How it's New Jersey news

ugh (4.00 / 2)

yeah it definitely feels all too familiar.

these wives -- bless their heart -- really are bent over a barrel.  but no one's making them stand by their man.  same with our ex-first lady.

dina matos mcgreevy is about as unsympathetic a character i can think of, but now to see Spitzer's wife looking similarly stunned and forlorn , itdefinitely makes me feel bad for (the other) Mrs. McGreevy.

Jay_Lass on Twitter.

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by: Jay Lassiter @ Mon Mar 10, 2008 at 17:08:09 PM CDT

Oh, yeah (4.00 / 2)

I can't imagine any man requiring his wife to stand next to him as he announces to the universe that he's an unfaithful liar. Particularly in the post-McGreevey era. Political wives should study the McGreevey press conference like a game film, and do the opposite.  

I'd have given anything if she'd interrupted his too-brief announcement with a well-placed spiked heel to his sensible oxfords.  

It's not a particularly snappy signature, but here's what I think we need in the next NJ Democratic State Chair.  

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by: Rosi Efthim @ Mon Mar 10, 2008 at 17:16:11 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

and any man who pays 4300... (4.00 / 1)

...for a piece of ass is too stupid to be governor.

Jay_Lass on Twitter.

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by: Jay Lassiter @ Mon Mar 10, 2008 at 19:57:31 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

If you are really pro-woman,... (0.00 / 0)

perhaps you wouldn't do something stupid like this in the first place and wouldn't even allow your wife to stand there with you if you did.

I am not going to say that Dina Matos McGreevey is a perfect person (far from it).  But, saying that she is as unsympathetic as you can think of is really low.  Her husband lied to her repeatedly, cheated on her repeatedly even while she was in the hospital having given birth to his daughter, then expects her to support him.  That doesn't even get us to his conduct during the divorce!  You are JUDGING her during the worst time of her life (in addition to the divorce she is about to lose her job) while her husband is now living as a kept man and trying to pretend that he is ready to tell other people how to live (for a living!) while he is still an example of how not to.

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by: Creed Pogue @ Tue Mar 11, 2008 at 07:47:36 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

what a disaster (0.00 / 0)

I thought Spitzer was a likely future President.  I'm just shocked.  

I have to think of a witty signature about Frank LoBiondo

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by: Hopeful @ Mon Mar 10, 2008 at 17:09:09 PM CDT

me too (0.00 / 0)

I thought that he could be the first Jewish President, and now that Ed Rendell has so thoroughly embarrassed me with his Meet the Press statements, I don't view him as a legitimate option either.

I guess that Russ Feingold is still a possibility, but I think that if he was ever going to run, this year would have been the year for him to do it.

This is just a very sad day.  When Jim McGreevey's political career ended the way that it did, my first reaction was (sarcastically, of course) that it couldn't happen to a nicer guy.

I can't say the same for Eliot Spitzer.  I had such high hopes for him.  I wonder if this means that marriage equality in NY is doomed.  I hope not.

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by: rachael'sdad @ Mon Mar 10, 2008 at 17:32:33 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

One major reason why this is NJ News (4.00 / 2)

This completely derails the Democratic agenda in NY. After the 2008 elections, we could have been in a position where the entire NY/NJ media market was saturated with Democratic proposals--and results--after the Democrats regained complete control of the NY state legislature. It was going to be the beginning of a new progressive movement in the northeast.

Now, who knows what will happen. Personally, I couldn't give a damn about Spitzer's personal life, nor McGreevey's. I don't even know why prostitution is illegal, much less why the feds were even involved here. But, apparently, the general public doesn't share my sentiments on that note, nor is this really the time or place to discuss them.

Some of the folks over at The Albany Project are discussing the consequences of this in further depth. Everyone's a bit pissed, but when it comes down to it, the fact that the State Senate leader Joe Bruno is also under federal investigaton says that there's really no political party that can take a moral high-ground here.

I, for one, will not be jumping to conclusions because I couldn't care less about the issue, aside from the political consequences. It's never really good to have your "reformer" candidate be under indictment.

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by: dennisl @ Mon Mar 10, 2008 at 17:20:21 PM CDT

it's simple really (4.00 / 1)

liberals and libertarians will tell you hookers are no big deal.  and let's face it, the GOP loves their hookers too.  

But when you parade your wife out for a dog and pony show, that's hard to accept.  

Jay_Lass on Twitter.

