What is it about this case that made him 'involved in a prostitution ring' rather than 'arranging to meet a hooker'?

I wondered that, too. I think it's a reference to the allegation that he actually seemed to be setting up a tab.

Legalize prostitution-keep it safe and clean. If only we could take a lesson from the netherlands but with advances and the ability to learn from their mistakes. And while we're at it why don't we legalize certain drugs? Ah, but then the priviteers will take over and make it impossible for the poor to use, oh...yeah the poor will stop using and losing.

not the logic behind the law. Spitzer's a Harvard Law School graduate for crying out loud- it's not as if he didn't know that paying a woman for sex was illegal in most states--he decided it DIDN'T MATTER. He decided that the rules don't apply to him!!! As long as the law exists - and as someone whose responsibility is to uphold the law- Eliot Spitzer had an obligation to follow the law. Frankly, Glenn, I'm surprised at your take on this. This is a huge distraction, a blow to the Democratic party, and your response is to play on the "moral outrage" factor? That feels like dodging the bigger sin here- which is that Eliot Spitzer acted as if the rules don't apply to him. They apply to "other people". That's a huge disconnect and it led to all this. I think it's fine to talk about the "wisdom" of our current laws on prostitution, and we should throw in drug laws as well, because these are similar "crimes"--but do you really mean to say that we should accept law-breaking from our currently elected public officials- because "we wouldn't have many elected officials left" and we should ask only "who were the victims"? Really????

What pathetic bullshit. Really, there are ABSOLUTELY no other alternatives than prostitution and that really is someone's "sole means of supporting themselves"? In this day and age?! Give me a break. As long as society/gov't gets off its lazy ass and ensures that people have other means of employ available to them other than prostitution, then yes, prostitution can remain illegal.

I can tell that you have never lived on the street. My wife, three year old daughter and I lived in a tent for over four months once because we lacked money for anything better.

Now as a grandfather I find my wife and myself about a week away from foreclosure. Thanks to massive medical bills that we will never be able to repay we have no credit, if we lose our seventy percent paid for home of nearly twenty years to foreclosure we have nowhere to go.

As I type this I'm also putting personal belongings up on ebay to make enough money to pay Countrywide their pound of flesh and gallon of blood. Things we have spent a lifetime acquiring will be gone in a week or so.

I'm so angry right now I'm having a hard time hitting the keys.. You, a spoiled little know it all who has never seen real hardship is going to tell me what real life is all about.

It's doing the hard work of providing a lifeline to education -- hell maybe even microfinance is needed in this country now -- and other resources to lead the way to alternative jobs than laying on your back. And Western gov'ts are doing the hard work now anyway (but could be better) with outreach programs, social services, addiction centres, shelters, employment training, etc. all to encourage people to get off the streets and into other jobs. Maybe various states/levels of gov't can make these opportunities more accessible, not arguing with that.

You have to be literally on the streets before you can qualify for just about all "aid", government aid is a sick joke in the US..

Thank you Democratic/liberal God Bill Clinton for "reforming" welfare.

So yeah, no one's leaving anyone to "starve in the streets", not with this plethora of resources. Unless that's their own intention.

Wait until it happens to you, you self righteous little spoodle..

There are entire families living in cars in our not really all that low class semi rural area.. They are ashamed of their situation and make every effort to hide it. I've talked with my grandchildren's teachers and they have told me they have children in their classes that are in that very situation.

It is one thing to be poor where almost everyone else is poor, it is entirely another to be poor where most appear well off.

Glenn, while I agree that prostitution should not be illegal and that people's reactions to this scandal are over the top, I disagree with you that Spitzer should be given a pass. There is justification for demanding that he resign and for prosecuting him.

If Spitzer believes -- and obviously he does -- that prostitution is an OK thing to engage in, then he should have made that position public and pushed to have it decriminalized. He has never done that. In fact, as you mentioned, he aggressively pursued investigations and convictions of people engaged in this activity. As the governor, he's the top law enforcement officer in the state. If he's above the law, then everyone else should be too. Same with drugs. If a top official is smoking pot, and they've never made any statements or taken any actions to decriminalize marijuana, I would have no problem with them being thrown in jail and condemned in the media. The only way these stupid morality laws are going to be changed is if they are applied equally to everyone.

Right now, white people get away with all kinds of drug use, possession and dealing, while those in minority communities are disproportionately arrested and thrown in jail for the same activities. My guess is that there are a lot of rich, powerful white guys like Spitzer getting away with prostitution-related crimes every day as well.

Either oppose the current system and do what you can to change it, or submit willingly to being punished when it bites you. You can't have it both ways, pretending to be Mr. Law and Order while letting others be punished for crimes you yourself commit.