Grand Theft Auto Critic Spitzer Resigns in Disgrace
Grand Theft Auto Critic Spitzer Resigns in Disgrace
March 12, 2008
Client 9 has become Disgraced ex-Governor 1.Eliot Spitzer, the moral crusader who, as GamePolitics reported, was so offended by the interactive prostitution in Grand Theft Auto, has vacated his office following revelations by the New York Times that he was a regular patron of high-priced call girls.
Here's what Spitzer, a rising star in the Democratic party, had to say about GTA during his 2006 election campaign:
Media content has gotten more graphic, more violent and more sex-based… Currently, nothing under New York State law prohibits a fourteen-year old from walking into a video store and buying… a game like ‘Grand Theft Auto,’ which rewards a player for stealing cars and beating people up. Children can even simulate having sex with a prostitute…
FBI wiretaps captured him singing a different tune to the managers of the Emporers Club VIP service. Spitzer haggled over payment details as he arranged for a petite brunette named Kristen to rendezvous with him at a Washington, D.C. hotel. Later, Kristen and the escort service manager were overhead discussing Spitzer's proclivities:
Manager: [Spitzer] would ask you to do things, that, like you might not think were safe. You know - I mean that - very basic things...
Kristen: I have a way of dealing with that. I'd be like, 'listen, dude, do you really want the sex?"
And, apparently, Spitzer did. We wonder whether he'll be picking up a copy of GTA IV now that he will have plenty of time on his hands...UPDATE: The NY Times has identified Kristen as 22-year-old Ashley Alexandra Dupre (left), a struggling, would-be singer. You can check out her MySpace page. We're willing to bet that this will be a boost to her career. Expect to see her on Larry King within a few days.
The next revelation will likely be the release of the audio tapes of the Guv's, uh, dickering about the arrangements.
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Comments
See? See? That would work in a conversation. You have finally become a proper cheeky bastard. Don't take that the wrong way - it's good.
You know i wouldn't care if he hadn't said anything before...
But the fact he opened his mouth was what makes its funny..
@ hayabusa75 & gs2005
Thanks, but I almost wish it wasn't accurate in my assertion.
Boy, she's taking advantage of each and every day of that extension of the deadline to file her repot, ain't she?
Although, considering the responses she'll probably get from Jack-O when she finally does, can't say I blame her for stretching it out as long a spossible.
My argument in response to this is that even if it were legal, he should have to step down. The idea is that he wants to maintain his marriage so this would become his dirty little secret. If anyone found out about his dirty little secret, legal or not, they could use it to compromise his position as a public servant. They could and would use it as blackmail.
Screw the Governor.
Some fanboy of Jack's over at jaablog made the mistake of stepping to me with a grip o' smack-talk. I pimp-slapped him so hard (figuratively speaking) that my palms still hurt. The fool musta not known who he playin' wid.
Patronizing a prostitute is. Too bad his money and position will keep him from suffering any “real” punishment.
Perhaps not in this case. He's got some powerful enemies, and the furor forced him to resign before he got much of a chance to use his position to defend himself. At the least his political career is dead, he'll probably get disbarred along the way, and it's not like many corporations are going to be welcoming to him even before this.
So even if he does escape jail time, he isn't likely to be working any jobs he'd enjoy any time soon. That's not exactly "real" punishment, but it's close.
I say good riddance, he cleaned the building by removing himself from office. I'll give him a clap for that, nothing more.
@ Christian Astrup
You want to feel bad for him? What? Sorry, I don't even secretly want to feel bad for him. Regardless of your opinion on prostitution, a former D.A. who has put plenty of people away for that very crime should of known better. What's that saying? "You reap what you sow."
People always want athletes to behave as proper role models for children, but what about our elected officials? Shouldn't they also live up to a higher standard? We're all human, but this degree of hypocrisy is ridiculous.
Getting drunk/high I can forgive. Missing a few practices/votes I can forgive. But sheer unadulterated (hey that's kinda funny) hypocrisy? I can't forgive.
I can forgive hypocrisy.
That doesn't mean I do but that's for other reasons, his behavior was stupid. A stupid politician is dangerous to the public. Good ridance.
