A Shonda for the Quakers?What does Eliot Spitzer have against George Fox?

Read more of Slate's coverage of the Eliot Spitzer prostitution scandal.

Share this article on Buzz

Silda and Eliot SpitzerEliot Spitzer is known as "Client 9" to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. To prostitutes, though, he was known by the alias "George Fox." If the "companions" available via Emperors' Club VIP were anywhere near as sophisticated as its Web site promised, then they likely recognized New York's high-profile governor. Even if they didn't, Spitzer's choice of pseudonym was kind of rude. The real George Fox is a somewhat hallowed figure in the annals of Christian faith. He founded the Religious Society of Friends (aka the Quakers) in England during the mid-17^th century.

PRINTDISCUSSE-MAILRSSRECOMMEND...SINGLE PAGE

FacebookMySpace Mixx Digg Reddit del.icio.us Furl Ma.gnolia SphereStumbleUponCLOSE

Fox was imprisoned repeatedly for his beliefs. Then his faith was dragooned into selling oatmeal. Then Jimmy Stewart made fun of the way Quakers talk in The Philadelphia Story ("Dost thou have a washroom?"). Then Richard Nixon, one of their own, spurned their pacifism by ordering the Christmas bombings. Now this indignity is visited upon the long-suffering Quakers. In considering his political options, Spitzer may still have friends. But I doubt he has any Friends.

Update, March 11, 2008: George Fox, the New York Times reports, is the name of a donor and friend of Spitzer's. Told that the governor registered under his name at the Mayflower, this George Fox said, "That is the first I have heard of it." George Fox, the founding Quaker, who died 317 years ago, was unavailable for comment.

In other news, Spitzer lent his name five years ago to a special citation "for academic and personal excellence" at ... Brooklyn Friends School!

E-mail Timothy Noah at .

PRINTE-MAILRECOMMEND...RSS

FacebookMySpace Mixx Digg Reddit del.icio.us Furl Ma.gnolia SphereStumbleUponCLOSE

Timothy Noah is a senior writer at Slate.

Photograph of Silda and Eliot Spitzer by Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images.

SPONSORED CONTENT

• The War on Rhetoric
  When politicians declare war on something, it's not usually a good sign.
  John Dickerson | Jan. 6, 2009
• Amazon.con
  How the online retail giant hoodwinks the press.
  Timothy Noah | Dec. 27, 2008
• Mark Felt, RIP
  Deep Throat was not a good man. It didn't matter.
  Timothy Noah | Dec. 19, 2008
• Search for more Chatterbox articles
• Subscribe to the Chatterbox RSS feed
• View our complete Chatterbox archive

• Dentyne Says "Go Away!"
• Spelt It Out
• Wasted Time Warner

• Sign Up for The Root’s Day of Service
• The Gifted Ones
• Bailout for The Common Man

• Your New Small Business Committee Chairwoman
• Count Yourself In On the Money-making
• The Obama Stimulus Plan and Small Business

• [audio] New High-Tech Laugh-O-Meter Can Measure 11,000th Of A Titter
• People Like Food
• Area Teen Accidentally Enters Teen Center

• Inauguration to Close Off Most Bridges to District
• Advisers May Trump the Cabinet
• Obama Tax Cuts Under Scrutiny

• Israel: Why Humans form Primal Attachments to Land
• The Day After
• Fineman: Obama's Bumpy January