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First Read is an analysis of the day's political news, from the NBC News political unit. First Read is updated throughout the day, so check back often.

Chuck Todd, NBC Political Director

Mark Murray, NBC Deputy Political Director

Domenico Montanaro, NBC Political Researcher



Spitzer's sex scandal

Posted: Tuesday, March 11, 2008 9:24 AM by Mark Murray
Filed Under: ,

The New York Times reports, “Gov. Eliot Spitzer continued to weigh whether to resign Tuesday, a day after law enforcement officials said he was a client of a high-end prostitution ring broken up last week by federal authorities. Mr. Spitzer was receiving counsel from his advisers late Monday at his Fifth Avenue apartment, and had not emerged as of early Tuesday morning.”

The New York Times editorial page stopped just short of calling for his resignation. “He did not just betray his family in a private matter. He betrayed the public, and it is hard to see how he will recover from this mess and go on to lead the reformist agenda on which he was elected to office.”

Per WNBC's Jay Dedapper, multiple New York Democratic Senate and Assembly sources say Eliot Spitzer WILL resign soon, certainly by the end of the week. They say a transition team is already in the process of being assembled, and several judges have been approached about presiding over a swearing-in ceremony. The sources say Spitzer has been urged to step down "for the good of the party.”

Dedapper also notes how the succession might occur: Spitzer can resign and Lt. Gov. David Paterson then has the option of agreeing to be sworn in as governor. There would be no special election and no replacement for lieutenant governor -- instead Spitzer's archrival, GOP Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno, becomes acting lieutenant governor (and remains Senate majority leader).

Should Paterson become governor, he would serve out the remainder of Spitzer's term, which would preclude him from his true desire -- being appointed to fill out the remainder of Hillary Clinton's term in the US Senate should she be elected president. That's because the governor can't appoint himself to fill out a US Senate term. But there's a "workaround": Paterson has the option of resigning as governor and, as long as he does so more than 90 days before the general election (November 4), that triggers a special election for both governor and lieutenant governor. Then a new (presumably Democratic) governor could appoint Paterson to Clinton's seat (if it's vacant).

The New York Post’s cover: Ho no!  and 
 
The New York Daily News’ cover with a somber, teary-eyed governor, dubs Spitzer: “Pay for luv gov.” Subheadline: “Life in ruins as he’s trapped in high-class hooker sting.”

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Comments

Has Hillary denounced and rejected his support and fundraising yet?
Who would have thought it was illegal to bring a prostitute to Washington...voters do it all the time...
Is client-9 really that much diffent than the Clintons?
It's always nice to a have a self-righteous and inflexible little jerk get whats coming to him. Spitzer is a typical Democrat, he tells other people how they should live, while doing the direct opposite in his life. Then he uses a wife as a prop when he makes a public apology. What a guy.
To have done a stupid thing like this, "Eliot Ness", the crusader against prostitution rings, must secretly want out of public life.  Now he'll have his chance.  Weird.  This level of hypocrisy sounds like something only a Republican would do...
Mr. Spitzer was receiving counsel from his advisers late Monday at his Fifth Avenue apartment, and had not emerged as of early Tuesday morning.”

For $4300, he was well "counseled" by his woman.....

Then a new (presumably Democratic) governor could appoint Paterson to Clinton's seat (if it's vacant).

You would think people in new York are tired of democrats cheating on their wives (Clinton, Spitzer), but then again, this is New York, where the men are pretty much caught up in sexland....

The way is wife looked in the picture, she could have run a spear into her husband's back, broke it off and beat him silly until he died and no jury in New York state would have convicted her.....

She must have been some girl for $1000 an hour plus $300 tip.....

Bill was probably wondering "I wonder what her phone number is?"

Whats the big deal? All politicians are lying filthy scum bags. Thats the profession of politics. To falsify and mislead to gain an advantage for themselves. Its all about deceiving to get elected and then their in and can control their own destinys until they get caught.
You know, I was married to a PERSON for the same amount of time and he never did anything wrong, just ask him, MR. GOLDENBOY, like this DUDE!!  PEOPLE CONTINUE TO BELIEVE IN HIM, TOO.  Hope this PERSON who betrays his wife and family and the people who also believed, gets lucky and is KNOCKED OUT and GROWS BEFORE HE DIES and comes back with some sense of Humility and Wisdom.  Sometimes it is good to land on your head from those high places.  WAKES YA UP!!
In re following the money...

Out here in the sticks we don't know so much about Spitzer (Spritzer, whoever) other than that he racked up some corporate greedmeisters.  Is he independently wealthy?  Would seem hard to afford a $200 hooker, let alone a $5000 one on government pay.  The hooker could be the least of this guy's problems.

