Anybody else just sort of feeling sad and deflated re: Weiner?

It's sad he was stupid and engaged in risky behavior as a public official, and then lied about it to an unforgiving press.

It's sad that behavior may derail or kill a brilliant politician's career who was such a strong fighter for our side over what?

It's sad that the fucking media is going to obsess on this for days.

Can we kill Bin Laden again? Feels like we need some good news.

Very sad and disappointed. I love the guy.

I don't agree with what is in the news.

And I have not been sent the beer and travel money that is due.

But anyways, why would it matter?

What a dumbass.

Oh, c'mon, SOMEONE was gonna say it.

Besides, there are pills for that.

and distraction from 1001 things they don't cover.

This is a private matter. I just wish that politicians who get caught thinking with their schlongs had the guts to tell the corporate media to "fuck off - it's nobody's business but between me and my family. You don't go there."

He did do what he did on the public media of Twitter. If it was just between himself and his family then it wouldn't have been broadcast to 6 women all over the country. I'm sorry because I believed him so devoutly, but we cannot sugarcoat this and make it what it was not.

communication either. It's sort of in a gray area, legally and practically. Facebook and Twitter are set up to gather social network data on people for commercial purposes. I don't like either of them.

Weiner can communicate with 60 women across the country, but it's still a private message between him and each of them. If it was intended to be private, it is private as far as I'm concerned. It's like finding a letter - you don't open it, even if you find it on the street.

As a realistic matter, I wouldn't put anything into e-communications that I would withhold from the eyes of the Director of the FBI and NSA people, anyway, because it all gets shared around among the spooks, as the Spitzer case shows.

This whole thing really points out how willing people are to give up what remains of their remaining right to privacy.

Now, eventually, it all comes out. It's all there. Why? because it was twitted or sent or whatever. It doesn't matter. It exists for people to see.

We've seen the folly of thinking that this kind of media is in any way "private." What I don't understand is why Weiner didn't wake up to the understanding that this kind of thing could devastate his career. Why didn't he connect the dots and say "This ain't good."

this question is above my pay grade so I'll leave it to the psychologists who can straighten it out for me...

if he'd done as you'd wished, it would be a private matter. he didn't.

about the things the media should be covering, but won't.

They would stop coming around badgering him, if he brought up Clarence Thomas' perjury every time.

Becuase when the provided proof he lied and Im sure dug some other stuff up about him (because I doubt this is all there is).

They would bury him with it 24/7

Didn't anyone learn anything from Monika Lewinsky?

I mean, when an inappropriate question is asked...why is it wrong to answer that they aren't going to answer inappropriate and irrelevant questions from sleazy pervs. Question--asked and answered. Move on. Dignity intact.

NOBODY should have to answer questions about their personal sex life as long as children or animals aren't involved. You don't see palin being asked about Benwa balls or anything else.

You'd damned well see people asking and about a thousand threads here as well.

If you exercise discretion, you don't open yourself to invasive questions.

have the opportunity to fulfill his political potential. And it's a big loss for us too, he was such a fighter and great spokesman for liberal issues. And - on a selfish note - I was really hoping he would lead a move for single payer in NY.

and after the media few days of obsession ends they'll (the other side) will still bring it up at every opportunity. Plus it will help excuse their many indiscretions.

everyone that believed in him when he did his first sex-text.

I'm a red-blooded guy, and have a strong, um, drive in these matters of the flesh. But why on earth would anyone want to permanently dump their entire life and credibility into the flush-file, and humiliate their spouse, family and colleagues with unchecked adolescent behaviors? Why would anyone want to be transformed from a hero to laughingstock?

After what was done to Bill Clinton, every progressive should be on his/her best behavior, **especially** if looking to take the moral high ground against the corrosion and damage inflicted upon this country by the right-wing. When a John Edwards or an Anthony Weiner do jaw-droppingly stupid things, they tarnish the credibility of Democrats and progressives everywhere.

a million times.

"When a John Edwards or an Anthony Weiner do jaw-droppingly stupid things, they tarnish the credibility of Democrats and progressives everywhere."

I don't believe that statement a) is accurate or b) would be fair if it were true.

:cry: :hurts:

I'm a realist and pragmatic. We don't need this shit, and the people just trying to blow it off as no big deal are in denial or seriously deluded.

now. For no good reason, just being an asshole. What cave has Weiner (and his name is not helping) been in that he does not realize doing that is going to come out eventually and that conservatives are just waiting for blood in the water.

And even though the pictures were his (Weiner's), I'm not sure that all the hacking was false. But we'll never get MSM to pay attention to that now.

People went through great lengths to defend and support him. Pretty discouraging.

I can't believe that anyone would support this idiot over this. The only reason he came clean is because he knew he was caught. He was lying the entire time.

Pisses me off. It's how I felt about John Edwards. Men I supported and looked up to are flipping fools.

Bah.

for the second reason you mention. I could care less if he was sending pictures of his junk on the internet. But now he's deep sixed his credibility. We have so few really liberal fighters on our side, and we just lost another one.

too many democrats do that and then this is what he did/does it was a disappointment.

It's obvious that he has been publicly shamed over this conduct. He has admitted it and come clean. I am willing to forgive and forget. I want him to continue to serve in his House seat, but I don't want to have his presence be an eternal problem for the Dems trying to get the House back (and I'll admit that right off the bat).

EVERY TIME, AND THE PUBLIC FALLS FOR IT OVER AND OVER. That makes me feel sad and deflated.

But maybe Republican sex+money scandal trumps Democratic sex scandal? Ensign anyone?

I am baffled time and again by persons in vulnerable positions who put their entire careers in jeopardy by making poor decisions along these lines. Why would he send explicit (apparently there is an "X-rated" one) pictures of himself to multiple women over the internet??? It amazes me, really. For a guy who seemed so savvy about other issues, this level of naivete is alarming.

I said I was mad in another thread, but that's not right. I feel deflated because this is such a paltry thing in the scheme of things, and Weiner was fighting the good fight on important issues. To put all of that at risk for this? Sad.

there will be no political saviors. We have been forced into a corner, and the illusion that there is a civil answer to this mess is being stripped away. Weiner was a part of that illusion. This hurt our cause more than anything he ever did to help...

busted. It's arrogant and deviant.

He's not exactly a college kid out experimenting. He needs professional help; this isn't normal behavior for mature, educated politicians we are expected to respect. Brings back all the sick memories of Bill Clinton's infidelities, including the blow job from a young subordinate in the oval office.

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