Weiner admits he sent the Picture

[FSTargetDrone]

All things considered, this seems like a relatively tame sex scandal on first glance, but maybe it's still fatal politically:

Anthony Weiner's Survival Will Take More Than An Apology

by Frank James

08:12 pm

June 6, 2011

If Rep. Anthony Weiner, the New York congressman who on Monday admitted that he lied when he denied sending lewd photos to and "sexting" with six women over the last three years says he's not resigning.

Maybe he can survive. But events are largely out of his hands now as they have been ever since the scandal broke over the Memorial Day weekend.

Here are some reasons why he could get past this and some reasons why he might not.

Let's start with the reasons he could hang on.

First, though deeply wounded, Weiner has long ties with voters in his district, now serving in his seventh term.

It's a solidly Democratic district which includes parts of Queens and Brooklyn. Weiner won his 2012 re-election with 61 percent of the vote during a wave election in which Republicans won large.

So he could have significant erosion in his support and theoretically still win an election.

Also, we're talking New York here. New Yorkers are probably still less easily shocked than people in many other parts of the nation. So he's got that going for him.

Second, while it's more typical for lawmakers to resign or be forced out after a sex scandal erupts, there are instances when lawmakers have survived scandals.

Gerry Studds of Massachusetts had a scandal that was indisputably worse than Weiner's, at least based on what we know so far about the New York congressman's actions.

Studds had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old congressional page that became public in 1983, an arguably less-tolerant time than now.

But Studds toughed it out and survived, only leaving Congress in 1996 when he retired.

Weiner apparently intends, at least as of now to endure the humiliation and try to lose himself in his job.

Third, it's possible Weiner could get enough House Democrats to rally around him to survive. His fellow Democrats could decide that he has been contrite enough and has done the party enough service over the years, going after Republicans with hammer and tongs, that he deserves a second chance.

Granted, that may be the trickiest part of his immediate hopes to survive since his fellow Democrats aren't exactly in the happiest mood right now, in the House minority as they are and hoping to work their way back into the majority.

Which leads us directly to the first reason why he may not survive. House Democrats sense that the Republican majority may be vulnerable because of their controversial proposal to overhaul Medicare.

Weiner could distract from Democratic efforts to keep Republicans on the defensive.

For Weiner, the first hint of how quickly his hopes to remain in Congress may come apart, came from Minority Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi who asked for a House Ethics Committee investigation. She is sending him a message. He is not bigger that the House Democratic Conference. Her statement:

"I am deeply disappointed and saddened about this situation; for Anthony's wife, Huma, his family, his staff and his constituents.

"I am calling for an Ethics Committee investigation to determine whether any official resources were used or any other violation of House rules occurred."

Weiner and his fellow Democrats will have to deal with non-stop video of his interviews in which he lied about not sending the photos and texts. Again, not good for Democrats trying to win the messaging war with Republicans.

Meanwhile, Republicans aren't going to sit still and allow Weiner to try and rehabilitate himself.

As MSNBC's Chris Matthews said after Weiner's Monday afternoon news conference, Democrats are going to be on the "Weiner ticket" if he remains in the House. Republicans will make sure of that.

Republicans will likely note how quickly the married Chris Lee, a New York Republican, quit his House seat after a photo of a shirtless Lee that he sent to a woman showed up on the Gawker web site.

Secondly, there are more pictures of Weiner. Andrew Breitbart, the conservative web publisher, has said he possesses a downright sordid photo of Weiner that he hasn't released because he doesn't want to hurt Weiner's family. The congressman admits such a photo or photos could exist.

Any such photo or photos in digital form won't long stay off the web. Once it winds up there for global consumption, it would likely be impossible for Weiner to remain in office.

Third, it would be extraordinary if Weiner doesn't get a primary challenger. There's still a lot of time between now and the 2012 primary election.

But New York has a lot of ambitious local politicians who can imagine themselves as a member of the state's congressional delegation.

So, again, it would be surprising if Weiner didn't have to contend with a significant challenge. And that could end his career even if he's able to soldier on over the next year.

[Jim Raynor]

I don't know what he was thinking when he sat down with Wolf Blitzer and directly lied to his face. Just come clean, or at least the very least keep your mouth shut instead of putting yourself on TV and lying so many times.

[PainRack]

I don't know what he was thinking when he sat down with Wolf Blitzer and directly lied to his face. Just come clean, or at least the very least keep your mouth shut instead of putting yourself on TV and lying so many times.

He panicked:D

[Dalton]

This is just the beginning, folks. Election season is heating up, and the long, slow soap opera/pageant that is the run up to 2012 has only just begun. We will see more scandals as partisan operatives on both sides play a game of gotcha while we sit on the sidelines and watch. Wiener is just the tip (harhar) of the iceberg.

