I concern myself with.  Mine, and my partner's.  What other people do with theirs (so long as there is mutual consent), is really of no interest to me.

So, I engage in schadenfreude when the undoings of the Larry Craigs and Elliot Spitzers come to light. Because, you know, it's just so STUPID.

We're in the post Gary Hart era here.

So, why DO they do it?  Follow me below the waist, errrr, fold.

Update:  I received an email from someone claiming to be Michael Wolff pointing out that I use 'Richard' several times in this essay.  Ooops!  He got me!  Chalk it up to a bad pain day.  Most of you know I'm usually vigilant when it comes to details like this - but sometimes, when the pain gets really bad, the back of my brain takes over.  I was thinking about the TV pundit Richard Wolff (the Wolff I know best).  It just came out - and for that I am sorry.  If I'm eviscerating the man - I should at the very least get his name right!

So thank you MICHAEL Wolff for the correction.  That took courage.

Cross Posted at Left-Over

Today we learned that at least three people working in the State Department breached the security of Barack Obama’s passport files.  Apparently, the breach occurred in January, 2008, during the period leading up to the Super Tuesday primaries.  Despite procedures that require immediate investigation and notification, Obama was only advised today!

According to a White House spokesperson, the reason for the breach was "not political," but rather it was done out of "imprudent curiosity."  The only possible way to know the true motivation for the breach is to learn much more about the three individuals who accessed the records. Why do they say they did it? Who did they talk to about it before and after? Who do they associate with who might have helped peak their curiosity!

I think this is a good time to point out that we first learned about the Eliot Spitzer scandal on March 11, 2008.

I'm an avid Obama supporter and he is a great speaker and has really inspired me in this election.

But I decided to find out about his platform and I dug deep into the details and found the issue that is dear to me: Autism.

I was rather stunned that he even addressed it. To be fair I went to Hillary's website at the time to see if she addressed this epidemic problem in our children. I could not find anything. So I went back to Obama's site and read a little more about his plan.

If I were the editor of a magazine and was looking to hire a copy editor, I would provide each applicant with a brief Hugh Hewitt column and ask him or her to find each of several hundred grammatical monstrosities located therein.

First, limit the question to what is known beyond reasonable doubt: Elliot Spitzer’s serial assignations with call girls and Bill Clinton’s affair with Monica Lewinsky combined with his perjury about that affair. Set aside Spitzer’s bullying prosecutions and his abuse of his office as governor. Try and forget the allegations against Bill Clinton from other women. Stick just to what is widely understood to be undeniable facts.

These facts is truly undeniable. What's up with these crazy Democrats and its affairs? Hugh Hewitt are correct on this one.

Okay, I really don't do candidate diaries. Or at least only one in a moment of weakness and it sucked.

Maybe I'm a little pissed at finding out Kristen is the girl next door to my office and knowing that it will obliterate any substantive discussion of politics (as well as quiet walks home) since the reporters were twelve deep. One was desparate enough to ask for an interview simply because I was a body.

So I'm testy tonite. I watched KO. And then I see this:

That was his (Obama's) choice," she says. "There was no rule or requirement that he take his name off the ballot. His supporters ran a very aggressive campaign to try to get people to vote uncommitted."

It was rough for many of us, being a Democrat yesterday.  We saw one of the more dynamic members of our party, NY governor Elliot Spitzer, revealed as someone who likes to frequent expensive prostitutes.

There have been a few diaries on the Recommended List here questioning the particulars of the case -- the political motives of all involved, the methods used to catch Spitzer, and so on.  I hope such work will continue.  As diarist eugene says, borrowing from Jane Hamsher at Firedoglake, these are the more important questions, ultimately.  If our justice system is an arm of political interests, that's a real danger to our democracy

(more below...)

Following the lead of a certain Nameless candidate for the Democratic let me hereby make a job offer that’s not mine to give but would pretty much solve a whole bunch of problems all at once.   So everybody take a deep breath and repeat after me:

Governor Hillary Clinton. (D-NY)

And yes I’m serious.     This is actually a perfect solution to both the NY scandal and our little nomination contratemps  all in one neat package.

Let’s face facts:  Gov. Elliot "the LOVE Gov." Spitzer is a goner.   Even if he could survive the Scandal and the subsequent charges of hypocrisy, He’ll never again be able to preach fiscal discipline with a straight face ($5,500 an HOUR?!,  for that money he’d better  have been getting a kink-play  with member of a European royal family or an Oscar winner) .  So he’ll be resigning momentarily if he hasn’t already.

And that’s gonna leave a void only a nationally prominent politician with strong NY ties can fill.  One who has experience doing damage control on highly embarrassing personal scandals.

I’m looking at you, Hil.

I would imagine that the New York Times is as well plug-in as anyone at Albany. And now they quotes aides to Governor Spitzer that he will resign and have over power to Lt. Gov. Paterson.

I know as Democrats, we tend to think that things like this as a bad thing, but there are upsides.

Bruno and the rest of his Republithug storm troopers are making noises about impeachment, we have Mr. anti-corruption's political career basically over.

For me as a Democrat, this sucks.  It must suck even worse for his wife and daughters, who deserve out sympathy, not him.

But let's talk about the winners.

Jon Stewart.  Stephen Colbert.  Jay Leno. David Letterman.  Colin Craig Ferguson.

They haven't been able to use news from the Bush administration lately.  After all, what more can you say about Dick Cheney being sent on a peace mission, than the fact that Dick Cheney has been sent on a peace mission.

The Bush Administration has exceed our capacity for parody, but a $2500+/hour hooker, now that's entertainment.

To whom it may concern;

It is clear to all of us, regardless of political inclination, that the scandal surrounding New York Governor Elliot Spitzer is huge news.  It will be covered in excruciating, painfully explicit detail.

The reports are mixed depending on sources, but this one indicates that Gov. Elliot Spitzer will resign tonight.

In what can only be called a miracle of multitasking, Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) managed to grandstand, close the barn doors after the horses escaped, then still beat a dead horse, and kick a man while he’s down, all while trying to catch the train after it had already left the station.