# What Would Happen (Politically) If Spitzer Doesn't Resign? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 10, 2008, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-politically-if-spitzer-doesnt-resign/440880 "2008-03-10T20:40:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-politically-if-spitzer-doesnt-resign/440880/41 "2008-03-13T16:14:26Z")
[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic] Learn how to parse what you’re reading. I’m NOT wrong. The clause you’re quoting from is dependent on the transaction being made with illegally obtained _proceeds_. Read the entire thing again and remember that everything after (A) is dependent on (a)(1). [/QUOTE] It doesn’t matter what end of the transaction you’re on. If I buy drugs from you with money I earned legally, but collude with you to structure the payment such that you can hide the income, then we’re both potentially guilty. That’s why there is a potential conspiracy charge in the new story I quoted above. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-politically-if-spitzer-doesnt-resign/440880/42 "2008-03-13T16:19:56Z")
[QUOTE=John Mace] It doesn’t matter what end of the transaction you’re on. If I buy drugs from you with money I earned legally, but collude with you to structure the payment such that you can hide the income, then we’re both potentially guilty. That’s why there is a potential conspiracy charge in the new story I quoted above. [/QUOTE] According to the wording of the statute, it _does_ matter. Spitzer wasn’t transacting with the proceeds of any illegal activity. It was his own money. That’s why they’re calling it “structuring” and not laundering. I think you also have the impression that I’m arguing that they couldn’t charge Spitzer with anything involving his method of payment. I’m sure they could. I’m saying _it doesn’t matter_ if it’s illegal. That doesn’t make it _bad_. All he did in _ethical_ terms was cheat on his wife. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-politically-if-spitzer-doesnt-resign/440880/43 "2008-03-13T16:24:39Z")
[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic] I’m saying _it doesn’t matter_ if it’s illegal. That doesn’t make it _bad_. All he did in _ethical_ terms was cheat on his wife. [/QUOTE] I think you’re fighting a losing battle here. There are neough people out there who think it does matter, and that it is bad. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-politically-if-spitzer-doesnt-resign/440880/44 "2008-03-13T16:31:28Z")
[QUOTE=Captain Amazing] I think you’re fighting a losing battle here. There are neough people out there who think it does matter, and that it is bad. [/QUOTE] Those people are wrong. I’m right. ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-politically-if-spitzer-doesnt-resign/440880/45 "2008-03-13T16:47:15Z")
[QUOTE=Burton] The longer he waits the more he taints HRC. [/QUOTE] Please refrain from using _HRC_ and _taint_ in the same sentence. It creates disturbing unintended consequences for some people. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-politically-if-spitzer-doesnt-resign/440880/46 "2008-03-13T16:56:35Z")
[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic] According to the wording of the statute, it _does_ matter. Spitzer wasn’t transacting with the proceeds of any illegal activity. It was his own money. That’s why they’re calling it “structuring” and not laundering. [/quote] That part of it, yes. But there is also a potential charge of money laundering. I’ll just note that you are the only person in this thread who won’t recognize that. It’s being reported that way in the news, too. > [@](#): > > I think you also have the impression that I’m arguing that they couldn’t charge Spitzer with anything involving his method of payment. I’m sure they could. I’m saying _it doesn’t matter_ if it’s illegal. That doesn’t make it _bad_. All he did in _ethical_ terms was cheat on his wife. The topic of this thread is what would happen to him, politically, if he didn’t resign. And it’s your contention that it doesn’t matter if what he did was illegal. That’s an interesting proposition, but not one that even passes the laugh test. **Of course** his political future is going to be affected if he is found to have engaged in illegal activity. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-politically-if-spitzer-doesnt-resign/440880/47 "2008-03-13T17:06:09Z")
[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic] Those people are wrong. I’m right. [/QUOTE] Well, maybe you are and maybe you aren’t, but the problem with that is that everyone judges with a different set of ethical and moral standards, and you likely won’t convince people who have moral standards you disagree with to change their minds just by saying they’re wrong. That way, madness lies, so to speak. Take me, for instance, because I do disagree with you. I’m one of those “wrong” people. I think Spitzer did something wrong for a number of different reasons. The first, we agree on, he cheated on his wife. The second is that he broke the law, and I don’t think people should break the law, except out of neccessity, or when the law is so immoral that obedience to the law creates a greater evil (We can, of course, debate whether prostitution should be illegal. I’m not convinced it should, but it is.). The third is that he had sex with a woman he didn’t know, and I think that sex should only be between two people in committed relationships. The fourth is that throughout his career, he’s cracked down on both prostitution rings and bank manipulation, and it seems kind of hypocritical that he would do this while he was doing that. I don’t really think you can argue me out of these positions, especially just by saying “You’re wrong”. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-politically-if-spitzer-doesnt-resign/440880/48 "2008-03-13T17:30:00Z")
Do you ever drive faster than the speed limit, **Captain**? ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-politically-if-spitzer-doesnt-resign/440880/49 "2008-03-13T17:38:22Z")
[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic] Do you ever drive faster than the speed limit, **Captain**? [/QUOTE] I have, I admit. I try not to, but sometimes if the limit is 35, for instance, I’ll find myself going 36 or 37 or something. When I notice it, I reduce speed, obviously. I’ll also admit that sometimes I’ve crossed the street while the don’t walk light was blinking. It doesn’t make it the right thing to do…it’s just that I don’t always do the right thing. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-politically-if-spitzer-doesnt-resign/440880.md?page=2)