As we write this, the extent to which Gov. Eliot Spitzer is involved in a prostitution ring, if at all, remains unclear. His brief comments at a press conference on Monday, however, seem to indicate the allegations have validity.

Once again the American people are left shaking their heads at the absurdity of these kind of actions by those who have reached political heights and apparently present themselves as above the law and beyond the standards of decency and responsibility they preach to everyone else. Certainly, Spitzer is a poster boy of this kind of hypocrisy. His actions, as he would have us believe, are not "a private matter."

Spitzer's role in prosecuting many in corporate America while an Attorney General was executed with a vengeance and a mean spiritedness that went well beyond his legal powers or responsibilities. In short, he was a bully, and while he may have done a lot to address problems within corporate America, he did it with an eye toward rising politically and by using his office as weapon. And as a former prosecutor who handled many cases like this, he knew the serious implications and consequences of his actions.

We sympathize with the Spitzer family that will have to bear the burden of his transgressions. But a phrase from the Lord's Prayer seems appropriate for Spitzer at this time- "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us." His only prayer now is that the public and the law is more compassionate.