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by: Jay Lassiter @ Mon Mar 10, 2008 at 19:24:46 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Law and Order Moral Rectitude Guy (4.00 / 1)

Right. I hope I'm the last person to get their panties in a bunch over somebody else's sex-capades.

But Spitzer unfortunately has positioned himself poorly if he hoped to let this slide. He was the Attorney General, and it's hard to prosecute what you're doing on the side. He came to prominence as an ethics reformer, and a person whose ramrod-straight demeanor was what he projected and what New York voters chose him for.

"Former Attorney General" + "wiretaps" = bad combo package.

It's not a particularly snappy signature, but here's what I think we need in the next NJ Democratic State Chair.  

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by: Rosi Efthim @ Mon Mar 10, 2008 at 20:09:26 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

I agree. (0.00 / 0)

Projecting his ramrod-straight demeanor is exactly what caused this mess.

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by: dennisl @ Mon Mar 10, 2008 at 20:14:16 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Ooh. That was a sex joke, wasn't it? n/t (0.00 / 0)

It's not a particularly snappy signature, but here's what I think we need in the next NJ Democratic State Chair.  

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by: Rosi Efthim @ Mon Mar 10, 2008 at 20:21:50 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Why the Feds are involved (0.00 / 0)

the enterprise crossed state lines.  And possibly national boundaries.

To hell with what she wants, let's make Rosi Efthim the next DSC chair.

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by: Thurman Hart @ Mon Mar 10, 2008 at 19:49:48 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

it seems like there was a corruption investigation (0.00 / 0)

This post at tpm, based on ABC news, says that it seems that the feds were investigating Spitzer for suspicious money transfers.  (Possibly his bank reported it.)  Naturally they thought he was hiding bribe money, but it seems it was money for his prositute.  

[Of course, under the Bush Administration, we know there have been politically motivated investigations and leaks]

It really is a terrible betrayal of his supporters and his family.    

I have to think of a witty signature about Frank LoBiondo

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by: Hopeful @ Mon Mar 10, 2008 at 20:15:14 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

A LI bank noticed funds transfers (0.00 / 0)

they noticed a pattern, as a direct result of Spitzers AG banking reforms.

Then the info was leaked to the press. Indicating this was a prosecution of a person, not of criminal activity.

What about clients one thru eight ?

Check out my 3 paragraph primer on Polywell Fusion.

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by: FogerRox @ Wed Mar 12, 2008 at 11:27:36 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Matos fashion statement (4.00 / 2)

Future governors' wives take note: Light blue embroidered blazers are the attire of choice to stand by a philandering husband humiliating you and calling you and the children an "obligation."
-proud2Bunmarried

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by: proud2Bliberal @ Mon Mar 10, 2008 at 17:22:14 PM CDT

fashion (0.00 / 0)

Here's a story with Vitter and his wife...

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/stor...

She went another way, and he's still in office.  [Though the real reason is that he'd be replaced by a Dem, of course]


I have to think of a witty signature about Frank LoBiondo

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by: Hopeful @ Mon Mar 10, 2008 at 17:25:35 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

OMG, the TIE! (0.00 / 0)

Is Spitzer wearing the same tie McGreevey had on, with the stripes running the other way?

Too funny ...

It's not a particularly snappy signature, but here's what I think we need in the next NJ Democratic State Chair.  

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by: Rosi Efthim @ Mon Mar 10, 2008 at 20:29:46 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Lt. Governor (0.00 / 0)

So, I was reading over at The Albany Project that the Lt. Gov. would become Gov for the rest of the term, and the Lt. Gov position would remain vacant.  (Not worth having an expensive election for, apparently)

Anyone know what will happen in similar circumstances once we have a Lt. Gov?

 

I have to think of a witty signature about Frank LoBiondo

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by: Hopeful @ Mon Mar 10, 2008 at 17:22:24 PM CDT

Line of succession will be the same as it is now (0.00 / 0)

Effectively the Lt. Gov is just entered between Gov and Sen Prez.  Sen Prez takes over for the Lt. Gov if out of the state or permanently vacated.

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by: PocketAces @ Mon Mar 10, 2008 at 18:39:12 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

I believe (0.00 / 0)

the Lt. Gov. office stays open until a nominee is confirmed.  I could be wrong, though

To hell with what she wants, let's make Rosi Efthim the next DSC chair.

