Disgraced ex-New York Governor Eliot Spitzer might have just the opportunity you've been looking for.

Spitzer is putting together a real estate "vulture fund" to buy and flip distressed property, envisioning projects valued between $100 million and $500 million.

According to the New York Sun, "Eliot Spitzer, in his first big business venture since he was shamed out of office by a prostitution scandal, is shopping around a plan to start a vulture fund that would scoop up distressed real estate assets around the country, revamp them, and flip the properties for a profit. Late last month, the former governor of New York gathered a group of high-level Washington, D.C.-based labor union officials in a conference room at the headquarters of his father's real estate business in Manhattan and pitched them his idea for starting such a fund, a source said."

Eliot Spitzer's father is multi-millionaire Manhattan real estate developer Bernard Spitzer, known for building one of New York City's largest real estate firms (one of his properties is The Corinthian, a spectacular 55-story, 1.1 million square foot apartment building), as well as for bank-rolling his son's political career.  The ex-Governor has been working with his father's firm since resigning last March.

The Sun stated that "In the half-hour meeting, Mr. Spitzer told the officials that he was determined to take his ailing father's real estate company to 'the next level', the source said. Mr. Spitzer said he would lay out his business plan in greater detail at a later date, and would ask the labor officials to consider investing pension fund money under their control."

"Mr. Spitzer is moving aggressively to occupy a niche created by the credit crunch, the subprime mortgage crisis, a surge in foreclosures, and a declining real estate market. He is looking to mine for riches in projects that banks are no longer willing to finance."

Spitzer apparently believes that the prostitution scandal that cost him the Governor's office (and a fast-track to even higher political office) was really a blessing in disguise:

"During the meeting, Mr. Spitzer expressed relief that he was no longer burdened with the frustrations of being governor, according to the source. And, in contrast to his repentant resignation speech that he delivered beside his tearful wife, Silda Wall, he took a more relaxed view of his indiscretions. He has told friends and associates that he is consoled by passersby who stop him on the city sidewalks and tell him that sex is 'no big deal' and that the disclosure that he frequented prostitutes was distorted out of proportion, the source said. Europeans, the former governor has noted, have been especially supportive of him and perplexed by the fallout from the scandal."

Spitzer's real estate dreams may have to be put on hold, however, as federal law enforcement authorities might force him to make other plans.

The New York Post reports that " The noose appears to be tightening around sex-crazed ex-Gov. Eliot Spitzer."

According to The Post, "The federal case against him is so strong that prosecutors had no interest in striking cooperation agreements with the ringleader of Spitzer's hooker-supplier, Emperors Club VIP, and his second in command, sources told The Post's Murray Weiss. Prosecutors have records of Spitzer's transactions, phone records and taped conversations with Emperors Club, and are confident they need little more to nail him on charges that could include violating prostitution laws and money laundering, sources said. Probers are also said to be looking into whether he used campaign funds to pay for his pleasures."

"The case against Spitzer includes the cooperation of curvy call girl Ashley 'Kristen' Dupre and a second hooker. Her old boss, Mark Brener, 62, will plead guilty Thursday without the sweetheart deal he was hoping for - he'll have to serve up to 30 months in the slammer on money-laundering and prostitution-conspiracy charges."

In addition, Temeka Lewis, who worked for Brener at the Emperor's Club, pled guilty in a cooperation agreement that requires her to testify about Spitzer's involvement with the prostitution ring and his alleged attempts to conceal payments for sex.

We think that a "vulture fund" meeting with Eliot Spitzer where he pitches cashing in on the foreclosure crisis doesn't help improve the image of labor unions or union leaders.

We also think that anyone considering investing in Spitzer's real estate project should think about whether the fund could do without the presence of the ex-Governor for several years while he stays at the Gray Bar Hotel.

En 1978 se estrenó el film francés, "Le Dossier 51" de Michel Deville, un policial negro, un thriller o un polar, como lo llaman en Francia, es la historia de un diplomático brillante, casado con hijos, Dominique Auphal, que es llamado de vuelta a su país y convertido en ministro, a partir de ahí los servicios secretos de su país lo empiezan a investigar, buscando su lado flojo, su lado oscuro, para poder desbancarlo, cuando ya no sea necesario o se convierta en un problema.

