I am disappointed to say I cannot think of any sex act that might be worth $5000 an hour.

sir, london,

They go to church on Sunday, yet there's no love in their hearts on Monday!

Hypocrites of the world unite!

John, London,

America does give lots of aid to Africa. But according to the documentary Black Gold (about coffee), it's easier to give a sack of wheat to an African farmer than it is to pay him a fair price for his produce, keeping him in poverty and allowing him just to feed his family.

John, London,

Alex of London,
Murder should be legal, as it happens anyway.
I'm amazed and appalled at the utter stupidity of all those who say that it's no big deal, That it should not matter.
These are the very opinions and attitudes that enable such rot to flourish.

Anil Siqueira, Mumbay, India

Fight the prostitutes by day....sleep with them at night. Ha ha! I cant quit laughing! This guy's a real idiot. Change him out so that New York does not have to suffer any more embarassment.

Chuck, China,

Thanks for your reply, GeorgeR, but if you read my comment again, you'll notice that I was referring to American society, i.e. people. And wouldn't you agree that the majority of Americans couldn't find Syria or Lebanon or Iraq on the map? Isn't this ignorance of the outside world.
And they may profess love for their neighbour in church every Sunday, but do they realize (or care) what misery their trooops have caused? Isn't this hypocrisy.
GeorgeR, perhaps you can help me to become pro-America again by voting for a decent next president.

alan, cologne,

(1) Reporting on this distracts from the important news
(2) Prostitution should be legal as it happens anyway and is worse for the women if it's illegal
(3) A personal affair should not affect the career of an able politician/lawyer (are we back in that ridiculous Clinton era?)
(4) Why is no-one publicly saying that prostitution can actually also be an OK thing both for the men AND the women? In particular the high-class version isn't really that hard work at all! And it can change a womens (financial) life drastically. What about all those Eastern European girls in London funding their studies through prostitution? What about all those desparate guys who can keep their instincts under control through prostitution? What about all those rescued families that would break just because there isn't any sex going on anymore? If you'd change something what about prostitutes for women so they don't need to cheat anymore?

alex, London, UK

Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.

V.Doty, Columbia, SC USA via China

I suppose there is no hope we will ever learn the nature of the services provided for $5,500 an hour?

Phil Linehan, Mexico City, Mexico

By ignorance I mean a lack of interest or knowledge of the world outside the USA, and a callous disregard for the welfare of anyone living there. alan, germany,

Has Germany sent the money America has sent to Africa?

GeorgeR, Islamorada, Florida

Call me cynical but . . . . . . .

This is not unusual behaviour for someone who appears to be a pillar of the community.

People involved in protecting the weakest and most vulnerable in our society have been discovered to have a much darker side.

Doctors, nurses, teachers, swimming coaches, choir masters and priests have all been champion hypocrites, sexual perverts and murderers.

The only unusual aspect of this incident is that he was caught.

He was caught by the Revenue auditors looking at his tax returns.

No wonder the Clintons, unlike other Presidential candidates, have not published their tax returns.

R Bingham, Lauzun, France

Michael Chessman: "Prostitution is only wrong is you short change someone by involving yourself to defraud someone of their due in this manner"

It is wrong on at least two other levels, 1st: the guy has broken trust with his wife, to whom he has sworn solemn vows. If he can't keep those then there is no way he should be in public office as technical ability is not what public office demands: rather a strong will/self-control. 2nd: he opened himself to blackmail, which considering the job he was doing is unforgivable.

That he calls it a private matter and won't resign only goes to show that he is quite likely on the wrong side of sane.

Greg Lorriman, Leatherhead, UK

$3,000/hour? He really should have shopped around.

Jeff, Manchester,

"So what's wrong with using prostitutes?"

OK! Let me give it to you straight, guys!:

Normal, decent, healthy-minded men DO NOT go to prostitutes!

A normal man wants normal, loving sex with a normal, healthy loving woman: NOT with a communal, commercial woman... who possibly regards him with hatred and contempt!!!

Prostitution is a risky, nasty, unpleasant business that demeans and debases BOTH the man and the woman...and carries a high risk of transmission of vile and potentially fatal venereal diseases..like AIDS and Syphillis. It is said that a very high percentage of prostitutes end up with serious mental and physical illnesses.