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by: Thurman Hart @ Mon Mar 10, 2008 at 18:42:03 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Making the position very worthwhile (not!) (0.00 / 0)

In NJ, the LG would only be Governor until the next November election at which time a real Governor would be elected.  So, we have solved all of the problems of succession.  :-)

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by: Creed Pogue @ Mon Mar 10, 2008 at 23:56:21 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Since we're discussing things here (0.00 / 0)

can anyone think of a single time when a female politician gave a smiliar speech?  If one did, would their husband, the First Cuckold, be standing there dutifully?

Personally, I think Dina Matos McGreevey was right to not allow McGreevey to walk away like he was victimized.  I think it's way out of control now, but I don't think someone who skunks their family this way should be able to walk away with head held high as if no one got hurt.  

On the other hand, willing participants shouldn't become celebrity victims, either.  

Ultimately, if all there is to it is that he paid a woman for sex, then it should be a non-issue - just as McGreevey's announcement that he is a gay American would have been a non-issue.  There are still too many details still unknown to say if he did anything worthy of stepping down.  Right now, he's just a heel and a cad and a dumbass.  But there are lots of those serving in our own state.

To hell with what she wants, let's make Rosi Efthim the next DSC chair.

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by: Thurman Hart @ Mon Mar 10, 2008 at 17:42:57 PM CDT

Money for nothin', Chicks for free (0.00 / 0)

No I cannot recall a single time when a female politician gave a similar speech. Although, in the unlikely event that Hillary Clinton becomes President of the United States, it would be rather symmetrical if it was revealed that she reverse-cuckolded Bill in the Oval Office.


It's not a particularly snappy signature, but here's what I think we need in the next NJ Democratic State Chair.  

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by: Rosi Efthim @ Mon Mar 10, 2008 at 18:03:24 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Was it illegal? (4.00 / 1)

The link to the indictment is on nytimes.com.  McGreevey had an affair but there is no charge that he did anything illegal.  He had distorted judgment. His actions did not relate to anybody under indictment for organized crime. Whether Spitzer did anything illegal depends on whether it was illegal to buy the services of a prostitute from an organized crime ring across state lines, which could be a felony, and whether it can be proved that he Client 9, and any other legal technicalities.  Also, the indictment is for an organized prostitution ring, not an individual. The illegality is the problem.  That is why Spitzer's case is not completely analogous.  I honestly don't see how a lawyer like Spitzer could be so stupid.  It's not like meeting someone at a bar and having a nightcap.

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by: proud2Bliberal @ Mon Mar 10, 2008 at 18:15:23 PM CDT

Don't whitewash McGreevey (4.00 / 3)

the object of his affair was given a high-paying state job at our expense - a job that he was not qualified for.  

Let's not forget the "Machiavellian" fiasco that was closing a noose around the Governor's neck.

To hell with what she wants, let's make Rosi Efthim the next DSC chair.

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by: Thurman Hart @ Mon Mar 10, 2008 at 18:19:05 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

and a critical high-paying state job at that (0.00 / 0)

After 9/11, you don't screw around with homeland security.

Spitzer's act was pathetic and stupid.  His whole tawdry situation is sad more than anything.  Sad because of the wasted potential and sadder because of how brutal this will be for his family.

I am incapable of any sympathy for Dina Matos.  I have never believed nor will ever believe that she was not aware of the deal that she made for herself.  She and McGreevey just never had a contingency plan for what happened.

The person who I feel the worst for is their child.  They should both lose custody for the damage that they are doing.

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by: rachael'sdad @ Tue Mar 11, 2008 at 07:39:26 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

C'mon be serious (0.00 / 0)

"The person who I feel the worst for is their child.  They should both lose custody for the damage that they are doing."

As one parent to another, I have to assume that you got carried away here.   The world is filled with many people who lead bad lives, but are still good parents (and vice-versa).  To even suggest taking a child away from their parents without any evidence or suggestion that the child has been mistreated is completely groundless.

-pb

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by: princetonblue @ Fri Mar 14, 2008 at 14:22:47 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

The Ringleaders Were From New Jersey (4.00 / 2)

If you look at the charges which you can download here...  http://graphics8.nytimes.com/p...

you'll see that the boss and the "administrator" resided in NJ.

My concerns go far deeper that whether we have a pretext to discuss this on BJ.

There must be many hundreds of these high priced "services" in America.   These people were so stupidly brazen that they advertised their prices on the internet and pictured the naked bodies (headless) of the women there too.

Given that the NSA (through the co-operation of most of America's telcos) has had access to very phone call made by every American....is it so far fetched that any Democratic pol (especially if he's an uppity reformer) involved in any kind of illicit or embarrassing activity should be operating on the assumption that big brother is listening?  

