Comments on: Eliot Spitzer — Martyr? I Don’t Think So … http://www.antiwar.com/blog/2008/03/10/eliot-spitzer-martyr-i-dont-think-so/ Mon, 7 Jul 2008 03:44:52 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Eugene Costa http://www.antiwar.com/blog/2008/03/10/eliot-spitzer-martyr-i-dont-think-so/#comment-140403 Eugene Costa Fri, 14 Mar 2008 00:38:19 +0000 http://www.antiwar.com/blog/2008/03/10/eliot-spitzer-martyr-i-dont-think-so/#comment-140403 <i>Shortly after his resignation Profumo began to work as a volunteer cleaning toilets at Toynbee Hall, a charity based in the East End of London, and continued to work there for the rest of his life. He "had to be persuaded to lay down his mop and lend a hand running the place", eventually becoming Toynbee Hall's chief fundraiser, and used his political skills and contacts to raise large sums of money. All this work was done as a volunteer, since Profumo was able to live on his inherited wealth. His wife also devoted herself to charity until her death in 1998. In the eyes of most commentators Profumo's charity work redeemed his reputation. The social reform campaigner Lord Longford said he "felt more admiration [for Profumo] than [for] all the men I've known in my lifetime". Profumo was awarded a CBE in 1975, which he received at a Buckingham Palace ceremony from Queen Elizabeth II, signalling his return to respectability. In 1995, former Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher invited him to her 70th birthday dinner, where he sat next to the Queen. He appeared only occasionally in public, particularly in his last years when he was confined to a wheelchair. His last appearance was at the memorial service for Sir Edward Heath on 8 November 2005. In 2003 Profumo received the prestigious Beacon Fellowship Prize for his work at Toybee Hall in countering social deprivation and exclusion.</i> [wikipedia s.v. John Profumo] I had not realized Profumo landed at Normandy on D-Day. Of course his offense was lying to Commons. Shortly after his resignation Profumo began to work as a volunteer cleaning toilets at Toynbee Hall, a charity based in the East End of London, and continued to work there for the rest of his life. He “had to be persuaded to lay down his mop and lend a hand running the place”, eventually becoming Toynbee Hall’s chief fundraiser, and used his political skills and contacts to raise large sums of money. All this work was done as a volunteer, since Profumo was able to live on his inherited wealth. His wife also devoted herself to charity until her death in 1998. In the eyes of most commentators Profumo’s charity work redeemed his reputation. The social reform campaigner Lord Longford said he “felt more admiration [for Profumo] than [for] all the men I’ve known in my lifetime”.

Profumo was awarded a CBE in 1975, which he received at a Buckingham Palace ceremony from Queen Elizabeth II, signalling his return to respectability. In 1995, former Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher invited him to her 70th birthday dinner, where he sat next to the Queen. He appeared only occasionally in public, particularly in his last years when he was confined to a wheelchair. His last appearance was at the memorial service for Sir Edward Heath on 8 November 2005.

In 2003 Profumo received the prestigious Beacon Fellowship Prize for his work at Toybee Hall in countering social deprivation and exclusion.

[wikipedia s.v. John Profumo]

I had not realized Profumo landed at Normandy on D-Day.

Of course his offense was lying to Commons.

]]> By: Eugene Costa http://www.antiwar.com/blog/2008/03/10/eliot-spitzer-martyr-i-dont-think-so/#comment-140400 Eugene Costa Fri, 14 Mar 2008 00:27:48 +0000 http://www.antiwar.com/blog/2008/03/10/eliot-spitzer-martyr-i-dont-think-so/#comment-140400 Ed Koch on Eliot Spitzer: <i>"I think he felt he was totally invulnerable and could do whatever he wanted and there would be no consequences," says Ed Koch, a former New York City mayor who considers himself a friend of Spitzer's.</i> [Cloud, Time March 13, 2008] Hmmm. "No consequences". Banking regulations aside, Spitzer also used an online "escort service" of the very same type which he as prosecutor had closed down in at least two instances. Ed Koch on Eliot Spitzer:

“I think he felt he was totally invulnerable and could do whatever he wanted and there would be no consequences,” says Ed Koch, a former New York City mayor who considers himself a friend of Spitzer’s.

[Cloud, Time March 13, 2008]

Hmmm. “No consequences”. Banking regulations aside, Spitzer also used an online “escort service” of the very same type which he as prosecutor had closed down in at least two instances.

