Hypocritical Oath

He climbed up the political power ladder as Attorney General of New York, prosecuting white-collar crime, securities fraud, and even prostitution. He ascended to the Governorship in 2006, promising voters a change in “the ethics of Albany.” Ironically, just two years into office, Governor Eliot Spitzer was caught spending $4,300 for a few hours with a prostitute. It appears that Spitzer, more so than Albany, needs to change his brand of ethics. Given that his was a political career shaped by a fight against corporate corruption, Spitzer’s hypocrisy is as stunning as it is disheartening.

Spitzer’s resignation yesterday after a burst of public outcry was the best and only thing he could do for the state of New York. While Spitzer has tried to cordon off this affair as pertaining only to his private life, its enormous effect on public opinion would have undoubtedly affected his ability to govern. Spitzer’s colleagues and constituents no longer trust him, and with good reason—his two-facedness insults their intelligence. Without their support, Spitzer would have had little hope of passing legislation. Just as stagnancy stalled the federal government after Bill Clinton’s sex scandal in the late nineties, so too would New York’s government have been rife with contention should he have remained governor

The public outcry over Spitzer’s transgression rightly stems from the fact that not only were his actions illegal, but they were also treacherous. His constituency’s feeling of betrayal is made all the more potent by his duplicity, and his reputation is all the more tarnished by the lies at its base. Simply put, it comes as a bigger blow to discover that Spitzer was a crooked man wearing an honest man’s mask than if we had known him to be crooked all along.

New York is surely weary of sanctimonious politicians who say one thing and do another. Incoming governor David A. Paterson has inherited a difficult situation from Eliot Spitzer, but hopefully he will assume the office with the transparency and honesty that his predecessor lacked.