30 años después, en Nueva York, lo mismo le sucede al gobernador, Eliot Spitzer, que cometió el gran error de no haber visto la película de Michel Deville, Dossier 51, que en su caso se llamará..."El cliente Nº 9".

Hace unos años, Douglas Sosnik, un amigo que fue asesor comunicacional de Bill Clinton, me recomendó que siempre le preguntara antes de tomar la campaña de un candidato, que me dijese "su lado oscuro", lo inconfesable, para saberlo antes que lo empiecen a investigar los enemigos, por que todos tenemos un "talón de Aquiles", y que la teoría de..."me hicieron una cama", no sirve cuando uno se acostó en ella, ya es tarde...y hay que pagar el costo, en el caso de Spitzer, su renuncia.

Hay un refrán que señala..."Dime de lo que alardeas y te diré de lo que careces"...en el caso Spitzer, apodado Mr. Clean "el limpio", combatiente del delito, la corrupción y las redes de prostitución, se verificó el refrán, cuando se encamó con la bella Ashley Alexandra Dupré, de jóvenes 22 años, que espero lo hayas disfrutado antes de haber tirado "tu fama a los chanchos".

Tampoco Spitzer leyó la vida de Al Capone, que no fue a la cárcel por sus crímenes sino por no pagar impuestos, cómo en el país que creó la serie "Los Intocables", vos te ibas a dormir sin verla...o acaso pensaste que el poder, el sexo y la impunidad...duran toda la vida...hace un mes, tan solo, un magazine publicaba la foto, de Spitzer con su bella mujer, Silda Wall, de 50 años bien llevados, en un elogio a los Power Couples, los matrimonios del poder, y un mes después, los diarios y medios del mundo nos mostraban esta foto...

La foto, habla de por si sola, basta con detenerse a mirarla.

Siempre he pensado en la moral norteamericana y en sus paradojas..."castiga y convierte en villanos a los de bragueta abierta y premia y convierte en héroes, a los que invaden y masacran", como botón de muestra, de lo primero Eliot Spitzer y de lo segundo, Condoleeza Rice, en viaje por Brasil y Chile para justificar la violación territorial de Colombia en Ecuador.

La serie "La ciudad desnuda", ambientada también en Nueva York, decía en su final..."Hay ocho millones de historias, en la ciudad desnuda, ésta ha sido, tan solo, una de ellas"

Come può la politica degli Stati Uniti produrre questo falso e umiliante rituale? Magari Silda era già a conoscenza dei ripetuti tradimenti, magari contraccambia il marito con la stessa moneta, magari incassa e perdona. E' libera di farlo. Ma che non si presenti in conferenza stampa accanto al marito infedele, rendendosi ridicola, calpestando la sua dignità, riducendo l'adulterio maschile a una piccola sbandata da perdonare. Tutto questo per aderire a un logoro rituale atto a salvare la faccia (politica) del porco in questione. 

A questo punto, preferisco la signora Berlusconi che "si ribella" alle poco lusinghiere affermazioni del marito attraverso una lettera pubblicata su un noto quotidiano. Tralasciando l'età e prendendo in considerazione la tempra, ve l'immaginate una signora Franca umiliata e derisa accanto a un Ciampi adultero in conferenza stampa?! Forse qualcosa da insegnare alla democrazia americana ce l'abbiamo anche noi. 

Che l'orgoglio femminile batta un colpo (magari in testa al compagno traditore).

Whenever these sorts of scandals surface, the dutiful wife always appears with the husband to put on a supportive face.  Silda Wall, (aka Mrs. Spitzer) was no exception in this case.  The fact that Spitzer or his handlers asked her to attend is, as syndicated columnist Charles Krauthammer called it, "a hanging offense."  If you could read her mind, tell us what she is thinking as she "supports" her husband in this embarrassing moment.