Fumbling Towards Disaster

On March 10, Eliot Spitzer fell victim to the ultimate political cliché: a sex scandal.
Spitzer, who rose to national prominence while serving as attorney general of New York and pledged to restore accountability as its governor, found himself on the wrong side of the law when he was caught on wiretap arranging a meeting with a prostitute at the Mayflower Hotel on February 13. A politician engaging in such behavior is nothing new; the practice is as old as time itself. However, when one stakes a claim on the pedestal of ethics, enemies lurk in the shadows waiting for the inevitable fall from grace.
State lawmakers called for Spitzer's resignation on March 11, and he announced his departure from office the next day. But losing the governorship is the least of Spitzer's worries, for his dalliances with a call girl also jeopardized his marriage and scarred his three daughters. Betraying their trust in a reckless manner may warrant forgiveness if his contrition is sincere, but his constituents won't feel as charitable because they abhor hypocrisy. That's the worst aspect of this situation: Spitzer's public persona is a shield for his private demons.
It's ironic that a man who built his career on fighting corruption ends up being poisoned by it. Spitzer thought he was beyond reproach and his actions were without consequences ... but the repercussions of that night in Washington, D.C., extend beyond the bedroom. The possibility that he used taxpayer dollars to finance his sexual urges may lead him to spend many years at a place with less-than-upscale accommodations: prison. Then again, a life sentence of humiliation -- one which he brought on himself -- is more than enough of a punishment.