]]> By: Eugene Costa http://www.antiwar.com/blog/2008/03/10/eliot-spitzer-martyr-i-dont-think-so/#comment-140252 Eugene Costa Thu, 13 Mar 2008 15:47:32 +0000 http://www.antiwar.com/blog/2008/03/10/eliot-spitzer-martyr-i-dont-think-so/#comment-140252 I received the following from democrat.com, where I signed an impeachment petition. Apparently they too are putting two and two together in relation to Spitzer and the Republicans' eagerness to impeach: <i> <b>Spitzer Resigns - It's Time to Impeach Bush</b> Today Gov. Eliot Spitzer apologized again to the people of New York for his personal failings and resigned, just 16 months after winning an historic landslide election with 70% of the vote. But Spitzer's resignation was not entirely voluntary, because Republican leaders were busy drafting Articles of Impeachment. What was Spitzer's impeachable offense? The "lowest" crime in the book. As we know, the Founding Fathers wanted Impeachment to be used for "High Crimes" like treason, bribery, war crimes, and subverting the Constitution itself. Eliot Spitzer committed no "High Crimes" - but George Bush and Dick Cheney most certainly have, and they continue to do so with absolute impunity. It's time for Congress to impeach them for it. http://www.democrats.com/peoplesemailnetwork/88?ad=d8 16 months ago, we posted a petition listing 10 High Crimes which justified their impeachment: (1) Starting a "war of aggression" (2) torture (3) arbitrary detention (4) war crimes (5) warrantless wiretapping (6) signing statements (7) election fraud (8) outing a covert CIA operative (9) the "unitary executive" (10) gross negligence for Katrina and global warming. Each one of these crimes is as unacceptable today as it was then. After 5 years in Iraq (see below), Bush has killed nearly 4,000 Americans and over 1 million Iraqis and incurred $3 trillion in costs. And there are many more crimes we could add, including Bush's commutation of Scooter Libby's sentence to stop him from testifying about the crimes of Bush and Cheney themselves, and Bush's ongoing threats to bomb Iran. And each one makes Spitzer's "crime" utterly insignificant by comparison. Over 137,000 of you have signed this petition, and we thank you. (If you've forgotten, our form won't let you sign twice.) But many of you have not. And in the wake of the Republican effort to impeach Eliot Spitzer for his "low" crime, every American who is outraged by Bush's "High Crimes" should sign it. Please tell your Senators and Representative to Impeach Bush and Cheney Now: http://www.democrats.com/peoplesemailnetwork/88?ad=d8 And thanks for all you do to make the world a better place.</i> I received the following from democrat.com, where I signed an impeachment petition. Apparently they too are putting two and two together in relation to Spitzer and the Republicans’ eagerness to impeach:

Spitzer Resigns - It’s Time to Impeach Bush

Today Gov. Eliot Spitzer apologized again to the people of New York for his personal failings and resigned, just 16 months after winning an historic landslide election with 70% of the vote.

But Spitzer’s resignation was not entirely voluntary, because Republican leaders were busy drafting Articles of Impeachment.

What was Spitzer’s impeachable offense? The “lowest” crime in the book.

As we know, the Founding Fathers wanted Impeachment to be used for “High Crimes” like treason, bribery, war crimes, and subverting the Constitution itself.

Eliot Spitzer committed no “High Crimes” - but George Bush and Dick Cheney most certainly have, and they continue to do so with absolute impunity.

It’s time for Congress to impeach them for it.
http://www.democrats.com/peoplesemailnetwork/88?ad=d8

16 months ago, we posted a petition listing 10 High Crimes which justified their impeachment:
(1) Starting a “war of aggression” (2) torture (3) arbitrary detention (4) war crimes (5) warrantless wiretapping (6) signing statements (7) election fraud (8) outing a covert CIA operative (9) the “unitary executive” (10) gross negligence for Katrina and global warming.

Each one of these crimes is as unacceptable today as it was then. After 5 years in Iraq (see below), Bush has killed nearly 4,000 Americans and over 1 million Iraqis and incurred $3 trillion in costs. And there are many more crimes we could add, including Bush’s commutation of Scooter Libby’s sentence to stop him from testifying about the crimes of Bush and Cheney themselves, and Bush’s ongoing threats to bomb Iran. And each one makes Spitzer’s “crime” utterly insignificant by comparison.

Over 137,000 of you have signed this petition, and we thank you. (If you’ve forgotten, our form won’t let you sign twice.)

But many of you have not. And in the wake of the Republican effort to impeach Eliot Spitzer for his “low” crime, every American who is outraged by Bush’s “High Crimes” should sign it.

Please tell your Senators and Representative to Impeach Bush and Cheney Now:

http://www.democrats.com/peoplesemailnetwork/88?ad=d8

And thanks for all you do to make the world a better place.

