Spitzer Resigns

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Eliot Spitzer has resigned effective next Monday. There’s not much to add, but let’s take a step back and reflect on the double standard at work here. Spitzer cheated on his wife and broke the law, but he hasn’t been charged with a crime. He is now out of office and endured intense pressure to resign in the two days it took him to make up his mind.

Larry Craig, on the other hand, pleaded guilty to a crime (disorderly conduct) and cheated on his wife. He is still in office. David Vitter, whose number appeared in the DC Madam’s phone logs, likely cheated on his wife and likely broke the law, but was never charged with a crime. He, too, is still in office.

So what’s the double standard? Governors vs. Senators? Jews vs. Gentiles? Democrats vs. Republicans? Or people with self-respect vs. people without?

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We’re falling behind our online fundraising goals and we can’t sustain coming up short on donations month after month. Perhaps you’ve heard? It is impossibly hard in the news business right now, with layoffs intensifying and fancy new startups and funding going kaput.

The crisis facing journalism and democracy isn’t going away anytime soon. And neither is Mother Jones, our readers, or our unique way of doing in-depth reporting that exists to bring about change.

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If you can part with even just a few bucks, please help us pick up the pace of donations. We simply can’t afford to keep falling behind on our fundraising targets month after month.

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