Posted On: May 12, 2005, 1:05 pm CDT

Posted By: Florida Product Analyst

C may be "only 22", but I personally think C's and others' posts provided some important perspective. I've been watching this whole fiasco since Spitzer first started his investigations, and the ad hominem attacks now being made on Spitzer are precisely the kind that were being levelled then, too. As the findings and investigations have escalated so have the attacks, which don't help us at all.

Csiszar is correct, the industry is looking pretty bad when each new AIG or similar revelation comes to light. However, the comments he's making are likely to do us more harm than good. Making analogies with Saddam Hussein and terrorists are quickly coming on par with analogies to Hitler, and that is almost *always* emotionally volatile ground that is best left untread in official discussions. It's far too easy for that to come across as hot-headed and defensive, with nothing more than personal attacks left in our arsenal.

I'm afraid that the more this kind of "communique" goes on, the more we may look like poor sports who can't tolerate someone looking too closely at our industry. Plus, if you want to tar legislative/investigative/policy efforts with the political/profit ambitions label, remember that it's a broad brush that easily paints us, too. PCI is regularly issuing bulletins to members guiding us toward the right policies and candidates to support to ensure decisions are made that are "favorable to the industry". Could this amount to a private blackball list for industry lobbying and contribution dollars? I don't see it that way, but I could see how someone could turn it into that, so we shouldn't encourage others to throw the second stone.

Oh, and apologies for the "Vitamin C" pun there. Living in Florida and loving oranges, they're always on my mind, so I couldn't help myself!