Spitzer - Devil Incarnate

I don't know much about Eliot Spitzer. I recall seeing him in the news in relation to some high profile cases, and him promising to clean up the Wall Street. In the recent days, he's become a household name due to his scandalous exposure as "Client number 9" of a high-end "gentlemen's club", and the subsequent resignation of his governorship. These events were accompanied by an unusually high degree of schadenfreude and hand-wringing over Spitzer's immorality, lack of character, disregard for the law, etc., etc.

Clearly, he broke the law; a governor and a former prosecutor – more is expected out of him, and he's certainly supposed to know better. Should he have resigned? – Personally, I don't think so, but it's debatable. What pissed me off in this whole thing (I should probably rename this blog something like "occasional ramblings of an angry man") is the fervor with which the right has attacked not only him personally, but also took this opportunity to trash his entire public career. Eliot Spitzer went after corrupt businessmen, and investigated (be it rather vigorously) the stalwarts of American business. He didn't preach morality, nor was he known for advocating family values. Reading Sowell's op-ed in the National Review, I was informed not only that what Spitzer did is completely "in character for someone with the hubris that comes with the ability to misuse his power" (which I would argue is everyone with any power), but that it was not unlike Vick's involvement with illegal dog fighting or Leona Helmsley's tax evasion. How the fuck is it anywhere remotely similar?! Again, hiring a hooker – dog fighting – tax evasion. Prostitution IS a victimless crime, regardless of what the pundits say about its impact on the fabric of society or the family. It is, was, and will always be present in all societies. Outlawing it as stupid and ineffective as outlawing alcohol or trying to prevent masturbation by adolescent boys. Dog fighting? – in the very least it's cruel, and there are obvious victims. Tax evasion? – stealing from the people of the U.S.

With all due respect to Mr. Sowell, cruelty and dishonesty is nowhere near common horniness on the scale of morality (at least not on mine). You wanna say that he broke the law and should resign – fair enough. But don't make him into a vengeful monster whose entire career was driven by a god complex. If weren't able to show how he "ruined innocent lives" before he hired a hooker, please spare the charade now, it insults my intelligence.