Not sure how many of you are following the drama unfolding with respect to Governor's Spitzer's involvement with a prostitution ring. In any event, it looks like he's going to be resigning and will be replaced by the lieutenant governor tomorrow. Without condoning such irresponsible behavior, I found it disturbing to discover how this scandal was uncovered. As it turned out, Spitzer obviously had to tender payment for the prostitutes. Apparently he was tendering payment in such a way that the bank felt he was moving money in a manner so as not to trigger the $10,000 IRS reporting limit. The bank apparently filed an 'SAR' - Suspicious Activity Report with the Federal government.

Since when did tendering money become 'inherently suspicious'?

At what point should we be concerned about Fourth Amendment protections if the government can circumvent them by essentially regulating private institutions into the role of 'snitch'?

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Remarks on Tv here in Norway:

1. This is American and not European politics.
2. If it had happened in some (may be all) European countries, there would not have been many politicians left.

In my view, the story is twofold:

1. Buying sex. It is not illegal in most European countries.
2. White washing (non private?) money. That is illegal here.

My personal view:

1. It scares me that some people over there seem to be more angry about sex scandals than going to war on wrong premices.
2. According to Hans Blix the former head of the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission it was not weeks and years before Saddam's regime in Iraq fell, but months. I trust him more than some other persons involved in this business.
3. In Norway we are going to criminalize buying sex like Sweden has already done. At the same time we will allow two of the same sex to marry in the church.
4. Sometimes it seems that persons that claim to be fundamental Christians and base their politics on that book have read the book looking at the text through glasses with a very special filter.
5. Did you note that the List of mortal sins gets longer under Vatican overhaul?
6. Related link: Catholic World News (CWN)
7. I wish you a nice clean precidental election over there.

Did you hijack my Big brother sees you. thread

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Kjell Gunnar Bleivik:: Financial information at your fingertips
Learn object oriented programming where it started

First off, prostitution isn't illegal at the Federal level (taking a prostitute across state lines IS), but prostitution is legal in certain areas of Nevada and while this is the only area where it is, in fact, legal, it is still regulated by the states, they are free to legalize it should they desire. Aside from the 'legals and morals' - the anger is very simple, if Spitzer's wife can't trust him, why should the people of New York?

The thread isn't really about the Governor's resignation, its more about how the affair was discovered to begin with.

If it turns out to be public money embezzled from the state, Spitzer will go to prison, but so far everything I read indicates that he paid his personal funds....

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This is my personal view.

1. Now, there is a new timely sex scandal hitting the Clinton family. There were speculations that he was a vice president candidate if Hillary wins the election. That is a private affair in my view. I think most Europeans share that view. What impressed me, was Hillary Clinton standing very angry by his man when the Republicans had to look beneath the belt to find something on Bill Clinton. Republican dirty trick that she reckognized. In my private opinion, the Bush adminstration's sovereign policy giving a damn in Fn is much worse than Bill Clinton's sex scandal, that had been private in most European countries. I do not change my attitude if you are able to bomb Iraq to democracy. How would the situation have been if Blix and Fn had been listened to? That is theory. I don't talk about 11.09.01, since that was an attack on USA and thus Nato.
2. IMO: Sex politics and religion. Try not to mix it too much. There is something that is private.

Wasn't the money split on many accounts and transferred from account to account? A traditional method used to whitewash money.

As far as I understand, your rules are so that he can change that stay in prison with his job. I think that would not be possible here if he had whitewashed public money and used it for private business

"but so far everything I read indicates that he paid his personal funds..."

A new sex scandal in politics over there:

Are you aware of the fact that some countries here in Europe laugh at you? That may not be important, since you seemingly give a dam in what the world mean. You got to war in Iraq against the advice from above mentioned Blix and Fn. IMO Bill was one of the best presidents you have ever had. What about your economy in his periode?

There is a quote from Ibsen that I will try to translate to English as best I can.

If you go with the ideal claim to the best, soon you will meet a flock white wild horses.

"Gå ikke med den ideelle fordring til de beste,
for brått vil du møte en flokk med ville hvite heste".

The best here is the obvious timely aim of the campaign Hillary Clinton and not Governor Spitzer. The agenda is obvious and transparent to me.

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Kjell Gunnar Bleivik:: Financial information at your fingertips
Learn object oriented programming where it started

How do people know the couple don't have an open relationship, regarding to sex?

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Impossible? You just underestimate the time.

I suppose I need to make my point clearer. The 4th Amendment prohibits government's unreasonable search and seizure. We all intuitively know this, ie. police must get warrants, have probable cause, etc.

Now, of course, nothing prohibits a PRIVATE actor from reporting a crime, ie. if I see a robbery, obviously I can (and should) call the police. The robbery suspect can't complain to a court that my report to the police violated the 4th Amendment because it doesn't apply to the actions of private individuals. The problem here is that the private actor (aka, the bank) filed an 'SAR' - a suspicious activity report with the government, a report the bank was under a statutory obligation to file. The government is going right around the 4th Amendment and utilizing private actors, not subject to the 4th Amendment, as 'snitches.'

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Obviously you don't. Spitzer has no 'right' to the public's trust. You have to EARN trust with people and the standard for violating it isn't beyond a reasonable doubt.

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Fourth Amendment.

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

That is great in theory, but can it be a little too early for Governor Spitzer and his Wife standing on exhibition in front of the whole world on Cnn?

http://org.fredrikstad.kommune.no/so.../gapestokk.jpg



"Gapestokk", a historical anachronism here.

If proved innocent for whitewashing public money, should they ever stand there?

Shame on you American Republicans until the opposite is proved.

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Kjell Gunnar Bleivik:: Financial information at your fingertips
Learn object oriented programming where it started

Should I be?

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Just so you know the English word is 'money laundering' - I know what you mean by whitewashing.....he's not accused of embezzling public funds.

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I guess many people believe in "free" governments to be righteous servants of the people. It's not even true for their own people.
And it usually doesn't hurt when heads of others are rolling some distance away, but when someone steps on our toe, the pain and injustice is unbearable.
Of course it is a sociological issue, common to many societies.
Priorities are just subjective perception.

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Impossible? You just underestimate the time.

Great, you get a green Rep point for that correction, if I have distributed enough around to give you a new.

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Kjell Gunnar Bleivik:: Financial information at your fingertips
Learn object oriented programming where it started