Monday, June 6, 2011
Sex scandal Weiner admits sending photos to women
Posted by Max Brantley on Mon, Jun 6, 2011 at 3:14 PM
At 3:29 p.m. our time, Rep. Anthony Weiner went live. Here's the replay. He admitted sending suggestive photos and remarks by Twitter and Facebook and lying about it when first confronted. He said he was sorry. He took responsibility. He said he wouldn't resign.
Weird and weirder was how Talking Points Memo put the evolving story. Before his tell-all news conference got underway the provocateur Andrew Breitbart commandeered Weiner's mike for his own prounouncements.
Weiner said he sent the infamous underwear crotch shot as a "joke" and had tried to cover up his actions when he saw he'd inadvertently posted it where all could see. He has engaged in "inappropriate" conversations over Facebook, Twitter and on the phone with as many as six women over the years, mostly before his marriage. He said he'd never personally met or had sexual relations with any of the women he messaged.
With breaking voice, he said: "I haven't told the truth. I've done things I deeply regret. I brought pain to people I care about the most. And for that I'm deeply sorry. I apologize to my wife and our family as well as to my friends and suporters. I'm deeply ashamed of my terrible judgment and actions."
Earlier, it was clear things weren't looking up for Weiner. Breitbart's effort to make something of a snapshot with two cats wasn't much. But this reporting on Radar sounded more ominous. And this series of bare-chested photos?. Not good.
How bad is it? Nate Silver Tweeted before the news conference that NY Democrats might redistrict Weiner's seat out of existence.
Smells like political toast, but Weiner said he would not resign. It was a "regrettable mistake," but not a reflection on his work for his district, he said. He apologized repeatedly to his wife. He apologized to constitutents. He said they'd have to make a determination whether to vote for him again. He said he would work very hard to win back their trust after what he admitted was a "personal failing." He said he hadn't violated the oath of office by sending a Twitter he regretted.
Live blog from New York Times.
He talked too long.
Andrew Breitbart gets to gloat. To put it in context: So did Larry Flynt.
Comments (52)
Showing 1-50 of 52
"Posted by Max Brantley on Fri, Feb 18, 2011 at 11:38 AM
I love Anthony Weiner, the New York congressman."
Just for good time sakes.
like
dislike
Damn. You finally get some (more or less) liberal representation in congress, and then he's gotta go all teenager on ya.
Oh well, I still love what he stands for when he's standing for issues.
He may be able to fall back on a career of spokesmodeling for Axe Body Spray if this messes up his political aspirations.
Well, well, well. Looks like "sleazy Andrew Breitbart" was the one telling the truth and your beloved NY Congressman was the one that has been lying through his teeth for days now.
Excuse me while i quietly snicker to myself.
blackberry, Ensign and Vitter ring any bells? And Breitbart? Even a sleazy pig finds an acorn once in a while.
You guys are still a bunch of fucking hypocrites.
Just like Clinton - why the hell did he give his opponents an opening when the stakes are so high?
Blackberry, your attitude is reprehensible. Just like mine is when it's a republican getting caught.
Weiner - "I don't know the exact ages of the women.
OOOH SHIT - Is this going to get even worse for Rep Weiner (D-NY)
“You give good head?” the embattled and married New York congressman asked the woman on March 16, this year.
I give him 3 days.
Weiner! What. A. Dumbass.
There's no excuse. None. Dumbass.
Of course the Lord doesn't forgive Jews, Jews have therapists.
But the fine thing in all this is Clarence Thomas and his wife's disclosures of "extra income" are safe from prying eyes of the 'Lame Stream Media'.
http://www.americablog.com/2011/06/what-wa…
Just another pile os congressional scum. Nothing new, here. One of the true non-partisan atributes of congress critters is their depravity once they infest DC long enough.
Kennady, Cunningham, Dodd, Ensign, Weiner, Feinstein, you keep them in there long enough, they take on that sheen of slime. ON issues, Weiner was an idiont, but for the moment, at least one could say he wasn't yet a slimebag. That has changed.
I did love Anthony Weiner's politics. Still do. But what a fool. Andrew Breitbart is still a sleazebag.
LOL @ our own koolaide drinking Norma Bates (even more than Weiner)
--EXHIBIT A--
"As with ALL things GOP, the Breitbart / Wiener thing is a lying hoax. (Remember Bush, the then-POTUS, jokingly looking under his desk for the fictional WMDs that sent American troops and Iraqi civilians to their deaths, hah-hah? What a man. What a POTUS.)
