I can laugh about almost anything. I do laugh about almost everything. There’s very little that happens in my life that I can’t laugh about.
The Anthony Weiner scandal is not one of those things.
It should be easy to laugh about Anthony Weiner, right? The subject is ripe for comedy. Yet another politician thinks that he can get away with being a cheating sleazebag, and better yet, this politician happens to have a very funny last name that can be used to make all sorts of jokes that are just begging for a “That’s what she said!”
I love “That’s what she said.” I almost called this blog “That’s What She Said,” because I’m a woman, and I talk a lot.
But this issue is a lot bigger than a simple act of a politician cheating on his wife and being exposed. This issue affects many more people than just Weiner himself. Why can’t I find this funny, or simply brush this off as another asshole politician with his pants caught down?
1) Remember this? It’s Anthony Weiner’s glorious, sarcastic defense of NPR and his ripping into the GOP for trying to cut their budget. Anthony Weiner has a history of making a lot of wonderful, sarcastic speeches against the hypocritical policies of the GOP. Until today, I saw Anthony Weiner as a snarky defender of progressive rights and a caller of bullshit on the GOP. But from now on, Anthony Weiner will be seen as that guy who Tweeted pictures to a bunch of women and got caught with his pants down. Anything Anthony Weiner says in defense of progressive rights will be tainted because the media will instead choose to focus on the sex scandal, taking precious time away from covering actual important issues. Yes, that’s just as much the fault of the media as it is Anthony Weiner’s, but that doesn’t make it any better.
2) I can’t imagine how hard it must be for a woman to not only come to the realization that her husband cheated on her, but to have that information shared with the entire country because people are somehow entitled to know everyone’s private business. I have little sympathy for Weiner and he frankly deserves what he gets from this, but his wife does not, and she’s wrapped into it anyway.
3) I say I have little sympathy for Weiner because there’s a smidgen of pity left. Melissa McEwan makes an excellent point that Andrew Breitbart threatened to expose graphic sexual pictures of Weiner, and this amounts to sexual coercion or blackmail. Anthony Weiner deserves to be criticized, but he does not deserve to be threatened with having pictures of his body exposed to the world. No one deserves that.
4) Here’s an interview with one of the women Weiner had a relationship with, Melissa Broussard. I’m counting down the minutes before left-wing “progressive” men slut-shame her for being a dirty ho who took down one of their favorite boys, and before the right-wing offers her a book deal. Sure, it’s possible that Broussard saw this opportunity as a chance for some fifteen minutes of fame, but I found this quote of hers very telling and sad:
“I have my own life, my own things where I’m from and I just wanted to go ahead with them. I thought I could just be private about it, but there’s no reason for me to hide,” she said. “I didn’t do anything wrong. I don’t know him. I’m just putting my story out there before anyone else tries to.”
I find it very distressing that this woman felt the need to share an aspect of her private life with the rest of the world, simply because she knew it was a matter of time before someone else grabbed her story and used it. And even now, I’m sure left-wing progressive traitors will try to discredit her story because she’s a white-trash slut. You can TELL she’s a white-trash slut because she has a Texas accent and chews gum, after all.
(Side note: Why do I feel sympathy for her, and very little sympathy for Weiner? Why am I going easier on her? Because Melissa Broussard is not an elected official who’s supposed to put policies and the needs of her constituents over her personal life.)
5) There have been no official accusations of sexual harassment yet, but I’m not ruling it out as a possibility. Why? Because he’s a male politician and there’s a huge disparity of power between himself and the women with whom he engaged in these relationships. I’m not accusing him of sexual harassment when I don’t have any proof of it. I’m only saying that I would not be surprised if it turned out that these women weren’t consenting. Especially because, in Broussard’s case, she admits to feeling uncomfortable about certain aspects of the relationship.
Also, two words: Bill Clinton.
This is a mess, and it’s the fault of Weiner himself, Andrew Breitbart, and the media in general for obsessing over this issue and getting wrapped up in sex scandals as though they were live gossip magazines rather than NEWS OUTLETS. It’s a deep blow to women who believed that we finally, finally had a vocal, articulate, passionate progressive ally for women’s rights in Congress, only to find out that he’s yet another political sleazebag who values his own sexual kinks over loyalty to his constituents and furthering of progressive issues.
