http://www.nypost.com/seven/03072008/news/regionalnews/5g_hr__hookers_100827.htm

Mark Brener, the 62-year-old alleged ring leader from Monmouth Junction, NJ, along with his girlfriend and alleged top madam, 23-year-old Cecil "Katie" Suwal, , from Cliffside Park, NJ, both face up to five years in prison on prostitution charges and 20 years behind bars for money laundering.

Authorities raided Brener's home early yesterday and found $600,000 in cash and 19,000 in Euros in various safes, prosecutors said.

Brener, they said, had two Israeli passports in addition to his US passport.

Having been on the periphery of NY Politics, I happened to observe Eliot Spitzer from the beginning of his political career. I first met him, at a reception by the NY League of Conservation Voters (LCV) held at the Dakota coop of "Rosemary’s Baby and John Lennon fame.

To me there was an off-putting intensity and I felt this was one ambitious, self-centered man who did not exude empathy. I don't remember shaking his hand but the image that comes to mind is of the politician shaking your hand, mumbling a few words and looking over your shoulder, and thinking about, someone, else.

His first primary victory which made him the Democratic candidate for Attorney General was tainted. His opponent charged him with using illegal contributions from his extremely wealthy family. He denied it, but after the election it turned out the allegations were true. But this issue was marginal and faded out and Spitzer won the General Election.

Like everyone, I cheered when Spitzer aggressively prosecuted Wall Street insiders. I also cheered when Rudy Giuliani prosecuted City Hall insiders from the Bronx. But, although Rudy Giuliani shared some of the personality traits with Spitzer, he was dependent on family money illegally funneled into his campaign for is office – had Giuliani had been appointed.

When a family money to buy office where there beneficiary lacks empathy. The end is almost always tragedy for someone.

That is one reason why the Obama revolution is so important. If we can move to a system where truly innovative candidates can raise money for important campaigns the rich kids may lose their insurmountable edge. Spitzer’s first electoral victory was fueled by funneling money from his family into his campaign. Maybe, just maybe, in the future, that will not be as divisive as it has been.

http://johnklotz.blogspot.com

You paid money to have sex with a consenting adult.

You didn't torture anybody.

You didn't lie to start a war that has killed 4,000 American soldiers and 100,000 innocent civilians.

You didn't illegally wiretap millions of innocent Americans.

You didn't flush the national economy down the toilet.

You didn't shred the Constitution.

Until Smirky and Darth are screaming in unbearable pain in the deepest, darkest dungeon on earth for their crimes, every elected official who has committed lesser crimes gets a pass.

Democrats should solidly support Spitzer now

To avoid being browbeaten by republicans, the democrats should close ranks and support Spitzer now.

They need to play the same game republicans play when one of them is attacked.

Already the mouthpiece of republicans, Fox News, is falsely portraying as if Spitzer offered to resign.

The following should be the action plan of dems:

1. Refuse to comment anything about Spitzer instead saying "no comment" to any comment by anyone.

2. Go on offensive against republicans, and mention how many corrupt republicans spitzer has caught and convicted.

3. Refuse to acknowledge either in house or senate about spitzer's wrong-doing, act indignant if accused by republicans, and walkout of the senate and congress if forced to pass a resolution.

4. Go straight for the jugular: Bush, stating his broken promises, record inflation and lack of intelligence in even gasoline prices which are hurting the economy.

5. Divert attention from Spitzer by playing Zone Defense. Move press away from spitzer by concentrating on gasoline prices and how to tax Big Oil.

-- Anandasubramanian

Tuesday, March 11, 2008 12:44 AM

Hallelujah, Amen.

So, the Feds engage in an elaborate sting operation, with wiretapping, patience, tax dollars galore, and the only "john" whose name is released is - Spitzer?

I am no fan of Spitzer, pugnacious self-aggrandizing power-mad twit that he is. he served well as DA, and then radically moved beyond his areas of competence when he packed off to Albany. That said, why is Spitzer the only one whose information is released?

It will be interesting, as this proceeds, to see the gradual release of salacious details... spitzer likes spanking, for example, or engaged in three-ways. Whatever.

What will be more interesting is the subtext of what is released, and then, the subtext as to why.

The only reason why this matters is that Spitzer was a santimonious twerp who went after victimless crimes, and now is hoisted on his own pertard. To that end, he who lives by sanctimonious prattling dies by the sanctimonious prattling of others, and in some sense, to the degree that one cares about spitzer, there is a very nice symmetric sequence of events.

And of course, there is that reality of he who preaces too loud pracices in private - Larry Craig's blatant homophobia in public via his support of selected legislation whilst being utterly unwilling to confront his own bisexuality which, without legitimate expression, led to really, really pathetic tearoom sex in an airport potty. Spitzer's sanctimonious pratings concealed a deep desire to spend huge quantities of money to arrange elaborate sexual assignations....

But, unlike Craig, who was caught in a sting run by local police who were simply determined to render an anonymous airport men's toilet free of bizarre sucking sounds, Spitzer was brought down by an elaborate sting operation, and to date, the nature of the remaining miscreants remains - well - oddly silent. Who is being attacked, and who is being protected here?

From Crooks and Liars, look who is leaping on the entrails...

Given the humiliating difficulties facing the National Republican Congressional Committee, I guess it’s not too surprising the gang would try to connect Democratic House candidates to Eliot Spitzer’s scandal, but this is just weak.

The NRCC, which is broke and in danger of sustaining more

House losses, is grabbing at the Eliot Spitzer prostitution

scandal like a lifeline, sending out e-mails about Dem

incumbents with the following title:

“Will John Hall Return Spitzer’s Sleazy Money?”

So far we’ve received five e-mails over at TPM: Three

messages targeting freshman incumbents Michael Arcuri,

Kirsten Gillibrand and John Hall, plus two against

challengers Dan Maffei and Eric Massa, all of whom the

NRCC says are now “ensnared” in Spitzer’s scandal.

To appreciate just how sad this is, consider that The Corner is dismissing it as nonsense: “Spitzer’s moral turpitude has no bearing on the contributions he makes to candidates in his party. Unless the money was stolen, its return is a public relations exercise with no basis in moral reality.”

It still smells of a politically motivated lynching.