Oh dear... So New York Governor Eliot Spitzer (pictured at a press conference yesterday, with his wife Silda), who crafted a reputation as a crusader against corruption, was caught on a federal wiretap arranging to meet a hooker who was part of a web prostitution ring. Though he referred to the matter as "private" on his website, Spitzer broke up prostitution rings in his former role as attorney general.
No matter how many times this happens, I continue to be shocked at the hypocrisy of politicians - but I've always said that, in my experience, it's the men who berate others for any type of so-called deviant behaviour or weakness and have the most perfect facades who usually have escorts on speed dial!
(Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images)
Nice to see a politician not claim to be above the law and that he should not have been taped!
Posted by: tim T | Tuesday, 11 March 2008 at 02:18 PM
Unfortunately for Hillary she seems to be cursed with men - in her family and on her side (as allies) - who all have trouble dealing with their impulses and keeping their pants on ... as a woman, I'm sure she must be gagging and reeling and cursing herself for having all the 'easy' men on her side, and wondering who else that's on her side, is part of this 'club'
Posted by: emily | Tuesday, 11 March 2008 at 02:53 PM
Seems to be the trend for US politicians, in that Republicans get caught with their hand in the till, and Democrats with their trousers round their ankles.
Still - this is one area where the French attitude seems to be better. No-one batted an eye in France about Mitterand's various sexual indiscretions... in some ways it made him all the more French. Given the choice between a philanderer and a fraudster give me the philanderer any day. (Mr J Prescott is of course the exception that proves the rule here).
The hypocrisy bit is the damaging part though - but hypocrisy is a necessary consequence of a purient society.
Posted by: James | Tuesday, 11 March 2008 at 06:08 PM
Not so sure about Mitterand. Certainly there have been eyebrows raised at Sarkozy's behaviour. Is it more a case of a conspiracy keeping Mitterand's secret?
Personally though I agree. The issue here is that a politician who pretends to be clean on the sexual front shouldn't be caught in this situation. However, I would like to ask whether the prostitute in question was part of one of these "rings" or an independent escort.
Posted by: Trevv | Tuesday, 11 March 2008 at 09:38 PM
No-one actually knows what a prostitution "ring" is, of course - but doesn't it sound a whole lot worse?
Posted by: Neil McGowan | Tuesday, 11 March 2008 at 11:06 PM
The problem sounds remote or indeed may do so from the affairs of normal human creatures. But in spite of that every human failure to cope with a life situation must be alid in the end to the restriction of consciouness. Regrets are merely illuminations come to late. There is a sense of the ubiquitous myth lies within that serves as a general pattern for men and women as to wherever they may stand along the scale, formulated in the broadest terms of course. It is after all down to each individaul to discover their own position with reference to this general human formula, to assist them passed their restricting walls to discover who and where are their ogres, for are they not the reflections of their own unsolved enigmas pertinent to their own humanity. What are his Ideals? Are they not the symptoms of his own grasp of life.
Depth beyond depth of self ignorance Catherine.
Posted by: Andrew | Wednesday, 12 March 2008 at 11:48 AM
Stop press: not alid __ laid
Posted by: Andrew | Wednesday, 12 March 2008 at 11:50 AM
Shame on you Catherine - critisizing the poor chap just for wanting to have a bit of fun!!
Anyway, at least this has attracted some interesting metaphysics we can dwell on.
Posted by: Ken Hughes | Wednesday, 12 March 2008 at 08:20 PM