Before Jerry Springer's name was synonymous with the lowest form of televised entertainment, he was an idealist Democrat who gave moving speeches and seemed to be a rising star in the political world.

Then he wrote a check to a brothel that seemed like it would end his career.

In 1974, Jerry Springer was forced to resign from the Cincinnati city council after a raid on a Fort Wright, KY, "massage parlor" turned up a check written by the young politician to the apparent brothel for its services. In an unlikely twist, Springer admitted he had done wrong, campaigned through the scandal and in 1975 won back his seat.

In 1977, Springer achieved the highest office he would ever hold when he was appointed Mayor of Cincinnati by the council. In 1980, he ran for governor of Ohio, going so far as to openly address the scandal in a campaign commercial. Think about that. He was paying for air time so he could tell people about paying for sex! Springer was wildly popular in Cincinnati, but it wasn't enough. He lost the election with 45% of the vote.

That's when he transitioned to television. Springer became Cincinnati's most popular anchor on NBC's WLWT-TV. Upon leaving the station in 1993, Springer addressed his audience in a very personal commentary that reflected on his past struggles :

You see, in political terms as well as human, here in Cincinnati, I was dead. But then in the, probably, the luckiest decision I ever made, I decided 'No! I'm staying put!' I would withstand all the jokes, all the ridicule. I'd pretend it didn't hurt, and I would give every ounce of my being to Cincinnati. 'Why in time,' I was thinking, 'you'd have to like me. Or if not like me, at least respect me.' And I'd run for council even unendorsed. And I'd prove to you I could be the best public servant you ever had, or I'd die trying. Be it as a mayor, an anchor, or a commentator, whatever it took, I was determined to have you know that I was more than a check and a hooker on a one night stand.For more on the Jerry Springer you probably don't know, check out the This American Lifeepisode, "Leaving the Fold."