Word of the Day: OPPROBRIOUS  (uh-proh'-bree-uhs), ADJECTIVE: Outrageously disgraceful or shameful.

Trying to combat sagging newspaper sales, the New York Times has tried hard over the past few years to break into a new industry: the fake news business. To compete with shows like Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update, the John Stewart Show, and the Colbert Report, The New York Times hired writer Jayson Blair, who plagiarized the stories he was too lazy to make up. He was forced to resign in 2004, but a few weeks ago the Times was back at it, making up a juicy story about John McCain having an affair with a female lobbyist. So I am skeptical of anything the Times writes, but today's story seems believable. The paper is reporting that New York Governor Eliot Spitzer was involved in a prostitution ring. And by "involved," I do not mean he was showing the young ladies the immense size of his budgetary cuts. 

Having sex with a prostitute is, of course, behavior completely unbecoming of a Governor. It is much more becoming of a Mayor. Before Jerry Springer's second career in organized redneck boxing, he was forced to resign as Mayor of Cincinnati for being caught with a prostitute (seriously- look it up). In Washington D.C., Mayor Barry was caught with a prostitute AND crack/cocaine. He was nevertheless reelected! But this is the first time a GOVERNOR has ended up resigning in disgrace for the opprobrious act of hiring a prostitute. This may be the end of Eliot Spitzer's marriage, but it doesn't have to be the end of his political career- he just needs to move to Washington, D.C., and run for Mayor.