Posted on 03/11/2008 6:55:37 AM PDT by Liz
A disgraced Gov. Spitzer has been publicly and privately described as a ruthless, sanctimonious, amoral man whose righteous public persona was regularly contradicted by the realities of how he conducted his political life. Spitzer described himself as a "f- - -ing steamroller" after less than a month in office to Assembly Minority Leader James Tedisco who then to an associate, "This guy scares me." "There's something wrong with Spitzer, something wrong in his head,"
Even friends described Spitzer as a man with a frightening - Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde-like - transformation after a perceived personal slight or policy disagreement.
In 1994 Spitzer apparently violated state election law by failing to disclose huge sums lent by his megamillionaire father - who was said to be bent on seeing his son become the first Jewish president - to his initial unsuccessful campaign for attorney general. He then repeatedly lied about the loans when he ran successfully for the post in 1998.
As AG, Spitzer was repeatedly accused of improperly threatening Wall Street investment bankers - their firms and related businesses - with legal actions if they didn't admit to alleged wrongdoings and pony up hundreds of millions of dollars in fines....one target wrote in The Wall Street Journal describing a harrowing confrontation with a menacing attorney general.
Author Charles Gasparino, in "King of the Club," described interviewing Spitzer about an investigation of a well-known Wall Street executive and having his aide Dopp interrupt to say the individual "was boning" his secretary. He noted that Spitzer "just sat there before changing the subject."
Spitzer's claim that he was selflessly setting an example by voluntarily limiting his campaign contributions, even while setting up back-door channels so that those limits could be easily circumvented.......
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
He would threaten a corporation with a lawsuit.....the lawsuits would cost them millions in legal fees and damage control....so they paid up to “appease the Spitzer beast” figuring a "settlement" would make him go away.
Course every corporate payoff makes the beast stronger and his appetite bigger. He then threatens their neighbor, and then the next neighbor - until the entire block on Wall Street is paying ransom, and then the next block, and so on.
Spitz learned the protection racket from Unions who had learned it from the Sicilian Mafia.
Giuliani used the same scam………… and earned enough under the table to get himself into the Mayor's office.
Its just about SEX and violating the law. Nothing to see here. Move On. (org)./snicker
“Its just about SEX and violating the law. Nothing to see here.”
Unfortunately, you will find that sophomoric argument here on FR as well.
How the mighty have fallen.
I shed not one tear for Spitzer.
I caught a tidbit of Susie Estrich last evening and I have never seen her more despondent.
I feel sorry for the public, who got conned by this hypocrite and his friends in the news media.
This is actually bad news for us. It really started to look like we could beat this guy in ‘10. Now no matter what happens we won’t be facing him and the ‘crats wil likely win.
“why is the Democrat Governor the only one outed?”
Reporters are combing the Empire Club right now trying to find Republican Johns. Bet on it.
This guy sounds like a MAJOR sleazeball. Amazing NY would vote this guy in as governor. He just oozes corruption at every level. Of course, this is the same state that kept that b*tch clinton alive politically.
BTW: Didn't his wife have a look of "deer in the headlights"? I wonder how soon after he told her what happened that they steppped into the press conference. An hour? 10 minutes? She should have waited till they went live, then slapped him forehand and backhand across the face and say "I WANT A DIVORCE, YOU CHEATING SO_AND_SO". I think once a woman does that in front of the press, you'll see it more often, and their hubbies will think twice.
Yep. Don’t think any of us should be celebrating yet.
“..a ruthless, sanctimonious, amoral man...”
Good description for many a politician.
Sounds eerily like Jesse "Shakedown" Jackson and Al "Twana Brawley" Sharpton. Now if only those two would suffer a power-stripping scandal on par with Spitzer...
That’s how I understand it all, too.
“I feel sorry for the public, who got conned by this hypocrite and his friends in the news media.”
Hm...not me. The liberals in New York voted this freak into office, even after he went after the tobacco companies and Microsoft. Throw in Clinton and Schumer and the other wacky libs they elect, and they get no sympathy from me.
She, like Gayboy McGreevy's wife, look like she had just woken up from one nightmare only to be thrust into a still greater -- and more public -- nightmare. Add to that mix the fact that she looked like she'd just swallowed a live toad.
Case in point...
Bacalles introduces 'Spitzer Grinch' Assemblyman announces Lakeview walkway funding complete
Arse whole and hypocrite make a very unsympathetic combination.
If any Republicans are involved, I say good riddance to them as well.
Poor woman. A live toad is not all she’s swallowed...