[Edward Yee]

I don't know what he was thinking when he sat down with Wolf Blitzer and directly lied to his face. Just come clean, or at least the very least keep your mouth shut instead of putting yourself on TV and lying so many times.

From what I can tell, he would have also lied to Sen. Schumer, so that can't possibly help Rep. Weiner's prospects.

[Nieztchean Uber-Amoeba]

He's someone dumb enough that he sends women pictures of his dick. He probably made up improbable lies for the same reason.

[kaeneth]

He's someone dumb enough that he sends women pictures of his dick.

I hate to be the one to point this out but...

Sexting is pretty common at this point. So is exchanging nudes.

It was dumb because he is:
A) Married
B) A politician in a country like the US

He probably made up improbable lies for the same reason.

I plus one the Panic reason for his behaviour.

In all honesty, the only reason I'd vote to have him replaced by another Democrat is a replacement wouldn't be politically marginalised until this scandal is forgotten (at a minimum).

[Nieztchean Uber-Amoeba]

He's someone dumb enough that he sends women pictures of his dick.

I hate to be the one to point this out but...

Sexting is pretty common at this point.

So are flaming everclear shots. Doesn't mean that cock shots aren't the mark of a full-on retard. I think Bill Maher said it best.

[eion]

So are flaming everclear shots. Doesn't mean that cock shots aren't the mark of a full-on retard. I think Bill Maher said it best.

Ease up on the moral outrage there. It wasn't a cock-shot, it was an underwear-shot. You saw nothing more in that picture than you would have if you spent a day at the beach with Mr. Weiner.

[Nieztchean Uber-Amoeba]

So are flaming everclear shots. Doesn't mean that cock shots aren't the mark of a full-on retard. I think Bill Maher said it best.

Ease up on the moral outrage there. It wasn't a cock-shot, it was an underwear-shot. You saw nothing more in that picture than you would have if you spent a day at the beach with Mr. Weiner.

I don't think what he did was immoral, I think it was hilarious stupid. No woman has ever been turned on by a cell phone pic of a dude's underwear.

[Knife]

So are flaming everclear shots. Doesn't mean that cock shots aren't the mark of a full-on retard. I think Bill Maher said it best.

Ease up on the moral outrage there. It wasn't a cock-shot, it was an underwear-shot. You saw nothing more in that picture than you would have if you spent a day at the beach with Mr. Weiner.

I would tend to agree. Is it a slow news week or something... that this is a SCANDAL? So a married man got caught sexting? Whoopty doo! Hell, I'm not even a supporter of the dude, and I don't give a shit. He fucking lied to the media... Ooooooooooh. I think, and I'm assuming here, that's probably why all the networks have their panties in the wad over this, that he dared lie to them. Other than that, who cares. It wasn't illegal, the women he sent it to were not his employees, they were of age, and Weiner hasn't spent that last decade or so trumpeting FAMILY VALUES, it's a non-issue except the self righteous media fucks who are pissed they were lied to by a politician.

Could Weiner have handled it better? Yes. Still, I figure sometime in the next month or so when the next Family Values Republican gets caught with a gay hooker, this will blow over.

No pun intended.

[Thanas]

If this would have happened in France, I bet Weiner would have gotten more criticism on his fashion choice of boxers than that he was sending text messages to others over the internet.

[Broken]

We will have to wait and see if this truly sinks Weiner's political career. The Right will make hay of it and even the mainstream media will probably not let the issue just disappear since he flat-out lied to them. However, iirc Weiner's district is unlikely to care much the Right's glee that this time it wasn't one of their guys caught with a hand in the cookie jar. But this is the moron American public we are talking about, I don't think anyone lost money betting on them doing the impractical or stupid thing first, reason be damned.

[Edi]

Given that NY is losing electoral districts, Weiner just painted a big target on his back, especially since his district is easy to carve up.

[Erik von Nein]

Ya know, it really doesn't matter whether or not it's moral for Weiner to cheat on his wife (frankly I think it's incredibly douchey). What really matters is what it'll do to his legitimacy and the strength his message will carry. Yeah, Republican's do it much more often and in far worse ways. But they have also pretty successfully controlled the narrative in the media. Just look at how much they can get away with in the House and Senate already. This was a very stupid and careless move on his part and he should have known better.

[Crossroads Inc.]

Ya know, it really doesn't matter whether or not it's moral for Weiner to cheat on his wife (frankly I think it's incredibly douchey). What really matters is what it'll do to his legitimacy and the strength his message will carry. Yeah, Republican's do it much more often and in far worse ways. But they have also pretty successfully controlled the narrative in the media. Just look at how much they can get away with in the House and Senate already. This was a very stupid and careless move on his part and he should have known better.

