This just in

[malasadas.livejournal.com]

Anthony Weiner to the press: I did it.

For discussion: Does anyone want to reassess any part of his or her participation in the previous week's discussion?

For myself: I did NOT wade in last week, but have been inclined to believe Weiner up to this point, largely out of a desire for it to not be true but also from some contradictory information such as a report of an actual expert image analyst who concluded the picture could not have come from Weiner's Blackberry model.

It is also true that I was disinclined because of Brietbart's alleged involvement in circulating the original story (headlines now say he is getting in on the press conference today as well) -- I am not ashamed of that, actually. Breitbart is a bottom feeder of the lowest order and this kind of story would find its way to mainstream sources without his involvement tainting it. Unfortunately, the final outcome of this with Weiner vigorously denying it and then having to backtrack only gives more credibility to Breitbart's ability to try to lead the news. Shame on Weiner for his behavior, his attempts to deny it AND for building up Brietbart's credibility.

Final question: Why the hell do the powerful and influential manage to think they are NOT being watched all the time? It boggles the mind that people who claim they want to do good risk it all with behavior that may be private but is either disgraceful and/or contrary to the standards they claim to uphold? I expect the standard answer is "ha, ha, dirty politicians" but that's actually a problem -- cynical nihilism makes matters a lot worse when there is actual work that needs doing.

Thanks a bunch, Anthony.

Comments

[telemann.livejournal.com]

Why would a man married to such a beautiful and intelligent woman, sleaze around on the Internet, and in this day and age knowing how many people he's pissed off, and could think he would lie his way out of it? I just don't get it :/

[soliloquy76.livejournal.com]

On the bright side, she'll soon be single.

Giggidy-goo.

[malasadas.livejournal.com]

Seriously don't get the sense of invulnerability either.

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

I just don't get it

Perhaps neither did he. That's usually what it is.

[htpcl.livejournal.com]

For the same reason Tiger would cheat on this charmer (http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HBPuiAbgzdw/SvHf6UDAzXI/AAAAAAAAAHk/-dh6MV_qLrw/s400/elin-nordegren-woods-dubliner22.jpg). The forbidden fruit is the sweetest.

[kylinrouge.livejournal.com]

I guess Generation X is too retarded to use the internet too.

Maybe in 40 years we'll have some tech-savvy politicians.

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

Why do we conflate sexual behavior with job performance?

Is it a good idea that the penis placement police (or penis picture police) gain so much power over us?

Poor Jon Stewart.

Anyway, it would seem we are judged by our use of time, money, and sexuality.

[telemann.livejournal.com]

Ha, I wonder how Stewart will handle this tonight, it should be good ;) But the story broke pretty late too, I think they start videotaping that show around 5 PM.

[luvdovz.livejournal.com]

So what took him so long?

On the other hand...

Why is this so important for the general* public, again? Slow news cycle?

_______
* oh wait, the word is self-explanatory; sorry, disregard last question

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

So what took him so long?

He needed time to go through his jpg's and make sure it was his.

[mahnmut.livejournal.com]

Those depraved libruls! (You can't deny they're mostly the ones who can't hold their wieners inside their pants; the stats are eloquent).

[udoswald.livejournal.com]

For every Anthony Weiner, there's a Christopher Lee posting pics on Craigslist under a fake identity, Senator Ensign paying off a staffer for sleeping with his wife or Larry Craig trolling for anonymous gay sex in an airport bathroom. Republicans are just as likely to engage in this sort of activity. At least Weiner admitted it quickly, Craig still claims he wasn't looking for gay sex in that bathroom.

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

I was skeptical because it was Andrew Breitbart who made the claim. Turns out this is one of those twice a day moments where the stopped clock is right.

[dreadfulpenny81.livejournal.com]

Sorry! I was typing up my entry while you posted.

[abomvubuso.livejournal.com]

Do it! Another perspective won't hurt.

One Weiner to spam rule us all!

[root-fu.livejournal.com]

I want to see paft's reponse to this...

[dreadfulpenny81.livejournal.com]

I doubt she'll respond. She usually doesn't when proven wrong.

