ELIOT WRECKS
Re: Philip Klein’s Eliot Rex, Jackie Mason & Raoul Felder’s Some Super Delegate and The Prowler’s First Spitzer, Now Stryker:

How apropos…”number 9, number 9, number 9…Eliot is dead!
— Peter Everts

Philip Klein serves up another delightful piece, this one on the expanding disaster that is the Governor Eliot Spitzer saga in the state of New York. Here we are, with a new addition to a long, long line of Dummycrat-induced scandals, joining the likes of Richard Daley and his political machine’s dealings in Chicago, the Clintons with Whitewater and other assorted dealings, the congressman with $90,000 in “cold hard”cash in his freezer, various under-handed maneuvers by the likes of “Dingy” Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi, et al.

And I thought the Republicans were supposed to be the “Culture of Corruption”?!? Move over, Tammany Hall, Eliot Spitzer is here!
— Jim Bjaloncik
Stow, Ohio

Way back in 1959 a popular song later made into the title of a movie was “Love Potion #9”

Today 2008 the theme comes to light again with the lines from this historical lyric.

Some of which are:

“I took my troubles down to Madame Rue.
I told her that I was flop with chicks.
I’ve been disgraced since 1956.
She said what you need is Love Potion #9.
I started kissing everything in sight.
But when I kissed a cop down on 34th and Vine.
He broke my little bottle of Love potion #9.”

Same ole song today but the difference is that #9 is not the name of the potion but the potion user.
— Jared Harold
Naples, Florida

Let me get this right. Spitzer’s father is rich so even though there is no evidence he acquired wealth by illegal means, isn’t this the reason a federal investigation should be launched to determine if he did engage in criminal activity? After all, isn’t this the rationale the Democrats used to justify some of their more ridiculous investigations? Please pardon me for being silly this morning but the whole Spitzer scenario just perfectly illustrates how silly our national politics has become. Also poor Hillary has to go through the whole “stand by her man” act again since Spitzer remains a super delegate. Kudos to Mr. Felder for his refusal to be steamrolled by Spitzer even when the rogue was riding high.
— Jack Wheatley
Royal Oak, Michigan

Looks like the Democrats are trying to even the score with the Republicans on sexual misconduct and corruption. How depressing.
— Mike Roush
North Carolina

But for his impenetrable arrogance, Eliot Spitzer would realize that cynically dragging before the klieg lights the most immediate victim of his indiscretion, his wife, only serves to worsen matters. If hypocrisy is the gravest political sin, then cowardice surely finishes a close second!
— Francis M. Hannon, Jr.
Melrose, Massachusetts

I’m not normally one to jump on bandwagons but it is supremely difficult to avoid the obvious Schadenfreude attached to the Eliot Spitzer situation. While I normally shrink from rejoicing at the misfortune of another, I’m having serious difficulty in doing so here. Mr. Spitzer not only abused his office as a prosecutor, routinely destroying the lives and families of anyone whom he believed could help him in his climb up the political ladder in New York. When someone chooses to go through life all elbows and shoulders, trampling the innocent and the guilty alike, then suddenly, is struck in the forehead by the sledge hammer of karma, he has little or no defense against the reaction of the public.

I would disagree, however, with those who offer their sympathy and condolences to his wife. His daughters, yes, because of the usually tight bond between fathers and daughters, but his wife, no. She is a high powered corporate lawyer and I find it hard to believe that anyone can succeed in that type of career without possessing the power to read people. I would have to believe that she knows her Eliot after watching him operate, supporting him, and listening to his confidences these many years. I would sincerely doubt that she is totally flummoxed by this turn of events. Not that it places blame on her, or is a mitigating factor in Mr. Spitzer’s well earned disgrace, rather this entire situation is a sort of cosmic shift in Mr. Spitzer’s fortunes, fortunes that Mrs. Spitzer chose to share.

If the old saw that proclaims “What doesn’t kill me makes me stronger,” Mr. Spitzer may come out of this a veritable Hercules.
— Joseph Baum
Garrettsville, Ohio

I have heartily enjoyed a Tale of Spitzer Schadenfreude.
— David Govett
Davis, California

Eliot Spitzer. The high moral man. The enforcer of all that’s right and just. Principled. Trustworthy. A stalwart against the big bad corporations and wealthy Republicans. Now he’s busted in a wiretap operation.