Funny you should say that, since According to the Right the "Liberal Media" has all but ignored the Weiner issue.

Last July, ABC and NBC highlighted a temper tantrum from Rep. Anthony Weiner, alleging on the House floor that the Republicans were denying health care to the heroes of 9/11. To Diane Sawyer, Weiner spoke for all of America: "Every now and then, someone seems to express the nation's frustration with the endless wrangling and delay in Congress."

Remember Weiner when liberal journalists roll their eyes at the stupidity of conservatives. Weiner's social-media sex scandal was underplayed by the national media precisely because they thought their ultraliberal star was far too smart to commit these stupid sex pranks with women he barely knew on the Internet.

The Old Media were clearly slow to jump on this story, even when Weiner all but admitted his guilt when he refused to deny he'd taken a picture of his own crotch and then couldn't deny "with certitude" that this was his body. They knew what these answers meant, and yet they still waited for some other media -- the New Media -- to get to the bottom of it.

Andrew Breitbart and his blog Big Government began this story, and they finished it, at least in terms of forcing Weiner to confess he lied to everyone -- spouse, staff, media and public. Breitbart was right in explaining why: There's an obvious double standard when the liberal media cover political scandal. They're a pack of hungry lions to devour Republicans; they are mellow leaf-eaters when Democrats cross an ethical line.

Let's recall the quick and dirty end of Republican Mark Foley's career in 2006. When the story came out that Foley had sent lewd Internet messages to male congressional pages, the networks filed an amazing 152 stories over the first 12 days, almost all of them after Foley abruptly resigned. Foley's scandal was a sex (SET ITAL) talk (END ITAL) scandal. Investigators never found a physical relationship, but the media chewed that story clean to the bones. The timing -- just weeks before midterm elections -- surely was delicious.

The media not only demanded that Foley go, but so did House Speaker Dennis Hastert, since he didn't stop this apparent predation of teenage Hill volunteers.

"But this is more than just one man's downfall," insisted Matt Lauer on NBC. "It could be a major blow to the Republican Party, desperately trying to hold on to control of Congress in the coming midterm elections." NBC's story then carried angry sound bites from outraged Democrats.

This is where the double standard's transparently obvious. The media have worked overtime to limit the story. It's about Weiner -- and only Weiner.

"Face the Nation," and Bob Schieffer couldn't even ask a single question about it.

As for comment from Republicans: Who cared what they thought?

Unlike Lauer five years ago, NBC's Meredith Vieira insisted on June 2 that Weiner (SET ITAL) remained (END ITAL) a "rising star" of the Democrats. "This guy is a rising star in this state, especially in the city of New York, considered a front-runner for the next mayoral campaign. He talks about the personal toll this is taking on his marriage. What about the political toll?"

Chuck Todd said Weiner's evasions were "odd" and "un-Weiner-like," then he added something odd. He said, "We all know he's probably answering tougher questions at home than he is in the dozen interviews he did yesterday."

They even admit they're coddling him.

The media's lack of outrage was made more obvious the next morning, when Vieira asked "Meet the Press'" David Gregory if other Democrats could have problems "if this story continues to have legs."

Gregory didn't really see any legs: "There are still some outstanding questions about who sent the picture, was it him? I think if obviously something else comes to light, it's going to keep that story in the headlines. If not, I think he'll successfully be able to move past it."

Notice how supposedly hardened journalists at NBC blatantly tells us on TV they aren't actively seeking out "something else" and are willing to usher Weiner right past his scandal? All the networks were trying to let this story die. None of them discussed it on the Sunday shows. The only obstacle was Team Breitbart.

The liberal media claim to oppose the ascension of stupid politicians. But as Weinergate proves, they actually enable stupid politicians when the stupid ones are liberals. They are not the enforcers of political ethics and personal character. They're just a reflexive partisan mob.

Is there anyone, ANYone here who thinks the "Liberal Media" has been going EASY on Weiner? I mean Seriously, how can you possible say that he isn't being skewered 24/7 on every media outlet right now? How could you possibly think he is getting it any easier then, say, Foley?

[Gil Hamilton]

Weiner is actually in a relatively safe district in New York. As long as he chooses to keep going, he'll probably make it through this and still get reelected next time. Incumbent congress-critters are hard to get rid off; some have mounted successful reelection campaigns from jail, for pete's sakes. This will go on the blooper reel though.

[kaeneth]

So are flaming everclear shots. Doesn't mean that cock shots aren't the mark of a full-on retard. I think Bill Maher said it best.

