I felt for Rep. Weiner during his press conference and, to get to the point, in most cases I would think that his online activity is nobody's business but his -- and once he was married, his wife's; and the other women's of course too.
But this isn't most cases. He has run for office, asked for people's trust, and made himself a prominent champion of one side of an important political fight -- a side that he has now embarrassed and let down.
By analogy: Most people are allowed to duck or run away in terror if they hear a shot fired. But police officers or combat leaders aren't allowed to, if they want to retain that role. Most couples are allowed to bicker and yell at each other, if tempers rise. But in their role as parents, they try not to do that in front of the kids. Most people are allowed to say, "I don't like your looks" or "I think you're lying." But a judge presiding over a trial cannot say those things without putting everyone else's efforts at the trial in jeopardy.
That's the equivalent of what Weiner has done. If he weren't a prominent Congressman, it wouldn't matter to anyone outside his immediate circle what he is doing online. But he is a prominent Congressman, and had worked for years to put himself in that role. He worked himself into a position where, now, his lack of judgment hurts not just him but many other people who relied on him and were his allies. He has let them down, and he will hurt their cause every time he speaks in its favor now. He is like a surgeon who swoons at the sight of blood, a football quarterback who dreads being hit, a pilot who shows up drunk. Those behaviors are not "wrong" in some deep transcendent sense (apart from the lying); but they betray others who rely on performance in a certain role. This is why I agree, sadly ... Weiner should go.
As far as the Bill Clinton question I agree with JP.
But who the hell didn't think Clinton was lying about the whole affair.
And who would prefer a President that would lie when the truth is so apparent....at the very least I would hope our President would tell the truth when put on the spot.
Consensual sexual escapades don't harm anyone.....if you're single you can screw consenting partners at a Wilt Chamberlain pace and no one should care.
But in my opinion, cheating on your spouse is one of the sleaziest things you can do....and you're hurting the person who has professed love and loyalty to you as well as your children if you have any. (Of course if you have an "understanding" it's not cheating for those of you who were gonna throw out that little gem).
Lying about cheating takes it to the next level.
I think we should all expect our leaders whom we entrust our country to not be lying cheaters....or is that too high a bar to set?
But in my opinion, cheating on your spouse is one of the sleaziest things you can do....and you're hurting the person who has professed love and loyalty to you as well as your children if you have any. (Of course if you have an "understanding" it's not cheating for those of you who were gonna throw out that little gem).
Lying about cheating takes it to the next level.
I think we should all expect our leaders whom we entrust our country to not be lying cheaters....or is that too high a bar to set?
nice.
a friend of mine used to say the following (classic) pun: "well hot dog, we have a weiner".
Dude hasn't even been married a year, and she works for Hillary Clinton. You wonder if those two have chatted about the incident. I know many people chided Hillary for sticking with Bill through that whole thing.
I agree with Johnny -- the best thing Weiner could do is step aside right now. It's really hard to talk about someone's private life when Twitter is involved in the conversation -- the very point of the website is instant, global communication! Weiner's best bet is probably lying low for a while and hoping for a job on the dark side of lobbying.
I'm a bit divided. On the one hand, he might as well step down since his credibility is now shot and he has lost a great deal of respect from his constituency. But on the other, his actions really weren't that bad in the grand scheme of things. I mean, it's acknowledged to the point of being a cliche that politicians often lie and are prone to corruption, yet despite the fact that we realize they're human (and some of us think they're grease scum on a raer by definition) we expect them to subscribe to and abide by a higher moral standard. What Weiner did was stupid and in poor taste, but are we really surprised? Arnold has a love child, Edwards allegedly used campaign funds to support his mistress and Weiner likes to flirt with gals on FB. He just got caught and lied about it. I wonder how many legislators are texting their mistresses right now. Maybe I'm numb to soft porn being distributed over electronic networks, as that's all I see on my college-aged friends' Facebooks, but in the end, he's a nerd who wants to show off his waxed chest while Congressman Aaron Schock (R, Ill) gets a shirtless cover on Men's Health Magazine.
I'm a bit divided. On the one hand, he might as well step down since his credibility is now shot and he has lost a great deal of respect from his constituency. But on the other, his actions really weren't that bad in the grand scheme of things. I mean, it's acknowledged to the point of being a cliche that politicians often lie and are prone to corruption, yet despite the fact that we realize they're human (and some of us think they're grease scum on a raer by definition) we expect them to subscribe to and abide by a higher moral standard. What Weiner did was stupid and in poor taste, but are we really surprised? Arnold has a love child, Edwards allegedly used campaign funds to support his mistress and Weiner likes to flirt with gals on FB. He just got caught and lied about it. I wonder how many legislators are texting their mistresses right now. Maybe I'm numb to soft porn being distributed over electronic networks, as that's all I see on my college-aged friends' Facebooks, but in the end, he's a nerd who wants to show off his waxed chest while Congressman Aaron Schock (R, Ill) gets a shirtless cover on Men's Health Magazine.
