Dartblog

From the lack of posts, you may have surmised that it is spring break for Dartmouth students. While enjoying sunny Southern California, however, I shall endeavor to keep up on the political scandals making headlines. Democratic Governor of New York Eliot Spitzer resigned from his post when it was revealed that he utilized the services of a high priced escort service multiple times. From a man who began his career aggressively prosecuting Wall Street companies for ethically questionable practices, involvement in such criminal activities came as a surprise.

“This isn’t Bill Clinton, where in one sense you would have expected it. This is a shock.” Eric Lane, a Hofstra University law professor said.

Other reports recounted erratic behavior of the Governor that could have indicated the upcoming turmoil. Not long after assuming his position, for example, he told the Republican State Assembly leader, “I’m a f_____ steamroller, and I’ll roll over you.” He also attacked the ethics of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg when disagreeing over policy.

It seems that for Mr. Spitzer, touting his ethics and familiarity with the legal system only made his fall from grace harder. The decision to step down from his position could not have been easy, but to stay would have been the height of hypocrisy. No one is above the law in America and Spitzer will experience the consequences of being arrogant enough to believe that he was. In some ways, Spitzer’s situation harkens back to that of President Bill Clinton, though Mr. Clinton did not pay for his womanizing escapades, he just lied about them. Sex scandals seem to be common these days among the ambitious leaders of nations. French President Sarcozy experienced his own scandal when, within months of taking office, he divorced his wife and met a model with whom he had a whirlwind four month courtship and marriage. Perhaps this is indicative of the devil-may-care attitude necessary to enter the current political arena.

While the scandal continues to rock New York, Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) is probably cursing the adultery that will damper her career ambitions. Through Spitzer’s resignation, she lost a desperately needed superdelegate in what will be the race of her political life.