This New York City election season just gets better and better. Just in case you haven't heard the news, Client #9...er Ex-Luv Guv...er...former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer announced his re-entry (yes, I went there) into New York politics.
As hard as it is to believe, Spitzer has thrown his black socks into the ring to run for New York City Comptroller***. Just for the heck of it, let's review exactly what caused disgraced former Gov. Spitzer to resign after only a little more than three months into his dream job and what many thought would be the last stop before the White House. He was caught repeatedly using the "madam" (remember this because it will come up later) of the Emperors Club VIP escort service to procure prostitutes for multiple sexual congresses (?) in multiple out-of-state trysts mostly in D.C. (somehow fitting). He was forced to resign or, as I surmise, would have been arrested for felonious crimes that ironically he had signed into law as NY Attorney General. [To be exact, the law upped the crime of prostitution from misdemeanor to felony.]
Okay, it's not as if we were running on a deficit of disgraced elected officials reinventing their political careers [See: Mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner], or all the other potential candidates in the state are unavailable. But really, this is the best we can do? Oh, but wait, it gets better. As it turns out, Mr. Spitzer will be running against...drumroll, please...the infamous Manhattan Madam (remember from above?) who actually was arrested and went to jail as a result of his own felonious indiscretions.
Yes, as if all of this isn't absurd enough, Spitzer will be running against his former madam, Kristin M. Davis.
[If she looks familiar, she ran for Governor against Andrew Cuomo in 2010.]
It really doesn't get better than this on the Crazy Scale (at least for the NY Post headline writers!). And frankly, I can't WAIT for their debate.
When asked if he had changed, the best Spitzer could muster is "I think it's been a productive and important five years...I hope so." Comforting, isn't it? Well, I'm sold!
But there is one hitch in his giddy-up though - he has to petition enough signatures to get on the ballot. To achieve that quickly, he has announced that he will pay the outrageous sum of $800 per day to anyone who will help gather the signatures of at least 10,000 unique registered Democrats. By "unique", I don't mean "peculiar" or "eccentric". I mean, registered voters who have not already signed other petitions for Comptroller.
To put this all into frightening perspective, it is possible that come January 1, 2014, we, the citizens of New York City, could have two of the most disgraceful and disgraced politicians elected to serve the people of New York. Personally, I'm rooting for the Manhattan Madam. At least she did her crimes and served her time.
Oh, by the way, Silda Spitzer, the wife of Eliot, has been conspicuously unavailable...
Questions? Comments? Xanax, anyone?
***UPDATE*** What I did not know until seeing the news this morning is that Spitzer has until midnight tonight to gather the signatures....oh, and he is leading his closest Dem competitor (sadly, it is not Ms. Davis) in the polls by 9%.
***As described by one website, ...[t]he Comptroller's office has two main functions. One is to preside over the investments of municipal pension funds, which gives the Comptroller a lot of power. The other is to audit city agencies. The comptroller basically serves as a check and balance on the mayor and the city council and the other branches of government.
As hard as it is to believe, Spitzer has thrown his black socks into the ring to run for New York City Comptroller***. Just for the heck of it, let's review exactly what caused disgraced former Gov. Spitzer to resign after only a little more than three months into his dream job and what many thought would be the last stop before the White House. He was caught repeatedly using the "madam" (remember this because it will come up later) of the Emperors Club VIP escort service to procure prostitutes for multiple sexual congresses (?) in multiple out-of-state trysts mostly in D.C. (somehow fitting). He was forced to resign or, as I surmise, would have been arrested for felonious crimes that ironically he had signed into law as NY Attorney General. [To be exact, the law upped the crime of prostitution from misdemeanor to felony.]
Okay, it's not as if we were running on a deficit of disgraced elected officials reinventing their political careers [See: Mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner], or all the other potential candidates in the state are unavailable. But really, this is the best we can do? Oh, but wait, it gets better. As it turns out, Mr. Spitzer will be running against...drumroll, please...the infamous Manhattan Madam (remember from above?) who actually was arrested and went to jail as a result of his own felonious indiscretions.
[If she looks familiar, she ran for Governor against Andrew Cuomo in 2010.]
It really doesn't get better than this on the Crazy Scale (at least for the NY Post headline writers!). And frankly, I can't WAIT for their debate.
When asked if he had changed, the best Spitzer could muster is "I think it's been a productive and important five years...I hope so." Comforting, isn't it? Well, I'm sold!
But there is one hitch in his giddy-up though - he has to petition enough signatures to get on the ballot. To achieve that quickly, he has announced that he will pay the outrageous sum of $800 per day to anyone who will help gather the signatures of at least 10,000 unique registered Democrats. By "unique", I don't mean "peculiar" or "eccentric". I mean, registered voters who have not already signed other petitions for Comptroller.
To put this all into frightening perspective, it is possible that come January 1, 2014, we, the citizens of New York City, could have two of the most disgraceful and disgraced politicians elected to serve the people of New York. Personally, I'm rooting for the Manhattan Madam. At least she did her crimes and served her time.
Oh, by the way, Silda Spitzer, the wife of Eliot, has been conspicuously unavailable...
Questions? Comments? Xanax, anyone?
***UPDATE*** What I did not know until seeing the news this morning is that Spitzer has until midnight tonight to gather the signatures....oh, and he is leading his closest Dem competitor (sadly, it is not Ms. Davis) in the polls by 9%.
***As described by one website, ...[t]he Comptroller's office has two main functions. One is to preside over the investments of municipal pension funds, which gives the Comptroller a lot of power. The other is to audit city agencies. The comptroller basically serves as a check and balance on the mayor and the city council and the other branches of government.
28 comments:
Bev, My first thought was that this is not a woman. She looks like a man dressed like a woman. She can't be happy about that. And what does that say about Sptizer's judgement?
