EXTRA EXTRA! Post all about it! (new news thread)

[RavingLunatic]

His views are right-on, but even a pro-gay marriage anti-corporatist like meself is hard pressed not to admit that he's not shown himself to be a sterling individual.

Yeah, everything I'd heard about his policy positions was great; he even stuck it to the major record companies for payola when he was attorney general. It's just too bad he went and blew it like this. I thought he might be a good presidential candidate someday.

[hannah]

Spitzer was already too unpopular for the presidential candidate stamp, me thinks. He's a bit like Giuliani in that he's ruthless and antagonistic in the same way -- a burn-your-bridges type, especially if helps wag the dog. Unless, heaven forbid, etc., he were to have gotten a 9/11, I don't there'd be much place for him beyond NY. But that's all moot now.

Yeah, and Freddy, I made your brother's comments really big in the other thread. Go check it out.

[FreddyKnuckles]

don't you hate it when you think you do something really funny, and nobody notices or says anything about it, and then you later have to awkwardly bring it back up to try and get your props?

[hannah]

Naw, I just think you should listen to your brother.

[FreddyKnuckles]

when it is proven that mccain has done something wrong, or he has admitted to doing something wrong, the way craig, foley, and spitzer did I won't point any fingers.  I'll say 'dude fucked up' and move on.  As long as they remain spurious allegations, I have no problem questioning the motives behind the NYT article, and don't think its a good comparison. 

A good comparison to the left's reaction to the Spitzer news (i just saw an anchor say "the Spitzer Shocker" and about shit my pants), would be the right's grasp at straws when the Foley news came out--trying to find someway to deflect the negative press instead of eating it.  When that news came out, they tried to say that the dems knew what foley was doing, but waited until closer to the elections, endangering his interns...

[elpollodiablo]

I'm curious knucks: what made you a republican apologist?

[dieblucasdie]

when it is proven that mccain has done something wrong, or he has admitted to doing something wrong, the way craig, foley, and spitzer did I won't point any fingers.  I'll say 'dude fucked up' and move on.  As long as they remain spurious allegations, I have no problem questioning the motives behind the NYT article, and don't think its a good comparison. 

A good comparison to the left's reaction to the Spitzer news (i just saw an anchor say "the Spitzer Shocker" and about shit my pants), would be the right's grasp at straws when the Foley news came out--trying to find someway to deflect the negative press instead of eating it.  When that news came out, they tried to say that the dems knew what foley was doing, but waited until closer to the elections, endangering his interns...

What do you consider spurious?  It's a matter of record that he changed his vote after meeting with her, and he readily admits to having a personal relationship with her.

Again, I could care less about the fucking, but it seems pretty important that someone running as a "maverick" outside the Beltway-system had an improper relationship with a lobbyist that affected the way he voted.

Just like, honestly, I could care less about Spitzer cheating on his wife, or even patronizing prostitutes; it's the hypocrisy that irks me.

[dieblucasdie]

Also, I'd like to see what "left's reaction" you're referring too.  None of the places I read tried to apologize for him.  I'm not saying you're wrong necessarily; this is an honest question.

[hannah]

Just like, honestly, I could care less about Spitzer cheating on his wife, or even patronizing prostitutes; it's the hypocrisy that irks me.

Yeah. I'm irked by the stupidity, too. Like, wait until 2011, dude, when your term ends. Or just be careful: it appears that the Feds were only on to him cuz they thought he was taking bribes.

[Andrew_TSKS]

Spitzer was already too unpopular for the presidential candidate stamp, me thinks. He's a bit like Giuliani in that he's ruthless and antagonistic in the same way -- a burn-your-bridges type, especially if helps wag the dog. Unless, heaven forbid, etc., he were to have gotten a 9/11, I don't there'd be much place for him beyond NY. But that's all moot now.

yeah, and let's be honest--even 9/11 didn't help rudy.

[Andrew_TSKS]

I'm curious knucks: what made you a republican apologist?

being in a serious relationship with someone who worked on the thompson campaign?

i mean, that's just a shot in the dark, i could be totally wrong here.

[FreddyKnuckles]

I'm thinkin more blogs than news articles.  I know the huffington post article had a line like "I'm not going to defend Spitzer, but..." followed by defending him

[jebreject]

I do hate the anarcho-primitivist concept that you're morally bankrupt if you don't believe that all of human civilization should be violently and bloodily uprooted in favor of artificially returning to a hunter-gatherer society that (surprise) wouldn't be any more sustainable than our current system unless most of the world's population died off.  But spilled blood and the chaotic disruption of life and order is worth it when you a) claim moral high ground and b) treat something as hackneyed as Ishmael as biblical gospel whilst paradoxically sipping from a hot Starbucks latte, iPod earbuds no doubt firmly in place.

