DC Madam Commits Suicide

Palfrey apparently kills herself:

Florida authorities confirmed that Deborah Jeane Palfrey, convicted of running a high-end prostitution ring in Washington, is dead in a suspected suicide, NBC News reported.

The body of the 52-year-old woman was found in a shed near her mother's mobile home Thursday morning in Tarpon Springs, about 20 miles northwest of Tampa. Police said in a statement that she left a suicide note, but they did not disclose its contents or how she killed herself.

Police did not immediately have additional comment when reached by telephone. Her attorney, Preston Burton, did not return a telephone call and e-mail message.

Palfrey, known as the "D.C. Madam," was convicted April 15 by a federal jury of running a prostitution service that catered to members of Washington's political elite, including Sen. David Vitter, R-La. She had denied her escort service engaged in prostitution, saying that if any of the women engaged in sex acts for money, they did so without her knowledge.

I can't help but be a little skeptical, though:

Brandy Britton was a professor at the University of Maryland, with a Ph.D. in sociology when she started to work as a call girl for the D.C. Madam.

Jeane Palfrey: This is a woman who was divorced, who was trying to raise two, ah, high-school children, college-age children. Great job title, the great position, all the respect in the world, but she wasn't making enough money. So she decided to do a little moonlighting.

Last October, as the investigation into the D.C. Madam was gaining steam, Professor Britton was arrested by local police on prostitution charges, making big headlines in Baltimore.

Jeane Palfrey: And she was publicly outed, is a good way to put it, she was absolutely humiliated. Ah, she couldn't take the humiliation. Her whole life was destroyed. And she, she just, ah, ultimately committed suicide.

Jeane Palfrey says she's been humiliated too, but she won't let the government bring her down without a fight.

Jeane Palfrey: I just keep my head high. I guess I'm made of something that Brandy Britton wasn't made of. You know, I, I've got something in me. What that is, it's, it can't be defined, but there's something in me that won't let 'em get away with it. And I'm not going to let these bastards get away with it.

Sound like someone who would kill herself?

Hell YES Spitzer Should Resign

From the Federal Affadavit:

According to the affidavit, Kristen called Lewis about 9:32 p.m. Wednesday, February 13, and told her she was in Client 9's room -- number 871 -- at the Washington hotel.

Four minutes later, Client 9 was in the hotel, Lewis told Kristen in another call.

No more calls were logged until 12:02 a.m. Thursday -- Valentine's Day -- nearly 2½ hours later. At that time, Kristen told Lewis Client 9 had left and she had collected $4,300.

Lewis told the prostitute she'd been told that Client 9 "would ask you to do things that, like, you might not think are safe -- you know -- I mean that ... very basic things," the affidavit says.

Kristen told Lewis, "I have a way of dealing with that. ... I'd be like, listen dude, you really want the sex?"

"I don't think he's difficult," Kristen is quoted as saying. "I mean it's just kind of like ... whatever ... I'm here for a purpose. I know what my purpose is. I am not a ... moron, you know what I mean."

Spitzer, who has not been charged, went before reporters Monday to confess to an undisclosed personal indiscretion, saying he had acted "in a way that violates my obligations to my family, that violates my or any sense of right and wrong."

Forget the titillating aspect of the NY Governor Elliot Spitzer case--he should resign immediately because, as Governor of the State of New York, he is given access to Classified material through the Department of Homeland Security. I mean, it's pretty obvious--he's into what a call girl would consider a "deviant" type of sexual practice. And if what you're doing with a woman paid to have sex with men is considered "dangerous," you have issues that go well beyond anything we have to consider as far as politics are concerned.

I mean, whoa. Get some help, Governor. And get your ass out of office now.

Regrettably, I am not an expert on High End Prostitution Rings. In only the satirical sense do I wish I was, but some things in life are just not meant to be. So I can't really speak to the idea of paying $4,300 just to roll in the hay with someone who is not Mrs. Pale Rider. But if you're the Governor of New York--and you have access to classified material AND you can pretty much direct the full Executive power of a major state against anyone you want--that is, shut down businesses, investigate people and call for people to be indicted--you probably shouldn't be using the services of a call girl ring AND you damned sure better not be crossing state lines to do so.

I know there's a Libertarian aspect here--fine, I'm not going to debate that. But when you start talking about the kind of money involved in one of these rings, I'll bet you dollars to donuts there's organized crime that's involved as well.

A sad day to be a Democrat, but that doesn't mean I'm going to turn into a shithead about it. Thanks for your service Governor Spitzer, but you're done. Now, can we get some better Democrats please? Thanks.

UPDATE I - PALE RIDER

One of my long-time friends on the blog front, shortstop, explains what "do you want the sex" really means.

That's what "very basic things" and her telling him "You want the sex...? [No glove, no love]" means.

Boy, am I red-faced. Thanks, shortstop! I'll just go back to GAO reports and impolite commentary.