Well, as you probably know by now, Rep. Weiner was . . . well . . . less than frank. (ok, I have used up my one allowed pun). I do not see a basis for criminal allegations, but Weiner is likely to face an ethics investigation. Minority leader Nancy Pelosi has called for an ethics investigation. There does appear to be grounds for such a charge, though the House has historically not used its rules to punish members for reprehensible acts committed in a members’ personal life.
Weiner was careful to avoid calling for an investigation for two very good reasons. One was that he was lying and the other is that he would have to lie to investigators (which is a commonly charged crime under 18 U.S.C. 1001, as in the case of John Edwards).
Calling for an investigation is a smart move. It deflects blame from the House leadership for failing to act and, if cleared, lessens the scandal by confirming that it is a personal matter. Both Republicans and Democrats on the Ethics Committee have an interest in narrowly construing the rules, which they have historically done. I have been a long critic of the congressional ethics rules and process.
Weiner’s conduct is baffling, bizarre, and utterly reprehensible. He only “came clean” when reporters located a host of pictures sent to as many as six different women, including the picture showing himself in full face with a handwriting note reading “Me” with an arrow pointing at his face. To magnify the disaster for Democrats, he not only degraded himself but resurrected the image of Andrew Breitbart.
Weiner was careful to note that he did not use congressional resources in the matter — though obviously his staff has been busy with the scandal for a week. In some ways it has the same profile as the scandal involving Sen. John Ensign (R-NV), though Ensign not only slept with the wife of a former aide but used his authority to find a job for her husband. However, a comparison shows more serious acts committed by Ensign in terms of his engaging in proscribed conduct. The Senate ethics committee recently found substantial evidence to support allegations that Ensign: (1) conspiracy to violate, and aiding and abetting violations of the post employment contact ban, 18 U.S.C. § 207; (2) false or misleading statements to the Federal Election Commission regarding a $96,000 payment; (3) unlawful and unreported campaign contribution and violations of federal law and a Senate Rule prohibiting unofficial office accounts; (4) spoliation of documents and potential obstruction of Justice violations; (5) gender discrimination; and (6) violation of his own senate office policies.
Weiner in comparison does not appear (thus far) to have used official resources. The photos appear to have been sent from AnthonyWeiner@aol.com on his BlackBerry .
Some use of staff to deal with such controversies is allowed. The House rules tend to focus narrowly on insular aspects of a member’s use of campaign and congressional resources. The only violation at this time would appear a broad view of personal misconduct that undermines the integrity of the House. Rule XXIII, Clause 1, of the House Code of Official Conduct states that “a member . . . officer or employee of the House shall conduct himself at all times in a manner that shall reflect creditably on the House.” However, such a standard for prosecution would require the Ethics Committee to multiple its work 100 times over. The problem with applying such a general rule is that it can be used to punish members for lifestyles that the majority finds unacceptable. Such morality codes often raise serious problems for free speech and association. In Weiner’s case, he has made the matter more serious by lying repeatedly for over a week and alleging potentially criminally conduct by his accusers. He insistence that he was “the victim” involved attacking both reporters and critics to try to extinguish the scandal — which of course had the opposite effect. Lying is nothing new for members of Congress but this record would make Joe Izuzu blush.
Source: CNN
Jonathan Turley
Elaine M,: …”his behavior is really immature–something one might expect from a frat boy who lives in Animal House.”
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That characterization pretty well encapsulates much of the behavior in both the House and Senate especially with regard to lawmaking. It’s a club with it’s own rules, entitlements, incestuous influences and privileges. It’s a club and we aren’t in it as George Carlin once observed. Sex scandals in Congress are not particularly an issue for me. As someone else here observed the majority of married people do it.
I draw the line at obvious hypocrisy with poor public policy outcomes. Larry Craig. When a self loathing homosexual that works overtime to construct and pass hateful anti-gay policies and laws gets caught in an airport soliciting anonymous gay sex, well, there isn’t shame enough to heap on him IMO. Not for the sex, for the politics. If the politician is just a good old American hound I’m not concerned.
It’s not the sex, it’s the political hypocrisy. The Rep that was mailing the picture of himself shirtless; he stepped up, owned it immediately and resigned. If he wasn’t a family-values politician I wouldn’t be interested in making him resign. He was such a short-lived blip on the radar screen I don’t even know his politics but as long as they weren’t hypocritical I wouldn’t want to run him out of the House in shame.
Maybe the House and Senate need to start doing charity calendars like the Police and Fireman in some cities do. The somewhat stripped-down, beefcake things to raise money for charity. They could channel their need for sex-tinged recognition in a positive manner. All the hot politicians could then get the ego-boost and fan mail they are obviously looking for and make some charity happy in a socially acceptable manner. 🙂
For some perspective; done with that Maddow flair:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/#43303923
Lack of ethics is a bipartisan problem. It’s rooted in narcissism, a sense of entitlement and the graft machine that is campaign finance. Plain and simple.
Personally, I don’t need purity in my representatives. However some common sense should be the rules when it comes to who should stick around. Unfortunately our standards have eroded with time. It used to be that a Catholic was unelectable for POTUS (regardless of one’s heroic status attained by nailing Norma Jean and many others with the press’ hands-off approach). A divorced person was held in a similar light. Then a POTUS was forgiven for lifting a pooch up by their ears – an act that anti-cruelty societies would have “had a cow” about. Then it’s OK if one smokes but doesn’t inhale weed. Now we have a POTUS that snorted coke. What I’m getting at is that a lot of our youth have done this “crazy picture of me” on the social networks, like Weiner. In the future this will be a non-factor because too many people will be sympathetic to these crazy actions. Why? They did them themselves.
