The Bishop and the Butterfly: Murder, Politics, and the End of the Jazz Age

    In local news....

    By nothere on Thu, 03/22/2012 - 10:05am |

    John Edwards and the ''Millionaire Madam':

    By Murray Weiss, DNAinfo Criminal Justice Editor / Columnist

    MANHATTAN

    A call girl working for alleged "Millionaire Madam" Anna Gristina told investigators she was paid to have sex with former U.S. Sen. John Edwards when he was in New York raising money for his failed presidential bid, DNAinfo has learned.

     

    Comments

    Legalize it.  Seriously.


    by Michael Maiello on Thu, 03/22/2012 - 10:39am

    I wonder what the populace believes are the negative issues to legalizing prostitution?  

    It would also be 'interesting' to know what the gender divide is, as well as the differing views/rationales (if any) of women/men on this issue.


    by Aunt Sam on Thu, 03/22/2012 - 12:14pm

    Nick Kristof has been posting a lot about prostitution in third world countries.


    by Donal on Thu, 03/22/2012 - 12:25pm

    Well, Aunt Sam, it's not hard to see why people would disagree with me and I have a lot of sympathy for the argument that very few people wind up working in prostitution because it was their life's ambition or because they enjoy it.  My gut says that consenting adults can decide what they want to do with each other and if that involves $50 an oral sex, who am I to judge?

    Donal mentions Kristoff and his human trafficking objection, which is entirely on point.  But... would there be a human trafficking problem if prostitution was legal and regulated?

    Beyond that, how is it okay to have a porn industry, where people are paid to have sex with each other and not a prostitution industry where, again, it's basically just people being paid for sex.


    by Michael Maiello on Thu, 03/22/2012 - 2:10pm

    destor, I hate that prostitution is even part of our reality, but it is.  And don't see how that's going to change any time soon.  I say legalize it, tax it and enforce mandates for health checks, age, etc.  It would (hopefully) do away with pimps and improves the odds of at least lessening the most vile abuses.


    by Aunt Sam on Thu, 03/22/2012 - 2:36pm

    Just another example of trying as hard as possible to get that JFK persona down, yawn. What, you think artfully tossled haircuts alone would suffice? wink


    by artappraiser on Thu, 03/22/2012 - 1:36pm

    BTW he says it's "false" and "defamatory"

    and as that's a Guardian link, I'd say it's safe to say it's no longer just "in local news" wink


    by artappraiser on Thu, 03/22/2012 - 9:58pm

    This John Edwards guy....he's the one who can tell you what your dead grandma's been up to?

    Right?


    by Richard Day on Thu, 03/22/2012 - 4:35pm

    Yes.  If your grandma was hot.


    by Michael Maiello on Thu, 03/22/2012 - 5:31pm

    Well played.


    by Doctor Cleveland on Thu, 03/22/2012 - 5:52pm

    I think the news value here is minimal, partly because we already know that Edwards is a dog, and mostly because his political career is already over.

    It is useful for historical perspective, to evaluate the depth of his risk-taking and hubris while he was still a viable contender for a major-party nomination.


    by Doctor Cleveland on Thu, 03/22/2012 - 5:04pm