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...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.