This whole Weiner-gate thing has me bummed out

When I first heard about this story I thought it was obviously a big prank or something and I assumed that there was nothing there and that it would blow over in a day. Now its day 3 of this shit and the media is treating it like its the biggest story out there.

The thing that has me absolutely perplexed however is Weiner's handling of this situation. This is the guy who can go on any Fox show and beat them at their own game, this is the guy who has probably created more political meme's than any other politician around in the last year, yet over the past 2 days he has given some of the strangest, most uncomfortable press appearances I have ever seen a politician give.

I'll admit that when a politician gets accused of doing something bad, I look at how that person responds to the accusations to figure out whether I believe them or not. Their reaction obviously doesn't tell the whole story but you can often pick up on some pretty obvious hints. Going just by Weiner's demeanor, attitude, and speech patterns it seems like he is guilty. I have never seen this dude act like this and he is using traditional political "excuses" to try and defuse the situation. I have never seen a politician act as guilty as Weiner has been acting over the past few days. Its like hes a different person.

At this point, whether he was hacked or not really doesn't matter, the damage has been done and it will never be fixed. He could have ended this on Monday if he called in the FBI and unequivocally said that it was not him in the picture. The media would have had nothing to run on and the story would have been dropped. His strange behavior is the only reason this is still a story and more and more people are starting to not believe him.

But this whole thing goes beyond Weiner. Anthony Weiner has positioned himself as THE liberal firebrand in congress over the past year. He has become synonymous with progressivism in this country and as anyone on this site can attest is fairly well loved by the net roots. I for one had very high hopes for what Weiner might one day accomplish in the future, whether it was being mayor of New York, a senator, or possibly president. None of that is possible now, his character has been damaged in a way that you simply cant recover from. He will still probably be re-elected and may still have a future in New York, but he is done on the national level.

All of this got me thinking about the state of progressivism in this country and made me realize that our guys keep shooting themselves in the foot. Dennis Kucinich has irreparably damaged his reputation with the whole lawsuit and running in Washington nonsense. Alan Grayson edited video and got thrown under the bus. Now Anthony Weiner mishandles a pretty stupid controversy in about a bad a way as humanly possible. Its like these popular liberal personalities have no idea how important they are and dont understand that their behavior will be used to smear all liberals. Its incredibly frustrating.

That doubt you're feeling… It's giving his enemies a warm glow.

makes him look really bad. I'm not saying whether anything is true or not true, I'm saying he has fucked this whole situation up from a PR perspective.

and he doesn't want to accidentally lie.
There is the possibility that someone in the Congressional gym locker room took the photo of him with a cellphone without his knowledge.
He has said that he has no recollection of seeing the photo before.

but I'm not someone he needs to worry about convincing. When he gets asked whether or not its him and he refuses to say no, people automatically assume it was him. The idea that he is refusing to say its not him because someone at some point may have taken that photo of him without his knowledge is simply not believable. It could be true, but it doesn't sound like it is.

Also, as John Stewart said Anthony Weiner probably knows what his dick looks like and can tell whether or not that photo is him. Even if it was taken secretly Weiner still knows whether or not that photo is of him and should be able to give a simple yes or no answer.

He just looks guilty about something and that's why it's damaging.

I know tons of guys who've taken pics of their packages. It's not wrong, and it's not a crime.

Where are all the posters who thought Big Ed was rightfully suspended because we hold progressives to a "higher standard?"

Weiner has handled this as badly as it could be handled.

"Member" of Congress, indeed.

Bake

It's perfectly normal behavior to share erotic pics with one's romantic interests. I would guess upwards of 80% of people do it.

If someone got a hold of some pics of his somehow, so what? We know he has sex already.

This isn't even embarassing.

leaving it unsecured where it could get on the internet at the hands of a nefarious hacker.

Bake

Or nearly nobody. Pic could be 20 years old. Could be anything. Americans are just going to have to get used to their sex lives being public. That IS the future.

But he might yet come back. Liberals who are straight arrows seem uncommon unfortunately.
John Kerry was the last one who had a shot but we all know what happened there.

this could have been defused so easily but he didnt go that route.

and the media is getting trashed over their wasting of time on this totally non-story when the country is facing so many problems that should have been covered during the time they spent on something that occurs every day on Twitter.

