I'm also of the opinion that there's something fishy about this investigation. It's a sad statement on the corruption of the Justice Department when the first thing that pops into everyone's mind is that it's a politically-motivated hit job.

However ... if Spitzer had been thinking with his big head instead of his little one, this never would have happened. As was said earlier, he handed them the bullets to shoot him. Still, there are always second acts in American politics. After a groveling apology and a few years in the doghouse, I'm betting he'll be back. And with a book deal, too.

The person I am truly sorry for is Spitzer's wife, Silda. The public humiliation, betrayal and lies have got to be agonizing for her.

But it sounds like character actor Bo Deitl may have had a lightbulb moment-

Dietl also has a theory about how Spitzer was caught, which he claims is related to the recent Gambino family arrests and subsequent plea deals.

He thinks the Gambino family offered Spitzer to get their plea deal. Link here http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/fnc/bo_dietl_has_some_future_prostitution_solicitation_advice_79699.asp

“I am really astonished -- though I know I shouldn't be -- by how much people enjoy expressing moral outrage over the sexual lives of other people.”

When I was in my religious stage as a youth and started to question the hypocrisy that I witnessed by the supposedly devout, I realized that they were railing at themselves without knowing it. They recognized, sometimes subliminally, that there were reality contradictions in what they were told to believe. Rather than question those beliefs, these insecure people chose to condemn others so they didn’t have to face themselves and the hypocrisies in their beliefs and their leaders.

I don't think one has to be paranoid to believe something really really fishy went on here. This is a perfect example of how warrantless surveillance could be used to stifle political dissent and destroy political enemies.

We are none of us saints. We are all human beings. Given Total Information Awareness and all the data mining algorithms and interconnected databases and the freedom to use them in secrecy, the government could find out any number of embarrassing and damaging facts about any one of us and use it against us. Eliot Spitzer hurt a lot of very influential but bad people. This smacks of payback.

* Sometimes, people force women against their will to work as prostitutes. Therefore, we should outlaw all prostitution (rather than just outlaw forced prostitution and human trafficking).

Those who would keep prostitution illegal should understand that it is precisely because it is illegal that it is associated with these evils. Legalize it and the demand for forced prostitution and human trafficking evaporates.

The last time @ The 'Unclaimed Territory' old site...

William Timberman told about the day he couldn't find his shoes or belt....

William walked into the local Wall Mart store with no pants and a i-pod....

William misplaces everything? He suffers from old time male geezer sinity....

Senility?

Maybe if males ever are merry,

it's when we attend a bachelor

Party? Where? In a strip-poker

GOP facility in a DC strip club?

Off to the barn to talk to a duck?

there are some things that we don't want to attach economic value to, among them are sex and human body parts. Reece

All due respect, you really need to speak for yourself and stop pretending you are speaking for everyone. We don't attach economic value to sex and human body parts? Why do super models make millions of dollars a year? Because we attach economic value to sex and body parts. Should we ban modeling?As for prostitution, you don't think there is a difference between a woman that is forced to do it, like asian sex slaves, versus a woman that chooses it? Look at the woman Spitzer saw, she made 1500 an hr. What other kind of job you think she could get that paid that much? These women aren't forced to do anything, they choose it. Why? Because they rather make more in a couple hours time, then work a 40 hr a week job.

[Glenn]: People who work at an unpleasant job in order to support themselves, rather than because they enjoy it, are the functional equivalent of brutalized, exploited slaves and therefore should be barred by others from choosing that job -- when the job in question is prostitution, but not when it's [...] large corporate law firm associate...

Ummm, what exactly was the difference again?

Cheers,

"I don't recall GG defending Larry Craig or Vitter. Suddenly, we need to just lay off of spitzer because other people ignored those other guys. Those other people or hypocrites. So what does that make GG and spitzer's other defenders? At least those who joined the dog pile on craig and vitter."

Actually, in this article, Glen links to his previous posting where he questions why Craig gets pressured to resign while Vitter gets a pass and is defended. So I guess you're wrong.

I've read a lot of books on the topic of evolutionary psychology so neither the impulse to regulate sexual behavior nor the impulse to experience it vicareously through the process of regulating it surprises me very much.

Moral outrage and guilty pleasure are simply opposite sides of the same coin.

Responding to your three points:

1) Yes, he broke the law. But I think Glenn's point is that he committed a victimless crime under an archaic statute while Bush breaks major laws that are more fundamentally central to his job and that has millions and millions of victims (hundreds of thousands of which actually die). Spitzer "obviously" has to go, but it's too far out there to think Bush should go.

2) I think you can argue a right. Why can't a woman sell her body? It belongs to her at least as much as cattle futures belong to some investor, right?

3) I don't think Glenn distinguished on price -- only willingness on the part of the woman. Whether a woman sells her body for a dime or a house and kids, that should be fine by anyone who respects freedom -- so long as it's her choice.