Report: Former U.N. Inspector Scott Ritter Arrested in Internet Sex Sting (AP)

AP-Fox News ^ | 1/21/03 | AP

[The Great Satan]

Tell me why his weakness for 14 year old girls affects his credibility over what he's been saying about Iraq?

You're kidding, right?

[Lancey Howard]

I think that it's either another case of blackmail or it was done as a political favor. My guess is that this is a DNC/Hillary operation.

Yep, and this assistant district attorney Cynthia Preiser is no longer useful alive. If I was her, I would start squealing like a pig before I got Arkancided. The Clintons are way too sneaky and experienced to let something like this get traced back to them, but the Republicans have the White House now (and the FBI and the Justice Department) and you never know what might get blown out of the trunk of a car in a hurricane.

[Lancey Howard]

The DA found out about the case and fired the ADA, Cynthia Preiser over it. The original stories placed the firing at "last week", so I'm not sure of the day, but perhaps a reporter raised an eyebrow as I wouldn't think assistant district attorneys are fired over just any old thing, and looked into it and the story came out from there..... Now, I'd like to know what brought it to the DA's attention...

Yes, that is the question.
And thanks for clarifying.

[Lancey Howard]

There was NOTHING leaked about the court case. What has been discussed in the media was the original arrest which was indeed covered on local TV in NY. That's what's showing up now. Don't confuse the two.

I think you misunderstand.
This case from a year-and-a-half ago was only now brought to light because a DA only recently found out about it. How did that happen?
It seems to me that somebody leaked something to somebody.

[ARCADIA]

I agree with your "maybe, maybe not", but we probably part company on whether or not speculation is warranted in the absence of facts...

The fact is that the man has proven himself susceptible to blackmail. Was he blackmailed? Who knows, but at least now we have a possible motive for the amazing about face.

[GirlShortstop]

There was NOTHING leaked about the court case. What has been discussed in the media was the original arrest which was indeed covered on local TV in NY. That's what's showing up now. Don't confuse the two.

If you could cite the portion of my post to which you've replied, I might understand your comment of Don't confuse the two.  There *was* local coverage in the summer of 2001? Link??  Facts are interesting, are they not?

[Reactionary]

Why? The use of blackmail against an ex-weapons inspector in New York in order to turn him into a high-profile shill against the war in Iraq?P>

Sounds perfectly Clintonian to me. But, as I said, it's only a guess.

[PeaceBeWithYou]

Don't think so. This appears to be her school. Class of '86

Hobart and William Smith Colleges-Alumni Club of Albany-Cynthia E. Preiser '86

But on the otherhand Towson isn't all that far from HWS and Albany.

[samkatz]

NO, Scott Ritter's sexual deviance and his stand on Iraq are not related.no conspiracy here BUT
the conspiracy is the PRESS for not REPORTING THIS. IMAGINE if one of Dubya's buddies or supporters was "caught with his pants down". This is like when Algore's son was arrested on the night of the Dem convention and NO ONE except Drudge reported it. They don't want to sully the reputation of one of their heroes.

[My2Cents]

Tell me why his weakness for 14 year old girls affects his credibility over what he's been saying about Iraq?
You're kidding, right?

No, I'm dead serious. You seem pretty sure there's a relationship between Ritter's perversion and his about-face on Iraq. Please enlighten me.

[My2Cents]

Would you recommend we ignore it?

No. I suggested that conservatives not make too much of it.

[ozzymandus]

Isn't it amazing how so many of the left's heroes turn out to be despicable (and hilariously stupid) perverts??
Whatever happened to Bob "Spank me, Baby" Beckel??

[rolling_stone]

Ah yes put this behind us, that is fine and dandy for "youthful offenders" but for a two time 40 year old catch like Ritter, I think he should have gotten the message the first time and didn't thus IMO he should have been prosecuted. I can only guess how many times he got away with it and didn't get caught....why the PD didn't search his computer for more evidence, I don't know..I guarantee it would happen in other jurisdictions...was a warrant presented to the ADA for her blessings and she declined? Interesting...


On one hand I would like to see the truth come out and if there are more victims they come forward, but for their sake they might be better off being quiet...Imagine getting your face on TV after luring minors, almost as bad as being on TV when your pregnant wife disappears and you have a girlfriend..oops I forgot SP at least tried to stay out of the limelight.

[AndyTheBear]

To clairify. I do not neccesarily think there is blackmail link between Ritter's sex scandal and his out spoken opinions about Iraq, it is plausible that there is and plausible that there is not. My point was that the scandal is relevant to Mr Ritter's position on Iraq independent of such a link. The idea is he had a certain level of credibilty because of his experience, and now his opinion has less credibility because he has been shown to have at least one serious lapse in moral character. Moreover the scandal is of a public nature, and therefore within the scope of any serious discussion about Mr Ritter and his opinions on Iraq.

My impression was that you did not think that the moral lapses were relevant to his Iraq postitions (though I think we agree these positions are contemtable anyway).

[My2Cents]

Your comments are similar to the thought I expressed yesterday: That Scott Ritter has been shown to be a moral reprobate, and as a moral reprobate, his ability to discern right from wrong, morality from evil, and reality from fantasy, can now be put into question.

My original post yesterday (the one everyone jumped on) was that conservatives should not make too much of the news of his arrest, because it would smack of the same sort of gutter hardball that Clinton enlisted Larry Flynt to engage in. I didn't suggest that his arrest was irrelevant, but only that we shouldn't make too much of it -- shouldn't hang our hat on it as the final repudiation of Ritter's Iraq position. I still think Ritter's position on Iraq is indefensible, even discounting this moral bankruptcy.