I think the whole white house should be cleaned out. They are all liar's. They are suppose to be for the American people..But as Americans can see.millions of illegal's in our country . breaking our law's everyday & getting away with it. Where are our leader's moral's?
How does Spitzer have time to whore around in Washington. NY State isn't good enough for him?
Planning and plotting his hour long whoopie session?
At least Bill Clinton was on the job close by the red phone as he had his pizza and little willie sobbering session.
For Clinton it was all on the job training.
where did our freedom of speech go?
I do not feel that spitzer should resign. Clinton didn't.  This "pleasure" he had, has nothing to do with the way he will govern our state. This is a "personal" issue. He wasn't getting paid or running the ring so leave him alone.
This is exactly how the bush administration controls the rest of the world. He orders the FBI to follow and gather usable information on all political opponents. If he needs a favorable response from someone he has trash on, it is easy enought to press the "hot button" and get what he needs. Hey, it was only renting a bimbo for a while. People have been doing it since the begaining of time.
This is about more than renting a bimbo. Its about hiding government money to use for bimbos
Liz Elkon/Jerry of cc-Typical right wing Gop enablers/apologists who are either hypocrits, have amnesia and/or can not help themselves with that kool-aid of theirs. It seems their's no problems when it comes to GOP sex scandals like Vitter, Craig, Gringrich and the list goes on. Spare us all your holier than thou attitudes.
The real question that needs to be asked is why are we doing wire taps on Prosititition rings instead of known terrorist?  This is why Bush and Company should be prosecuted for illegal wire tapping the American people.  The fact is they use these wire taps for political advantage and not for fighting serious crimes or terrorism.  Does anyone realy care that Spitzer or any other person is cheating on their wives or husbands with prosititutes? Why are we so afraid of sex in America?  
Spitzer didn't "just have sex", he committed multiple felonies, ones for which he has previously put other people in jail for as attorney general.  People with the amount of power he has do indeed need to be held to a high standard, which standard includes not being criminals themselves!

In case you didn't know it, buying the services of a prostitute is just as illegal as being the prostitute is.  Oddly enough, prostitutes are prosecuted at least  10 times more often than their customers are.  Blatant sexist that is. Yoda I'm not.


The FBI wiretaps in question were done under court order and have nothing to do with anti-terrorism laws.  I sure hope that the FBI isn't dropping all of it's non-terrorism related responsibilities.

But what kind of national attention will there be if someone raises the question of campaign contributions to Clinton, or, better yet if Billary winds up on the client list?
http://twocanpete.blogspot.com
The creep couldn't even bring a pair of sunglasses for his wife. Book him Dano!
The FBI wiretaps in question were done under court order and have nothing to do with anti-terrorism laws.  I sure hope that the FBI isn't dropping all of it's non-terrorism related responsibilities.

John, Morgan Hill, California

The taps were done by the FBI because Spitzer's money transfers looked like he was laundering money. Initially they feds suspected that he has laundering bribe money, or illegal campaign contributions. When they looked closer, the money was going to a prostitution ring. There types of crimes are exactly what the FBI should be looking into.

Now the question becomes, was Spitzer using state money or state accounts for his illegal activity? Because it was across state lines, that will get him 10-20 in the federal pen. It would be fitting that he be a roommate of someone else he prosecuted for the same illegal activities. Spitzers new first name will be 'Mary' once he checks into prison.
For all you wanna be Clinton supporters out there - Just remember that Spitzer was Hillary's boy; her national campaign co-chair.  Let's see this is day two of Hillary standing by her man.  She seems to have a habit of standing by men who are caught with their pants down.
Leave Spitzer alone! Why all the fuss about his private life? Where has our country gone~ we are so preoccupied with public official's private lives. Look, he broke the law~ but maybe we can use this to have conversations about whether it's a good law in the first place. Look, these were two consenting adults. This was not some hooker desperate for cash if she's making close to $5,000 a pop. Maybe she is a nymphomaniac. Maybe she absolutely loves her job. Maybe she doesn't. Who does? In my book, as long as this woman (and those like her) are given educational opportunities to advance themselves & to make sure they do not contract or transfer any diseases, then leave them alone to make their job decisions. Yes, it's degrading in many peoples' eyes. Are they really any worse off  than other employees like myself who get emotional abuse from bosses? This girl could have been treated with the utmost respect. I want the best for women and for our society. It's ironic that this came out the same week that TONY (Time Out N.Y.) focused on the double lives of many New Yorkers. While I am not one of those people, I can understand how some people would be. While I don't want that lifestyle personally (and this is a personal matter for Spitzer and his family) I don't judge it. So what that he's a public official. He is a human being. He has a pay check & this doesn't seem like our business how he spends it (on a posh hotel room, on some extra on-the-spot attention...) on his personal time~ and who cares that it's the day before Valentine's day. In away his family should be the only one who cares. I think we should talk about infidelity and not make it so taboo. If this was the only way he could balance his family life and public office, it's not the worst thing in the world. There are so many other SOLUTIONS we could be talking about. Let's stay out of it.  Why is our FBI focused on this high class sex issue? Does this really make or break our education, health care, poverty, pollution or world peace? No. Our country needs to stop this incessant downward spiral rat-race to uncover breaking news about our officials' personal lives. It's superficial and it's heart-breaking to see the topics that the U.S. finds important boil down to THIS. All networks and reporters should feel ashamed of themselves. I am proud of the way Spitzer handled his speech last night. He is a leader. Let him lead in Albany & leave his personal life alone. And NO I don't think Hillary should have to denounce his support or funding for her campaign.


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