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/05/29/9…
A hoax. That's the GOP."
http://www.arktimes.com/ArkansasBlog/archi…
--EXHIBIT B--
"Old news. Here the hoax timeline in detail from Daily Kos last Sunday. Posted it yesterday, posting it again today.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/05/29/9…
Any*mouse gets it."
http://www.arktimes.com/ArkansasBlog/archi…
Norma, please direct your letters of apology to Andrew Brietbart. lawlz!
"I did love Anthony Weiner's politics. Still do. But what a fool. Andrew Breitbart is still a sleazebag.
Posted by Max Brantley"
I would venture to guess that at this point Weiner is more of a sleazebag than Breitbart.
Let me know when it comes out that Breitabart is emails young women, or perusing hookers.
And why exactly is Breitbart a sleazebag? For reporting the news?
Isn't that the same thing you do, Maxie?
blackberry... you left out the rest of the quote, bro:
http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2011…
ROFL
ROFL
ROFL
ROFL
LUCKY THIS DUM SUM BICH IS A LIBERAL DEMOCRAT-IF HE WAS A CONSERVATIVE HE'D ALREADY BE BUTCHERED BY THE LAME STREAM MEDIA
LOL
FUNNY HOW FELLOW JOURNALISTS DO NOT SUPPORT EACH OTHER WHEN IT COMES TO TELLING THE TRUTH.
i WOULD THINK THE GOAL OF ALL JOURNALISTS WOULD BE TO GET THE FACTS OUT. NOT TO LOWER THEMSELVES TO CALLING EACH OTHER SLEAZEBAGS!?!?!?!?
Question blackbeard: Where in Ark did you read this story first?
I hear there's some calls going over to Doug Coe at 133 C St, N.E. for extra bedroom space. Worked for Ensign, not so much for Arkansas' Hutchinson.
And
Weiner could be one of the New Chosen:
"But David Coe, Doug Coe's son and heir apparent, calls himself simply a friend to men such as John Ensign, whom he guided through the coverup of his affair. I met the younger Coe when I lived for several weeks as a member of the Family. He's a surprising source of counsel, spiritual or otherwise. Attempting to explain what it means to be chosen for leadership like King David was -- or Mark Sanford, according to his own estimate -- he asked a young man who'd put himself, body and soul, under the Family's authority, "Let's say I hear you raped three little girls. What would I think of you?" The man guessed that Coe would probably think that he was a monster. "No," answered Coe, "I wouldn't." Why? Because, as a member of the Family, he's among what Family leaders refer to as the "new chosen." If you're chosen, the normal rules don't apply.
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2009/07/…
Wiener was married for just FOUR MONTHS while continuing this puerile behavior? He seems more like a protege of Bill Clinton than of Chuck Schumer. What sad irony that the woman he married is a long-time close aide of Hilary's. There is certainly going to be an interesting girls' night out discussion! "I feel your pain, Huma!" says Hilary...
How long do you give it 'til Huma files for divorce? What is it with the hubris thing?
These powerful men think they can get away with this stuff. I'm sure they ALL think "It could never happen to me." But mark Foley, Christopher what's his name... went digital with their antics and they got brought down because of it. There may be no paper trail per se but in the digital age there will certainly be an easily retrievable record.
If you don't know why he is called a sleazebag, you either have your head in the sand or his hatchet jobs with highly-edited video mean nothing to you.
Like I said, hypocrites.
See Vitter and Ensign until recently.
Man, the quote I dust off and use most seems to be "it ain't the crime, it's the coverup!"
Hell I don't even dust it off any more. The quote stays all bright and shiney like a shovel that gets used every day. (never rusts)
cain, you don't need to shout (ALL CAPS), as I keep asking berrieboy, why is Vitter still in office and why did he take for Ensign to take so long to resign?
If you think the main stream media is liberal, you have your head up your anus. But that charge is just a crutch for conservatives.
SocialistArkie,
Shouldn't resign? How effective can he be when there are hours of taped interviews where he repeatedly lies?
The facebook with him in his panties was VERY poor judgement but lying is what liars do.
Weiner cut his own legs out from under himself in any future issue. Normally your opponent does that.