What normal man wants to have sex with a woman...who may just have had sex with four or five other men...of questionable health or hygiene???
Yechhh!

Which one of you gung-ho (or is it dung-ho) guys who claim the prostitution is
"no big deal"... would want his mother, sister or daughter to be a prostitute ? ! ? !

Garth Strong, San Diego, USA/CAL

I think the biggest problem is not the prostitution BUT how he paid for it.I understand that he was found out because he was money laundering? Both are crimes but paying for his sins with somebody elses money compounds the problem!

Christine Ranson Jarrott, New Orleans,Louisiana, USA

"So what's wrong with using prostitutes?
Arthur, Coventry, "

Nothing really unless you spend your political career preaching about the evils of prostitution and taking a hard line against it. he is a hypocrite.

Mark, High Wycombe, England

The comments from 'it's just harmless sex and hooker fun' brigade (males I might add) show their total lack of common sense when it comes to the implications of the actions of this man but then that's a failing of some the male species who mostly think below the waist. Had any of you thought past your navel to realise that this man who had not only dishonoured and cheated on his family and those that elected him and put trust in him but had left himslef wide open to blackmail politically?

Viv, London, England

Arthus, Coventry. Nothing wrong with using prostitutes per se, but to persecute prostitutes as part of your public persona, whilst using them in private is somewhat hypocritical don't you think?

David Leslie, Perth, Scotland

I just wonder if he'll be invited back to the Charlie Rose show (PBS). Perhaps Hard Talk will have him as a guest. (BBC)

Good example for the Oxford English Dictionary for illustrating the following words: irony, hypocrisy.

Terry, Cornwall, Canada

Its certainly a big deal, but so are outrageous excesses of Wall Street that he went after. I pity his daughters and wife. They seem to be decent people.

Obama, Singapore,

For those who say this is a private matter and should not be of any importance forget one point - Spitzer as Attorney-General of New York made a point of being holier than thou and took great pride in closing down two prostitution rings. So for him to be caught paying a whore via credit card and having her transported across state lines - well he was hoistd on his own petard. Federal offenses that can mean serious jail time.

Nona, New York City, USA

He completely humilliated his family.
For those saying its just harmless fun, he did not hire a prostitute for just one night but for future appointments also, that must hurt his family to know.
If a man can not run his own personal life honourably do you trust him to run your state?
He says he is 'disappointed' in himself, its more that he is upset that he got caught!

catra christensen, london, uk

A lot of people on Wall Street will be laughing today at Spitzer's downfall. His holier-than-thou demeanour always did seem too good to be true.

Admittedly, most of the explaining that he has to do is towards his family...it's a bit of a Bill and Monica moment that doesn't really disqualify him from doing his job.

David Harrison, Manchester, UK

Gas price is over $100 a barrell. Who cares about a private matter regarding Spitzer. Oh, by thet way, he should NOT resign.

Wani, Ithaca, NY

If you ever met the man, even if you were a Democrat and even if you applauded his efforts at bringing down Wall Street, you would walk away wondering how could an individual be so arrogant, so sanctimonious, so blatantly holier-than-thou.

There was not an ounce of humility in this man - he took perverse enjoyment in using his powers to hound other smart and successful people, all the while probably gloating and getting his kicks over how he was able to break the law and get away with it. I am sure he considered himself above the law, the law was for mere mortals, not him - this had very little to do with sex - he was a sick man, not fit to lead NYS. Thank god he has come to this end...

AA, New York,

After having been pro-American until the arrival of Bush, I've now come to the conclusion that American society is dominated by two concepts:- Ignorance and hypocrisy.
Hyprocrisy explains itself, I think.
By ignorance I mean a lack of interest or knowledge of the world outside the USA, and a callous disregard for the welfare of anyone living there.

alan, germany,

So what's wrong with using prostitutes?

Arthur, Coventry,

America's bankers have stolen the country blind and the press hounds some guy for having a little hooker fun.

What an amazing land.

Eugene, heidelberg, germany

I agree with Steve from Montreal. This looks like a bit of convenient political entrapment by an endangered Republican administartion, one that has had its share of problems with prostitutes, straight and gay.

barack Obama better be what he claims to be because the dirty tricks guys will be watching!

oldasiahand, Guildford, UK

Even as attorney general for the state of New York, Spitzer's ethics were flawed. Per the Wall Street Journal's coverage, his treatment of Hank Greenberg of AIG can be characterized as legal extortion. Basically, Spitzer is a demagogue with appetites for publicity and the power that comes with it. It now seems he has other appetites as well.