Now, an intelligent politician can also be something of an ass and even a very dangerous person indeed. But will not cause massive trouble by bieng stupid. By being an ass, yes. See George W. Bush.
I wish I could have seen the look on JT’s face when he heard the news that one of his champions has been disgraced like this.
Of course knowing how delusional he is, he’d probably deny ever having backed him, giving one his “there are no bridges” statements. :P
Now if we could get him to deny Spitzer three times, that would be even more sweet irony! :)
Once again we get an "apology" from someone who just turns into into a "I've fought the good fight." crap.
Falling happens accidentally or unintentionally. You can't unintentionally sleep with a hooker so many times you get a client number. The only thing this guy did unintentionally is get caught. Either way he's a hypocritical bastard and ought to be called out on it.
And another thing...whose money was he using for his happy hooker hookups?
I don't know about that. I get the feeling he's been "visiting" this prostitution ring for a while. Say... since before he busted one back in 2004. That's not simple hypocrisy. It's not like he railed against gays and was then discovered in a gay relation (I can forgive that). It seems the whole time he was upholding the law, he's been systematically breaking it. What's worse he spoke out against prostitution in video games and, as I mentioned already, helped bust one. That's like Super Saiyan 3 Hypocrisy.
If, like I suspect, he's been a regular to this particular prostitution ring, how do we know he hasn't previously stalled and even prevented litigation against it? This can really color his entire career and even tarnish the New York D.A.'s office! The real question: How did he expect to get away with this?
And another thing…whose money was he using for his happy hooker hookups?
There's the real issue (like I said before, you can't be arrested for cheating on your wife, scumbag move as it is), according to the investigators, used taxpayer money. You have to report withdrawls over 10,000, but he took out only a few thousand at a time to cover it up.
Stop using words that you don't understand.
who cares about real prostitutes, they cant really affect people's morals..
now the ones in teh damn evil vidyagames.. i mean those polygonal whores, will send you straight to hell. Everyone knows polygons can use polygonal mind control to affect peoples judgement, and humans have no influence on each other atall
i mean.. wow... couldnt have actually picked a more ironic way to disgrace himself.. and there are so many to choose from.
Because it's apparently okay to do it in real life, but heaven forbid anyone should do it virtually?
What i mean is that he probably regrets it (most likely because it blew up in his face, but still). Even if he totally deserves losing his job (which he does), it still affects his family. Granted, the fact that the father is going to prostitutes indicates that there may already be issues, but still...
Its a firm principle of mine that every human being is truly good hearted - yes, even The-Lawyer-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named - and i therefore would rather not savour the schadenfreude. But like i said; in this case... its just too damn good.
Also; "unadulterated hypocrisy" Lol! :D
Where do I say in my previous posts that its hypocritical because he spoke out against video games. I see it as hypocritical because he was a former D.A. who not only is supposed to uphold the law, but also made it big prosecuting offenders who committed the same crime he now stands accused of. The story is on GP because of his stand on video games. Its that simple.
I just think he's pissed because children don't actually get to have sex with a prostitute.
HE GOT CAUGHT BY HIS OWN WIRETAPS!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!
It's not even simulated in the game. All that happens in the camera pans down so you can't see in the windows. Even if you fix that ,there's no animation, they just sit in the car.
C'mon, Jacky-Boy, surely you have some sort of blowhard opinion about this? Maybe Spitzer actually played GTA at one point, and that led him to pay for the prostitues? Just like playing game violence makes people violent for real? There you go, there's your opening statement, right there. Don't let us down Jack, you've been on a roll lately. (Figuratively of course!)
A man who attacked a video game, explicitly citing the in-game depiction of prostitution, and also built his reputation as DA on prosecuting people involved in prostitution... is found to have been a long time client of a prostitution ring himself.
I am totally lost as to how you don't see the hypocrisy here.
From what I know the dude is loaded. He could've easily afforded the hookers by himself.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2008/03/11/2008-03-11_probers_check_to_s...
Interesting. They're saying he didn't necessarily pay the hookers with tax payer money, but the transportation to and from seeing them was probably paid with tax payer money.