AngryBlackLadyChronicles takes a look behind the curtain in the link below. And yes, Weiner IS a dipshit. My go to guy to explain all things masculine (my son) is in Australia, but from what he has explained to me in the past, all guys are like this, but most (at least I hope it's most) learn to control themselves. According to number one and only son, men really are from Mars.
http://www.angryblacklady.com/2011/06/06/a…
If you click to Allan Brauer's link to the Clarence Thomas connection, it is a long post and a good review of the Anita Hill testimony in the Thomas confirmation hearings if you were very young at the time. Otherwise, scroll down to "The Political Aftermath". None of this excuses Weiner. It might explain the timing of events.
Berry, Breitbart is still a sleaze bag. What he did to ACORN and Shirley Sherrod prove that beyond a doubt.
Some stay. Henry Hyde and David Vitter. Some go. Robert Livingston. Some run for president. Newt Gingrich. Some survive scandal to win the presidency twice -- and screw up again in the process. And on and on. All deserve no reflexive defense for human failings, beyond the elemental understanding that we're all sinners.
Some encourage criminal pranksters. Some misrepresent speeches by government employees. Some misrepresent with selective editing the work of community activists. Their fundamental dishonesty deserves the same approbation given those dishonest about sexual misconduct.
Max Brantley....
Eloquent as Portia for his friends; Heartless as Shylock for his enemies.
If Bush could remain unimpeached, this guy can certainly remain in office. Call it the Shrub Precedent.
Here is the letter Anthony Weiner sent Justice Thomas in February, 2011. You need to read Brauer's blog post to get the connection between Breitbart and Thomas. Reading this letter, signed by 74 other Congressmen, I get even angrier at Weiner for being such a dipshit. This is high stakes stuff here. Just as Spitzer was closing in on Wall Street shenanigans before the financial meltdown when he was brought down, Weiner was closing in on the judicial improprieties of Thomas.
Don't give them the ammunition, DUMBASSES!
http://www.angryblacklady.com/2011/06/02/c…
In February, 2011, armed with all these concerns, and anticipating the release of Thomas’ 2010 financial disclosure forms that would reveal Ginni Thomas’ Liberty Central income for the first time, a Congressman drafted a letter that was co-signed by 74 members of Congress, taking the issue of recusal and conflicts of interest directly to Clarence Thomas’ door.
Dear Justice Thomas:
As an Associate Justice, you are entrusted with the responsibility to exercise the highest degree of discretion and impartiality when deciding a case. As Members of Congress, we were surprised by recent revelations of your financial ties to leading organizations dedicated to lobbying against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. We write today to respectfully ask that you maintain the integrity of this court and recuse yourself from any deliberations on the constitutionality of this act.
The appearance of a conflict of interest merits recusal under federal law. From what we have already seen, the line between your impartiality and you and your wife’s financial stake in the overturn of healthcare reform is blurred. Your spouse is advertising herself as a lobbyist who has “experience and connections” and appeals to clients who want a particular decision – they want to overturn health care reform. Moreover, your failure to disclose Ginny Thomas’s receipt of $686,589 from the Heritage Foundation, a prominent opponent of healthcare reform, between 2003 and 2007 has raised great concern.
This is not the first case where your impartiality was in question. As Common Cause points out, you “participated in secretive political strategy sessions, perhaps while the case was pending, with corporate leaders whose political aims were advanced by the [5-4] decision” on the Citizens United case. Your spouse also received an undisclosed salary paid for by undisclosed donors as CEO of Liberty Central, a 501(c)(4) organization that stood to benefit from the decision and played an active role in the 2010 elections.
Given these facts, there is a strong conflict between the Thomas household’s financial gain through your spouse’s activities and your role as an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. We urge you to recuse yourself from this case. If the US Supreme Court’s decision is to be viewed as legitimate by the American people, this is the only correct path.
We appreciate your thoughtful consideration of this request.
Sincerely,
ANTHONY D. WEINER
Weiner followed this letter up with the Conflicted Clarence Thomas campaign, highlighting Thomas’ conflicts due to Ginni’s work and income, collecting signatures from citizens who shared his outrage, and making life very uncomfortable for Thomas and his die-hard supporters.
Cain, that's all you got? (insert eyeroll emoticon) Are you sure you belong in the deep end of the pool?
