Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) will resign today from his seat in Congress. In addition to the political pressure from his own party, Weiner had a couple of strong legal reasons to resign.
I have disagreed with those defending Weiner or opposing his resignation. I could care less about his bizarre fetish with exhibitionist acts. However, he engaged in a pattern of lies that included alleging criminal acts of hacking by others and attacking the media. He is further accused of harassing women with these pictures. I cannot understand the view that a member who showed such utter dishonesty and poor judgment should be forgiven because he is “good for the cause” or a loyal liberal. I agree with the double standard shown in the response of cases like Senator Vitter, but that does not relieve Democrats or liberals of their duty to hold their leaders accountable.
Weiner had two strong legal reasons for resigning. As mentioned in earlier posts, the greatest danger of criminal conduct is his alleged coaching women to lie if contacted by investigators. Yesterday, another woman stepped forward to say that she was pressured to lie by Weiner. Notably, the woman yesterday also said that her efforts to discuss political issues were met by responses from Weiner to get her to engage in sextexting. By resigning Weiner reduces (the admittedly low) chances for a criminal investigation.
Second, Weiner was likely to be investigated for this misconduct and there are risks of claims of false statements as well as the creation of new evidence that could be used against him. This includes possible civil litigation. It also includes possible investigation of Weiner for harassment of women who were contacting him to discuss his work as a congressman. It also includes incidents where Weiner could be charged with using official resources in engaging in this conduct.
By resigning, Weiner shuts down the main threat of investigation that he is facing. The result of that investigation would have likely made it difficult for him to secure a new position — or to come back later and run again as a “healed” individual. The new photos show that this was not a few racy shots but pictures taken from various locations, including the House gym and his office. It also includes claims by women that they tried to get Weiner to discuss his political work and views — not his body parts.
Source: Politico
Of course, Weiner wouldn’t define Israel as an occupier of the West Bank either, so perhaps he should get more latitude before we throw around such emotionally-charged words.
“Predator?” asks Tony C.
–Anthony Weiner on weiner.house.gov
–Anthony Weiner to Lisa Weiss
In re heroes, as is often the case, what mespo said.
“I think and you’ll probably agree that when it comes to politics or to life, there are no heroes.”
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I find plenty. My father sacrificed all his life purely for our family. My uncle went to Korea a boy and came back a genuine hero exhibiting gallantry under fire. My grandfather came here as an immigrant with about $18.00 in his pocket and a letter to an acquaintance and thereafter built a business,raised a family, and lived a wonderful life filled with friends. I find many here onthe blog heroic in their own way. Certainly JT hasn’t run from an unpopular cause and most of the regulars here have shown a trueness of heart and sterling character as they sift through the events of the times. I find much to admire in the tenacity of everyday folk ravaged by natural disasters. I find incredible grace among those victims of violence still willing to forgive and the parents and wives of slain soldiers who find solace in true patriotism, honor, and sacrifice. I find heroism in abundance; I just find less of it in the halls of power which is an irony too mischievous to comprehend.
This is true, Mike A., and it points to one of the salient differences between bastards and assholes. A bastard is satisfied when someone’s ego has been bruised – preferably some asshole who really deserved it, but an asshole is satisfied when someone’s leg has been broken and they don’t care whose as long as they can turn it to their advantage although sometimes they like a good broken leg simply for the sadistic pleasure. Hence the different set of bylaws. According to our bylaws, a bastard may resort to violence in self-defense or in the defense of others. It’s one of the few areas where a bastard is generally more uptight than an asshole.
Since frustrated idealism expresses itself more frequently in sarcasm than in violence, the pool of assholes who are both vicious and sarcastic is probably smaller.
Of course it can…..but…it has to be in the By Laws…because if its not in the By laws then its a Ultra Vires act…not that corporations have ever read the By Laws….
So Buddha, Can a bylaw prohibit bylaws?
i hereby nominate andrew breitbart
I only have the bylaws for vicious sarcastic bastards. Our bylaws do not allow running for office while a member and the retention of all three titles. This explains why you see some vicious people in office (Paul Ryan), some sarcastic people in office (Al Franken), some bastards in office (John Boehner) and some vicious bastards (Mitch McConnell), but never any vicious sarcastic bastards. Yes, the rules are a bit Byzantine, but that is due to the fact that they were originally written down by our founders Hunter S. Thomson and Paul Krassner in felt tip marker on the backs of wet cocktail napkins in-between groping waitresses during an acid fueled weekend in Tahoe trying persuade Thompson’s infamous Samoan attorney that there was no future for him in public office if he wanted to retain all of his vices.
