He may be opposed to violent video games like Hitman: Codename 47, but an FBI document alleges that New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer (D) was known as Client 9 to an upscale, international prostitution ring.
Spitzer is seen at left with Silda, his wife of 21 years.
The New York Times is reporting a breaking story that Spitzer will make some type of announcement this afternoon about the case. (UPDATE: Spitzer briefly apologized, but didn't 'fess up to anything specific...)
Federal prosecutors apparently caught Spitzer on a wiretap arranging for a prostitute to travel from New York to Washington, D.C., where he was visiting on business. It is a federal offense to transport someone across state lines for the purpose of engaging in prostitution.
During his 2006 gubernatorial campaign, Spitzer pledged to regulate video game content and called for a universal rating system. Video game legislation approved by the New York Assembly during his first year in office seemed fast-tracked for passage, but eventually stalled due to a bitter political feud between Spitzer and Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno (R). The video game bill was expected to be revived in 2008, but that is certainly questionable now, as is Spitzer's future.
During the 2006 campaign Spitzer called out the video game industry for excessive violence and, ironically, sexual content in its products:
Like all parents, I know it is increasingly difficult to protect our children from negative influences... we have learned that when self-regulation fails, government must step in... we must do more to protect our children from excessive sex and violence in the media...
Media content has gotten more graphic, more violent and more sex-based... Currently, nothing under New York State law prohibits a fourteen-year old from walking into a video store and buying... a game like 'Grand Theft Auto,' which rewards a player for stealing cars and beating people up. Children can even simulate having sex with a prostitute...
GP: The hypocrisy meter is just about off the scale... Check out page 36 of this FBI document for some of the dirty details of Client 9's hotel encounter with a hooker named "Kristen."
UPDATE: Spitzer is a superdelegate for another frequent video game critic, Sen. Hillary Clinton.
RANDOM THOUGHT: Can a homemade Client 9 game be far behind?
Comments
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/03/10/i-apologize-to-the-public/
[inaudible] … politics that would rebuild New York and create opportunity for all. We vowed to bring real change to New York and that will continue. Today, I want to briefly address a private matter. I have acted in a way that violated the obligations 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 is 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 that I expect 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.
He's KINDA implying that he won't, talking about a "private matter" and how politics isn't about individuals but about issues.
Someone should create flash game off this.
Ok, the guy had issues with 'games are for kids, kids shouldn't have access to adult material, so regulate games'. He was wrong.
But what he got 'caught' doing was a conceptual business transaction between adults... and now the game community is doing a collective 'see! he is immoral! not us!' without thinking that they are now essentially trashing ANOTHER group that has gotten the short end of the morality stick.
Props to Todd for also pointing this out.
McGreevey thought he could batten down and ride it out, too. He was wrong. So is Spitzer.
I think prostitution should be legal, but that isn't the point. This guy was doing something in real life that he wants to be regulated in videogames. End of story.
Do you think Mrs. Spitzer will see it as merely a consentual business transaction between adults?
Oh, I completely agree. Spitzer has made so many enemies in Albany they will NEVER let him stay. He's done whether he likes it or not.
Wow, thats the best quote about a game-bashing politician I've ever heard :) Nominate this quote as videogame quote of the year.
Actually, the hypocrisy runs a little deeper. This guy was prosecuting defendants on prostitution charges and, when he won, smugly watching them get carted off to prison.
"Why is it that people with these particular skeletons in their closets go on such crusades to demonize and vilify those who are free about it?"
It's simple really... Spitzer and others like him are scum; what they care about is money, power, pleasure, etc. Illegal or controversial pleasures are some of the things they don't mind participating in. the reason they demonize and crusade against the very things they practice is because they want power and fame and know it will get them votes; and they often do get those votes. If they didn't crusade they would never get as powerful and thus their lusts for power would never be fulfilled. These same people are also stupid enough to think that they will never get caught and their hypocrisy and lies will never be exposed.
@Todd
It is hypocrisy... Even if you do not see the hypocricy in his position against games (such as the prositution in GTA) while sengaging in prostitution himself, there is also the fact that he apparently busted a Prostitution ring back in 2004... and i'm sure any speech he included with that bust was probably very much against prostitution.