What they didn’t say about Mr. Spitzer is that he also is dumb as a box of rocks. This is a man who made his bones listening to tapped conversations of others.

He MUST resign! Not because he may have transported prostitutes across state lines; or frequented prostitutes; or because he abused the public trust. Not because he may have used money not his own for some of these activities; not because of the public humiliation he rained down on the woman who loves him and her children — all girls. But because to think, in this day of zero privacy, you could get away with this you must be too stupid to hold any responsible job or in Mr. Spitzer’s case, a semi responsible job.

It seems to be a pattern, doesn’t it? Rich, so called populist Democrats, completely unfazed by legal prohibitions on their activities. They seem to abound.

The Clintons — he a sexual predator; he, she and their posse looting the White House and hiding records from an investigation begun by their attorney General.

Robert and John Kennedy, both sanctimonious, immensely wealthy, having affairs with women connected to the mob and Marilyn Monroe. Perhaps, many have speculated, they were involved in her death.

Of course, the most famous Kennedy, the fatuous Teddy. A slobbering drunk, drove his car into the water and left a young women to die in the back seat. A man so obviously incapacitated in many televised hearings his hands all a shake and eyelids heavy.

These and one more, an ancient, evil and wizened old viper who once was once a Klu Klux Klan Klagavated Klingon or whatever silly names they called each other — Robert Byrd.

The list is almost endless: Wilber Mills; Dan Rostenkowski, Jim Wright, and the Abscam — “your money for lunch” — bunch all come to mind effortlessly.

All in all, it remains the party of diversity in crime.
— Jay Molyneaux
Denver, North Carolina

Never has a man been more deserving of the bromide “what goes around comes around” than Eliot Spitzer. If he is found guilty of any crimes, he should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law — with exactly the kind of zealousness Mr. Spitzer himself demonstrated when he was New York State’s Attorney General.

A resignation followed with “he’s suffered enough” will not suffice.
— Arnold Ahlert
Boca Raton, Florida

How the high and mighty fall! Eliot Rex (as in Wrecks) crashes and burns! Sweet irony that the Sheriff of Wall St. slammed his self-righteous, narcissistic ego into a solid wall called hypocrisy.

Spitzer resign? Not without a fight. The template is familiar. First rule: make a non-apology apology. Done! Second rule: lawyer up. Done! Third rule: consult with a couple of slippery William Jeffersons. Guys with this name seem highly adept at being slippery when it comes to avoiding guilt. Number one consultation — with William Jefferson, the Louisiana legislator of icebox-cold cash fame who just had enough teflon to get re-elected. Number two: the supreme teflon boy, William Jefferson Clinton.

Spitzer, in his arrogance, will follow the William Jefferson template. Maybe this time, the nation will not allow this slippery slimeball, newly renamed William Jefferson Spitzer, to skate.
— Robert
New Jersey

I just cannot stop giggling, I mean here we have this sanctimonious, self righteous, self appointed arbiter of all that is moral in paying a high priced call girl for illicit sex and then has the chutzpah to have his poor wife at his side. What a classic disgrace! In fact it’s so classic I think I have an idea that would help Eliot salvage his career and life. Since the Democrat party always embraces their politicians who embrace the seamier side of life (see Barney Frank, Gerry Stubbs, Bubba) why not Eliot on the ticket with Obama instead of the other Clinton?
— Stuart Reed
Gross Pointe Woods, Michigan

The unfolding chapter yesterday afternoon in the Saga of Eliot Spitzer made for interesting news watching. First he’s implicated in a prostitution scandal, then he’s about to resign, then he’s already resigned then he gives a less-than-a-minute press conference and doesn’t resign

It had a lot going for it as a story. A politician caught in his own contradictions, the excitement of the thousands of people Spitzer has alienated over the years, the little-resolved confusion of the early reporting.

I suppose it will all unfold some more today. I’m writing this about six-fifteen AM I have no doubt anything I might add will be obsolete before six-fifteen PM.
— Robert Nowall
Cape Coral, Florida

Is there any truth to the rumor that when Governor Spitzer was really desperate at three o’clock in the morning that he dialed the red phone to contact the person most experienced with dealing with these types of crises?
— Norm Astwood
Peoria, Illinois

PENNSYLVANIA POLKA
Re: Jeffrey Lord’s Yo! Welcome to Pennsylvania:

I wouldn’t want to pick a fight with a fellow Conservative but I think the “polka” started in Pittston. Anyway the author has a good and humorous grasp of the Pennsylvania regions.