But by all means, let’s blow this off with more “adultery, schmadultery” talk and a lot of penis jokes. By all means.
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* “I find it very distressing that this woman felt the need to share an aspect of her private life with the rest of the world,” if your comment (elected officials are supposed to put their job above their personal life) is correct (see next comment), then she willingly, and knowingly, put at least this aspect of her personal life in the public domain; actually, even if your comment is wrong (possible wrong word, i don’t think there is a right or wrong answer to that question), she was still subjecting her personal life to public scrutiny.
* “an elected official who’s supposed to put policies and the needs of her constituents over her personal life.” i absolutely disagree with this, and think this is one of the reasons we end up with such mediocre slates of candidates. Mitch Daniels doesn’t run because it would require his wife to do a crying ‘i was wrong’ on Barbara Walters’ show; just wrong. Disagree with his politics, but he is a respected governor, and the country is going to lose out on his not being party of the debate about what the next president is going to look like or advocate for.
* “yet another political sleazebag who values his own sexual kinks over loyalty to his constituents and furthering of progressive issues” i think this is assuming facts not yet in evidence, yes the guy has sexual urges i hope are not in my daughters’ beaus, but there is no evidence or allegation that he allowed these urges to come before his job, even if it is found out he used his government computer or phone or email account or ??? (all of which is wrong, and presumably illegal) it doesn’t mean he placed this kink above his job.
Now…virtually everything i have said above will change if it turns out that these were not consensual relationships, but for the moment all we know if this guy had a kink he exercised with consenting adults that did not interfere with his job performance, and therefore we have yet another piece of evidence that human beings are flawed.
i will take a flawed (non abusive) individual who aggressively advocates for what i believe in over a straight laced milk toast any day of the week, and not only because history has shown that public leaders with questionable public lives can still do a really good job (and i mean effective in their job, not that i agree with them) – FDR, J Edgar, JFK, LBJ, Gary Hart, Reagan?, and not only because we need to have different reactions to Weiner’s behavour and Strauss-Kahn’s, but those are two to start with.
if your comment (elected officials are supposed to put their job above their personal life) is correct (see next comment), then she willingly, and knowingly, put at least this aspect of her personal life in the public domain
Of course. From her comment, though, I interpreted that she felt the need to share this information because she thought someone else would beat her to the punch, and revealed it herself so that she could be control of her own story. If my interpretation is correct (and I could be wrong), then that makes me sad.
Mitch Daniels doesn’t run because it would require his wife to do a crying ‘i was wrong’ on Barbara Walters’ show; just wrong. Disagree with his politics, but he is a respected governor, and the country is going to lose out on his not being party of the debate about what the next president is going to look like or advocate for.
What exactly will the country lose out on – having yet another Planned Parenthood-defunding, immigrant-criminalizing, collective bargaining-rights hating, gay marriage-hating, wealthy tax-cutting Republican talking about how corporations should have more rights than people? How is Mitch Daniels different from every other GOP contender, except that the unemployment rate in Indiana is higher than the national average? I mean, I guess I don’t entirely disagree with you. It’s a shame that his garbage policies are not what’s preventing him from running and would, in fact, probably put him as a frontrunner, if not for the fact that people would slut-shame his wife.
but there is no evidence or allegation that he allowed these urges to come before his job, even if it is found out he used his government computer or phone or email account or ??? (all of which is wrong, and presumably illegal) it doesn’t mean he placed this kink above his job.
Behold: http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2011/06/weiner-sexting-partner-reveals-her-identity-reveals-%E2%80%98he-called-me-congress-phone%E2%80%99.
If this turns out to be true, then Weiner is in violation of House ethics. They can prosecute him for it or not. If they don’t, then the Democrats look bad for letting one of their own just slide. If they do, he could lose his position. Either the Democratic party takes another hit, or we lose a progressive politician that was great at calling out hypocrisy because he chose not to keep it in his pants. So then, yes, I stand by my opinion that he placed his kink above his job.