If so, he's in for quite a run.
I'll give you that he regrets being caught, but I find it hard to believe that he actually regrets his actions. If he truly regretted it he wouldn't of been a long time client. A man who does something he regrets, does it once and never again. A man who made it habit to do something immoral and gets caught only regrets getting caught. I rarely believe a person who apologizes for crimes at their own trial or after their wrongs have been revealed by the press. The best I'll give them is that they made a good apology.
Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe he regrets it. If he does, he and his family have my sympathy. If he only regrets getting caught, I'm sorry for his family for having to live with the monster and having to be there at his fall.
I know, I'm just taking cheap shots at him.
Ah, you got there first. All my local news links moved, so here's all I got.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/03/12/spitzer/index.html
@Gameboy:
IMO, you hit it right on the head with your assessment of his level of regret.
Check it out.
Spitizers future washing away in a torrent of bad hooker sex is so delicous that if it were food, then it'd be a perfectly cooked steak with a massive side salad and Au gratin potatos served up with your choice of drinks.
Hope you rot in prison you Dirt bag.
The mainstream news media won't care about the game angle, of course (as it's a blip in Spitzer's career irrelevant to anyone besides nerds like us), but I wonder, if game regulation issues come up in New York again, maybe someone in the media or the rhetorical opposition can draw the connection?
On an unrelated note, governor-to-be David Paterson will be the USA's first blind governor. Kickass! (My mom is blind, so I feel a completely irrational bit of pride at this.)
"What destroys me, strengthens me."
Just how Spitzer probably likes 'em, hot and stupid.
"The next revelation will likely be the release of the audio tapes of the Guv’s, uh, dickering about the arrangements."
Seems like GP ate the funny flakes for breakfast!
Now if something like this would fall out of Jack Thompson's closet.
I'd call that cynisim in that case.
Seriously, it sounds like all those little saying that you follow with the obvious truth that contradicts it and she probably knows it.
And GP took something this morning, it was worth looking around at midnight to check out the developpements and the snarky comments only make the whole... affair sweeter. ("Affaire" means business in French, not sure about its use as that in English though.)
But hey I m willing to pull an Anna Nichole (yeah I know a low blow)
Last night I watched Bill O'Reilly discuss the whole Eliot Spitzer prosititution mess (and Angelina Jolie's adoptions) with Cooper Lawrence (a real shock, I know). There is video of the discussion on the Fox News website.
The-Lawyer-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named already tried to interject himself into the mix by filing a request with the N.Y. courts that Spitzer be suspended from practicing law. And cc'ing the media, of course.
Psh, JT could prolly be convicted of murder and still keep his license, at the rate he's going... (Judge Tunis, feel free to prove me wrong!)
But the question of whether to step down or not would only arise once the dirty little secret became public. Once it became public, it could no longer be used to blackmail. Or am I not following you?
Johns usually aren't prosecuted; it's normally the people running the ring. Also, soliciting prostitution is only a misdemeanor in most places. The only way to get that up to a federal felony is with a law that hasn't really been used since the 20's. Cracking out an obsolete law to go after him would smack of political persecution.
If public funds were used to transport the "goods", well that's a whole different matter. (Of course, his archnemesis, Bruno, misused state transportation as well and got away with it.)
"Johns usually aren’t prosecuted . . . "
Guess again. In many major cities where prosititution is a perceived problem, the police frequently conduct reverse stings that target nothing but the johns. And in many cases (e.g., Orange County, FL) they post the booking photos of the arrested johns on their website. And, while it is a misdemeanor, many cities have passed forefiture ordinances that allow them to confiscate the vehicles of the arrested johns. And beating the rap is no guarentee that you'll get your vehicle back.
But aside from that - and please forgive me to reverting to my angry-european-mood here: The freaking *FBI* goes after prostitutes? That's... I don't know, unsettling. What's the big deal with prostitution you got ober there? Seriously, I just can't see what's so bad about it, in principle.
I really don't want to offend anyone, but: America *desperately* needs to get layed.