Ease up on the moral outrage there. It wasn't a cock-shot, it was an underwear-shot. You saw nothing more in that picture than you would have if you spent a day at the beach with Mr. Weiner.

I don't think what he did was immoral, I think it was hilarious stupid.

It was dumb because he is:
A) Married
B) A politician in a country like the US

No woman has ever been turned on by a cell phone pic of a dude's underwear.

And once again you make declarations from on high like a clueless moron. You are mistaken. To explain further, I'd have to go find my ex-'s phone number so she could explain it to you. However, I'm not going to go quite that far to convince a moron on the internet. Some girls do enjoy looking at that sort of thing. Its simply rare and usually involves an emotional attachment of some kind to the guy in question. Considering Weiner keeps coming close to calling them 'online relationships' (http://www.slate.com/id/2296426/), that might qualify.

If this would have happened in France, I bet Weiner would have gotten more criticism on his fashion choice of boxers than that he was sending text messages to others over the internet.

Yep, which is a more sensible reaction.

[Phantasee]

While it is fair to say that many women have been turned on by pictures of their significant others in underwear, I am pretty sure that the vast majority of women would not be turned on by a picture of just any dude in his underwear, assuming that the dude, like most dudes, does not look like a Calvin Klien underwear model.

[Edi]

Weiner is actually in a relatively safe district in New York. As long as he chooses to keep going, he'll probably make it through this and still get reelected next time. Incumbent congress-critters are hard to get rid off; some have mounted successful reelection campaigns from jail, for pete's sakes. This will go on the blooper reel though.

Weäre not talaking about losing an election in a district in NYC, we're talking about eliminating an entire district in NYC, since the state of New York is going to lose two electoral districts due to census changes.

Article on why Weiner may be vulnerable.

[Pelranius]

While it is fair to say that many women have been turned on by pictures of their significant others in underwear, I am pretty sure that the vast majority of women would not be turned on by a picture of just any dude in his underwear, assuming that the dude, like most dudes, does not look like a Calvin Klien underwear model.

Speaking as a straight man, Weiner did seem to be very much in shape, though sort of on the skinny side just like his wife.

EDIT: The pics of his chest (why do guys wax their chest though? I certainly don't)

Could Albany eliminate Weiner's district without worrying about political consequences? The denizens of NYC might not like losing congressional seats.

[Jim Raynor]

Ya know, it really doesn't matter whether or not it's moral for Weiner to cheat on his wife (frankly I think it's incredibly douchey). What really matters is what it'll do to his legitimacy and the strength his message will carry. Yeah, Republican's do it much more often and in far worse ways. But they have also pretty successfully controlled the narrative in the media. Just look at how much they can get away with in the House and Senate already. This was a very stupid and careless move on his part and he should have known better.

Funny you should say that, since According to the Right the "Liberal Media" has all but ignored the Weiner issue.

Standard conservative revision, as usual. Where I work, CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News are available all day for employees to watch. Weiner's getting slammed on all three of those networks, constantly. And this whole "liberal media" or "lamestream media" is a pathetic myth. Anything that's not Fox News is "liberal" to right wingers, who like to ignore that Fox News is the #1 cable news network (by far), and that conservatives like Rush Limbaugh rule talk radio. People generally like underdogs and sympathize with persecuted minorities, two things that conservatives pretend to be.

[Slacker]

I have a sneaking suspicion both districts that'll be axed in New York's redistricting will come from upstate. The demographic growth has continued to grow on Long Island and the City, albeit more through immigration than population growth the last decade. Remember, New York's population actually did grow in the last decade, just not as much as other areas of the country, which is why we're getting screwed in the redistricting. Long Island's really not going to lose a seat. While I agree if a NYC district gets offered up as a sacrificial lamb, he's probably the target, I honestly think two upstate districts are probably going to get chopped. You just can't justify cutting a downstate seat by anything other than petty Albany politics, although, granted, that could well be enough given how screwed up things are here.

[mingo]

I knew something was up right away when he denied sending the picture, but wouldn't deny that it was a picture of himself.

Seems like a man should recognize his own junk.

Mine isn't particularly remarkable, devoid of context, I wouldn't know it from any other white guy with am average sized hard on.

[Broken]

Is there anyone, ANYone here who thinks the "Liberal Media" has been going EASY on Weiner? I mean Seriously, how can you possible say that he isn't being skewered 24/7 on every media outlet right now? How could you possibly think he is getting it any easier then, say, Foley?

You have to remember, this is the American Right-Wing complaining. The ones in whose mind the richest, most powerful Christian population the world has ever known is a horribly prosecuted minority and the white-male is subject to more and worse discrimination that anyone else in the country. Whenever something doesn't toe their ideological line its always dangerous conspiracy after all, no reasonable alternatives allowed.