Private Failings

He resigned. Eliot Spitzer will no longer be Governor of New York come Monday. It will be interesting to see if federal prosecutors will make a deal with him or throw the book at him. I'm sure Spitzer and his attorneys are trying to work some sort of deal. He's certainly thrown the book at corporations and officers of those corporations. He's stood before the press and accused corporate officers of receiving too much compensation. He's also prosecuted prostitution rings. I think so many Democrats voiced support for his resignation because he's not very likable. (CORRECTION: I was incorrect regarding Democrats calling for Spitzer's resignation. Actually it was Republicans in the state legislature who called for his resignation and gave him a deadline to resign or face impeachment.) For years as New York Attorney General he's presented himself as a white knight while those who found themselves targeted saw him as holier-than-thou.

I watched his press conference this morning and I was struck by his use of the words "private failings." He said it at least twice as if to convince the audience that this was simply a private matter between him and his family. He did admit to failing the people of New York, but he emphasized "private failings."

This was the same talking point of Bill Clinton. "It's just about sex. It's about his personal life and doesn't have anything to do with his presidency." It was a private failing on his part or so his minions tried to convince us.

In Spitzer's case, however, this really isn't all about private failings. While this certainly affects his family and friends, this was a public failing. He broke numerous laws. The story of how he came under suspicion is confusing to me. There seems to be a new piece of the puzzle everyday. Today I heard that banks were first suspicious when money was moved around. They are obligated to report such activity especially when it concerns a public official. Evidently at least one account was for a shell corporation. TheIRS suspects tax evasion in cases like this. I'm sure we'll learn more and more about it as time goes on. Most likely we'll be sick of hearing about it!

As much as he would like to convince us or as much as he, himself, believes it, this is not about private failings. It's about criminal behavior.