This isn't a government ethics issue. Spitzer's not taking money or campaign contributions to do this against the best interest of his constituents. He had sex...with a consenting adult. For $5500 she was most likely more than consenting. They can't even get him on the Mann act. She came to him.

The only person who has any right to even be interested, other than a few overzelous cops enforcing some rather archaic blue laws, is his wife. She'll either get some self respect and leave him or decide she has it good anough to put up with his middle aged adolesence and pretend to forgive him.

In any case why is anybody calling for him to resign?

$3000 an hour, wow.

His wife is stupid for standing with him. His daughters should know that their Mother cares about them more than the lifestyle they've obviously have become accustomed to. Divorce this fucker and take everything, or just sit there like the stupid victim you are.

Assholes like this need to be ostracized.

By standing next to him, all your doing is facilitating the next asshole to fuck around on his wife.

All politicians are shit, even the ones you like.

Its just a matter of picking the least smelly one.

Hookers suck too.

is the real issue that he was paying somewhere between $1500-5500 AN HOUR for a prostitute? Dude could have gotten a perfectly servicable hooker for a tenth that amount. I know things are more expensive in NYC, but, c'mon.

Spitzer should resign when David Vitter and Larry Craig resign.

Just goes to show ya...the NYSE is filled with criminals

The more I think about it, the more I think he should stay on. He was right, it IS a private matter. And I will be very interested to find out the origins of the FBI wiretapping. If Vitter can stay on, so can Spitzer. It would be great to see him stand on his record of public service and simply refuse to be railroaded by this story.

He's hardly the first husband to stray and won't be the last. If I was his wife I would leave him. But that's got nothing to do with his performance in his job. Ooo he broke the law? So, Corzine broke the law not wearing a seatbelt. That had public consequences because it increases everyone's health costs, ultimately. Anyone could think of a million examples of politicians breaking laws.

Really now. What DID you think the government was doing with all those warrant-free wiretaps? We need them to Fight the Terrorists, you know, and part of that life-and-death struggle involves making sure that Republicans stay in power forever.

This is no one elses business. As long as he paid for this with his own money, his personal life should be private.

I just don't get the current political crusade to eavesdrop, wiretap, and feed the purient interest of America's moral Taliban... but then again, this may be why our government (both Dem and Rep) is so keen on granting complete immunity for the telecoms. Perhaps the "terrorist" calls being monitored were actually political enemies with a few skeletons.

...the moment after everyone in Washington DC who has broken infinitely more important laws resigns first.

We should hold ourselves to a higher standard than the GOP.

Besides, as Attorney General Spitzer put people in jail for prostitution. At the very least, he should lose his job for committing the same indulgences he personally locked people up for. It's not a question of personal indiscretion. It's about the rule of law. (I know Republicans said that about Monica Lewinsky and perjury, but this is much more of an open and shut case.)

Also, as someone else noted, paying $5500/hr and breaking the law to get laid, particularly when you're a visiting governor in Washington DC -- a city where even lowly LD's can trade on their political connects for sex -- is criminally stupid...

..but at least when he delivered his Jimmy Swaggert sermon in the shit to the press corp., he kept his wits about him, and didn't forget to afix his little fucking flag pin, to his suit lapel, to let all of us concerned little people, that he may chase prostitutes, but he is a patriot. What a fuckin' guy!

As a prosecutor, Spitzer was paid to bring people that broke the law to trial. He did his job and he did it very well. It's just like the service men and women that most of us wish weren't in Iraq, but that we honor anyway for serving their country. They don't get to choose which wars they want to fight and Spitzer didn't get to choose which laws were and were not to be enforced. That isn't his job anymore.

As for holding Dems to a higher standard than Republicans, that sounds like a really good idea...if you're a republican. They used that "higher standard" line when they impeached Clinton, too.

I tend to agree with KcM. During his time as AG, he prosecuted the exact type of high end prostitution ring he is now accused of soliciting. It's rank hypocrisy, especially coming from a man who went to Albany on a message of ethics and fighting the fatcats.

And I'll say this -- I donated to Spitzer's gubernatorial campaign, one of the only times I ever gave to a politician, and probably the last time I ever will.

Then I read that the hooker was a female.

1. Yes, I love this story. I LOVE IT! Anybody know what the act or acts were that "some people might think are, you know, dangerous..." ? I'll be looking forward to the Times' in-depth reporting.

2. You all still want to talk about Larry Craig? I thought that most Republicans couldn't wait for Craig to resign or retire. I know that I'll be happier the moment he's gone. I sure as hell don't remember being an apologist for him.

3. Spitzer's gonna need a new job. Maybe the NYSE will hire him. Wait -- no, they won't. He'd better call Bill Clinton, Vernon Jordan or maybe Bill Richardson. They'll get him set up.