Sputtering And Spitzering
By Pejman Yousefzadeh Posted in Kneel Before Zod | Law | Rooting For Injuries | Spitzmas — Comments (2) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
Like anyone else, I was completely shocked by this. I suppose that one can point out that prostitution is a vice and take the Stuttaford position that what goes on between two consenting adults should solely be the business of the consenting adults. I have a fair amount of sympathy for that argument, but the law is the law and what's more: Spitzer made a name for himself in part by busting prostitution circles when he was attorney general. He can't quite claim that this isn't a big deal; it sure seemed like it was a big deal when busting prostitution circles allowed Eliot Spitzer to present the Mr. Clean image that helped him become Governor in the first place.
Mann Act violations have been noted by a whole host of people but what could be just as serious--if not more serious--are concerns that Spitzer engaged in "structuring." If true, this could be devastating. More on the facts underlying the potential structuring allegation here.
Economics aside, no one is going to take seriously a Governor who paid over four grand for a good time. Do you know who this guy is yet? If not, you probably will soon.
« They're winding up FISA now in the Senate. — Comments (136) | Making Every Vote Count — Comments (3) »
Sputtering And Spitzering 2 Comments (0 topical, 2 editorial, 0 hidden) Post a comment »
I'm of two minds on this. On the one hand, it couldn't have happened to a nicer guy. But on the other hand, I don't particularly think that Mann Act violations or structuring should be illegal.
The Mann Act at least is plausibly constitutional, as interstate commerce. But structuring? No commerce there. And frankly, it should be none of the government's business what I spend my cash on. The whole idea of big brother watching me in this way is offensive in the extreme, and I suspect would have been offensive to the founding fathers.
Of course, the horse is long out of the barn on that one, and we're probably never going to get it in, but that doesn't change things.
I heard about this months ago on Rush's show. Everyone ignored it until today, and Rush didn't even rub it in everyone's face that he brought it up months ago.
Very odd...