Monday, March 10, 2008

ELIOT SPITZER ACCUSED OF BEING IN PROSTITUTION RING




UPDATE: Video:




This is the classic "Big Story". According to The New York Times, but the NY Post has better and more detailed information, reporting that Fix News has stated that Spitzer's set to resign:

Feds last week busted a diamond-studded international call-girl ring that offered well-heeled johns "fashion models, pageant winners and exquisite students" for up to $5,500 an hour - after one of the prostitutes turned on her pimp. The Times reported that it was unclear whether this was the ring Spitzer was involved with...The Emperors Club, an upscale escort service, ranked its hookers on a seven-diamond scale on its Web site and then charged its wealthy clientele accordingly for "dates," court papers said.
Four people were charged with prostitution and tax crimes for allegedly raking in more than $1 million with a stable of 50 girls that serviced clients in New York, Washington, LA, San Francisco, Chicago, Miami, Las Vegas, London, Paris and Vienna.


You will hear accounts that Spitzer was a "clean cut" person and that as Attorney General, he essentially picked on the Wall Street establishment, and the online ticket industry. In the latter, without success.

Now Spitzer's speaking and appologizing to his family. He says that he failed to live up to the standard of himself the people of New York. He did not say he would step down but that he would get back to the public. He did not deny being part of the prostitution ring.

More later.

N.Y. Times: New York governor linked to prostitution

Governor Spitzer has been reportedly linked to a prostitution ring, The Emperor's Club, which charges $1000-5500 per hour for their promiscuous services. Undoubtedly, a damaging black eye for the maverick governor and former Attorney General for the Empire State.

In addition, the crime fighting governor has been reported by MSNBC to have sent text messages requesting various services to the ring.

NEW YORK (AP) -- The New York Times is reporting that New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer has told senior advisers that he had been involved in a prostitution ring.

On its Web site, the newspaper cites an anonymous administration official as the source and says Spitzer was meeting with his top aides.

Spitzer officials wouldn't immediately comment on the story to The Associated Press. An announcement was scheduled for 2:15 p.m. at his Manhattan office

SXSW - Sara Lacy Of Business Week Gets Hammered for Softballing Mark Zuckerberg

Sara Lacy's being described as having given an interview of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg that was "flirtatiously awful" at SXSW. I usually don't hear about such matters on the blogsphere from SXSW in the past, so this one must have been a real toilet-dweller of a talk.

I'll go over to my friends Owen Thomas and Paul Boutin at Valleywag for the ulitmate take on all of this, since both were there while I'm here in Oakland playing host to my Mom, who's visiting. Owen agrees with the reviewers regarding the audience's behavior. Paul, who can turn a phrase with the best of them, wrote "if you really hated yesterday's big event, Austin attendees, blame yourselves. SXSW only gave you exactly what you wanted: A chance to relive Spring Break and the senior prom, but with you and your self-styled "geek" friends as the popular kids."

So just what happened? You can see it here, along with the audience reactions:



Just eyeballing it, it seems that Lacy was doing more talking than listening. It's as if Mark was the spectator.

Here's Sara's explaination of what happened:



According to Sara, the questions were a product of discussion by her and Mark, but she's taking the fall. Tisk. Well, this will all blow over in a few days, especially since bigger news like New York Governor Eliot Spitzer's alledged involvement in a prostitution ring is holding the Monday Zeitgeist space.

Lindsay Lohan - Who Is Lindsay Lohan - Video

I realized I don't even know who Lindsay Lohan really is, so I posted this video that was created to show her.

New England Patriots Spygate - NFL Near Deal With Matt Walsh - NY TIMES

Once the evidence he presents hits the media, the image-aware NFL will take swift action, for sure.


Let’s Make a Deal, Starring Matt Walsh
By ANDREW DAS - NY TIMES

In statements released to the news media Sunday night, the N.F.L. and the lawyer representing the former Patriots video assistant Matt Walsh revealed that the sides were nearing a deal that would finally allow Walsh to reveal what he knows about spying in the N.F.L.

Corzine and Rendell Want To Back Florida and Michigan Revote? NO WAY JOSE!

Aww, come on! You've got to be kidding me. Let's see. We've got two Clinton-backers New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine and Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell offering to raise money for new revotes in Florida and Michigan?

You gotta be kidding me!

Just say no way Jose. Look, not only are they Clinton-backers, they're not known as having the greatest clean reputations in the World. Just go and type "Corzine Scandal" and "Rendell Scandal" in Google and you'll get a combined 245,000 results, and that's no accident.

We need a process Americans -- not to mention people in Florida and Michigan -- can trust. I'm way not for this at all. I don't think Senator Obama should be either.