]]> By: Eugene Costa http://www.antiwar.com/blog/2008/03/10/eliot-spitzer-martyr-i-dont-think-so/#comment-140160 Eugene Costa Thu, 13 Mar 2008 09:46:01 +0000 http://www.antiwar.com/blog/2008/03/10/eliot-spitzer-martyr-i-dont-think-so/#comment-140160 corr: "legitimately do" corr: “legitimately do”

]]> By: Eugene Costa http://www.antiwar.com/blog/2008/03/10/eliot-spitzer-martyr-i-dont-think-so/#comment-140158 Eugene Costa Thu, 13 Mar 2008 09:44:17 +0000 http://www.antiwar.com/blog/2008/03/10/eliot-spitzer-martyr-i-dont-think-so/#comment-140158 For some of the religious "Libertarians" obviously, and also for others because of their childhood and the way they were raised I suspect, "Liberty" is one of the poles of what is just another doublebind, to wit--you must be accorded freedom to choose solely in order willingly to choose what they prescribe. Interestingly enough, Hegel, for anyone willing to read all of him, or most of him, has a very similar pattern in his all too Christian "state". My understanding is more elementary. If, for example, one says there shall be no abridgment of freedom of speech, it is hard for me to read that as "some" abridgment. On the other hand, many of those raised with the idea of blasphemy still have yet to grasp the contradiction with parrhesia. Is one really surprised that Israel is now moving to restrict Al Jazeera? This is just the agreement of authoritarians and Fascists, Left and Right, on Speech Codes, if not on their specific content. I look forward to the great Uri Avery, who rightly traces logic to Olympus, treating the new Likud declaration with some real depth and sensitivity. At any rate, it seems curious for anyone arguing for the naivety of self-ownership, which by the way fits nicely into the old British Liberal's idea of "Labor", to exclude prostitution, which is a sale of one's body for money in some definitions at least, from what one can legitimately to with whatever property it is that is "self-owned". For some of the religious “Libertarians” obviously, and also for others because of their childhood and the way they were raised I suspect, “Liberty” is one of the poles of what is just another doublebind, to wit–you must be accorded freedom to choose solely in order willingly to choose what they prescribe.

Interestingly enough, Hegel, for anyone willing to read all of him, or most of him, has a very similar pattern in his all too Christian “state”.

My understanding is more elementary.

If, for example, one says there shall be no abridgment of freedom of speech, it is hard for me to read that as “some” abridgment.

On the other hand, many of those raised with the idea of blasphemy still have yet to grasp the contradiction with parrhesia.

Is one really surprised that Israel is now moving to restrict Al Jazeera?

This is just the agreement of authoritarians and Fascists, Left and Right, on Speech Codes, if not on their specific content.

I look forward to the great Uri Avery, who rightly traces logic to Olympus, treating the new Likud declaration with some real depth and sensitivity.

At any rate, it seems curious for anyone arguing for the naivety of self-ownership, which by the way fits nicely into the old British Liberal’s idea of “Labor”, to exclude prostitution, which is a sale of one’s body for money in some definitions at least, from what one can legitimately to with whatever property it is that is “self-owned”.

]]> By: Doug http://www.antiwar.com/blog/2008/03/10/eliot-spitzer-martyr-i-dont-think-so/#comment-140010 Doug Wed, 12 Mar 2008 23:41:15 +0000 http://www.antiwar.com/blog/2008/03/10/eliot-spitzer-martyr-i-dont-think-so/#comment-140010 No. never! No. never!

]]> By: Andy http://www.antiwar.com/blog/2008/03/10/eliot-spitzer-martyr-i-dont-think-so/#comment-139998 Andy Wed, 12 Mar 2008 23:10:57 +0000 http://www.antiwar.com/blog/2008/03/10/eliot-spitzer-martyr-i-dont-think-so/#comment-139998 What is the real issue here, prostitution? Infidelity? Hypocrisy? What if he had been a bachelor? What if he didn't have a record as a "moral crusader"? Prostitution should not be criminalized anymore then smoking Marijuana should be. What is the real issue here, prostitution? Infidelity? Hypocrisy? What if he had been a bachelor? What if he didn’t have a record as a “moral crusader”? Prostitution should not be criminalized anymore then smoking Marijuana should be.

