about this at all? She's already sidestepped it this morning.

All this leads up to the biggest question: Who stands to benefit from Spitzer's public humiliation / resignation?

In my experience, and I've seen HUNDREDS of guys get caught with prostitutes by their wives, the wives DO NOT stay - they move out or their husbands move out. That isn't to say that there isn't some sort of coming to terms later, sometimes there is, sometimes there isn't.

With wealthy, powerful,famous husbands, I don't know, I think the marriage dynamics are different. HRC stayed by her man, as do many wives of male politicians.

The poster who noted that ego-mania is a trait of politicians - I agree! It's also true from what I've seen, that many sex addicts are very ambitious, intelligent people, very driven. Perhaps the two go together.

He took away the constitutional rights of other Americans over prostitution. That's what happens when you go to jail -- you lose most of the rights you've been guaranteed as an American.

If he goes out and hires hookers himself, then that means he doesn't take the Constitution seriously.

He's taken many oaths to protect and defend the Constitution during his various jobs in the public sector.

This is way more serious than Clinton's adultery.

This is about the most incarcerated nation in the world, where the incarcerators allow themselves to break the same rules they've used to incarcerate others.

This is a sick country and he is a symbol of our sickness.