SILDA SPITZER JOINS PISSED-OFF POLITICAL WIVES CLUB, plans Senate bid.

Meanwhile, it looks as if Spitzer’s real crimes were financial, not sexual. “Spitzer, who made his name by bringing high-profile cases against many of New York’s financial giants, is likely to be prosecuted under a relatively obscure statute called ‘structuring,’ according to a Justice Department official. Structuring involves creating a series of financial movements designed to obscure the true purpose of the payments.”

Meanwhile thoughts on the hypocrisy.

UPDATE: Stephen Green: “Cleaning up New York one prostitute at a time. Sometimes maybe even two at a time.”

ANOTHER UPDATE: Heh:

Discovering that the exclusive international ring of prostitutes known as the “Emperor’s Club” charged up to $5,500 an hour for their services, New York governor Eliot Spitzer vowed to put an end to this price gouging practice. . . . “That kind of excessive compensation is simply outrageous. Prostitution is allegedly a victimless crime,” Spitzer said in a press conference that took place only in our imaginations. “But now we see that its customers can become its victims.”

Spitzer added it was especially shameful that one of the most trusted names in prostitution had engaged in this shocking betrayal and rank greed.

Read the whole thing.

MORE: Big roundup from Professor Bainbridge.

STILL MORE: Heh: “Prostitute Admits Link to Elliott Spitzer; Resigns From Escort Service in Disgrace.”

Also: Clinton Declines Comment on Spitzer.

MORE STILL: “Maybe Vitter should have made things right – and changed his political affiliation before getting caught.”

FINALLY: A Wall Street reader doesn’t want Spitzer to resign: “He’s already dead as a politician. The longer he lingers, the longer the tax-raising Democrats in Albany are held up to ridicule. and the longer the national Democratic party is distracted by a scandal in the statehouse of one of its national candidates.”

And another game of Name That Party! at ABC.

Plus, a funny: “I guess I have disagreements with my own cobloggers. But on something like this, I really think that Glenn Greenwald, Rick Ellensberg, and Thomas Ellers should synthesize their positions so their joint blog isn’t so hopelessly schizophrenic.”

And, Governor Giuliani?