I have to say, I just read headlines about this, thanks for summarizing it for me! This is quite hilarious... and sad. That this is the best NYC can offer. But I live in Kalifornia, so what do I know.
Eight hundred dollars per day to anyone? Huh. I am going on a trip to New York. I have student loans to pay down.
Bev.....I think Spitzer, Weiner, et al, have redefined for NooYawkers the definition of that uniquely NYC term - chutzpah!!
Missourians got mad at our Lt Gov for going to a topless bar, when he was single...and on his own time...we are way behind you folks...I think. :)
Somehow I assumed the threshold for curling up and dying of shame would have been reached before now. I'm not talking about Spitzer or Weiner. I'm talking about NYC.
Andrew - to be fair to Ms. Davis, she was the madam and not the prostitute. However if it was revealed she was once a man, I would not be th least bit surprised.
Jocelyn - It IS sad that disgraced politicians are sociopaths and are useless in any other non-political venue. I am sure Weiner and Spitzer took their cue from the recently re-elected Mark Sanford.
I can't believe anyone would vote for these clowns, but like Jocelyn, what do I know?
Anthony - I just posted an update above. Spitzer only has until midnight tonight to gather the signatures. Sorry to get your hopes up only to dash them again! It is at times like these I wish I was a registered Democrat though!
Patriot - You call it "chutzpah", I call it "sociopathy"...potato, potahto.
Critch - Duh! NYC is on the cutting edge of ALL things. If it happens, it happens here first!
Hey, that's a great motto for NY...take that Vegas!
Tryanmax - Shame? They have no stinkin' shame. Not only that but mostly they don't think they've done anything truly wrong. It's just the rest of us who are so provincial. And all of them will be defended to the ends of the earth by Dems who think it is nobody's business what they do in private.
Interestingly N.O.W has taken up the gauntlet against Spitzer which surprised me. I guess all of the recent sexual harrassment scandals that have hit our state house has finally taken their toll. N.O.W. just couldn't ignore the obvious "War on Women" from the Dems anymore and still remain credible.
All of this happens in NY and people call Arizona crazy?!
It seems that anyone with a criminal record or a record of lewd behavior can have a successful political career in NY. In fact, they're encouraged. Amazing.
Bev,
If you have to be a registered Democrat to do it they would have turned me away anyway.
It seems that anyone with a criminal record or a record of lewd behavior can have a successful political career in NY
Writer X - It's called "character" and "experience with the system" in NY. And as we all know, there is no bad publicity, right?
Not quite off topic, I wonder what you think about Charles Cooke at National Review advocating the legalization of prostitution. It predictably caused some shock and uproar but it is very good to see NR publish such viewpoints.
There is too much wishful thinking on our side, which is in itself un-conservative. Some things conservatives understandably don´t like are nevertheless a fact of life and have to be dealt with.
http://nationalreview.com/node/352932/print
Huh. I always thought the Comptroller was the guy in charge of making sure bridges were troll-free and such. Shows how much I know.
As for the speculation on whether or not the Madam was once a Sir, that would be interesting; it would be even more interesting if it also came out that "she" and Spitzer had done the deed. And by interesting I mean hilarious.
T-Rav - No, that's the Controller - one who controls the stuff. This is the Comp-troller - one who trolls for comps (short for "complimentary/free stuff") to give his friends and family members while screwing the taxpayers.
And as for Madam being male, that would just up the crazy more. But it would be hilarious!
What is interesting about this whole thing, is that it has actually gotten the Republican candidate (who knew?)John Burnett someone who is actually qualified (imagine that!) lots of free publicity.
El Gordo - I actually have no opinion about the legalization of prostitution. I think that what consenting adults do is their business. If a woman wants to make money that way and is doing it of her own free will, then who am I to say she can't.
Perhaps we change the law to mean that anyone who compels or forces another into prostitution.
I have to admit that NY,NY has got "hick town" LA, Kalifornia beat by a country mile in the big city scandal department. Mayor Villaraigosa getting re-elected after exposure of his mistress pales in comparison. And I consider the arrest of so many pols in NY a positive point as well. Here the corruption rarely comes out in the open which lowers the entertainment value considerably.
Please keep up the NY reports Bev.
K- Thanks K! I will keep it up as long as it is entertaining or forever which ever one comes first. But as for your politicians, they do old school stuff like have mistresses and secret second families which makes better movies of the week...;-)
For the record, if you're not watching "Sharknado" on SciFi, you should. There are no words to describe the fail. It can only be experienced.
T-Rav - I heard that it was so bad that it was a must see!
Countdown to Catastrophe
JULY 11, 1914 (99 years ago today…)
Rumors fly through the Serbian press, accusing Austria of assassinating Russian Ambassador Nickolai Hartwig.
Austrian Ambassador Giesl is personally accused of murdering Hartwig. (He learns of the accusation while anonymously visiting a local barber.) One version of the story claims that Giesl used an electric chair that causes instant and leaves no evidence on the corpse.
Hartwig is so popular among Serbians that he is buried in Belgrade following a state funeral (with Serbian Prime Minister Nikola Pasic in attendance) at the request of the Serbian government. A downtown street is also renamed in Hartwig’s honor.
Meanwhile, Germany’s Kaiser Wilhelm II wishes Serbia’s King Peter I a happy 70th birthday. (June 29 on the Orthodox calendar.)
T-Rav, I missed the evening showing. I'll have to catch it on the replay.
Sounds like a good chance to exercise the old movie-riffing skills!
BTW, do you also refuse to recognize the existence of a 'SyFy' Channel? (Or is it pronounced 'Siffee'?)
***UPDATE*** It was reported this morning that when you pay people $800 you get results. Spitzer gathered over 27K signatures...
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