On a side point, I agree that prostitution should be legalized. It's OK to lie to a girl in a bar, get her drunk, take her home, knock her up and kick her out, but it's bad to pay a girl for sex? That's a little ass-backwards. "Lying and drugging is OK, but being honest and blunt is inexcusable." I don't foresee myself visiting a newly-legal prostitute, but I think a consensual visit with a sex worker is a better option than rape.
Not only should prostitution be legalized but it should also be subsidized by the govermnment for those, like myself, that can't afford it -- like Section 8 rent, food stamps, and Pell grants for college.
Yes, it is hypocrisy in the sense that someone who proposed what amounted to legislating morality turned out to be not so moral himself. I recommend listening to the Korn song “Hypocrites.”
This is hypocrisy as the governor is trying to enforce moral codes (like video games legislation, which is done under the guise that it is offensive and immoral for youngsters, which i disagree) while at the same time being for lack of a better work "immoral" himself.
With that said prostitution should be legalized but this is because government shouldn't be regulating speech or conduct on the basis of offensiveness or morality, only harm to others (like murder, rape, theft, child abuse and molestation, ect.)
Funny you mention that other hypocrite Leland Yee as he has also been caught at the very least trying to solicit prostitutes for sex. In reality all these politicians are f**kin' hypocrites.
I don't think this is really ironic, or hypocrisy in action, but it does destroy the man's credibility. I don't think he should remain in office any longer than absolutely necessary, though - why should we let him have such a hand in writing the rules we as a society live by, when he won't follow those rules himself?
"...we have learned that when self-regulation fails, government must step in… we must do more to protect our children from excessive sex and violence in the media…"
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAHHHHH
This is hypocrisy in action. Not only did he falsly claim games promoted prostitution, but he was a no-nonsense attorney general who busted a prostitution ring. He was known as the sheriff of Wall Street. Now he is disgraced, even if he does not resign.
D.C. has more call-girl services than national monuments. Why's Spitzer trucking in talent from New York? And leaving himself open to the federal Mann Act felony charge. And, I'd imagine, paying extra for transportation costs and travel time. Weird.
It's so funny that he would criticize a game for allowing sex w/ prostitutes, when during the same time, he was screwing one!
@ Soothsayer
Ironically enough, we're reading Caesar in my pre-AP class.
(Ironically, I don't personally have a problem with prostitution. I think it should be legal but government regulated. I'm not a huge fan of government regulation, but the fact is legalized prositution would pose a serious health risk if not controlled. Plus, government regulation would cut down on violent crimes associated with and make the treatment considerably more humane for the women.)
In the end, I guess I'm not surprised. We had a local guy here who was a little too uptight in his beliefs. Fast forward a couple years we find out he was hiring male prostitutes. What was the name of the florida senator who was into congressional pages? Something Foley? Congress seems to have a problem finding ways to deal with its baser instincts.
can someone explain this please
@jadedcritic,
i agree. i think they sould give out prostitution licenses, and a prostute should be able to file a federal complaint against their boss for mistreating them.
Yes, because he doesn't want that type of thing being accessible to children. His logic suppositions are flawed but the logic is sorta consistent.
@JackDon'tKnowJack
Hard to say. I know nothing about their marriage or what rules they have within it. Given that they guy is a powerful jerk I would wager that his wife did not know about or consent to his prostitution, but that doesn't make protistution it'self immoral. I know plenty of people where both partners have conceptual sex outside their marriage and are perfectly happy with it.
Did you know that the French governement is the biggest pimp in France? Well yeah. No tatus AND income tax. France and love, ahhh...
@ Grizzam 512, That's the only reason I liked museums as a kid.
Seriously.
Bleeding hyppocrate.
He didn't force prostitutes on kids, so I don't think it's really a VG hypocrisy story. He wasn't alerting children to what he was doing, so it doesn't quite mesh as a counter to the GTA arguments.
It's pretty much "Politician Critical of Video Games busted for frequenting prostitutes."
Not worth much of a chuckle, but I do think a smug grin of satisfaction at having the scandal exposed is in order.