DougJ at BalloonJuice has a great take on how Weiner can take care of himself, but we should be concerned about little people who get hurt in these high stakes games. It's worth a read and not very long.
http://www.balloon-juice.com/2011/06/06/yo…
with a name like smuckers..it's gotta be good!
Clearly the sloppy and instantaneous reporting in today's news cycle creates this frenetic environment. From the Fox News sewage pile to the lack of hard hitting questions asked of the businessman and politico that screws-up, Americans have been dummied down to leap first, ask questions later(maybe).
You would think that after one scandal after another, folks would learn yet the internet, twitter, emails and the like are like a crystal meth lab opportunity in a trailer park...hard to fight the urge!(with all due respect to trailer park residents)
What is Weiner's political affiliation? Didn't see his party mentioned in Max's blurb - guess that's a clue he's a D.
@Wannabe, you say, "Even a sleazy pig finds an acorn once in a while."
And you're right.
But most pigs of my acquaintance are far happier with a little shit to roll around in.
I think the poster you're addressing above proves that point in spades.
Get back on your turnip truck, contrarian. Did any one not know that Weiner is a D?
Everything you do online, whether it's email, facebook, twitter, could be on the newspaper frontpage tomorrow. So make sure not ever to do anything online that you wouldn't want to end up on the newspaper frontpage.
This isn't hard to understand. Please, how can anybody be so stupid. Especially in a country where incompetence, lying, corruption, even bare insanity are not considered as obstacles to a political career (http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/06/0…) but the wrong kind of private behavior can be.
Arkansas Media Watch
http://arkansasmediawatch.wordpress.com/
I knew he was guilty when he said he didn't know if that was his penis under the underwear. I bet even the late Ray Charles would know his own penis in a picture.
Here is what I know from living a long time. Men will act like men especially before their 50th birthday. Add power, fame, and money and they'll get 50 feet tall on ya.
Back when I thought I was the cock of the walk, pun intended, I thought it was all for me and everyone wanted what I got. I had a very good time and fortunately didn't catch anything and only hurt mag....which believe me has been dealt with nearly everyday for the last 15 years. So be it, if you dance you got to pay the fiddler.
I have sent pictures of Mr. Howdy to strangers online when the Internet was new. Can I see a show of hands of the people this blog who haven't? And if you haven't, I'll be happy to help you understand how to attache a picture file, just holler.
Was I smart doing a lot of things I did between 30 and 45? NO! I was being stupid, horny and stupid. Did it hurt anything....no..not much. I didn't send them out to pure strangers, oh maybe Barbara Bush, just that one time. Fool her twice, shame on.....oh I forget how it goes.
Notice that Weiner hasn't made a career as a family values politician. That's what makes it bad when a Republicon gets caught wagging his wiener. But these stupid goddamn social issues have blinded us to the bad things in America. Eric Cantor could send me pictures of his prick all day if he'd vote to stop all the wars we're in trying to steal oil.
I'd gladly perform any sex act if it would get us universal health care. I was being told last night that it costs over 20 thousand dollars for someone to learn to cut hair and get a license in Arkansas. That's not even going to a real college....yet every Cuban with good grades gets college for free. Every Cuban gets free health care. CUBANS.......CUBA.....But we're Number 1, aren't we?
I am more offended by the voting records and bills offered up by the 6 people Arkansas sent to DC than I am at Weiner's clothed semi-erect penis. Weiner's weiner can't hurt me or mag or the girls. But the pricks we've voted into Congress can and are and will try harder tomorrow.
Yes Weiner is stupid for doing this, but get your damn priorities in place and learn what's killing our country......it's not nakey pix. It's not dirty talk on Twitter. It's not illicit sex of any kind. Cantor doesn't want to help the people of Joplin, Missouri. That's the worst pornography in the world.
And you better pray I don't make it back up to the top again! Cause if I do...everyone one of you will get an email attachment showing off my crimson bold bat! I've warned you!
HEY WANNABE
The fact that you are calling me out reflects your total ignorance to the gravity of this situation. A member of Congress has lied and will not step down. He has betrayed his wife, his constituents, his staff, and his fellow representatives. You and all others should drop your political leanings and demand that this man do the right thing-RESIGN!!
His demeaning of these women (some may be minors.. he is not sure!!!Shameful) is beyond contempt of a public official.
