Talk about chutzpah. New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer, a former prosecutor who prosecuted prostitution rings, was a client of a prostitution ring.
Spitzer, a self-styled Eliot Ness, used to get off on prosecuting white-collar criminals. But as "Client 9," he allegedly got his kicks arranging the transport of prostitutes across state lines in violation of the White-Slave Traffic Act.
In his public apology, Spitzer said:
Today I want to briefly address a private matter. I have acted in a way that violates my obligations to my family and violates my, or any, sense of right and wrong. I apologize first and most importantly to my family. I apologize to the public whom I promised better.
I do not believe that politics in the long run is about individuals, it is about ideas, the public good and doing what is best for the state of New York.
Spitzer’s trysts with prostitutes may provide some context to his arrogant idea to give driver's licenses to illegal immigrants. In Client 9's worldview, the rule of law is a sometime thing.
What is best for the state of New York is for Spitzer to resign. His approval ratings have been in the toilet ever since he proposed to reward lawbreakers so that they could "lead a normal life."
Spitzer's search for a way out of his troubles brings to mind, well, The Searchers and "Love Potion No. 9."