And the Mann Act ain't all that dusty. Just this past January, a Georgia defendant caught 15 years on a Mann Act violation.
http://news.findlaw.com/prnewswire/20080125/25jan20081915.html
Why am I not surprised? It’d be just like Jack to turn on his allies like that. Of course, you’ll never get him to admit that at one time he was praising Spitzer to the high heavens. :P
What’s with the hate-on for Kristen? I haven’t seen her Myspace page yet (I’ll do that when I get home), but she ain’t half-bad looking. I wouldn’t kick her out of my bed for eating crackers at the very least! ;)
"I’m surprised no one made a Myspace whore joke."
I'm a pimp from Omecron Ceti IV, and this here be my space whore!
There ya go ;-)
@JackDon'tKnowJack: While the Mann Act may not be all that dusty, that example is drastically different from Spitzer's pit that he dug for himself. That example is comparing deliberate exploitation of individuals to a situation in which all involved parties gave their willing consent.
The truth be told!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I say he got what he asked for! As for the hooker eh… I see better looking girls at best buy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ;)
theres no such thing as bad press =p
and i thought all my tax money was being wasted on road "work"
And which Best Buy would that be? Would it be the one next to the strip club?
you were half right they were "screwing around" with your money lol
Unfortunately for Spitzer, that the transportee consented to being transported doesn't vitiate a Mann Act violation. Indeed, you'll find that many notorious Mann Act prosecutions (e.g., Jack Johnson and Charlie Chaplin) involved women who more than willing crossed state lines with the offender. Nor where the cases Johnson and Chaplin cases about exploitation. They weren't even about prostitution. The "for an immoral purpose" requirement was satisfied by the fact of consentual but adulterous sex.
Like hell he is. (If he willingly resigned or ever once admitted he was wrong, then I'd agree with you... but since I've yet to see either happen, there you go.)
Still, he brought this upon himself. The hypocrisy's amusing and all, but I really feel sorry for his wife. Cheating on her with prostitutes is a pretty horrible thing to do to her.
I will give him a little credit for resigning so quickly though. It spares a lot of people that aren't him a lot of grief and lets the rest of the local government move on quicker.
2) Will he try to carry on his anti-gaming agenda?
1) Who’s Spitzer’s replacement?
From an AP article on the whole resignation matter:
Lt. Gov. David Paterson - Notable points about him being: Democrat, New York's first black governor, legally blind (as in enough sight in his right eye to walk around unaided and get by as a very very very nearsighted person, but for the purposes of things like drivers licenses he's considered blind), Harlem as his political base, 53 years old, has been in New York government since his election to the state Senate in 1985, reputation as a conciliator.
2) Will he try to carry on his anti-gaming agenda?
Hard to say, but personally I'm not considering it too likely. The gaming complaint was a pretty small part of what Spitzer went after; he's better known for going after corporations and prostitution. Paterson will likely be busy for a while cleaning up the current mess, then if "carrying on" anything, it'd probably be the corporation thing.
Plus it'd be a lot more difficult for him to look at something and get offended by it. He probably would need to be two inches from a screen or picture to make out any detail, and that's not exactly conductive to instant offense.
Schadenfreude.
It doesn't mean I endorse prostitution : it just means I don't think that being a client of prostitutes makes you a better or worse politician. Of course, Spitzer's case was a bit different, because he said something in public and acted the contrary in private.
have to love politics.
can't trust em over here, can't trust em over their!!!
such a shame really.
Game Over
Sorry for the late reply I just saw your post... But tell me about it. I mean why not treat it like a band-aid and just rip it off and get it over with?
Why was this guy wiretapped in the first place?
Doesn't that go against his rights? Was this approved somewhere?
And is having sex with a prostetute (his private buisness) a real problem at all? Okay, I'm not sure but IF prostitution itself is already illegal in ... whereever he did that.
At this moment I really fail to see the problem. So what if he was an idiot, foaming at the mouth about video games. So what if he was having sex with a prostitute, so what if he had a wife and kids, it's none of my damn buisness, or yours, or anyone elses but his and his wifes, if he cheated on her. Sure deserves punishment from her if he cheated. But no public outcry.