Dale, Winston-Salem, NC, USA

The madness of the American puritan obsession with sex;
people's sex life is no-one's business and especially not the state's; the stupidity and hypocrisy of the prostitution laws in the US are senseless; prostitution's a business like another, it should simply be legal and taxable.

JESSE CRUMP, MANILA, PHILIPPINES

Prostitutes serve a very basic need for men .. much better he spends an hour or two in a hotel room and comes home than start a complex relationship with another woman and risk destroying his marriage ... what on earth is all the fuss about !

andy , lyon, france

the higher they rise the harder they fall.

noel, canberra, australia

Who died and made y'all pope? get with it! Prostitution is only wrong is you short change someone by involving yourself to defraud someone of their due in this manner.

Michael Chessman, Toronto, Canada

The problem here is the hypocrisy of Mr. Spitzer and some of his staff members. In addition, the American people do not want elected official with warts and all. Mr. Spitzer campaigned on waging war on corruption, prostitution, etc. If his campaign theme had been different, New Yorkers would not be in an uproar. He has had scandals with some members of his staff and those problems did not begin once they arrived in office. The people on his staff, some were public officials, before joining his campaign have been doing the same "tricks" on local politicians. Their behavior is nothing new, but now is in a bigger, glaring scale because they are now in charge of a state not a county, town, or village where their transgression would not be much noticed or just made local news.

Mrs. Spitzer is not to be blamed in this matter--it is him and he is to be responsible for his behavior. He is a poor example for his daughters.

Marlene, New York, USA

For all of you who say "so what?": This man built an entire career and political office on the premise that he is of upstanding moral character and that conduct violating the law is repugnant. It is not the act of engaging in prostitution that matters. It is the fact that he is a public figure who condemns the very conduct in which he participates. If you think that is cool, then you must have voted for Bush!

Merci, austin, texas

Mark, how dare you say that about his wife? Are you living in the 1950's? Get with the program -- not all women want to be housemaids. We are HUMAN BEINGS, we do not just exist for the every whim of a man. Believe it or not, we are real - not objects. And Steve, it is a big deal. Most adult men that I know do not visit prostitutes. You are not in norm mainstream of society to act so nonchalant about seeing prostitutes. You two men are very disappointing. Sexist ideas like yours make a bad name for all the very many good men out there. I urge you to rethink your positions. How sad for his daughters to know how little their father respects women.

Stephanie, New Canaan, CT

Gee wiz an adult man hired a prostitute, BIG DEAL, so what, I hope he keeps his head up and keeps going.

Steve, Las Vegas, USA

"Those who cook the poison,will end up tasting it." Arabic proverb.

Sam, Dallas, USA

Can you really blame him? His wife determined to have it all is a hot shot lawyer which likely means there's not much of a home life for him and his children.

MARK KLEIN, M.D., OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA

This reminds me of a previous governor, Kane

Andrew, Guildford, UK

Thank you, Steven!

Exactly what I said.

gb, Austin, USA

Whoops !!

Ian Payne, WALSALL,

it's a human act he did ... not like he's caught with his hand in the cookie jar

m levine, NY, USA

What goes around, comes around.

John, Smiths Parish, Bermuda

You know, sometimes human hypocracy sometimes goes flying off into a world so bizarre you may wonder if we are all part of a gigantic scam. Does being a straight arrow mean one is a mug?. Does having a good "character" mean one avoids the main chance?. I have to laugh.Sometimes you win, sometimes you hit the dirt. The alternative is total boredom.

John Perks, Westcliff on sea, Essex England

I note that nowhere in the article is it explicity stated that Spitzer is a Democratic governor. This must be an oversight as I'm sure if he was a Republican this fact would have been mentioned in the first sentence of the report.

Steven, Montreal, Canada

I think the most disapointing piece to this American downfall, is that he has three daughters. Pretty sad.

Katie Macdonald, austin, tx

Couldnt happen to a nicer guy. What a two facer.

mike, lubbock, texas