New York Governor Eliot Spitzer in Big Trouble

Another powerful politician in big trouble. That is the subject of this evening's "Talking Points Memo."

Monday, New York Governor Eliot Spitzer, a Democrat, admitted violating his obligations as governor after federal investigators linked him to a prostitution ring. Spitzer was elected in 2006. He is the former attorney general of New York and a law and order guy.

He made a name for himself chasing white collar criminals and some might see irony in that, but not "Talking Points." The destruction of an elected official should not be cause for celebration, although in our hyper-partisan society it often is.

The story unfolded this way: Last week, four people were arrested for involvement with a prostitution ring called the Emperor's Club VIP. Apparently the outfit catered to wealthy individuals, as the women involved charged as much as $5,000 an hour. Prosecutors say the ring operated in six cities, including New York and Washington, and reports say Spitzer was caught on a wiretap interacting with the illegal operation. The governor is married and the father of three daughters. Monday, Spitzer said this:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. ELIOT SPITZER, D-N.Y.: I have acted in a way that violates my obligation to my family and that 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's about ideas, the public good, and doing what is best for the state of New York. But I have disappointed and failed to live up to the standard I expected of myself.

I must now dedicate some time to regain the trust of my family. I will not be taking questions. Thank you very much. I will report back to you in short order. Thank you very much.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

You've got to feel sorry for his wife standing there. And again, there should be no celebrating the demise of Eliot Spitzer. Just consider his family. It's a terrible thing.

But elected officials cannot lead double lives. Spitzer was elected to enforce the law. He can't be violating it the same time.

It's amazing this kind of stuff still goes on. All public officials should know that any kind of illegal action will eventually come to light. We live in a society where there are no secrets anymore because there's no privacy anymore.

So Governor Spitzer's career is over, and he might even be convicted of a crime. Another sad political story.

By the way, Lieutenant Governor David Paterson is in line for the job once Spitzer quits, which he must do.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

Big concert Monday for U.S. troops in Kuwait. We have a major base there. The Pussycat Dolls joined Jessica Simpson and others to bring U.S. forces some entertainment.

As we've mentioned, we'd like to see more of this because our troops are sacrificing greatly keeping us safe. So everyone involved in that concert is a patriot.

On the pinhead front, actor Peter Fonda was asked about his notorious sister's latest stunt.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What do you think of your sister Jane using the "c" word on TV?

PETER FONDA, ACTOR: You know, at least she didn't use the "g" word. Now let your audience wonder, "What does he mean, the 'g' word?"

(END VIDEO CLIP)

We don't care. And even though I generally find Peter Fonda amusing, he is a pinhead in this case.