Because ripping of the Band-Aid is just the beginning of the pain. It's the slimy bacteria that's going to rush in and infect the wound once the Band-Aid's off that's going to cause severe suffering.
Is it just me or have we all forgotten how to speak other than figuratively? Thank God WordPress doesn't support graphics or maybe we'd be posting picture-books.
"Why was this guy wiretapped in the first place?
Doesn’t that go against his rights? Was this approved somewhere?"
Yes the wiretap was judicially approved. The story goes is that Spitzer performed some shady bank transactions to pay for his trysts which had an appearance of money laundering. By federal law the bank had to inform the IRS of the suspicious transactions, investigation by the IRS led the IRS to inform the FBI, FBI investigated, found cause to warrant a wiretap, received judicial permission for the wiretap, and went from there. So it was all because of suspicious banking transactions.
"And is having sex with a prostetute (his private buisness) a real problem at all? Okay, I’m not sure but IF prostitution itself is already illegal in … whereever he did that."
While prostitution is illegal this becomes a larger issue because Spitzer's entire public image relied upon himself presenting a higher moral code than the rest and that his position as current head of the executive branch of New York government and former Attorney General for the state left him in a position with responsibility to persecute illegal activity, such as a prostitution ring (which he has in the past.) Erego he had a severe lapse of judgement which not only left him involved in an illegal activity while having a responsibility to uphold the law, but entirely undermined his entire political career as well. And for all practical purposes this incident with Spitzer is the icing on the cake of his camp utilizing underhanded methods to spy on a political adversary, the deadlock in state government due to Spitzer being at odds certain other individuals in state government, and his downright refusal to listen to public opinion when the public was steadfastly against his driver's license for illegal immigrants idea.
Apparently, Kristen lives in the building next to my office O.o
Sort of makes you wonder what happens to her now. This isn't necessarily the best way to end up in the spotlight.
End up on camera?
Heh, I don't know. I was reading as I was walking, and other people were passing through the area, so I actually walked by one of the cameras before I even realized they were there.
I can see them doing a hatchet job on you.
I have to back that opinion. And you know about that president dying like that? Awesome. Do you know the story of the one who fell of a train?
Heh. Caught on camera reading a book! And after building my career and reputation on a campaign of persecuting the literate! =)
http://www.northcountrygazette.org/news/2008/03/12/wants_spitzer_suspend...
Nightwng2000
NW2K Software
Patronizing a prostitute is. Too bad his money and position will keep him from suffering any "real" punishment.
Nice find, didn't know about the $1 million for harassment
"Thompson is seeking $1 million from the Bar for damages he says have resulted from the Bar harassing him by investigating what he says are baseless complaints filed against him by disgruntled adversaries."
That's right Bruce, you didn't send the bar gay porn, or the "Law Picture Book", or the "figurative wording" of the Florida Bar looking like a bombed out building. Oh reminds me I sent the Florida Bar Disiplanary Review head an email asking why they took so long to do something about him THey sent an email back. And yes I did not use insulting or explitives.
Mr. Walter,
The 1st Amendment is a cherished right of all freedom loving Americans and even if some of us don't agree with another's viewpoint, they are still entitled to speak their mind. However, although the 1st Amend provides a great amount of protection there are certain limits. We are now prosecuting Mr. Thompson because we believe his tactics and comments have crossed the line.
Finally. A media outlet that didn't just run with the AP wire story (which makes no mention of the fact that Jack faces his own difficulties with the Florida Bar) but actually did some homework of its own. Kudos to the North County Gazette for showing the WSJ and all the other AP wire echoes what journalists really do.
very most powefull hypocrisy
Maybe the fact that her music sucks was a contributing factor. Spitzer may have reallised that there's one sure way to stop her singing and thats to put something in her mouth to gag her. The fact that he was willing to not only use something very personal to him to gag her but also pay doing it impresses me greatly, the man's a damned hero!
I'd thank her, but, she's a whore. Sluts are cool, whores aren't.
Did I mention she's a whore? :)
Alias, that's the best... words can't discribe it. That's even better than Bill Clintons dispute of the word "is"
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