After watching a few youtube.com video’s of Eliot Spitzer’s speech at the Harvard ethical center yesterday, I have to say I’m greatly disappointed.

Spitzer drawing the line between public policy and personal ethics is blatantly un-American.  Public Officials are elected, in part, on their personal ethics. There entire past and any blemish on their character are brought to the public light for us to scrutinize and determine whether or not they are “fit” for leadership. Their families campaign with them to show us that they have the type of values that Americans respect and support.

To discuss public policy while promoting the stance that personal ethics aren’t important and that its ok to cover up who you are- only promotes a political atmosphere where lying to the public is not only encouraged, it is supported.

Professor Lawrence Lessig stated that Spitzer was invited to speak “because he has an extraordinary breadth of experience as both a governor and prosecutor involving institutional corruption issues in the financial sector”.

With that said – I’d like to know how Mr. Spitzer, the prosecutor, would treat Mr. Spitzer, the John?

Would Mr. Spitzer, the prosecutor, have let Mr. Spitzer the corrupt Governor & John off the hook? I doubt it.

For the record, I am not saying that I see no value in hearing what Mr. Spitzer has to say. I see a huge amount of value in talking to a public official who fell from grace by committing a crime and covering it up for years. I’d love to hear from a man who held the highest political office in the state of NY on how we can better evaluate our public officials to ensure they are not corrupt.

I think we can learn a lot from having this discussion. However to act as if real ethics aren't important completely undermines everything America stands for. There is much MORE value in learning how our voices can be heard to question those who abuse power rather than discuss public policy from a man who spent a lifetime disrespecting it.

Mr. Spitzer was a vigilant crusader against Wall Street. He was also a vigilant crusader against prostitution yet a hypocrite of the highest level since he went around arresting the same agencies he frequented.  I have to wonder if that hypocrisy bled into other areas of his life? Especially since the biggest Ponzie scheme in the history of the world happened right under his nose as both AG and Governor.

Harvard has done a severe injustice to their students by allowing a man without ethics to influence the ethical future of their students. – all to sell tickets (and the event sold out). This is pimping by one of our countries finest educational institutions.