…virtually everything i have said above will change if it turns out that these were not consensual relationships, but for the moment all we know if this guy had a kink he exercised with consenting adults
What about Gennette Cordova, the one who received the photo in the first place who said she never had a previous relationship with him? Weiner’s people are saying that THAT picture was sent to her by accident, but given that he said for a week that the pictures weren’t of him and then revealed to be lying, I’m not sure why I should give him the benefit of the doubt on this.
And of course, people are already starting to blame his wife: http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2011/06/06/238051/chris-matthews-weiner-wife/. Of course they are. That’s more the fault of this sexist culture than it is of Weiner himself, but maybe if he showed more respect for his own wife she wouldn’t be placed in this horrible position.
Well douchebags are blaming his wife, good to know Chris Matthew’s still isn’t over Hilary Clinton hating. She works for Hilary, clearly it’s all her fault!
And yeah even Broussard said he carried on the Facebook stuff during work hours and that he used a Blackberry which are typically government issued. There is no way he didn’t use government resources to carry on his inappropriate electronic relationships. There are just so many lies you have to tell yourself to justify what your doing, you start to think they are true.
Having said that I kind of don’t know what to feel about the whole thing, because like doping (and heh cheating) in sports, I think immoral, cheating, lying politicians are so pervasive that getting that het up abou the ones who get caught doesn’t feel, IDK…necessary? Like in perspective relative to other adultery cough john edwards cough, this seems so…minor, and pathetic. A dorks version of a sex scandal. Though I guess there is something to be said for having the decorum to keep your shit, whatever shit your up to, on lock down to know it’s vitally important to CONCEAL it.
To be so brazen about it all and then lie so BADLY about having done it? CHRIST, it’s like a whole nother level of arrogance/stupidity, carrying on affairs via PUBLIC social media. Way to undermine anything good you ever accomplished Weiner.
That was my first thought, too (re: Chris Matthews knee-jerkingly hating on a woman who works for Hillary Clinton. OF COURSE, Chris Matthews. Of course.)
Having said that I kind of don’t know what to feel about the whole thing, because like doping (and heh cheating) in sports, I think immoral, cheating, lying politicians are so pervasive that getting that het up abou the ones who get caught doesn’t feel, IDK…necessary?
I definitely understand that viewpoint. I’ve thought it, myself, even about this situation. I think it bothers me on another level because Weiner was saying a lot of important things that needed to be said now that the conservative fuckheads are trying to ruin everything good in this country (I exaggerate…slightly), and now all of that is undermined by this scandal.
Plus, given the way he lied, I am skeptical that all of these relationships were consensual. Gennette Cordova did not consent to receive those pictures, and he’s saying that was an accident, but right now I don’t believe him. I’d like to, but I don’t, because he lied for a week. If even ONE of these relationships was non-consensual, it’s a huge problem. Plus, I, like other progressives who wanted to believe the best of him, was defending him left and right for about a week until he revealed WHOOOPS, it was me after all! And he made his defenders look bad.
I thought this comment summed it up well: “I believe there is a space in which the Weiner story can be discussed as neither THE MOST IMPORTANT STORY EVAR IN THE HISTORY OF EVERYTHANG!!!!!eleventy!!!! nor a story of no conceivable consequence of all.” http://shakespearessister.blogspot.com/2011/06/thought.html
Ack, yeah necessary wasn’t the word I wanted to use I just can’t think of the right one, because of course people should be pissed at him, of course he should face consequences, I’m just saying it feels weird to me when I know, I KNOW a good deal of his fellow Congressmen are doing the same and/or worse. And if it’s not sexting, or cheating, it’s exploiting their power in any number of ways that aren’t ethical or legal.
Interestingly Salon, one of his conflicted defenders this week, turned on him FIERCE, by outing he won his first election via a race baiting leaflet. It’s only coming to light now. Twenty something years later. Good job Media!
I guess as much as I wanted to believe it was a Breitbart hatchet job based not on the truth but on avarice and manipulation at the end of the day, “I can not say with certitude” is not the shield of an innocent man. He looked like a duck, he walked like a duck. He was a fucking duck.
