Open Message to Male Politicians: Keep it in Your Pants!

The recent news of Eliot Spitzer's illegal involvement with a prostitution ring is nothing short of a total embarrassment, to Spitzer and his family, to New York state, and really to males everywhere.

What the f---?

What makes this so tragic is that Spitzer, the current Governor of New York (undoubtedly not for long) and former Attorney General of New York, has for many years had a squeaky clean image as a family man- and has vigorously pursued criminals and established himself as an upholder of justice for all.

Now he must resign. Whether or not you agree with the morality of the laws concerning prostitution, the laws are there. Worse, because he transported a prostitute across state lines, he has committed a federal crime.

But the worst part of this is not the criminal element. It is the humiliation of another male political leader, a husband and father.

Spitzer's screwup is only one (though arguably the worst) in a long line of idiotic male political leaders:
President Bill Clinton
Governor James McGreevey
Senator Larry Craig
Gary Condit.
Newt Gingrich.
The list goes on and on....

As a young man running for New York City Council and embarking on my own political career, but more important as a proud husband and father, today, I am embarrassed to be a man.

KEEP IT IN YOUR PANTS!

There is absolutely no excuse. If you are a man who takes wedding vows, you have a legal and moral responsibility to your wife not to cheat. If you are an elected official, you have an even greater responsibility to the public to be a role model: To do what is legal and what is right.
If you can't do that, then don't get married, and certainly, don't run for public office!

None of us is perfect. I am certainly far from perfect myself. However, there are certain standards that we must hold ourselves to and that we must hold our elected officials to.

Too many men, most recently Spitzer, have not met these standards, and have disappointed their families and the public.

Just keep it in your pants. It's really that simple.