The Feds Were Watching You, Eliot

Apparently the Feds had been keeping tabs on Spitzer for quite some time -- that is, long before he was busted for his entanglement with Emperor's VIP Club in February.

Spitzer Gets His Comeuppance

Republicans are now calling for legally and politically troubled Governor Eliot Spitzer (D-NY) to resign from his gubernatorial office.

Here's the Scotland-based News.Scotsman.com site reporting more on this swelling ruckus.

Payment Protection Plans (PPIs) Should Be Avoided At All Costs

Whatever you do, if you have credit cards or car insurance, please don't get protection payment plans (PPIs). They are nothing but a false sense of security.

New Cop Ratings Site Incenses Police and Is Removed

A new website (called RateMyCop.com) that rates more than 130,000 police officers nationwide on the basis of authority, fairness, and satisfaction not only incensed so many police organizations, it also resulted in the removal of the site.

The site that is listed under GoDaddy's domain webhosting service has now been replaced with the following:

This site is currently unavailable.

If you are the owner of this site, please contact us at 1-480-505-8855 at your earliest convenience.

It's funny: GoDaddy does not have a problem with you watching porn on its servers, but the pendulum only swings one way when you're dealing with free speech.

(Thanks goes to Christopher Manion for his thoughts on the GoDaddy site.)

Campaign Finance Laws Hurt Grassroots Causes

The government's own campaign finance machinations are wiping out grassroots causes, according to Jessica Peck Corry of Liberty For All Online Magazine.

The Rightful Persecution and Crucifixion of New York Democratic Governor Eliot Spitzer

The recent hoopla over the federal investigation of New York Democratic Governor Eliot Spitzer over his alleged involvement with a $1,000-an-hour prostitute known to various press accounts and sources as "Kristen" and her high-class brothel known as the Emperor's VIP Club has sent shockwaves to the entire mainstream media, especially the blogosphere housing the Left, "moderates," libertarians, and the Right. Moreover, while many pundits across the political spectrum have been putting different varieties of spin on the latest uproar, some of them -- if not, many -- are either ignoring or neglecting the fact that Spitzer isn't being charged with meeting with the woman or being in sexual congress with the woman or other women from the brothel.

In actuality, Spitzer is being charged with money laundering - that is, the crime of wiring money out of his bank account to the ring in the amount of more than $10,000, which, according to Newsday, appeared to be a front for the service. Interestingly enough, the governor contacted the bank to have his name removed, the fact that his broke the $10,000 amounts into smaller amounts notwithstanding. Moreover, the Feds initially believed that the transfers were part of a blackmail scheme or possibly political corruption on the governor's part. Because of the unusual, red-flagged amounts recorded in his bank account, the bank, required by government edict, reported the transactions to the IRS. (Keep in mind that the banks consistently record these unusually-large amounts and report them to the Feds on suspicion that their clients are possibly engaging in drug dealing and/or terrorist activity.)

This latest incident involving Spitzer is an excellent epitome of why the federal and state governments should stay out of the economic and personal affairs of its citizenry. More than that, it beckons for a repeal of laws criminalizing prostitution (it is, in fact, illegal in 49 states minus Nevada) and a repeal of all federal and state laws and regulations that call for monitoring, snooping in, red-flagging, and even overseeing peaceful economic transactions, especially when that activity involves two parties exchanging money for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity.

While we're at it, let's repeal all the federal and state drug and terrorism laws that threaten our domestic and global way of life as well as what we do with our monies that are entrusted to the banks with whom we deal on a voluntary basis. And let's not forget an across-the-board repeal of all laws requiring banks to become snitches to the federal government (i.e. the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, the Department of Justice, the IRs, etc.).

More importantly, let's abolish all unconstitutional federal agencies that are not authorized by the federal government (including the DHS, FBI, IRS, DOJ). Furthermore, let's repeal all the state-imposed laws enforcing morality on the public, especially in the area of illegal prostitution.

On a personal note, while I oppose government intrusion into economic and personal matters (including the act of having sex with a prostitute and/or exchanging money for that purpose), I cannot say, for the life of me, that I feel sorry for Governor Spitzer. This is a man who led a crusade against entrepreneurs, day traders, businesses, and other firms for victimless crimes by supporting the same vile, diabolical, morally-and-politically bankrupt draconian edicts and regulations that were ultimately employed to victimize hundreds -- if not, thousands -- of individuals and businesses for his goal to ascend to the putrid and evil ranks of the authoritarian, pro-state establishment. This man does not really deserve a libertarian defense -- let alone a modicum of sympathy -- for his wicked crimes against his victims whom he has terribly wronged. (I do feel sorry for his family, who did not ask to be put in this position; Spitzer, however, has put his family through this predicament, only that they will politically and legally suffer for what he has done to his victims.)

For that reason above, what has occured to him serves him right. This is a rightful persecution and crucifixion of the governor himself. His comeuppance is truly and rightfully handed to him on a silver platter as it is.

Ron Paul to CNN: "My Campaign Is Never Over"

Contrary to my earlier blog about Ron Paul's presidential campaign being over, Ron appeared on CNN yesterday stating that his "campaign is never over."

While there is a part of me that is elated that the campaign isn't folding, there is another part of me that feels that it is absolutely silly for the campaign itself to continue. McCain has landed the GOP nomination even well before the GOP National Convention in Saint Paul, Minnesota this year. After all, he has the delegates, whereas Ron doesn't. What's the point of continuing this campaign if McCain has creamed Ron on that side of the presidential aisle?

Secondly, Ron has consistently said time after time after time that he wasn't interested in a third party or even an independent run. While a slew of his supporters urged him to run on the Libertarian Party ticket, Ron later publicly (but adamantly) ruled out any posibility of a third party or independent run. If he's refusing to consider any of those avenues in order to continue his campaign, then where's the advantage of him running as a GOP presidential candidate when McCain is the already-anointed War Party candidate? Where's the benefit in that?

Moreover, Ron, in his most recent congressional report to his campaign supporters (which was issued on March 6th), noted that the campaign would soon "wind down." Many of his supporters interpreted that to mean that the campaign was over. Was he really serious about the campaign "winding down" or was it chicanery on his part? His statements and actions within the last few days have been very suspicious, not to mention downright absurd to say the least. Moreover, his words "wind down" and "my campaign is never over" are contradictory in a very profound way. It's one or the other; they can't be both.

Look, either Ron is still in the game or not. But, if he is in the game, why is he so stubborn to not run as a third party or independent candidate? What is he trying to prove? I would -- and could -- see it if he were shifting his campaign into a separate political movement (or an educational one) for the purpose of advancing liberty. But to continue the campaign in this fashion is just hairbrained and moronic. What is this tactic going to achieve? How is this going to help the pro-liberty cause at all?

Although I said that I would blog about my feelings about the Ron Paul campaign (despite my shock that it's now continuing) a couple of days ago, I will issue my thoughts on this campaign later today. It will be quite long and analytical.

Nonetheless, it should be an interesting read.