Rep. Weiner may very well end up even more popular as a result of the over-reaching of the media in their struggle to turn this nothing event into a story. They are now beginning to repeat themselves and people are bored already. Even my Republican family members are scratching their heads, wondering what this is all about.

Remember Clinton? People do NOT like witchunts and at this point, the media is on a witchunt.

Rep. Weiner has explained clearly that his account was broken into, that he did not send the tweet and the woman it was being sent to did not get it. End of story. Whose photo it was is simply not even relevant and the public can see that. He is entitled to have photos on his account and he is entitled to not have them stolen for nasty, evil purposes.

The media has disgraced itself on this story. The photo is less sexual than a Calvin Klein ad and to see the media going insane over it, drooling like pre-pubescent boys and girls, makes THEM, not him, look bad.

The only people, outside of Wolf Blitzer, who could get excited over a Calvin Klein ad are repressed basement dwellers who salivate alone over porn, but are not quite capable of actually having normal sex. People like James O'Keefe who fantasizes about sex but probably never has and never will experience it with an actual living human being. He should try it, I've heard it can clear up acne. Scratch that, in his case, I don't think it's possible.

Before I saw the photo, I thought we were talking about something that was actually graphically sexual. But I laughed when I finally saw what the media has spent three solid days 'investigating' so 'seriously'. Are they for real?

This will go down in the history of journalism as the most 'non-story' ever covered by the media, even out-doing the Balloon Boy story. The media looks stupid now. And I am predicting this story is going to go away as they hear from more and more people telling them just how stupid they look to the rest of the world.

Weiner otoh, is likely to become even more popular, especially if he continues to joke about it.

Our media is an absolute disgrace. Rep. Weiner will go far whatever he decides to do.

I agree with everything you've said.

and the media are absolutely ridiculous if not criminal, for wasting precious time on this non-story

Let's say the picture started as one of him, perhaps in a bathing suit. He could look at the picture and recognize the legs...how's he going to convince anyone that the rest is not him? With no torso or head, who's to say who it is or was?

He's already said He wishes it WAS him..to me that say's it wasn't him in the first place..

I mean, really.

Can anyone doubt this is an attempt at neutering (no pun) Anthony as an effective voice for common sense in the Congress and the public eye?

And just what answer can he give that will not lead into more attacks by the press? Yes, no, I don't know, whatever, responding just opens more doors for the unsubstantiated claims and lies being used against him.

I would add to his statement that it isn't only journalists who are jackasses (which I consider a brilliant counter to the abuses by the press) but those who would give any credence to the claims earn a couple of long ears for their obstinate naivete or scheudenfrund(spelling?)

I know Anthony Weiner. He is MY congressman and he is not going to be sidelined by a media circus put in motion by obvious and well known reactionary forces, supported by an ill-informed and venal press.

There is nothing W can or could do to deal with this except what he is doing. Most important is keeping on message, a message our foes most seriously want suppressed. Whether its Clarance Thomas or the debt ceiling, Weiner is dealing with real issues. This is just a waste of time and those who play into it are as complicity as those who set it in motion.

.. a self-inflicted disaster.

.. I'd just like to say one thing here. OF COURSE HE KNOWS WHETHER OR NOT THAT IS HIM IN THE PICTURE. For god's sake how many men wear boxers that look like that? How many people would or would not know if they posed for a shot like that? Goodness people. Now, even being him doesn't ABSOLUTELY preclude that he didn't actually send the picture, but his unwillingness to talk about it and frankly ridiculous excuse that "not getting bogged down" - really? Sounds like a guilty REPUBLICAN, no wait POLITICIAN.

There is a reason he is not answering any questions and it has nothing to do with Breitbart.

His interview with Rachel Maddow last night on my ipad.

I actually LIKE his reticence. Anyone could have taken a picture of him and photo shopped the hell out of it. I also think that Rachel Maddow would have called him out on his comments re: I was texting WHILE on the air with you last Friday and all Friday evening before and after that appeared on my account and we removed it.

I dunno - Anthony Wiener admitted his last name is an easy target. :rofl: That right there tells me he's not trying to gild the lily. And I'm still on the fact that Breitbart is the leading 'muckraker' on this. If it were like say - The National Enquirer i.e. a 'credible' ;-) news source had run with the story - it would be believeable.

