Blago/Spitzer: Why No Outcry?
Many decent people in my acquaintance believe that Illinois Governor Blago (pictured) was judged much too hastily by Democrats (including Obama) who as a result are now stuck in a mess about seating Blago’s Senate choice, Roland Burris. These folks believe that in America a person is innocent until proven guilty and that the Democratic leadership should have let Blago’s criminal case play out before getting in the way of him carrying out his duties in the meantime. I’m inclined to agree. Trouble is, I didn’t hear these Blago defenders speaking up for New York Governor Elliot Spitzer last year when he was accused of hiring escorts. And guess what: prosecutors in charge of his case eventually announced that Spitzer would not face criminal charges for his involvement in the sex ring. Isn’t there a double standard here? Puritanical America is much more condemning of consensual sex and attendant hypocrisy than it is of someone selling a Senate seat.
