Anthony('s) Weiner

[Hosakawa Tito]

Apparently Anthony might not have come completely clean. X-Rated photos too.

[Lemur]

Here's something I don't get: Why should Weiner resign when David Vitter is still serving? Soliciting a prostitute is a crime; twitting your wiener is not. Demanding that prostitutes put you in diapers is kinky enough that most people can't relate; sexting is so common as to be almost beneath comment.

Is it because Vitter apologized right away? Is it because his party generally stood by him? Other factors?

Help me understand. Clearly there is a big difference between the two scandals, but I'm not quite getting it.

[Xiahou]

Help me understand. Clearly there is a big difference between the two scandals, but I'm not quite getting it.

First off, let me say it would have been perfectly fine with me had he resigned. However, there are some substantial differences.

The criminal aspect is largely moot for he was never even charged, let alone convicted of any illegal behavior. Additionally, Vitter was in elected office, but not in the Senate when the acts occurred. Along those lines, his dalliances were last known to have happened in 2001- they weren't revealed until 2007, I think that lessened the shock factor for many. (ie: He called a hooker 6 years ago? Meh)

Is it because Vitter apologized right away? Is it because his party generally stood by him? Other factors?

Now we're onto the big reasons. Vitter did not issue repeated, outraged denials, lying about what he had done- which would have been a big deal to me. And he got support from his party for purely political reasons- they didn't want the Democrat governor naming his replacement if he resigned.

[a completely inoffensive name]

Google news throwing this story in my face. Apparently a poll was done whether or not his constituents want him to resign. Most people said no.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0611/56681.html

[Lemur]

Headline winner of the day (even if it's only on the internets): Wiener strokes Dems, comes under pressure: no plans to pull out.

[PanzerJaeger]

Police interviewed a 17 year old over direct communications with Weiner. This could get much worse for him before it gets better.

[Strike For The South]

The only thing that would be worse than this would be if he fathered multiple children out of wedlock with his slave mistress

I would never look to that man for giudance

I have like 10 more of these so if someone wants to spell this out for our slower members I'd appreciate it

[Scienter]

* PM's pictures of Louis' baguette *

*Saves them for publication once Louis holds public office*

Headline winner of the day (even if it's only on the internets): Wiener strokes Dems, comes under pressure: no plans to pull out.

This made me snarf my water! My office mates thought I was having some kind of medical emergency.

[Hosakawa Tito]

The only thing that would be worse than this would be if he fathered multiple children out of wedlock with his slave mistress

I would never look to that man for giudance

I have like 10 more of these so if someone wants to spell this out for our slower members I'd appreciate it

Whatever happened to the good old days when a mistress was honorable and kept her mouth shut? Dang feminism is upsetting the natural order of things.

[HoreTore]

To be fair, it wasn't a mistess who exposed a wiener this time......

[Seamus Fermanagh]

It is Summer in the USA, season of high-budget hollywood schlock and political sex scandals.

Weiner has a mild perv streak...so what? Between him and his constituents and he and his spouse.

Weiner took some of the pictures in the House gym...so what? He wasn't exposing the wedding tackle in front of the state seal of NY and texting "for a good time call Congress." He did not spend tax money on the photos. Again, between him and his voters.

Near as I can tell, he's not broken any laws and, arguably, hasn't even broken his wedding vows (officiated by Bill "don't leave a mess on the dress" Clinton).

Ultimately, I really don't care if he's got a thing for doing patio furniture. If he hasn't misappropriated funds or the like, it doesn't signify.


Now, bad judgement regarding coverups and lying to the press? Failure to apply common sense to his behavior? Many etc.? THESE are valid questions for his constituents. I'm in VA. I say let's get back to excoriating Obamacare, balancing the federal budget, and trying to see if there is any reasonable way to make the blood we have spent in Iraq and Afghanistan pay off.

[Papewaio]

To be fair, it wasn't a mistess who exposed a wiener this time......

Well that would be a ladyboy then not a mistress...

[Hosakawa Tito]

It is Summer in the USA, season of high-budget hollywood schlock and political sex scandals.

Weiner has a mild perv streak...so what? Between him and his constituents and he and his spouse.

Weiner took some of the pictures in the House gym...so what? He wasn't exposing the wedding tackle in front of the state seal of NY and texting "for a good time call Congress." He did not spend tax money on the photos. Again, between him and his voters.

Near as I can tell, he's not broken any laws and, arguably, hasn't even broken his wedding vows (officiated by Bill "don't leave a mess on the dress" Clinton).

Ultimately, I really don't care if he's got a thing for doing patio furniture. If he hasn't misappropriated funds or the like, it doesn't signify.


