I've watched this twice today and I have a question about something, early in the film, Travis' first customers are an older white man and what appears to be a black prostitute. Is the the older guy Senator Palantine?

Yes, I believe it is. At the very least, the older man in the cab in the scene is not listed in the "verified complete" cast listing on the film's imdb page.

No.

I read that as Senator Palpatine - that's when you know you're a SW nerd.

I believe it is also because he makes a comment about "if I'm caught in here..." something like that. And it sorta goes along with Travis meeting the same people. He encounters Iris twice before he finally actually meets her.

oh shit...I'm not even a SW nerd and I read it as that.

Me too.

No. The man looks, acts and sounds nothing like Palantine.

Nope.

Yeah but that's the point that he's a two-faced politician.

Or I'm reading too much into it.

He IS Palpatine. He then uses the Dark Side of the Force to push Travis over the edge. It's like some of you guys didn't even watch the movie.

That man is not Palantine. The character is even i.d.'d in the end credits as "the John." and the actor credited is Peter Savage, a friend of Scorsese and Schrader and the co-author with Jake LaMotta of the book, "Raging Bull," which, of course, would later be adapted for film by Scorsese and Schrader.

This is why you read the end credits. To answer questions like this.

Then who is the John with Iris during the shootout sequence credited as? I thought that was Peter Savage.

The character you're referring to is credited as "Mafioso" and was played by Robert Maroff. He wasn't a john because we see him being given money by the pimp, evidently a payoff to the mob for being allowed to do business, before he went into the building for a freebie.

Ahhh cool, thanks. When I was going through the cast list I couldn't remember who "Mafioso" was in the film. All makes sense now.