I know it has been quite sometime since writing my last column back in January, but politics has a way of making one feel burned out. It has a way of turning the most hopeful person into the most cynical amongst us. Politics can darken one’s soul and tear at one’s heart when one feels that the people have been left behind in the dust by various politicos. As politicos squabble, they forget that real people are hurting out here and need solutions instead of sound bites. As foreclosures are hitting every corner of this country, they need these politicos to act like leaders stating how they are going to solve this immense and catastrophic problem. The people need leadership instead of political posturing.
When I heard of the prostitution scandal that the NY State governor, Eliot Spitzer finds himself in, my first reaction was, “It couldn’t happen to a nicer guy” In fact, I was down right thrilled that he got his comeuppance. Yes, he took many people on, and made tons of enemies on the way up but it was his narcissism and arrogance that took him down.
In 2006 former NY State Comptroller, Alan Hevesi found himself embroiled in his own scandal in which he used state funds to transport his ailing wife and when that scandal broke before Election Day 2006, the people of this state overwhelmingly voted him back into office by a sixty percent margin. During his re-election campaign it was the Attorney General, Eliot Spitzer who distanced himself from Hevesi and I found that move unforgivable considering the fact Hevesi was a good public servant. Hevesi was one of those politicos that I did trust and in this day and age trust is a scarce commodity when looking upon other politicos.
In article after article, I confronted the powers that be such as Eliot Spitzer to help save Alan Hevesi, yet it fell on deaf ears. In fact during that time, Newsday went after Hevesi as if he committed some major crime which I felt was a witch hunt. Gee you would have thought that Hevesi lied us into a war killing so many innocent people. I do remember confronting Newsday on this asking why aren’t they going after President Bush with the same tenacity, only to be met with several hang-ups. Yes, Hevesi used state funds to transport his ailing wife, but he was also making restitution of those funds. I do remember calling Democrat after Democrat to come to Hevesi’s side, yet all ran for the hills. I even faxed these Democrats pleading for them to come to Hevesi’s side and prayed that my fax machine would not burn out. I remember having a discussion with a chairperson of a local Democratic committee asking how we can save Alan Hevesi and this chair did not lift one finger to do so. My guess is that Eliot Spitzer’s gubernatorial campaign was more important than re-electing a good public servant in Hevesi. I would have loved to have seen this chair’s face as this scandal broke. In fact, I would have loved to have seen the faces of each Democrat that I contacted.
Now some Democrats are looking to circle the wagon around Spitzer to help save his job? Democrats.com even has a petition calling upon Governor Eliot Spitzer not to resign and to fight any move to call him to resign by stating that President George Bush and Karl Rove are behind this. While I have no love for either of these men, it is my belief that they are not behind this scandal that Gov. Spitzer finds himself in. I would love for Democrats.com to prove this assertion. Spitzer finds himself in this situation because he broke the law.
As New York State Republicans are seeking to impeach Spitzer should he fail to resign, I do support them in this move. One of the reasons being is this column I wrote of Spitzer, I feel betrayed by Governor-elect, Elliot Spitzer and we must protect Alan Hevesi. In that article, I wrote, “I was reading the New York Times I became enraged in reading Spitzer likely to seek Hevesi's ouster. As we all know in spite of the ethics charges, on Election Day knowing full well of these charges, Alan Hevesi won a mandate when almost sixty percent chose to re-elect him. In Suffolk County alone, Hevesi drew more votes than Andrew Cuomo.” Yet the newly elected governor sought to overturn an election and usurp the will of the people. New Yorkers wanted Alan Hevesi to serve four more years as their comptroller and Spitzer’s move and distancing himself from Hevesi showed his callous disregard for all New Yorkers.
In his scandal as stated above, Hevesi was at least trying to help his ailing wife, and not publicly humiliate his wife like Eliot Spitzer has by using prostitutes. Yes, prostitutes since it is my belief that he has used several especially when there is proof of him saying, “Remind me what she looks like” and having an account with that prostitution we site. My heart broke seeing his wife Silda stand by his side the other day. At least Hevesi was honoring his wife while Spitzer used his wife at that press conference. Some will say of prostitution is a victimless crime and if public humiliation were a crime, then Eliot Spitzer most certainly broke that one by parading his wife in front of the cameras not taking into account her feelings. Other politicos have done that as well when it comes to them being caught in similar sex scandals and I find that unconscionable.
My message to all politicos is to first do no harm by your spouse, own up to your flaws and stand alone.
As a New Yorker and one that does see the hypocrisy of Eliot Spitzer, I am also calling for him to resign as he forced Alan Hevesi whose scandal was tame in comparison. I am calling upon every single Democratic leader demanding that Spitzer resign so that we as a state can heal. I am calling upon them to do so since we have bigger problems to solve such as our $5 billion dollar budget deficit that affects each and every New Yorker. While many New Yorker’s suffer, Eliot Spitzer’s libido did not suffer.
Author’s email address is, xmjmac@optonline.net