I don't necessarily want to hold a politician to a higher standard.....but I want them to be at least on my standard.
Do most of you out there IRL have lots of friends that steal from their employer to support misstresses, have "love children" and cheat on their spouses?
Do most of you out there IRL have lots of friends that steal from their employer to support misstresses, have "love children" and cheat on their spouses?
Sending virtual soft porn over the net? Hardly on a level with Dominique Strauss Kahn. Weiner is chastened now and probably a better individual and potenially even a better politician for it. That is if the sometimes puritanical elements of the US media let him continue as one
@Rock: Good point. I don't expect my friends to lie, steal and cheat, but I think we'd all be surprised by the secrets our friends keep. We've all known closet cheaters and drinkers who were otherwise good folks.Unlike politicians, we don't have to worry about the public eye and probes into our Twitter accounts. I've stolen from my boss, but it was only highlighters and post-it flags bc that's the only cool thing I have access to. If I had a slush fund of millions at my fingertips, then you best know that my suggestions in the Heels thread will get much more pricey.
@Herm: Sure thing. Prob the closest I'll get to fulfilling my childhood dream of becoming a presidential speech writer and/or press secretary.
I never bought his bullshit toughguy congressional venom. These dweeby dudes that gun for power without earning it are so see-through. You can look at him and just hear him exclaiming, "just wait... One daaaay!" after being stuffed in a gym locker.
The angry liberal is the northern equivalent of the secessionist Texan with a virgin Mary figure up his ass.
I don't necessarily want to hold a politician to a higher standard.....but I want them to be at least on my standard.
Do most of you out there IRL have lots of friends that steal from their employer to support misstresses, have "love children" and cheat on their spouses?
I don't
Get ready for a lifetime of disappointment Rock. I understand the inclination to hold everyone up to your own (and frankly my own) standards of conduct.
But in the legal scheme of things, what Rep. Anthony Weiner has done (as far as the pics and text messages) will not force him out of congress.
Where Rep. Bonehead is going to get smacked around legally is in the immanent ethics committee investigation that Rep Nancy Pelosi (and other democrats) have called for. It wasn't the act of sleeping with one of his married campaign staff that drove Sen. John Ensign (R) from his seat, it was the illegal use of campaign funds.
If Rep. Weiner used material amounts money and time on the clock as government employee to hush this up, he is in for a world of hurt. If this is the case, he will face censure and possible expulsion from congress. Even if there turns out to be no material wrong doing, the probe is going to run right up to his reelection campaign.
In the other area he is going to suffer is the political. You have noticed that the NY delegation has remained silent and out of sight, not a good sign for him. Furthermore, republicans are ratcheting up the pressure on democrats that have taken political donations from Rep. Weiner. A few have started to donate the money they received from him to charity already. I am going to bet there are going to be some backdoor meetings with the Rep and his staff telling him to get out for the good of the party.
All in all, however you feel about Rep. Weiner's actions his plans to run for NY Mayor are in ashes, he is definitely in peril of loosing his job in congress and I can't imagine that his wife is going to make his life easy (side note: she is an aid to Sec. Hilliary Clinton).
As to why he did it? There is no question that Rep. Weiner is smart and articulate. There are lots of reasons folks do stupid things, but I am not his therapist or confessor so I really don't know his reasons for taking such risks with his career and marriage.
I thought the new soulstrut rule was no talking about someone's personal life. Or is that only rappers personal lives?
Anyway lots of good points.
I am glad he did not force his wife to go to the press conference. Wife standing by you at press conference is the worse look ever.
My guess is that political office allows access to lots of money and sex.
Rules governing money allow lots of politicians to profit nicely as long as they play by the rules.
Rules governing sexual conduct state that you must not get caught, if you do get caught you better have a strong constituency and lots of charm.
I think most sexual misconduct by politicians goes unnoticed.
If stealing from your employer includes using their time and internet to talk to friends, I guess I know a lot of people who steal from their employer.
I am glad that most of my close friends are in solid decades old marriages, and I assume none cheat. I am sure none have mistress or secret love children, since that takes more money than they have.
I do have friends who have been divorced. Many of those divorces involved cheating. Sometimes good people act badly.
I had to laugh when I heard Pilosi talking about an ethics investigation.
Does there really have to be an investigation to find out if sending lewd pics, then lying about it, is poor ethics?
Enough with the ethics and politics. Doesn't any one have a good Weiner joke?
don't know him very well, but he's alright with me
This is one of the major reasons why this story is so sad, IMO. Weiner was/is a strong advocate for principles that I strongly agree with. Not very many Dems are willing to fight the way he is.
