Saturday Massacre: Pelosi, Israel, Wasserman Schultz call for Weiner to resign

[CitizenX]

I think it's pretty clear that Weiner made this mess all by himself.  Had Weiner just admitted that he sent the original picture up front instead of falsely claiming a hacking and calling a CNN reporter a "jackass" for daring to ask questions, the story probably would have remained largely ignored in the conservative blogosphere.  NYC residents don't really care much about sex scandals.  But Weiner upped the ante, tried to get the media to pin the blame on evil BREITBART or other nefarious hackers and lost big time.

Yeah right. Is this the same Republican blogosphere that still chatters about how Obama is secretly a Muslim Kenyan?  Give me a break.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

I meant the 17th century in the United States.

Is that like the 20th century in the Roman Empire?

In any case, you weren't at all specific. Not that it matters. Letters of early Puritan settlers in North America were actually censored because of their explicit sexual content when they were published in the 19th century.

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The Scarlet Letter was published in 1850, The Crucible in 1953.

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It's possible that there may have been heavy levels of irony in my post (it has been known to happen), but I would argue that, yes, this does seem to have everything that the discerning connoisseur of the contemporary American Sex Scandal would demand, right down to the teary press conference following angry denials. An instant classic, I think.

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Yes, but I don't particularly care about such trivial details.

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I believe that I have made several posts on that very subject right here on this forum. Though I don't like your choice of words; why use an absurd construct like 'forced sex' when a perfectly powerful word already exists; rape.

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As a big story? Absolutely. As a classic sex scandal? Absolutely not.

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What a strange thing to write. How old are you?

[CitizenX]

What a strange thing to write. How old are you?

Old enough that I would not consider a picture of a bulge in a man's boxer briefs a mind blowing sex scandal.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

It occurs to be that you don't entirely understand what I might (perhaps) be getting at in my posts. Your loss, I suppose.

Any chance of a response to the rest of that rather long response, or was I just wasting my time?

[CitizenX]

The Scarlet Letter was published in 1850, The Crucible in 1953.

Yes, and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides came out in 2011, but I assure you I was on a Royal Caribbean cruise a couple of months ago and it was very different from Pirates of the Caribbean.  I think the work is what we call a period piece over here... not a live broadcast of the evening news.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Eh, so he's a bit of a facebook creeper. I don't really care.

I think the worst part about it is him crying at the press conference. Christ, what are you crying about? Be a man.

QFT........at least he didn't have his wife standing there.  

[CitizenX]

Any chance of a response to the rest of that rather long response, or was I just wasting my time?

My point is this episode is exceedingly mild compared to the events of the past MONTH.  Given that this is a modern classic as you put it, on a seismic scale where would rank this event when compared to DSK and Arnold?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Yes, and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides came out in 2011, but I assure you I was on a Royal Caribbean cruise a couple of months ago and it was very different from Pirates of the Caribbean.  I think the work is what we call a period piece over here... not a live broadcast of the evening news.

Uh huh. I take it that you aren't aware of the basic truth that any fictional work set in the past is inevitably shaped more by the time in which it is written than by the time in which it is set? Quite consciously so in the case of at least one of the works you mentioned, might I add.

This is before we move into the oh-so-troubling issue of accuracy and then (alas, but inevitably) that of sources and methods.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Any chance of a response to the rest of that rather long response, or was I just wasting my time?

My point is this episode is exceedingly mild compared to the events of the past MONTH.  Given that this is a modern classic as you put it, on a seismic scale where would rank this event when compared to DSK and Arnold?

Ah, yes. Still not getting it. I believe that I used the phrase 'post-modernist performance art', which I think counts as a clue as to what I was getting at. As might the frequent use of the word (?) 'lol'.

[patrick1]

Seriously, why is this even an issue? Nothing illegal was done

If he were under 18, he would be charged with child porn and be registered a sex offender. Funny how being older and having a cushy congressional job is like a get out of jail free card.

Uh, having a cushy congressional job has absolutely nothing to do with it. He's not under 18.

Mmhmm, anyone else with a normal job that was caught with photos like that online would totally still get to keep their job as well.

There are thousands if not millions of people out there who have pictures like that on the Internet and still have jobs.