The people of NY knew of his willingness to abuse power and they went along. The 69% of voters who voted for him should not be surprised. I suppose most of them would still vote for him today because they think he cares about them.
I never heard a word of concern or complaint about Spitzer’s threats to use government against his enemies from the left wing crowd that has the nerve to scream that Bush is curtailing our liberties.
Spitzer and Jesse Jackson should both be in prison for extortion.
Ken Langone, the founder of Home Depot who fought Spitzer’s attacks on him, commented to CNBC that everyone has their private hells, and he is hoping that Spitzer’s is hotter than anyone else’s. Gotta love candor in these PC-ridden times.
Sounds like Jesse Jackson’s M.O.
When it came to shaking down corporate America Spitzer was no better than Jesse Jackson.
He can kiss that one goodbye.......
Yeah, Spitzer sure didn’t pay her $4200.
Save your sorrow. If Eliot Spitzer ran for reelection as Governor of New York tomorrow against almost any Republican he would be overwhelmingly reelected by his fellow New Yorkers. And, the New York Times would undoubtedly endorse him!
I bet Client 9 does not resign.
Best case scenario is that Elliot resists an impeachment proceeding and resorts to Bill Clinton’s scorched earth strategy, i. e., exposing sexual pecadilloes of his accusers.
This will drag on through November and could make NY a Republican win.
Your typical New Yorker has never met a bipolar sociopath he didn't appreciate ~ whip, boots and all.
This really is about sex ~ deviant sex ~
If the reporters at NYTimes found out the Gov was No. 9, would they not also know who is 1-8? I guess I am not understanding how this got outed. Did the Gov leak or did the investigators leak?
Isn't it too early yet this election year to start outing Republicans? And are there any noteworthy Republicans even left to out?
Hey, Eliot "the John" Spitzer could STILL be the first Jewish President because this is a resume enhancer for DEMOCRATS...they don't care!
It’s SPITZMAS!!!
Carolyn
New York and New Jersey have the WORST, SLEAZIEST Governors EVER!
Shouldn’t be surprising from the state that brought you “Hillary, the world’s most qualified womyn”.
/s
//ny’er
///sigh
Well the libs I have heard say that 'high' dollar amount makes this all the more a 'victimless crime'.
Just how kinky was this guy? I wonder if he’s been to Thailand?
Ah well, as a Democrat he will probably survive this little setback. Those people don’t care about stuff like this as long as the “freebies” (ie., welfare and government “programs” paid for by thuggish big-government confiscation from hard-working, traditional American families, aka “Republicans”) keep coming.
It’s so easy being a Democrat....
Sorry, the wife looked fine yesterday....she almost SHOOK her head in agreement when he started about the government wasn’t just a person crap......and McGreevery’s wife was on TV last night!!! WHERE IS SHAME??
Oops.
His resignation can't come fast enough.
So typical ...
“Spitzer’s claim last year that he was selflessly setting an example by voluntarily limiting his campaign contributions, even while setting up back-door channels so that those limits could be easily circumvented, proved too much for even his much-beloved - and almost always apologetic - New York Times, which delivered a sharp rebuke.”
“Powerful union leaders have been openly bragging about their growing special influence with Spitzer.”
“Spitzer’s hypocrisy took more minor forms as well.”
He regularly claimed to have been “raised in The Bronx,” when in fact he was the product of the rarified wealthy world of Scarsdale, elite private elementary schools, Princeton and Harvard.”
“The governor also claimed to be a regular-guy-type NASCAR racing fan, but one associate privately claimed that Spitzer would spend more time watching his BlackBerry than he would watching the races.”
I do not see how it would be in the Clintons interest to out him with a sex scandal given their history. How would they even know the Gov was buying 'sex', because it would be in the Clintons interest to keep this delegate in office and appearing incorruptible. Seems with this guy out and the Lieutenant Gov becoming Gov would be a bigger threat to the Clintons than outing him
The argument about it being "only about sex" is a later decision to try to make atonement for what they started like an avalanche.
“I caught a tidbit of Susie Estrich last evening and I have never seen her more despondent”
OK that is a sure sign this is going to be an exceptional day.
They didn’t get conned. The evidence of Spitzer’s bulling and questionable tactics were well known. New York is populated by fools who love a loud mouth.
He needs to be indicted now on trafficking in persons - a felony.
I did not vote for him either nor did my husband and my two daughters.
Nobody will. Sounds like the only person who still likes him is his $1000 an hour “friend”.
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