Comments
But who the hell didn't think Clinton was lying about the whole affair.
And who would prefer a President that would lie when the truth is so apparent....at the very least I would hope our President would tell the truth when put on the spot.
Consensual sexual escapades don't harm anyone.....if you're single you can screw consenting partners at a Wilt Chamberlain pace and no one should care.
But in my opinion, cheating on your spouse is one of the sleaziest things you can do....and you're hurting the person who has professed love and loyalty to you as well as your children if you have any. (Of course if you have an "understanding" it's not cheating for those of you who were gonna throw out that little gem).
Lying about cheating takes it to the next level.
I think we should all expect our leaders whom we entrust our country to not be lying cheaters....or is that too high a bar to set?
nice.
a friend of mine used to say the following (classic) pun: "well hot dog, we have a weiner".
I agree with Johnny -- the best thing Weiner could do is step aside right now. It's really hard to talk about someone's private life when Twitter is involved in the conversation -- the very point of the website is instant, global communication! Weiner's best bet is probably lying low for a while and hoping for a job on the dark side of lobbying.
I don't necessarily want to hold a politician to a higher standard.....but I want them to be at least on my standard.
Do most of you out there IRL have lots of friends that steal from their employer to support misstresses, have "love children" and cheat on their spouses?
I don't
It's just terrible.
And you won't until they get caught!
@Herm: Sure thing. Prob the closest I'll get to fulfilling my childhood dream of becoming a presidential speech writer and/or press secretary.
The angry liberal is the northern equivalent of the secessionist Texan with a virgin Mary figure up his ass.
Get ready for a lifetime of disappointment Rock. I understand the inclination to hold everyone up to your own (and frankly my own) standards of conduct.
But in the legal scheme of things, what Rep. Anthony Weiner has done (as far as the pics and text messages) will not force him out of congress.
Where Rep. Bonehead is going to get smacked around legally is in the immanent ethics committee investigation that Rep Nancy Pelosi (and other democrats) have called for. It wasn't the act of sleeping with one of his married campaign staff that drove Sen. John Ensign (R) from his seat, it was the illegal use of campaign funds.
If Rep. Weiner used material amounts money and time on the clock as government employee to hush this up, he is in for a world of hurt. If this is the case, he will face censure and possible expulsion from congress. Even if there turns out to be no material wrong doing, the probe is going to run right up to his reelection campaign.
In the other area he is going to suffer is the political. You have noticed that the NY delegation has remained silent and out of sight, not a good sign for him. Furthermore, republicans are ratcheting up the pressure on democrats that have taken political donations from Rep. Weiner. A few have started to donate the money they received from him to charity already. I am going to bet there are going to be some backdoor meetings with the Rep and his staff telling him to get out for the good of the party.
All in all, however you feel about Rep. Weiner's actions his plans to run for NY Mayor are in ashes, he is definitely in peril of loosing his job in congress and I can't imagine that his wife is going to make his life easy (side note: she is an aid to Sec. Hilliary Clinton).
As to why he did it? There is no question that Rep. Weiner is smart and articulate. There are lots of reasons folks do stupid things, but I am not his therapist or confessor so I really don't know his reasons for taking such risks with his career and marriage.
Is there any proof that FDR was unfaithful? Or just speculation based on the fact that he was close to an assistant.
Anyway lots of good points.
I am glad he did not force his wife to go to the press conference. Wife standing by you at press conference is the worse look ever.
My guess is that political office allows access to lots of money and sex.
Rules governing money allow lots of politicians to profit nicely as long as they play by the rules.
Rules governing sexual conduct state that you must not get caught, if you do get caught you better have a strong constituency and lots of charm.
I think most sexual misconduct by politicians goes unnoticed.
If stealing from your employer includes using their time and internet to talk to friends, I guess I know a lot of people who steal from their employer.
I am glad that most of my close friends are in solid decades old marriages, and I assume none cheat. I am sure none have mistress or secret love children, since that takes more money than they have.
I do have friends who have been divorced. Many of those divorces involved cheating. Sometimes good people act badly.
I had to laugh when I heard Pilosi talking about an ethics investigation.
Does there really have to be an investigation to find out if sending lewd pics, then lying about it, is poor ethics?
Enough with the ethics and politics. Doesn't any one have a good Weiner joke?
(RIP)
+
I don't f*cking like you or any of your posts by the way, creepy ass windbag
Google "loopback" with safe search turned off. Go ahead, do it!
Democrats offer Weiner advice
and
Weiner reaches out to Bill Clinton
hahahha they said weiner.
Bill Clinton offers Weiner advice would be a better one.
This is one of the major reasons why this story is so sad, IMO. Weiner was/is a strong advocate for principles that I strongly agree with. Not very many Dems are willing to fight the way he is.