Honestly, I don't care what Gov. Spitzer chose to do with his money or morals. I don't care that this hypocrite extraordinaire sucked up camera time over the past few years lambasting others who were caught committing the same offenses he now faces himself. Ooh. Big surprise.

That's not what has me so bent out of shape.

It's his wife.

Yet another steel-spined political wife, standing by her man.

Hillary Clinton stood by Bill throughout the Lewinsky affair. Sen. Larry Craig's wife, Suzanne, appeared grafted to his side after his bizarre bathroom debacle. And Matos McGreevey, wife of former New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey, performed her loyal dog act after her husband's affair with a male aide was made public.

My question isn't why, but where? Where are these politicians finding these women they marry? Isn't Stepford a fictional place?

What also puzzles me is the reasoning some women - including the wronged wives - are giving for supporting these wives who are supporting their husbands (who are supporting high-dollar call girls, male aides and those of toe-tapping talents).

"I wanted to embrace her and say, 'Be strong, you'll survive this,'" Matos McGreevey told The Associated Press when asked about Spitzer's wife, Silda.

Asked why she believes political wives choose to stand with their husbands as they face the press, McGreevey said, "I did it because he was my husband ... I had a daughter ... I wanted her to know I was there for her father."

In an AP interview, a young New York woman was quoted as saying, "You don't turn your back on a loved one. You support them. You don't want your kids to see you abandoning their father in his time of need."

Another woman also empathized with Spitzer's wife, saying she suspected Silda was standing by her man "for the sake of their three daughters."

Oh, jeez. It's the pod people. They're here.

Perhaps I missed that particular parenting class, but what exactly do these women believe they're teaching their children here? Can't they see that they're teaching them that they should accept unacceptable behavior? They need to ask themselves what they would want their own daughter to do if she found herself in such a position. Would they honestly want their child to do as they've done?

I understand the politics behind the loyal spouse pose, just as I understand that these women live in a far different world than I do. But that world isn't so different to make what they're trading acceptable. No parent should be willing to sacrifice their child's values for the other parent's political (and sexual) aspirations.

I have no respect for these marital martyrs. If they're willing to accept the public humiliation bestowed upon them by way of their spouse, that's their choice. But if I hear another political mom claim she's staying for the sake of the children, I believe I'm going to scream. Because while some children will actually do as you say, pretty much all of them will more likely do as you do.

What about forgiveness, you might ask? Oh, I'm all about forgiving, but forgiving and accepting are two different animals. How many times should a person turn the other cheek before realizing they can avoid being struck altogether simply by moving away? You can forgive a person and maintain a civil - even cordial - relationship with them, while at the same time removing yourself (and your children) from the person who chose to pursue behavior that simply should not be accepted.

One of the most fundamental lessons we parents are charged with teaching our children is the difference between right and wrong. If you misbehave, there's a price you might pay.

And you just might pay it alone.

Karin Fuller can be reached via e-mail at karinful...@cnpapers.com. Her columns can be accessed online through her blog at thegazz.com.