It might be good to look more closely at Fast Eddie’s statement that white Pennsylvanians in the sticks (he implies) would not vote for a black guy.

Well we are talking about a Democrat primary and places racism in the party that stood in the way of the Civil Rights Act and took the Republicans to pass.

Let’s also remember what Lincoln did and to what party he belonged.

So Fast Eddie is right and he is talking about some Democrats in his own party when historically they have always voted against the black guy.

You don’t think all of Hillary’s supporters really admire her — or do they?
— Tom Cretella

Jeffrey Lord replies:
While Pittston is not, to the best of my knowledge, home of the Pennsylvania Polka, it is for sure that the first line, which I thought all Pennsylvanian’s were required by law to know, refers to Scranton. Pittston, for those of you who are dying to know, is located between Scranton and Wilkes-Barre, is the reputed home of the Bufalino crime family and also the birthplace of the late John D. MacArthur, he of the deeply liberal foundation that bears his name. Of that foundation you could in truth say, “It started in Pittston a long time ago.”

IT’S ROUGH OUT THERE
Re: Peter Suderman’s Feeding Comcast to the Lions:

Mr. Suderman should live outside the Beltway in Martin O’Malley’s fiefdom. Here most of the counties have given Comcast a total mandate to charge whatever they want and provide whatever services they deign to this week.

I was told I should go from analogue to digital cable as it was “only” $2 more per month — but then we are talking about $88 versus $86 now, thanks to the monopolies granted by the Peoples’ Assembly.

Bah and Humbug!
— Cookie Sewell
Socialist Republic of Maryland

What I am about to say is not directed at your personally. But you know what? All you folks living in the Wash D.C. area deserve this. Fact I hope it gets one heck of a lot worse.

The Bobble Head Bureaucrats and Porcine Pols have royally botched the telecommunications opportunity in this country over the last 20 years. Having supped from the Telecom ‘K’ street crowd, most cannot now shove themselves away from the contributions table. As a consequence this country has slipped in OECD ranking from #5 back in 2000 to 15th as of the 2007 report. The FCC considers a county ‘served’ if but a single subscriber is reported as using broadband services, which just might be the single manager of the local telco that is comped for the use. Comcast itself is attempting to use the term ‘network management’ as a club to prevent users from utilizing the bandwidth they paid for, yet Comcast itself won’t pony up the money to move to DOCSIS3 and up the bandwidth speeds. We have the National Association of Broadcasters attempting to bar the development of open sourced ‘white space’ devices in the guard broadcast bands even though these same broadcasters are moving to a digital band elsewhere. Which brings us to the fact that the DTV transition is going to be a disaster — It happens February of next year yet few converter boxes are available and discount coupons issued by the FCC are late in coming.

So you stand in a field plowed by those that came before you.

But again, it’s nothing personal.
— John McGinnis
Arlington, Texas

AMERICANA
Re: Jeremy Lott’s Beyond the Quayle:

Thanks to Mr. Lott. I love learning about these bits and pieces of Americana that lend themselves to be a destination when traveling across this great country. Rather like the web site for Presidential birthplaces. Great fun some of these things. Thanks for this factoid.
— Roger Ross

CHOICE ETIQUETTE
Re: Daniel Allott’s Safe, Legal, and Dishonest:

A couple months ago, I was sifting through a pile of (mostly) junk mail, when I happened upon a solicitation letter to my wife from Planned Parenthood. She is a left-leaner by default (she has a strong-willed activist mother), but I never thought she had any dealings with PP. The letter was as non-specific as any fundraiser/credit card offer, so I decided to take a peek before tossing it into the recycle bin.

It was 4 pages describing the critical need for funding because of the same advancements by the opposition outlined in Mr. Allott’s piece. What blew my mind was the fact that the term “abortion” or even “termination” was completely absent from anywhere in the material! I re-read it, and it occurred to me that someone could have read it and not understood what PP was for. There were euphemisms galore: “women’s health” was my favorite (what if the baby’s a girl?), also referring to the opposition as “anti-choice.”

