OK, New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer got caught on a wire tap being "involved in a prostitution ring." Hardly shocking these days. And he oozes the usual biolerplate contrition, saying he acted "in a way that violates" his obligations to his family: "I have disappointed and failed to live up to the standard I expected of myself. I must now dedicate some time to regain the trust of my family." Fine. Dandy.
But this part of the story stopped me:
The Web site of the Emperors Club VIP displays photographs of scantily clad women with their faces hidden. It also shows hourly rates depending on whether the prostitutes were rated with one diamond, the lowest ranking, or seven diamonds, the highest. The most highly ranked prostitutes cost $5,500 an hour, prosecutors said.
$5,500? An hour?? Is this East Coast inflation, or are politicians just nuts? When I was in the military overseas, the, um, purchased physical act of romance was relatively cheap. But the cost kept going up and up, because the GIs who indulged in that sort of thing were not economic geniuses and didn't have anything else to spend their money on anyway. But I repeat, $5,500 an hour? That's enough for (referrring to our earlier story about the massive pot bust here) five-and-a-half pounds of marijuana. You tell me which would give the most pleasure.
