For the many loyal readers of this blog (lol), sorry for the delay in this week's entry, but I wasn't feeling well on Saturday; it was the Ides of March (a good day for all politicos to beware); and I decided to stay in bed.
The Spitzer debacle occurred so quickly that there was barely time to comment on it, especially in a weekly blog, but here's ten insights as a final word on the matter.
1) The cost for the escort service ranged from $1,000 to $4,000 an hour. What does this say about the ex-Governor's fiscal discipline? Couldn't he find a better price than this?
2) At that level, how do you differentiate between the different prices? Maureen Dowd of The New York Times suggested that the same girl was probably available at a variety of prices. How would the buyer compare?
3) I'm used to hypocrisy from the Republicans. When it's one of your own, it's much more disappointing. I guess this speaks to the general fallenness of man.
4) When David Patterson was asked if he had ever patronized a prostitute (how many guys could answer this question in this situation), he paused for an uncomfortable period of time, then said, "Only the lobbyists," and everyone laughed. This bodes well for his time in office.
5) There's a reason it's called a classic Greek tragedy. Or as the Bible says, "Pride goeth before a fall." I wish we could all take this saying to heart.
6) It's not easy to beat the system. I'm still optimistic (or naive) enough to believe it can happen on rare occasions. But not in this one. All the Wall Street types are rejoicing at Spitzer's comeuppance.
7) I saw a cartoon with a picture of Spitzer's lawyers. The caption: "We cost thousands of dollars an hour, too. "
8) At least we got some relief from the media's 24-hour coverage of the Presidential race.
9) Why is it that people are so dumb when they commit criminal acts? Spitzer must have known his financial transactions would be monitored because he used the same techniques himself. Did he want to get caught?
10) Will Paterson seize upon his political honeymoon to effect real change in Albany? Or will he reprise his time as State Senate minority leader and work within what is widely believed to be one of the most corrupt state governments in the U.S.? The answer remains to be seen.
Today, the leadership changes hands. I am looking forward to hearing what David Paterson has to say.
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About Me
- Willy Gissen
- In 2003, Willy Gissen founded Cut-It-Out Communications, a full-service public relations agency based in Hartsdale, New York. His organization specializes in the incorporation of online activities into traditional public relations programs, primarily for business-to-business clients.
These activities include the creation of e-newsletters, the set up and maintenance of internal blogs, and the development of inbound links to maximize a client’s search engine ranking.
See his other articles at public relations instruction, and visit his other blog, New York Times Leader, for an analysis of each morning's lead story.