Now, bad judgement regarding coverups and lying to the press? Failure to apply common sense to his behavior? Many etc.? THESE are valid questions for his constituents. I'm in VA. I say let's get back to excoriating Obamacare, balancing the federal budget, and trying to see if there is any reasonable way to make the blood we have spent in Iraq and Afghanistan pay off.

Nah, let's pick all the low hanging fruit first. If we remove every pervert, liar, and tax cheat from office they won't have a quorum to vote in any more of this terrible legislation.

[Ronin]

Nah, let's pick all the low hanging fruit first. If we remove every pervert, liar, and tax cheat from office they won't have a quorum to vote in any more of this terrible legislation.

let's do the same for the voters....but it might become kinda lonely around there.

[Seamus Fermanagh]

Extend the same restrictions to parenting and we can take care of this problem for generations...or permanently.

[Louis VI the Fat]

*Saves them for publication once Louis holds public office*

Sorry, no such luck! My career prospects have just gone down the drain, no running for office for Louis. I fail all three of those new standards.

remove every pervert, liar, and tax cheat from office

[Hosakawa Tito]

Get your order in fast before they run out. Anthony Weiner Action Figure.

[Lemur]

Weiner to resign. Stand-up comics everywhere cry tears of sadness.

[Ronin]

Weiner to resign. Stand-up comics everywhere cry tears of sadness.

weak move.

[Strike For The South]

Weiner to resign. Stand-up comics everywhere cry tears of sadness.

MUST'VE BEEN A HARD DECISION. HE MUST BE SWELLING WITH ANGUISH, EVEN STILL HE SHOULD REMAIN ERECT WITH DIGNITY

[Lemur]

Ultimately this seems to be about power. Clinton did worse and lied, but he was the prez, so he stayed on. (Even profited when the Senate overreached with that impeachment.) Vitter did kinkier but he was an important part of a Senate caucus, so he stayed on.

Or something like that. Why did Larry Craig have to go? Because of the gay thing? Head hurting. I do not understand why some survive sex scandals and some do not. There must be a logic behind it, but I don't get it. Probably just a question of who is in a powerful enough position to weather the media storm.

Still, I guess this is some sort of landmark, the first major US politician to resign over sexting.

[PanzerJaeger]

"Are you more than 7 inches!?"

[Lemur]

The more I think about this the less I understand. Why did Chris Lee resign? All he did was send a shirtless pic to a woman who had a post on the Women Seeking Men page of CraigsList.

[PanzerJaeger]

The more I think about this the less I understand. Why did Chris Lee resign? All he did was send a shirtless pic to a woman who had a post on the Women Seeking Men page of CraigsList.

We think of all politicians as being shameless, but people are different. Lee may have been less prepared to go through the ongoing public humiliation than Weiner apparently was. It takes a special kind of sociopath to ride that wave and come out on top. Personally, I would never show my face in public again after such a revelation.

[a completely inoffensive name]

We think of all politicians as being shameless, but people are different. Lee may have been less prepared to go through the ongoing public humiliation than Weiner apparently was. It takes a special kind of sociopath to ride that wave and come out on top. Personally, I would never show my face in public again after such a revelation.

[PanzerJaeger]

I don't understand. :(

[Hosakawa Tito]

The more I think about this the less I understand. Why did Chris Lee resign? All he did was send a shirtless pic to a woman who had a post on the Women Seeking Men page of CraigsList.

Ever know a sexual pervert/predator to get caught on his very first attempt? There was more in Lee's past that he didn't want to go public. It's a shame that tax cheating law breakers such as Charlie Wrangel get to play the race card and get away with nothing more than a stinkin' censure from Congress. The bum should be doing time and forfeit his pension. Unfortunately there are too many of his colleagues with similar skeletons in the closet to ever expect Congress to agree to voluntarily impose meaningful effective deterrents to such corrupt behavior.

[Askthepizzaguy]

I strongly support Anthony Wiener and most of his policy positions. He made a very stupid personal choice and that makes him human, and possibly not worthy of continuing to hold public office in the eyes of many.

People are too hung up on sex-related things. Business as usual in Washington is one moral atrocity after another, corruption rampant, waste unimaginable. How many billions of dollars did we send to Afghanistan, literally airlifted in, that no one can find traces of? Who is resigning over that?

But whatever. Moral outrage trumps logical outrage.

Sure, he should resign, but because he lied repeatedly about it. That's the only part that concerns me. I want folks I can trust to tell me the truth. But honestly, most of those scumbags in D.C should resign for far more egregious and sinister lies.

Hypocrisy and lying are worse than legal sexual behavior, in my view. He's only got to answer to his wife and family for that. But hypocrisy and lying aren't acceptable.

[Ronin]

We think of all politicians as being shameless, but people are different are the same but they are publicly prudes and hypocrites .

there....fixed it for you.

[Skullheadhq]

I think he resigned now, is it not?