Or do we really think that such a tactic is beneath the dignity of people capable of killing 500,000 to a million Iraqi's (depending on the numbers you believe) in the name of "national security"?

This "investigation" only started in the fall of 07, allegedly because they were tipped off by a prostitute who used to work for the business in question.

It's clear from "client #9's" conversations that he was an established customer.  

It's also clear from the transcripts of some of these calls that there's an abundance of filthy rich men out there who think nothing of spending up to 5500 bucks an hour to "have their way" with a young lady.

Are the feds going to prosecute all the other "clients" of the "International Prostitution Ring"?   Are the feds going to investigate and prosecute the hundreds of these kinds of operations that must exist?  

What will happen to the "little black book" i.e the client list.  There must be many hundreds of names of wealthy/influencial people on that list.  I bet more than a few of them are Republicans.  Does anyone actually expect that the Bush administration's private police force (i.e. The "Justice" Department) will be leaking those names to the New York Times.

Given the tone and tenor of Spitzers announcement it seems clear that he's "client # 9".  And that's a shame.  

He should resign asap.

David Paterson will serve as governor through the end of the term if/when Spitzer calls it quits.   Sadly, Joe Bruno as senate majority leader would get to act as the new Lieutenant Governor.   You can be sure that Boss Bruno is in seventh hell right now yucking it up with his cronies.

What I don't know is what happens if Bruno loses his status in the majority.  Would the Lieutenant Governorship then shift to the new Democrat?   I would guess it does.

This may explain why Spitzer was so loathe to really "go to the mat" when Bruno was slapping him around last year.    Joe Bruno stands for everything that is dirty in American politics.   It's disgusting that this creature will profit from the fallout of Spitzer's transgression.

This is also bad news for the Clinton campaign as Spitzer was a supporter of her's and this whole mess can only serve to remind people of all the problems with Monica and the rest.

The expression on Spitzer's face at the top of this page says it all.  

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by: Nick Lento @ Mon Mar 10, 2008 at 19:42:01 PM CDT

But Hillary is the candidate, not Bill (0.00 / 0)

It may improve the chances of having a female president.  Now NY will have an African American, legally blind governor, from the bio of Patterson on the web.  That's not so bad.

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by: proud2Bliberal @ Mon Mar 10, 2008 at 21:06:34 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Excellent Riposte; But....That Begs The Question (0.00 / 0)

of to what extent she is the candidate.

Obviously, her name is on the ballot.  But, the reality of the situation is that they are tied at the hip in terms of the public's perception.

This is the first time in our history that a spouse of an ex-president is in contention for the nomination (or even running!).  So Bill is, at least from a PR perspective, the co-candidate.   And even when they try to "sweep him under the rug" he manages to still pop out.  

If the Hillary campaign considers Bill "baggage" in a Democratic primary; does anyone think it'll be less of a problem in a general election?

It's a shame.   I don't really want Spitzer to resign.  I would love to see him suck it up, brazen it out and kick Joe Bruno's ass all over the state of New York!   He could have done that months ago; and now maybe we know why he didn't.   As it is, Spizer wimped out on the reform agenda, and now he doesn't have the kind of staunch support it would  take to stay in office under the circumstances.

As great as Bill Clinton was in many ways, imagine how much greater his presidency could have been if we didn't have to contend with the horrors of the Starr persecution and the fallout thereof.  We would likely be in the second term of a Gore administration if Bill had been more careful.

It's not fair and it's not right; but this Spitzer garbage is bad news for the Clinton campaign.

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by: Nick Lento @ Mon Mar 10, 2008 at 21:53:09 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

I have to say (0.00 / 0)

Each news site has a different picture, and I feel worse for Mrs. Spitzer each one I see.  She looks so unhappy.


I have to think of a witty signature about Frank LoBiondo

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by: Hopeful @ Mon Mar 10, 2008 at 20:59:50 PM CDT

Obviously (0.00 / 0)

Spitzer should resign. I like him and all the work he did as fmr. prosecutor against the Wall Street fat-cats.  He held himself as a law and order guy and I respect that.  
To turn around and 1)break the law, and 2)humiliate your family in public is too much for me.
The whole investigation does smell bad.  I agree.  But he clearly did what he did.  And he must pay the price.

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by: the pollster @ Tue Mar 11, 2008 at 11:27:44 AM CDT