Lord Acton (Redux)

What is it about politicians and sexual scandal? The coverage of this latest scandal has been interesting. ABC posted a gallery of politicians with sexual scandals for the past years, going back to Wilbur Mills. I am sure they missed a few. A good number of Mr. Spitzer's former buddies in the media, who were all for his savaging of people like Hank Greenberg and Dick Grasso, seem to have turned on him with considerable zeal.

Most of this story would not be of interest to me except for the two things. First, Spitzer built his professional and political reputation on being a tenacious prosecutor whose understanding of the appropriate limits of power were never in view. In several of the Wall Street prosecutions that he pursued there was never any real evidence that the people under suspicion had credibly violated law - but Spitzer used the powers of his office to extort results. The prosecutorial function, among all government activities, needs to be in the hands of someone who has perspective. Second, it seems clear that the liberties Mr. Spitzer exercised in his professional role extended to his personal life - the best politicians are able to separate their personal and professional lives. Here part of his downfall was the appearance of invulnerability. Spitzer never learned the simple lesson of holding things in their proper perspective or even in simply admitting to a mistake.

Everyone can quote Acton's famous phrase about power corrupting - but I think his better one says "It is easier to find people fit to govern themselves than people to govern others. Every man is the best, the most responsible, judge of his own advantage." The role of prosecutor is one of the most sensitive in society. Elliot Spitzer betrayed that role well before he got caught with those expensive hookers.