I'm curious to know who you think might not be a "scumbag"?

And if you think a Mother Theresa would make a good politician, or even if you think she might have considered running for political office?

I voted for Spitzer, but he must follow the rule of law, so the resignation doesn't bother me. As for legalized prostitution, I wonder about the health aspects of this. I don't think there is anyone alive now who doesn't understand how a sexually transmitted disease can cause pain and death to a large number of people in short space of time.

Yes, I understand it probably is a lot healthier to get the sex workers in some kind of a medical program which you can do when it is legalized, but I still am unsure about the over all ramifications of this. It was distasteful to walk around cities like Amsterdam and Zurich and suddenly run into a sex shop in the middle of town. And for me that is the difference between legalized prostitution, which will be public, and pornography, which is private.

I still read your blog everyday and you've been saying it all for me, except on the last two Spitzer related posts.

"I actually thought twice about posting this before I did just in order to avoid another war in my comment section. These sorts of issues really generate a lot of intensity. But there are just so many aspects of the moral preening relating to the Spitzer story that are driving me insane that I just couldn't keep them pent up any longer.

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.

-- GlennGreenwald "

I'm glad you posted your article. Yes, many of us are equally bored by it all. Just remember we're all slightly more evolved apes. Deeply instinctual and not terribly rational most of the time.

An explanation for anyone interested:

Yes there are philosophical questions about prostitution. And fast food work for that matter. But the reason we get so excited about sex is the same reason as Chimps and Bonobos do. Our brains are continually fascinated by the subject and nothing except perhaps existential violence, makes us more emotional.

Sex and morality are closely linked in tribal social species. Sex is the bedrock for social interaction. Sex with territorial aquisition and food are the basis of life and morality in social species. Who is mating with whom, and for what reason, effects everyone's common genetic heritage in small groups of primates. Chimps and Bonobos spend a great deal of their mental processing dedicated to sex. Chimps continually worry over the power dynamics and genetic implications of sex, while Bonobos' every dispute and alliance revolves around sex.

Our society further increases the obsession by reinforcing sexual desire constantly while also repressing it rather schizophrenically.

Does everybody remember the gay male prostitute who was repeatedly given White House press credentials and ask Bush softball questions?

We should start a fund for Jeff to help him get his life back together after being subjected to the harsh life he's endured.

That explanation needs more explaining to most, but you are definitely barking up the right tree.

A man that would expect to train lobsters to fly in a year is called a lunatic; but a man that thinks men can be turned into angels by an election is a reformer & remains at large.

Finley Peter Dunne

It was distasteful to walk around cities like Amsterdam and Zurich and suddenly run into a sex shop in the middle of town.

Which shows you think sex is "dirty".

What I find "distasteful" in the extreme is entire bars full of people watching other people being killed in extremely large explosions on giant TV screens and cheering it on.

Like, you know, "Shock 'n Awe"..

What you find "distasteful" says a lot about you, dunnit?

Late to the party . . .

Why isn't Spitzer's "private life" allowed to be taken into account here? He broke the law with his private behavior, the same type of law he used to prosecute others. He violated the public trust with his private behavior, the same public trust he gained in part by decrying such private behavior.

Simply because he had sex behind closed doors with a consenting adult doesn't mean the context of the act doesn't have an impact on the public. Beyond the fact that prostitution is illegal, (yes I'm using that argument)) when I read that he sneaked by his security detail to meet the woman for sex, I thought wtf. The Governor of New York is awol for 2 hours and however many additional hours $80,000 will buy?

The man was not an average citizen and I think his behavior, possibly illegaly transferring funds and ducking his security detail to commit an illegal act albeit in private, is fair game.

Tempus, are you going to try the Salvia? You can apparently make tea with it.

I'm curious about it.

It's a sad end to someone who was, at one point, considered the next Teddy Roosevelt, but one could argue the supreme arrogance needed to both bust up prostitution rings, and then go on to enable them and exploit them in the belief you'll not get caught means we've dodged a bullet by taking Spitzer out of the Presidential candidate pool. Arrogance, a disrespect for his own family, a willingness to flout the law for short term pleasure, and a cavalier attitude towards funding crime rings: I'm glad we found out now.

-- sslash

He wasn't really funding a crime ring. It's not even a matter of degree.

This is a crime ring:

http://tinyurl.com/39zjsa

The outfit he patronized was like a mom and pop store. It would have been legal and above board if not for a bad law.

"It was distasteful to walk around cities like Amsterdam and Zurich and suddenly run into a sex shop in the middle of town.

-- James Karkoski "

Every city and town already has many sex shops. What do you think all those massage parlors are? Most small towns have a strip club somewhere close, where there is also prostitution going on. Those places do actually deal in human trafficking, disease, money laundering, and so on. they have no say in choosing clients, and the overall situation probably encourages worse behavior among all parties.

I'd feel much better about seeing a clean, regulated, sex shop; with tax paying, registered workers who have a clean bill of health, and get full benefits and protection under the law, who could then better choose clients and so on.

Then law enforcement could really crack down human trafficking and other serious criminal problems, in part paid for by a sex worker tax.

btw, for anyone who think a legalization advocate must also be a customer, personally I've never been to a "professional." It doesn't really appeal to me, I'm married, and when I was single never had trouble. But, rationally, the health and moral benefits to legalization seem totally clear.