And it's not illegal either.

If your company IT folk find images of your junk on company property (blackberry, laptop) and turn you in- you would not be employed. 

There still is the possibility that he did break very serious laws by sending indecent material to underage girls. Even if he did not break any laws, I would expect a bit more from our leaders.

Give me a break.  I heard a couple people in the press mention this underage possibility.  I know it would be great for reporters and a wet dream for Republicans if one of the women was 17, but this country is really turning into a police state.  If someone is on a political twitter feed and presents themselves as an adult you mean to say every citizen has to ask for a credit card and biometric data to verify their age?  Do you realize how much online dating goes on?  Anyway if a child is sophisticated enough to dupe a congressman on a twitter feed do you really think they have to go to such lengths to see a picture of a man in underwear?  Why not just look at a JCPenny catalog?

Its so pathetic when people are shocked, SHOCKED that an underaged person could possibly see a picture of a man in boxer briefs.  What is this, the 17th century?

You may be surprised to know that it is Rep. Weiner and his colleagues that make these transmission of indecent images statutes and not me.  Weiner could only say that "to the best of is knowledge"  these girls/women were of legal age- that speaks to a troubling lack of responsibility.  His denials, arrogance and lies after he got caught being a fool only added fuel to this charade. 

[Filuwaúrdjan]

...and more entertaining. Let's not ignore that. Vastly more entertaining.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

A quiz: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-13681528

[patrick1]

...and more entertaining. Let's not ignore that. Vastly more entertaining.

Yes, it is funny that politicians provide the best theatre nowadays. 

[CitizenX]

You may be surprised to know that it is Rep. Weiner and his colleagues that make these transmission of indecent images statutes and not me.  Weiner could only say that "to the best of is knowledge"  these girls/women were of legal age- that speaks to a troubling lack of responsibility.  His denials, arrogance and lies after he got caught being a fool only added fuel to this charade. 

I am not aware of any specific transmission of indecent images statute that Weiner championed.  This is news to me and many other people.  Please post a link.

I do not see how failing to get a credit card and biometric data from people on your twitter feed is "a troubling lack of responsibility" as you put it.  We keep moving further and further towards a police state.  There are numerous children in this country that are suffering from true sexual abuse.  Do we really have to concoct some fantasy scenario and feign outrage?

There needs to be personal responsibility in this country.  If you are 15 and pose as an adult and sign onto a political twitter feed that's your problem.

[patrick1]

You may be surprised to know that it is Rep. Weiner and his colleagues that make these transmission of indecent images statutes and not me.  Weiner could only say that "to the best of is knowledge"  these girls/women were of legal age- that speaks to a troubling lack of responsibility.  His denials, arrogance and lies after he got caught being a fool only added fuel to this charade. 

I am not aware of any specific transmission of indecent images statute that Weiner championed.  This is news to me and many other people.  Please post a link.

I do not see how failing to get a credit card and biometric data from people on your twitter feed is "a troubling lack of responsibility" as you put it.  We keep moving further and further towards a police state.  There are numerous children in this country that are suffering from true sexual abuse.  Do we really have to concoct some fantasy scenario and feign outrage?

There needs to be personal responsibility in this country.  If you are 15 and pose as an adult and sign onto a political twitter feed that's your problem.

Who said he championed this?  You were trying to deflect and minimize Weiner's indiscretions by boldly attacking our laws on this matter. That is in Rep. Weiner's purview and really a debate for another thread.

I do think it is a troubling lack of responsibility to send photos of your erect and unsheathed member- particularly when you can't confirm who is on the receiving end. I generally think it a wise policy to not go around waving your tallywhacker at strangers no matter what the venue or medium.   It looks like Breitbart is clean on this, but Weiner showed himself to be a perfect victim of a set up through his own recklessness.

As to your last sentence, I think signing up for a political feed and lying about your age is not grounds to open yourself up to receiving pictures of 46 yo old junk--Important to note that I am not accusing Weiner of doing so. It is just reckless that he could have even put himself in that position in the first place.

