Intent does matter, and that's where one would expect the Times to be more perceptive and nuanced in their reporting. Certainly, the Daily News and the Post know exactly what to do with that information (print it immediately) but the Times, hopefully, should be thinking, let's see, why would the feds be scanning the governor's bank account for relatively small transactions? Who in the federal government might want Spitzer humiliated? What purpose might that serve? With the Dept. of Justice already under criticism for jailing a Democratic governor on ambiguous evidence, is this more of the same?

I'm still shocked that anyone with Spitzer's experience would flout the Mann Act, and what he did was reckless and stupid, but the rush to judgment that he has no alternative but to resign seems hasty to me.

The Metro section seems to be loosing its focus, and I think it's a huge mistake to walk away from reporting the gritty texture of New York City, but the Times shouldn't be in the tabloid business either. The best reporting involves some critical thinking, and that's what's missing here.