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Spitzer was a dem who became a target of banks and credit institutions afraid of his cracking down on their anti-consumer business practices. He was Elizabeth W

Spitzer was a dem who became a target of banks and credit institutions afraid of his cracking down on their anti-consumer business practices. He was Elizabeth Warren before Elizabeth Warren, and deserves more respect than to be pigeonholed as a politician with his pigeon in a hole. From Wikipedia: "Spitzer used this authority in his civil actions against corporations and criminal prosecutions against their officers." Damn shame.

gojomo 13y ago
Spitzer prosecuted people for both prostitution and the same kind of 'structuring' of large cash transactions that he himself did. He deserves his place on the above 'moral crusaders who turned out to be hypocrites' list, even if you happen to like some of his other crusades.
- dclowd9901 13y ago
  Fair points, but on the flip side, it's one thing to prosecute because it's your job, and another to persecute simply because it's your political ideology or fundamental belief. For all we know, Spitzer felt like prostitution laws were stupid, which really wouldn't make him a hypocrite at all.
  - jessaustin 13y ago
    Yeah sure, doing evil because it's your job to do evil is very normal, very human. The practice still merits criticism.
rralian 13y ago
I worked for a company that Spitzer went after while he was attorney general, and he seemed more like he was running a political campaign than trying to uphold the law. He very effectively spread FUD through a willing media in order to coerce a settlement (and headlines). To this day, people in my home state are convinced that company did all sorts of things that they were never actually accused of. He was no prince.
bhickey 13y ago
Hypocrisy isn't a partisan issue. Sure, I feel some schadenfreude when the other guy screws up, but it's intellectually dishonest to give someone a free pass because you share their politics. Spitzer was going after human trafficking and prostitution as AG and Governor while he was committing Mann Act Violations on the side. I want the folks on 'my team' to have integrity so their agendas don't get derailed.

gojomo 13y ago

Spitzer prosecuted people for both prostitution and the same kind of 'structuring' of large cash transactions that he himself did. He deserves his place on the above 'moral crusaders who turned out to be hypocrites' list, even if you happen to like some of his other crusades.

dclowd9901 13y ago
Fair points, but on the flip side, it's one thing to prosecute because it's your job, and another to persecute simply because it's your political ideology or fundamental belief. For all we know, Spitzer felt like prostitution laws were stupid, which really wouldn't make him a hypocrite at all.
- jessaustin 13y ago
  Yeah sure, doing evil because it's your job to do evil is very normal, very human. The practice still merits criticism.

rralian 13y ago

I worked for a company that Spitzer went after while he was attorney general, and he seemed more like he was running a political campaign than trying to uphold the law. He very effectively spread FUD through a willing media in order to coerce a settlement (and headlines). To this day, people in my home state are convinced that company did all sorts of things that they were never actually accused of. He was no prince.

bhickey 13y ago

Hypocrisy isn't a partisan issue. Sure, I feel some schadenfreude when the other guy screws up, but it's intellectually dishonest to give someone a free pass because you share their politics. Spitzer was going after human trafficking and prostitution as AG and Governor while he was committing Mann Act Violations on the side. I want the folks on 'my team' to have integrity so their agendas don't get derailed.