A few thoughts on the tragedy of Eliot Spitzer. Including the one which should, perhaps, cause us the most concern.

One thought is that many of these grand office-holders feel they forever brush fingertips with God. And that God is the more grateful. In short, they feel they are above us. They believe they can get away with anything. Some do.

At times the job calls for such egos. When you send your fellow beings off to battlefields. When you drop atom bombs. Men must hear destiny call their names to be able to make those decisions.

Alas, too often the voices that stir them come not from God but from the devil. The result is that they have the devil to pay. And sometimes we have to foot the bill.

Another thought is that power corrupts. Eliot was corrupted by power. He used it to abuse others. Used it to destroy reputations of innocent people. Used it to trample the rights of fellow citizens. Rights embedded in the laws he was elected to respect. (He proudly called this “steamrolling.”)

Another thought is that he continued a tradition: the politicians’ perp walk. The ritual is that the disgraced pol hauls his wife before the cameras. To share in his disgrace. I suppose some wives are all right with this. The body language of Mrs. Spitzer suggested she was not.