Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Spitzer: What goes around . . .

I can't say that I would have predicted just how NY Gov. Eliot Spitzer would get comeuppance, but it seemed likely he would -- he alienated the NY Times in his first few months as governor and had few real friends left. We've been trying to avoid outright Schadenfreude, but there's little doubt we were pleased.

Of course, prostitution ought to be legal and the Mann Act (making it a federal crime to transport people across state lines for prostitution or "immoral purposes") is an abuse of central power. But Spitzer made his reputation as a ruthless enforcer as NY AG, especially going after Wall Street "malefactors," though he stretched laws, cut legal corners, bullied people, and smeared people without ever filing charges against them. He is arrogant and ruthless. It looks as if hubris has brought him low. Check out the Register opinion Web site tomorrow for what I think is a pretty good editorial.

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