March 12, 2008 4:51 PM
Eliot Spitzer: RIP and thank God he went quickly
Well, Eliot Spitzer is gone - while we are left awaiting the final figures of how much (probably taxpayer) money he spent on prostitutes. I'm guessing it's a lot - the Democrats don't usually resign so quickly but stay on creating national nightmares out of their sense of entitlement to power regardless.
Once again we are left with the specter of the emotionally drained stand-by-her-man wife at disgraced husband's side - in this case accompanied by rumors that she wanted him to hang on to his job.
And the daughters - three teenage girls. How sad. What are men thinking when they betray their trust this way?
Posted in Current Affairs | Permalink
Comments
it IS sad. I don't think I could stand by my husband IN PUBLIC if he betrayed me in such a way. If he were my father, I would lose respect for men all around. Men need to understand that we, as women, grow up and sometimes seek out the example we'd had at home.
Thank goodness he resigned. They must have had STACKS of proof on him.
Posted by: suzanne | March 12, 2008 7:01 PM
Except the one staying on the longest is Larry Craig, a Republican!
Posted by: Angela | March 12, 2008 8:09 PM
I feel so embarrassed for his family!
The main lesson I got from this whole fiasco is NOT TO JUDGE OTHERS! He went around pointing fingers at everyone else and now look at the mess :(
Posted by: Bryanne | March 13, 2008 9:19 AM
The whole thing was depressing. I, too, find his wife standing up there beside him tremendously sad. I don't know how she had the fortitude to do it.
But what is even sadder is some of the comments on the newspaper sites I've been reading. A lot of things to the effect of--"how do we know she was upset? Lots of political wives marry for the money, and expect their husbands to fool around. What's the big deal?"
If people can't tell what the big deal is, then our culture is in trouble indeed.
Posted by: Sheila Gregoire | March 13, 2008 1:26 PM
Obviously a very sick man. I hope he gets help. The photos are heart-breaking.
Posted by: e-Mom | March 13, 2008 2:20 PM
Is the point that none of us should tell others to do right, or to cease doing wrong? Or is the point of this event that we should protect our marriages and our personal integrity in all circumstances? I think the latter. I am saddened by this event, as infidelity can tear a family apart.
Posted by: Imajackson | March 13, 2008 3:46 PM
Two comments -
First, I am appalled at the media suggesting that it was the wife's fault by not "keeping her man sexually happy" (the Today Show segment) and the earlier comments about how the wife should have expected it when marrying a man of prominence. The media should have focused on accepting responsibility for actions and how to conduct yourself when holding an office of power. Its a slippery slope and it just depresses me - the more common place this becomes, the more acceptable it becomes.
Second, please don't make sweeping statements such as all or none - not all Democrats are rotten.
Posted by: Barb | March 14, 2008 2:20 PM
Barb -
I didn't make any sweeping generalizations - never used the words "all" or "none."
I simply said that usually Democrats are not so quick to resign. someone commented that Larry Craig is clinging desperately to his job. Yes. that's a pathetic and embarrassing situation.
But conservatives do historically tend to step down quickly when caught in sexual scandal (Livingstone, Gingrich) whereas Democrats don't (Kennedy, Clinton).
As to this being a lesson in not judging, I don't agree that people shouldn't try to use their political office to bring reform. But they should live up to their own ideals. a moral failure like this defeats any good Spitzer was able to accomplish on Wall Street.
Posted by: barbara | March 14, 2008 8:51 PM
Conservatives or Republicans involved in sex scandals do not necessarily have a tendency to go quickly. Remember the great diarist Bob Packwood of Oregon, for instance? He held on for more than two embarrassing years after his scandal broke.
Republican David Vitter of Louisiana is guilty of the exact same crime as Spitzer; he remains in office and seems to have no intention of resigning.
Also, you imply that Spitzer embezzled for his sordid activities. I have not seen evidence of this and doubt that it is true, since Eliot Spitzer is so rich.
Posted by: jordan | March 15, 2008 3:04 AM
