Eliot Spitzer spent the last few days wooing voters at a number of New York City churches. The New York Daily News reports:
Eliot Spitzer is on a forgiveness tour.
The former New York governor has been quietly visiting churches across the city expressing remorse for the prostitution scandal that drove him from office. And he wants to explain why he’s attempting a surprising political comeback by running for New York City controller.
The soul-searching sinner visited several churches last week and at least three more Sunday, but his campaign has not put any of the appearances on his public schedules. He said he didn’t want the crush of reporters following him to get in the way of having “authentic” conversations with voters.
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The sex scandal aspect of it demonstrates bad judgment on Spitzer’s part, as well as clear lack of respect for his wife. But what is starting to bother me more, as a citizen, is that he engaged in the kind of illegal activity his office was charged with prosecuting (setting aside the question of whether prostitution should be legalized).
Right wing evangelicals do this all the time–beat their breasts and tear their clothes, a big, religious deal of penance, and are forgiven by God and their clergy and church, no doubt. That’s all well and good for their spiritual development. But this is one area in which church and state should be separate. As a Christian, I can forgive Spitzer, but if I were a New Yorker, I don’t know if I’d have much faith in his ability to stay on the straight and narrow in a job that so clearly requires it.
On the one hand, the wages of sin are name recognition and a second chance in politics. There may be more truth to the old saying that there is no such thing as bad publicity than we realize. Just spell my name right, please.
On the other hand, the press’s prurient focus makes it difficult to get ones platform across to the public.
There is little danger American media will ever waste its time on issues when it’s so much more fun to dig up dirt. Mr. Spitzer is twice blessed: both able to wallow in dirt himself while he exposes that of others. That might be considered hypocritical but in politics it’s just practical.