[udoswald.livejournal.com]

If I had it to do over again I'd respond the same way. There was no reason to believe Breitbart over Weiner. This whole thing had set-up written all over it. The only witness was a Breitbart worshiper who had been harassing Weiner and the young woman for weeks before the pics surfaced. Weiner still has far more credibility than Breitbart ever will.

[dreadfulpenny81.livejournal.com]

"I was hacked. No! It was a prank. Herp-derp..." Yeah, set up written all over his idiocy. Whatever!

[root-fu.livejournal.com]

New constant: Weiner's Law: "The probability of a man spamming pictures of his male genitalia to unsuspecting female gendered individuals is inversely proportional to internet access multiplied by narcisstic egotism times the speed of light."

[telemann.livejournal.com]

Dude's packing, whoa ;)

Is that a bill in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me? :P

[badlydrawnjeff.livejournal.com]

Occam's Razor strikes again. That's really all I have to say about it anymore.

[mrbogey.livejournal.com]

What are you nuts? How do we know this isn't a Breitbart paid imposter?

OMG... call the capitol police. Breitbart must be blackmailing Weiner or threatening him for him to go along with it. Since everything else Breitbart claimed about Weiner has been debunked this must be true.

[dreadfulpenny81.livejournal.com]

Way too many people owe an apology to Dan Wolfe for falsely accusing him of posting the photo. I hope there's lawsuits.

[luvdovz.livejournal.com]

People find the darnedest reasons to make some cash, eh? :)

[mrbogey.livejournal.com]

I'm pissed and bitter over it. I was fair and it turns out accurate in my assessment and many people treated me like I was a fool.

Most responses by the people who were wrong only serve to make me more bitter.

I do appreciate your response though.

[root-fu.livejournal.com]

Imagine how I feel.

I said healthcare reform would fail for years and years.

[:

[devil-ad-vocate.livejournal.com]

Bring on the whips and midgets!

[jerseycajun.livejournal.com]

"Final question: Why the hell do the powerful and influential manage to think they are NOT being watched all the time?"

If you will allow me the indulgence to make a dumbfounding question even more ridiculous, "What makes them think they aren't being watched on a social networking site, which is as good as doing it in the middle of the street, for all intents and purposes?"

[oportet.livejournal.com]

Let he who hasn't texted photos of his dick cast the first stone.

[the-rukh.livejournal.com]

I can honestly and sincerely say I have never done that!

[reflaxion.livejournal.com]

I did not participate in discussion on this topic.

I now regret that course of action, and wish I'd made a lot of jokes.

[the-rukh.livejournal.com]

I didn't either; his refusal to flatly deny that the pictures were of him made me wonder.

[anfalicious.livejournal.com]

WTF didn't he just do what everyone else does and set up a decoy account with photos that don't show full profile?

[the-rukh.livejournal.com]

Actually, if it's one reason to recall him its his massive computer fail! What a nab.

Only in America

[foreverbeach.livejournal.com]

What a sexually backwards, repressed society. This dude should never have felt compelled to lie. He should have said, "Yes, I tweeted my junk to this chick. I also talk dirty on the phone and get naked on Skype with hotties. And you know what? I don't owe any of you an apology for having a healthy sexual appetite, you puritanical hypocrites."

But he can't say that because he's just another scumbag politician whose first inclination is to deny everything, then lie, then make counteraccusations. They're all the same.

Grow up, America. Sex is not evil. It's natural.

Not only in America

[mrsilence.livejournal.com]

Rubbish, this is hardly an American phenomena.

And here, I believed....

[sophia-sadek.livejournal.com]

I had taken Jon Stewart at his word that it could not possibly be Weiner's wiener based on the size. I do salute him for jumping on Weiner for mentioning an "investigation."

Hey, y'know what??

[op-tech-glitch.livejournal.com]

I think...I'm gonna start referring to this dude from here on out as Anthony Dong.

Just to remind myself and everyone else what he's got and what Breitbart, O'Keefe, and everybody else dumping on him just now hasn't.

Yup.