Spitzer resigns

Here's the full text of the speech:

In the past few days I have begun to atone for my private failings

Only because you got caught, Eliot.

with my wife, Silda, my children, and my entire family.

If he had any honor at all he would NEVER mention them at all. If he was a man, he would have actually sent them out of the country to spare them all this humiliation.

The remorse I feel will always be with me. Words cannot describe how grateful I am for the love and compassion they have shown me. From those to whom much is given, much is expected. I have been given much: the love of my family, the faith and trust of the people of New York, and the chance to lead this state. I am deeply sorry that I did not live up to what was expected of me. To every New Yorker, and to all those who believed in what I tried to stand for, I sincerely apologize.

It's all about Eliot, Eliot and more Eliot: eleven "my", "me" and "I".

I look at my time as governor with a sense of what might have been, but I also know that as a public servant I, and the remarkable people with whom I worked, have accomplished a great deal. There is much more to be done, and I cannot allow my private failings to disrupt the people's work.

Translation: I'm setting up my comeback as we speak".

Over the course of my public life, I have insisted, I believe correctly, that people, regardless of their position or power, take responsibility for their conduct. I can and will ask no less of myself. For this reason, I am resigning from the office of governor. At Lt. Gov. Paterson's request, the resignation will be effective Monday, March 17, a date that he believes will permit an orderly transition.

Here you go: the start of the comeback tour is now official.

Then he did a little motivational speak to warm them up to the idea:

I go forward with the belief, as others have said, that as human beings, our greatest glory consists not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. As I leave public life, I will first do what I need to do to help and heal myself and my family. Then I will try once again, outside of politics, to serve the common good and to move toward the ideals and solutions which I believe can build a future of hope and opportunity for us and for our children.

Translation: Give it a couple of months, a carefully coreographed appearance with the Mrs on Oprah, a profitable book deal, and I'll be back "for the children" and "the common good".

And good luck to the guy who's left holding the bag,

I hope all of New York will join my prayers for my friend, David Paterson, as he embarks on his new mission, and I thank the public once again for the privilege of service.

As Siggy would say, "what a sanctimonious ass".



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What Mrs Spitzer should do

Deadline to quit for NY's Spitzer

New York State Governor Eliot Spitzer has been given a deadline to step down or face impeachment proceedings over allegations that he hired a prostitute.

I was looking at the headlines, which are sordid and will continue to get worse, particularly since in addition to the sex scandal,

Federal investigators say there is no evidence Spitzer used state money or campaign funds to pay the prostitutes, but that the way he moved an estimated $40,000 through various accounts violated federal money laundering laws.

And here is what Mrs. Spitzer should do: She needs to get her daughters out of the public eye, right now, right away.

How to do that?

She needs to leave the country with them (and hopefully another close relative), and go on an extended trip - possibly until after the November elections - to a place where they can live away from the American media. Possibly Switzerland, which is not papparrazzi-obsessed the way other countries in the EU are, and where her daughters could enroll in schools that have very high security.

I'm sure she has enough relations and contacts that would support her decision and help her settle (at least temporarily) in the new place. She has the money, she has the contacts; it needs to be done, right now.

From the looks of it, however, that's exactly what she's not going to do.



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A few afternoon links

A few more Spitzer links:
Spitzer introduces himself
From Gerard via Larwyn, Amid Charges of Spitzer Tryst, Embattled Prostitute "Kristen" Expected to Resign
SPITZER HAS USED HOOKERS FOR 6 YEARS: SOURCES. At $4500/hr, he's probably broke by now.

Other stuff:
The Marines at Berkely

Clooney: Not engaged. Not gay, either.

Last night I woke up in the middle of they night and they were playing Zefferelli's Romeo and Juliet. I love that movie, and so does Neo, who today has a wonderful post, Caught on tape: Ballet, "Walpurgis Nacht," and Plisetskaya"

NYT's Promotion of Keller’s Book Fails

Cats, Nerd Humor & Food Court Musical

Mary Anne Busted for Mary Jane

Who's the boss at your house?

When Art Imitates Life & Who In The Hell Is Art?, and I have those shoes. Really.

The Top 10 Reasons Bloggers Don't Succeed. Reason 11: because you miss Spring Blog Fest East.

Who needs a movie?




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The Spitzer investigation

While I certainly got a good chuckle out of the Spitzer news, I am rather intrigued by the question of why would a judge put his job on the line to approve the wiretap on the governor.

Surely, saying "we want to wiretap Spitzer because he's seeing call girls" wouldn't have been enough for a judge to go along.

It Wasn't the Sex; Suspicious $$ Transfers Led to Spitzer

The federal investigation of a New York prostitution ring was triggered by Gov. Eliot Spitzer's suspicious money transfers, initially leading agents to believe Spitzer was hiding bribes, according to federal officials.

Mind you, Spitzer prosecuted enough prostitution rings to KNOW that would be the sure way to get found out:

Spitzer, who made his name by bringing high-profile cases against many of New York's financial giants, is likely to be prosecuted under a relatively obscure statute called "structuring," according to a Justice Department official.

Structuring involves creating a series of financial movements designed to obscure the true purpose of the payments.

Prosecutors reportedly have a series of e-mails and wiretapped phone conversations of Spitzer.

In a interview two years ago, Spitzer, then-attorney general, told ABC News he had some advice for people who break the law. "Never talk when you can nod, and never nod when you can wink, and never write an e-mail because it's death. You're giving prosecutors all the evidence we need," he said.

He winked, he nodded, he email.

And he's not going to resign, even when he's exhausted all political goodwill. Whether the pressure from being investigated under the Mann act (for transporting prostitutes across state lines or persuading prostitutes to cross state lines for sexual purposes) by the Feds or by the state will force him to resign, remains to be seen.

For now he's staying put.

UPDATE
Today's WSJ editorial:

The stupendously deluded belief that the sitting Governor of New York could purchase the services of prostitutes was merely the last act of a man unable to admit either the existence of, or need for, limits.

In today's podcast at 11AM Eastern Rick Moran joins us to talk about Spitzer, and also about Barak Obama and Tony Rezko. I'll also rant about all these political "wee wifeys" standing by their men, too.

Chat will be open by 10:45 and the call in number is 646 652-2639. Join us!


UPDATE 2
The Governor, by the Competitive Enterprise Institute:




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