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worthy of a federal investigation? Do you really want to spend money on something like this? It's not like his bank account was hacked...a photo was posted. Whoopee....

Honestly...I think the pic is him. Most likely photo shopped in some way. I highly doubt he posted it though, that would be career ending, and an extremely dumb move for someone who is obviously going to be very influential in the political arena, and pissing off the GOP on his way to the top. He's a smart man, I highly doubt he posted it.

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Interesting take. I see you are all over this one. Maybe DU can hire you as an investigator.

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I don't think they can be. I think you can access them with a google search and replacing the user name with the twitter name of a protected account. I'm not a "twit" nor do I follow any, so I'm not sure. But this thread has a ton of info, and I suggest you read it.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=439&topic_id=1208927

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Assuming his account was hacked (and I think it probably was), it was doubtless done by someone on the right -- someone like sleazebag Breitbart. If I'm not mistaken, that would be a crime, or at minimum, hugely discrediting/embarassing to said Breitbart.

An investigation would uncover who did that, and femove that person (e.g., Breitbart) from the public domain. We have one less sleazoid to deal with on a daily basis.

And THAT, my friend, is why it's worthy of an investigation.

Bake

I don't think tax dollars need to go towards an investigation. If the results find that he was hacked, then I can see bringing in feds/law enforcement, and then prosecute the person(s) responsible.

but don't worry, it's early yet.

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don't be as vacant headed as the Wolf.

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I would. Probably more efficient than using the police....but for a pic? No, I wouldn't even bother, but then again, I'm not in the public eye.

I had my account hacked last summer, and the bastards got $800 out of my checking account. I filed a report with the sheriff's department....I haven't heard a word since. If I had the money to have used a private firm to track it down, I would have gotten results. The people who hacked my account, purchased plane tickets and actually used the tickets, tied them to my name, cell phone, and bank account. I'm pretty sure that's a federal crime, and as far as I know the report probably got filed away somewhere.

Show them you're displeased by not watching anymore.

:fistbump:

Just pulling this out of my ass, I'll bet this was an office prank.

Weiner and his staffers probably pulled this photo off the Internet or from some magazine, and used to to make "Weiner" jokes - something to blow off steam in the office.

Big fucking whoop. But now that it's public, how are you supposed to explain this? Weiner's probably covering not just for himself, but for his staffers.

I would think that if it had been a prank, he would want to squash the whole thing by telling his pranking staffers that he won't fire them if they confess in public what they had done.

If that's true, I mean.


I'm not so sure I'd risk my reputation by covering up for someone else...especially when what was done wasn't a crime.

What would he be "guilty" of, exactly? Nearly tweeting a picture of his underpants to a total stranger before deleting it?

I think Weiner worries or suspects that if he says "That absolutely is not a picture of my underpants," whoever hacked his account will pull out a wide shot that shows it's a crop of some pic he doesn't remember.

- He didn't know the woman.

- He was Tweeting "regular" stuff at the time, and

- He deleted the picture before she even saw it.

There's no reasonable reading that supports the idea this was a deliberate broadcast, by a U.S. Congressman, of his underpants.

He wasn't drunk or insane at the moment, and was Tweeting other, normal stuff. Hockey, problems with the Tivo. Seems like a U.S. Congressman about to sexually harass a college student in public would probably not interrupt normal, boring comments with that, and then go about his business. If he'd lost his mind enough to start broadcasting his underpants to America, you'd think his other comments would reflect something more colorful.

He deleted it before it reached anyone but the rightwing e-stalker. Doesn't work with the Mad Harassing Pervert theory, does it?

The only witness was the handy nutwad rightwing e-stalker who, just coincidentally, was harassing the woman this was supposedly sent to, and already suggesting, without apparent basis, that Weiner was some kind of pervert for even "following" women who followed him on Twitter? And there he is, ready to "capture" something so brief even the supposed recipient didn't see it?

The most "damning" scenario I could imagine would be that for some reason, Rep. Weiner had a picture of himself in his underpants laying around, and screwed up and sent it out unintentionally. For a second, before deleting it.

Which would be a scandal of nearly microscopic proportions.

And even that doesn't really track.