So Weiner will be at least viewed in future years as a pimple on the butt of democracy, if he isn’t that already. But the lowered bar of accountability, if allowed to worsen, bodes poorly for us.
Is his behavior either an ethical or criminal violation?
Depends upon what your definition of “is” is.
Is his behavior either an ethical or criminal violation?
Depends upon what your definition of “is” is.
Personally, I don’t need purity in my representatives. However some common sense should be the rules when it comes to who should stick around. Unfortunately our standards have eroded with time. It used to be that a Catholic was unelectable for POTUS (regardless of one’s heroic status attained by nailing Norma Jean and many others with the press’ hands-off approach). A divorced person was held in a similar light. Then a POTUS was forgiven for lifting a pooch up by their ears – an act that anti-cruelty societies would have “had a cow” about. Then it’s OK if one smokes but doesn’t inhale weed. Now we have a POTUS that snorted coke. What I’m getting at is that a lot of our youth have done this “crazy picture of me” on the social networks, like Weiner. In the future this will be a non-factor because too many people will be sympathetic to these crazy actions. Why? They did them themselves.
So Weiner will be at least viewed in future years as a pimple on the butt of democracy, if he isn’t that already. But the lowered bar of accountability, if allowed to worsen, bodes poorly for us.
But he himself only followed around two hundred.
Weiner had 45000 followers on twitter before this happened.
O.S. I was a sexual deviant long ago. If you only knew the stories it would make some of the politicians discussed look like saints.
I’m very lucky to be where I am today.
Bdaman, I am reminded of the first thing I was told when I was learning the so-called “lie detector” machine. The instructor opened the class with the statement: “Everyone lies about sex.”
Weiner Told Porn Star to Lie, Offered PR Help
http://www.tmz.com/2011/06/06/anthony-weiner-congressman-sex-text-twitter-kcover-up-facebook-photo-women-admitted-wrongdoing-press-conference-penis-picture-apologized/
Report: Anthony Weiner coached woman to lie
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0611/56395.html
Elaine, Chris Hansen has been hosting a series on NBC Dateline called, “To Catch a Predator.” The series sets up stings in cooperation with local law enforcement. It is based on the premise of underage kids who are on line with people who want to have sex with them. The predator comes to a house where they believe they are going to have sex with the kid. When the predator/pedophile shows up, Hansen comes out of a door instead of the kid and asks them to explain why they are there. When the guy leave the house, it is into the arms of waiting detectives. This not fiction. It is real life with real predators and real police.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10912603/
Mike S.,
In addition to a sense of entitlement, I’d add narcissism to the character traits of many of the men who wield power.
Nixon didn’t cheat on his wife–but he sure screwed this country!
“The behavior in this case is more typical of poor judgement than malignant intent.”
OS & Elaine,
Our cultural heritage and that of many, many other societies teaches men that adultery is normal behavior for them and a terrible sin for women. This is nonsense of course and reflects the ills of patriarchal societies. However, a large percentage of males believe it their right, although they’d condemn their spouse for similar behavior. To my mind adultery is the result of very bad judgment coupled with an unexamined sense of entitlement. From my knowledge of humanity it seems that this kind of behavior is endemic to those whose lives are spent seeking and wielding power, although it seems a common occurrence among the rest of us. Love, sex and relationships are almost always characterized by a certain amount of irrational
behavior. Part of the fun and part of the pain.
Buddha,
Well said and economically (elegantly) put. I loves me my F. Scott Fitzgerald too.
Otteray,
I don’t know what Chris Hansen covers on Dateline.
Otteray,
“Reagan left his wife for Nancy.”
I thought that Reagan was already divorced from Jane Wyman for a few years when he began his affair with Nancy. I believe Nancy was pregnant when they got married.
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http://www.spirit.com/Default.aspx
“Honest question: wasn’t this an option for Weiner?”
Berliner,
I agree with your entire comment. He acted stupidly and I must say cowardly.
“But wouldn’t having an affair outside of marriage be considered an escalation of the risky behavior?”
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Yes, of course, but I doubt it would go beyond that. Something like 60+ percent of men and 50-60% of women have an extramarital affair according to some stats I saw this week. When you said “risky,” I was thinking about the kind of thing we see Chris Hansen covering on Dateline.
An extramarital affair is risky and stupid, but all too common. The internet makes it easier than trolling bars and clubs for too many people.
I was thinking about this last night with regard to Presidents. The list is long and has both D and R after the names. Warren G Harding should have had his love life reported in the sports pages. FDR died in the arms of his mistress. Eisenhower had a long running affair that Mamie probably knew about. Everyone knows about JFK. Reagan left his wife for Nancy. Bill Clinton could not keep his pants zipped.
When I was teaching, one of my colleagues had just gotten back from a trip to Washington. He told a story in the teacher’s lounge about being in the hotel lobby when the Secret Service came in, checked out the lobby and then President Eisenhower and several of his Cabinet came in and went up the stairs. As my friend put it, “There were all these old gobblers came swooping in and up the stairs.”
He added, “Every one of them had a beautiful girl on his arm that was definitely not his wife.”
Weiner did not marry until 2010. Some of this was going on before he married, and he did not quit once he was married.