What I find humorous in all this is the hypocrisy that abounds in this blog. The fact that you and all others who take the time to write demeaning things about conservatives, need to take a step back and reassess the difference in a Democrat and Republican in terms of human flesh. NOT A DAMN THING. WE ARE ALL HUMANS AND NEED TO TREAT EACH OTHER ACCORDINGLY. Our views may differ, but to ridicule, demean and criticize someone for sport is sickening. You may not agree with Sarah Palin, but for Heaven's sake, criticize her policies, ideas, and beliefs and not simply call her an idiot. That is so easy to do and takes no intelligence to do it. I have called Max out for his sleazeball comment which I believe was wrong to say about a fellow journalist. Max is very good at provoking conversation about many subjects and that is his job. But I have to believe his sleazeball comment was a human flesh "failing" like we all have time to time.
>>What is Weiner's political affiliation? Didn't see his party mentioned in Max's blurb - guess that's a clue he's a D.<<
And you sure won't see FOX News changing his party affiliation either, you know, like they did with
Congressman Foley, he went from an (R) to a (D) overnight;
or with Senator Larry Craig who also went from an (R) to a (D) overnight
or with Senator David Vitter who Fox changed from an (R) to a (D) in minutes
and finally with that piker from the Appalachian Trail, Mark Sanford earned a Fox (D)
while claiming that EVERY wrong change was a mistake.
>>A member of Congress has lied and will not step down. He has betrayed his wife, his constituents, his staff, and his fellow representatives. You and all others should drop your political leanings and demand that this man do the right thing-RESIGN!!<<
Sure. I think Rep Weiner should RESIGN just as soon as Sen Vitter and Sen Craig resign.
Deal?
OK elwoodie
I will see you, Vitter and Craig
and raise you a Bill Clinton, Teddy Kennedy and a Barney Frank
Hold your cards close to your vest as this game will last a long time , pardner!
HEY CAIN
Grow up. Go read DBI above, go read DougJ at BalloonJuice. Just like it's the cover-up that is worse than the deed, it's the Republican hypocrisy that gets libs het up over indiscretions of a sexual nature when R's do it.
And DBI, I have never sent naughty pictures over the internet. I do confess to occasional naughty thoughts.
Weiner's picture was not intended to be a factual statement
Rais'nCain, bite me.
Cain, the grifter from Wasilla has had almost two years to bone up on policy issues and history. The fact that she hasn't done that tells me she is not serious about anything but fleecing old retired people out of their SS pensions. If you would even consider voting for her, then you are not a serious person either, and are not worth arguing with.
You cannot criticize someone just on their policies when they are too stupid to know that Paul Revere was not riding to warn the British that the British were coming.
Bush lied, thousands died, and not only did he not step down, he held his head high as his supporters cheered his absolute lack of integrity and basic human morality.
He betrayed America and killed more people than Osama Bin Laden, bankrupted the country by stealing the treasury and redistributing it to corporations and the ultra-wealthy, and did more damage to the Bill of Rights and the Constitution than any man before or since.
If you think Weiner should resign for his crimes, then the scales of justice demand that Bush be hung for his treason.
Hey Empire
Throw your buddy Clinton in there- Or did u forget he had a chance to capture bin laden and 9/11 doesn't happen
Let's throw Kennedy in there also for ramping up the police action in Viet Nam which killed over 50,000 men of my era.
How about FDR also for no foreseeing the Pearl Harbor bombing. Jimmy Carter for allowing the Iranians to hold our people hostage and then losing men in a failed attempt to free them.
How about Harry Truman- Over 200,000 casualties as a result of his decision to use nuclear bombs.
On the Palin/Revere situation, I would reference you to an interview by a credible news source for you liberals-NPR. As much as the newscaster wanted to sway the professor, I believe he gives an accurate portrayal of Paul Revere's ride and reason for it. Enjoy
http://www.npr.org/2011/06/06/137011636/ho…
Paul Revere? Billy Dawes is the one who was successful in warning the country side. Prescott and Revere got captured. 8th grade American history.
Sarah Palin. Gag!
That anyone would consider voting for her for anything is unbelievable.
The whole Weiner deal....another distraction to get everyone all hot and bothered for about 3 days, that's the attention span for any event...the MSM loses interest VERY fast...well unless you are Casey Anthony. I cuss the morning shows regularly.
We've got bigger fish to fry folks.
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