It really ticked me off because I feel the seriousness of an abortion has lost its meaning partially because you really have to hunt to find out what actually occurs during the procedure. Confronting the Mrs. on the deviousness of the group generally supported by her type, she rolled out the list of all the other services PP has to offer. Of course, nowhere can one read about how much time and money go into “family counseling” versus performing abortions, so we’ll never know.

They’ll just keep bleating about “back-alley abortions with hangers” and “putting mothers and their doctors in prison.” That they must misrepresent their mission speaks volumes about the mission itself.
— William H. Stewart
Boston, Massachusetts

JOHN AND JOE
Re: Ghosts From the Past:

The Prowler, in an item under “Payback Time” talks of Sen. Lieberman being at the Repub. convention, presumably in a speaking slot I guess. Call me crazy, but I have for some time had a gut feeling that, if McCain were nominated, Lieberman would be put forward for Secretary of State. I would have thought that VP was a possibility, but I believe that Lieberman would want a more substantive position, since VP will be a figurehead under a McCain administration. I definitely believe that Lieberman will show up in a very high ranking cabinet post under a McCain administration, unless Lieberman declines in order to stay in the Senate, and I think that he shows signs of having had enough of that body.
— Ken Shreve

Senator Lieberman is one of the smartest and most agile politicians in government today. And like most pols, his first thought is of himself. He was launched from an unreliable cannon in Mass. and landed on his feet, well over Ned Lamont’s candidacy. His support of Senator McCain does not have meaning unless he and McCain were running as Independents. They are not and have already committed to their parties. Any attempts to display their friendship as any thing other than a friendship will prove to be a false direction.
— Howard Lohmuller
Seabrook,Texas

SOAK THE QUESTION
Re: Doug Bandow’s Patently Absurd:

Doug Bandow’s piece on price controls begs this question. “Why would liberals object to a financial arrangement where the rich pay more?”
— Mike Geer
Ladera Ranch, California

WAIT AND SEE
Re: Andrew Cline’s The First Shall be Last:

PUZZLED

Which way shall I turn?
Oh, how I yearn
To have this puzzle solved for me.
His adorable ears
Or her heartfelt tears?
Is it Barack or is it Hillary?

Substance you say?
That won’t get in my way.
I want change and I want it now!
I look toward the sun.
A new day has begun.
Not a worry line creases by brow.

“Yes we can!”
What a man!
A savior might this bright being be?
Yet the red telephone
Gave me pause, I own.
I won’t fret. I’ll just wait and see.
— Mimi Evans Winship

Andrew Cline has it just right. History has proven that the sage small town Americans in Iowa and New Hampshire have earned the right to influence American politics. This unprecedented race among the Democrats is a threat to our national security. Americans unite! Join the great unwashed from “flyover country” in our demand for un-change!

Iowans and Hampshirites have shown over and over again that we should set the pace for the rest of the country. If you value your freedom, demand the re-votes in Iowa and New Hampshire. Of course, we will ratify our original voting, but, fear not, renewed interest in the re-caucus and re-primary will over-ride any silly voting from Florida and Michigan and make sure Mississippi and Guam remain superfluous.

At the very least, this re-voting in the traditionally foundation states will cement America’s loss of faith in the Democratic National Committee’s loss of control, and, most importantly, re-infuse the two states with the all important fresh campaign money the rest of America covets so…

Admit it, America: Ya gotta think an Obama vs. Huckabee race would be extremely entertaining. I don’t care which side you support, this would be a gas.
— Dave Morse
CW4, Iowa Army National Guard

THERE GOES THE NEIGHBORHOOD
Re: George H. Wittman’s Trouble in the Backyard:

I offer this advice to Hugo Chavez from Thomas Paine [someone who well and truly understood revolution] in his classic Rights of Man: “…mischief is more easily begun than ended.”

Will Chavez follow it, do you think?

Perhaps a recitation of “Humpty Dumpty” might be more effective.
— A. C. Santore

AS MCCAIN GOES
Re: Jennifer Rubin’s The Luckiest Man:

John McCain’s good luck is the country’s good luck, so let’s hope it continues through November.
— Anne Stinneford