You and me both brother, though I don't really give a fuck one way or the other about their latte-sippin' hypocrisy: their ideas are fucked.

I dunno, I disagree with their longterm goals, but I'm all for burning down refineries and auto plants.

I'm not. People work at those places. (Or at least they used to AMIRITE)

[dieblucasdie]

I'm thinkin more blogs than news articles.  I know the huffington post article had a line like "I'm not going to defend Spitzer, but..." followed by defending him

Oh well, yeah, Huffington Post is mostly douchebags, no argument. 

It's weird though, the lede of the first AP article that came out on it made it sound like he used to be involved in *running* a prostitution ring, not just patronizing it.  I had to get halfway down the article until I figured out that's what it was actually about.

[Antero]

Yeah, I was really disappointed by that too.  I had been hoping for some sort of Caligulan tale of back-room perversion and organized crime running rampant in the halls of power.

[FreddyKnuckles]

yeah i had the same first impression.  It looks like the prostitution ring had a website that is now down.  It was called the Emperor's Club, and apparently he payed somewhere in the $5000 range, and also put money down for his next visit.  They only have wiretap on spitzer for the one time, but I guess the conversation suggests that he was a repeat customer.  He nailed a prostitute named kristen, a 5'5" 104lb brunette from new york at the mayflower hotel in DC. 


The mainstream media coverage took a turn I wasn't really expecting, not to larry craig or anyone else, but to Bill Clinton.  Last night we were watching cbs2 on CSPAN and that was one of the first things they brought up (after calling it the Spitzer Shocker). 

The question was whether or not it would sink his career and about how it depends on whether he's indicted etc.

Then I'm looking at CNN.com this morning and they're interviewing former Clinton advisor's about how he can beat the rap and save his career etc.

[DCDave]

Which is great for Obama, maybe?

[Thermofusion]

The Emperor's Club?  That's kind of...presumptive.

Newsday has screen grabs of their website (I guess from cache or something), and one of the hiring criteria for their companions is "erudition."

[ellaguru]

"Erudition"?

I could totally work there!

[elpollodiablo]

Which is great for Obama, maybe?

I get the feeling if Spitzer'd been caught murdering children, your reaction would have been the same.

[Thermofusion]

Fox News was making a big deal out of the fact that Spitzer had endorsed Hillary.  I watched a little bit of O'Reilly last night (because I hate myself, apparently) and he was coming across as oddly sympathetic to Spitzer.  The only conclusion I could draw was that O'Reilly's getting his freak on with some callgirls, himself.

[FreddyKnuckles]

Nah, Bill's been scaling back the rhetoric hardcore lately.

Pollo. I think this scandal is good for obama in that spitzer and h-rod are new york politicos and friends, and he's endorsed her, I'm sure there's 8 gillion pics of them together etc.  And, if that weren't enough, the adultery sex scandal talk is making people reminisce about bill's issues.  I don't think the OB campaign is the type that would make that connection for people, but i think enough will make it on their own.

Living in this city, you'd be amazed at the number of people who have Bill Clinton came on to/tried to leave with my wife/girlfriend stories.

[elpollodiablo]

I'd also disbelieve about 90% of them. Anecdotes are cheap; I'd imagine they're even cheaper in a place like Washington.

Dave, I wouldn't characterize this as being good for Obama. Bad for HC? You bet. But it's just all around bad for the party. I'm just thankful this happened now rather than like next September.

Also Bill is given to moments of humanity and sympathy occasionally, much more than shitheels like Limbaugh, Beck, etc.

[Thermofusion]

Also Bill is given to moments of humanity and sympathy occasionally, much more than shitheels like Limbaugh, Beck, etc.

I've noticed kind of a split personality thing with Mr. Bill-O: what you said is definitely true w/r/t his primetime show, yet he comes across as considerably more toolish/dickheaded/what-have-you on his radio program. 

I can't tell which is the real Bill: while my suspicion is that he tones himself down/paints himself a moderate for the benefit of television audiences, he could just as easily be turning up his right-wing knob for the benefit of the talk radio audience, which, as near as I can tell, consists primarily of schizophrenic conspiracy theorists and apocalyptic survivalists.

[elpollodiablo]

I'm still half-convinced that Bill-O is primarily a showman, and is probably much less peevish in his private life. I'm not sure why I think that, exactly. Never listened to his radio program; maybe my opinion might be different if I had.