I just read that Salon article, and yeah, I’d LOVE to hear the spin about this. How will the (white male) progressives defend THIS one?
I’m just saying it feels weird to me when I know, I KNOW a good deal of his fellow Congressmen are doing the same and/or worse. And if it’s not sexting, or cheating, it’s exploiting their power in any number of ways that aren’t ethical or legal.
True, and it does stink that so many of them can get away with much worse crimes.
My comments are not a defense of Weiner’s actions as a person (pre-cover up) or justification for performing the cover up, but rather how quickly we seem to make judgments about people, and then just open the ‘let’s dump on them’ gates
An old election piece being republished (It’s only coming to light now?)….by definition IF he used a letter to win an election, it had to have been published during the election, so it actually came to light a while ago, it was just being held by someone to use at the right moment…i.e., when the attackee was already wounded.
white male progressives are not a monolithic group, so i suspect you will find (among non-elected officials) some variations in their responses; we know that the electorate expects a certain response, so the white male elected progressives (who are legally required to have the backbone removed) will probably all be issuing Press Release number X28HJ-45 (with the white female progressives issuing Press Release Y28HJ-45), the non-lazy ones will remember to change the words up a bit.
“I think immoral, cheating, lying politicians are so pervasive”…would love to see the stats – given that they need to be in public to attain their jobs, and do their jobs, and keep their jobs, and that there is a specific industry whose sole purpose is to embarrass them for their behavior, i would venture a guess that this group of Alpha Males and Alpha Females is better than private sector AMs and AFs at keeping their base instincts in check…but like your comment, it is just speculation.
What i love is how indignant people get when someone uses a gov’t blackberry to conduct personal business when, in a 2005 survey, 93% of US employees admitted to using their employer’s Internet access for personal reasons (presumably the other 7% either are not aware of the Internet or they were too busy updating their FB status to answer) and a 2009 survey showed workers spent 25% of their work time on personal business – but i guess the rationale is, it is OK to steal from AT&T (and therefore it’s customers) but not from the taxpayers – if one deems this as unacceptable behavior for gov’t employees doesn’t it have to be unacceptable behavior for private sector employees? Unless, of course, one is willing to say out loud – yes i am adopting a double standard and it is permissible to steal from non-gov’t entities.
An old election piece being republished (It’s only coming to light now?)….by definition IF he used a letter to win an election, it had to have been published during the election, so it actually came to light a while ago, it was just being held by someone to use at the right moment…i.e., when the attackee was already wounded.
So this is the “don’t kick someone when he’s down” argument? The writer is worse for exposing Weiner’s race-baiting than Weiner is for actually doing the race-baiting in the first place? I don’t particularly care if people find this information and “wait for the right moment.” Maybe it’s a little on the sleazy side, but if Anthony Weiner hadn’t engaged in race-baiting to begin with, the media wouldn’t have the opportunity to “wait for the right moment.”
white male progressives are not a monolithic group
No, for sure. I’m only waiting for the backlash from a certain kind of white male progressive, though. For example, Michael Moore immediately leaping to the defense of Julian Assange, or Democrats leaping to the defense of Clinton and bashing Monica Lewinsky, that tramp, for seducing him. A lot of men – politicians, bloggers, etc. – who preach progressive values can suddenly show a very nasty side when it comes to women or people of other races.
What i love is how indignant people get when someone uses a gov’t blackberry to conduct personal business when, in a 2005 survey, 93% of US employees admitted to using their employer’s Internet access for personal reasons (presumably the other 7% either are not aware of the Internet or they were too busy updating their FB status to answer) and a 2009 survey showed workers spent 25% of their work time on personal business…Unless, of course, one is willing to say out loud – yes i am adopting a double standard and it is permissible to steal from non-gov’t entities.
Somehow I don’t think that my using a company computer during a five-minute break to look at Modcloth is in the same league as using company technology to SEXT and send dirty pictures. I can’t imagine why I would make such a distinction other than double standards, though.
moore’s a decent guy (and an asshole). how likely is it that assange was being framed? about as likely as Strauss Kahn…