[cinyc]

I think it's pretty clear that Weiner made this mess all by himself.  Had Weiner just admitted that he sent the original picture up front instead of falsely claiming a hacking and calling a CNN reporter a "jackass" for daring to ask questions, the story probably would have remained largely ignored in the conservative blogosphere.  NYC residents don't really care much about sex scandals.  But Weiner upped the ante, tried to get the media to pin the blame on evil BREITBART or other nefarious hackers and lost big time.

Yeah right. Is this the same Republican blogosphere that still chatters about how Obama is secretly a Muslim Kenyan?  Give me a break.

Huh?  Had Weiner just admitted he tweeted the photo up front, the story would have been largely ignored outside of the conservative blogosphere.   That's a fact.  At worst, it becomes a story for a day or so in the New York tabloids and Weiner faces minor humiliation. 

The "there" became "there" when Weiner claimed he was hacked and refused to call the police to determine who hacked him.  It became nuclear when he called a CNN producer a "jackass" for daring to ask Weiner simple yes or no questions.

[Bull Moose Base]

lol

I mean... lol

This story has everything. Ev-ery little detail. It's like a work of post-modernist performance art. Only not sh!te.

Ha.

I definitely don't think Weiner could have killed story by admitting everything upfront.  And what does that mean?  That he tweeted original photo only or admitting the entire thing and all the sexting?  If it was the former, he'd still have to deny more then would have still gotten caught lying sort of.  If it was the latter, it would have been a media circus regardless.  Which is not to say that Weiner's initial lying didn't do more political damage to him.  I'm not sure he goes ahead and runs for mayor in 2013 rather than letting it all fade more.  And it's hard to imagine if his wife asked him not to run at this point, he would go ahead and do so if he wants to keep her.   But I think he could win if he ran.  I also don't think he'd lose a primary or general in 2012 but Democrats may well draw his district out of existence.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

This is snowballing.....I really think cinyc is going to owe me a drink back.....

[cinyc]

This is snowballing.....I really think cinyc is going to owe me a drink back.....

I feel safe that I'll owe you nothing back.  Anthony Weiner is too brazen to resign without a major push - like a really scathing ethics panel report or criminal charges.  Neither seems forthcoming - lying to the press isn't a crime, nor is telling someone else to lie to the press.  And the ethics committee whitewashes almost everything.

Weiner will be out of a job come January 2013, though - I'm willing to bet you a drink that NY-09 will cease to exist in anything close to its current form after redistricting - a point much of the media has missed.  And then, he runs for mayor, anyway...

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

This is snowballing.....I really think cinyc is going to owe me a drink back.....

I feel safe that I'll owe you nothing back.  Anthony Weiner is too brazen to resign without a major push - like a really scathing ethics panel report or criminal charges.  Neither seems forthcoming - lying to the press isn't a crime, nor is telling someone else to lie to the press.  And the ethics committee whitewashes almost everything.

Weiner will be out of a job come January 2013, though - I'm willing to bet you a drink that NY-09 will cease to exist in anything close to its current form after redistricting - a point much of the media has missed.  And then, he runs for mayor, anyway...

Ok, deal.  NY-09 stays.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

I think the putana from TX was in this for the long haul because she knew this day was coming.  She saved EVERY f'ing thing, now she's a star. 

[patrick1]

I think the putana from TX was in this for the long haul because she knew this day was coming.  She saved EVERY f'ing thing, now she's a star. 

Perhaps, and a good reason why this isnt just a matter between himself and his wife.  Most people will do a lot to save themselves from embarrassment (as Weiner demonstrated). He put himself and his office in a compromising situation. It was reckless, and it is confounding to me that he didnt think this would get out. It is almost pathological with these politicians- enough so that I think some of them deep down want to get caught.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

I think the putana from TX was in this for the long haul because she knew this day was coming.  She saved EVERY f'ing thing, now she's a star. 

Perhaps, and a good reason why this isnt just a matter between himself and his wife. 

Yes, a lil thingy called blackmail can be problematic for a lawmaker

[King]

Anybody remember this show?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytEtjTFodyU

Is the guy at 0:17 actually Anthony?

[krazen1211]

http://www.radaronline.com/sites/radaronline.com/files/Wiener-Facebook-Transcript-Watermarked.pdf