]]> By: Sinisa http://www.antiwar.com/blog/2008/03/10/eliot-spitzer-martyr-i-dont-think-so/#comment-139904 Sinisa Wed, 12 Mar 2008 17:32:11 +0000 http://www.antiwar.com/blog/2008/03/10/eliot-spitzer-martyr-i-dont-think-so/#comment-139904 Salem S: Dershowitz desperately wants Hillary Clinton to beat Obama and the fall of Spitzer deprives her of an important Teflon ally. Salem S:

Dershowitz desperately wants Hillary Clinton to beat Obama and the fall of Spitzer deprives her of an important Teflon ally.

]]> By: salem s http://www.antiwar.com/blog/2008/03/10/eliot-spitzer-martyr-i-dont-think-so/#comment-139893 salem s Wed, 12 Mar 2008 16:57:35 +0000 http://www.antiwar.com/blog/2008/03/10/eliot-spitzer-martyr-i-dont-think-so/#comment-139893 One wonders what is behind Alan Dershowitz's defense of Spitzer. Spitzer Has Sinned, But It’s Our Sex Obsession That’s Criminal .By Alan Dershowitz http://www.forward.com/articles/12885/ One wonders what is behind Alan Dershowitz’s defense of Spitzer.

Spitzer Has Sinned, But It’s Our Sex Obsession That’s Criminal .By Alan Dershowitz

http://www.forward.com/articles/12885/

]]> By: masmanz http://www.antiwar.com/blog/2008/03/10/eliot-spitzer-martyr-i-dont-think-so/#comment-139887 masmanz Wed, 12 Mar 2008 16:29:26 +0000 http://www.antiwar.com/blog/2008/03/10/eliot-spitzer-martyr-i-dont-think-so/#comment-139887 The scary thing is not what Elliot did but how he was caught. Federal agencies probably now have enough material on every politician so they can pick and choose who to target next. This is how things are done in other parts of the world. Welcome to the third-world. The legislature has slept for the last 7 years, now there is a price to pay. Even if they wake up now they will not be able to undo the damage because many of them will be faced with all these personal follies (even if they are not criminal in nature.) The scary thing is not what Elliot did but how he was caught. Federal agencies probably now have enough material on every politician so they can pick and choose who to target next. This is how things are done in other parts of the world. Welcome to the third-world. The legislature has slept for the last 7 years, now there is a price to pay. Even if they wake up now they will not be able to undo the damage because many of them will be faced with all these personal follies (even if they are not criminal in nature.)

]]> By: MetaCynic http://www.antiwar.com/blog/2008/03/10/eliot-spitzer-martyr-i-dont-think-so/#comment-139855 MetaCynic Wed, 12 Mar 2008 14:29:39 +0000 http://www.antiwar.com/blog/2008/03/10/eliot-spitzer-martyr-i-dont-think-so/#comment-139855 Apparently what first drew attention to Spitzer was that he was repeatedly withdrawing large sums of cash from his bank account, though below the $10,000 mandatory reporting threshhold. Under the Orwellian named, Know Your Customer, law, Bank personnel are trained to look for such patterns and he was reported to the IRS who investigated his cash withdrawals further and then decided that this was a matter for the FBI. His hubris is towering. Thinking that he is invincible, he was snared by the same police state mechanism that he viciously used as a federal prosecutor against others in order to advance his career. It's always satisfying when the cruel and power hungry are brought down by their own oppressive tools. It brings to mind Robespierre. Unfortunately the rest of us must continue to struggle against their legacy. Apparently what first drew attention to Spitzer was that he was repeatedly withdrawing large sums of cash from his bank account, though below the $10,000 mandatory reporting threshhold. Under the Orwellian named, Know Your Customer, law, Bank personnel are trained to look for such patterns and he was reported to the IRS who investigated his cash withdrawals further and then decided that this was a matter for the FBI.

His hubris is towering. Thinking that he is invincible, he was snared by the same police state mechanism that he viciously used as a federal prosecutor against others in order to advance his career.

It’s always satisfying when the cruel and power hungry are brought down by their own oppressive tools. It brings to mind Robespierre. Unfortunately the rest of us must continue to struggle against their legacy.

]]> By: subHuman http://www.antiwar.com/blog/2008/03/10/eliot-spitzer-martyr-i-dont-think-so/#comment-139775 subHuman Wed, 12 Mar 2008 07:25:53 +0000 http://www.antiwar.com/blog/2008/03/10/eliot-spitzer-martyr-i-dont-think-so/#comment-139775 Transitional consequence from coup d'etat which resulted from 9/11. Life in the Land of Scared and Frightened! Life will get easier when majority get used to life in POLICE STATE! Transitional consequence from coup d’etat which resulted from 9/11.

Life in the Land of Scared and Frightened!

Life will get easier when majority get used to life in POLICE STATE!

]]>