As to the bylaws for Assholes? I’d ask the Koch Brothers for a copy. They do set the gold standard after all.
But, realistically…..can anyone in congress ever have a chance of being the King or Queen…..They are after all nothing more than the lobbyists best Jesters….Buddha…since you have the bylaws and have not shared them…then technically..you have to give a response…..
Mike A.,
I just got the news–there are positions that will soon be available in the land of Assholedom:
– Asshole-in-Waiting
– Top Asshole Intern
– Assistants to the King and Queen Assholes aka Butt-lers
– Coordinator of Asshole Nominations
Well, I guess I can’t nominate Buddha since I’m not up on those by-laws. Is there a category for Honorary King Asshole? Or how about Asshole Emeritus?
This is a tough choice. My first thought was Bachman, but then Palin, but then Romney,
but then Pawlenty, Paul, Newt, etc. So many to choose, so hard to make the choice. I’ve decided to pull a Time Magazine type Award and nominate all those that believe Tea Party Teabaggers and the pols who cater to them make sense.
Before anyone nominates me? I would like to remind everyone that technically I’m not eligible. I’m a vicious sarcastic bastard and we have our own voting procedures and bylaws.
AY,
How should I know? Assholedom is not my area of expertise.
Who would you nominate?
But Elaine….Who is the Reigning King or Queen Asshole?
Mike S.,
I’m sure you’ll appreciate this latest blog post by Matt Taibbi:
The People vs. Anthony Weiner: Final Ruling
June 17, 2011
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/blogs/taibblog/the-people-vs-anthony-weiner-final-ruling-20110617
Excerpts:
It’s a good thing I didn’t publish our final ruling yesterday. With news of Weiner’s exit from Congress, several members of the court suggested an emergency ex-parte session to settle the issue of whether or not Weiner is now more of an asshole because, as Justice Sirota put, it, after all the efforts to lie and cover everything up, he resigned anyway. He coulda saved us all the distraction had he just done that originally.”
There was definitely a contingent in the court that felt that the controversy over Weiner’s schlong-shots was overblown and that by resigning, Weiner would only be legitimizing America’s preposterous political double-standard, in which 99.9999% of all adult citizens engage in icky perversions in private but insist for some reason that their politicians restrict themselves to humping with spouses, in the missionary position, for purposes of procreation. Having already done humanity a disservice by enhancing the legitimacy of human plantar wart Andrew Breitbart, Weiner definitely lost some members of the court by caving in to the media witch-hunt.
Question #1: Is Anthony Weiner an asshole?
By a vote of 8-1 – Justice Schmid the minority nay vote – the court voted yes. His aggregate asshole score was 3,116, which places him below Amy Chua and above Elton John on the Assholeometer. It should be noted that prior to his resignation, Weiner’s score was closer to 1,900. Three judges – Sirota, Whitmer, and Rees – added to Weiner’s score upon hearing news of his resignation.
In dissent, Justice Schmid wrote the following: “It’s a shame he lied and denied and all that stuff, but that’s the trajectory these things take (deny, deny, deny, lie, lie, deny, tearfully admit, tearfully apologize, check into rehab, write memoir),” she said. “I think it’s sleazy and absolutely cowardly, but not something that makes me sit up and scream ‘asshole’… People lie about their proclivities and personal lives all the time. It’s not just politicians. And they/we are partly at least forced into it by our culture’s messed-up view of sexuality and relationships. So I can’t feel the rage ‘asshole’ would require unless harassment, illegality, or hypocrisy was involved. “
Justice Kourkounis wasn’t buying Schmid’s argument that Weiner’s behavior was merely a “shame.”
“It’s more than a shame when Weiner’s half of this equation is equally responsible for the drawn out rumpus we’re going to have to endure,” she wrote, “and takes away from what he should be doing which is working to represent his constituents.” Kourkounis gave Weiner 3,000 points.
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I gave Weiner 2800 points. As I noted yesterday, the main reason Weiner to me is an asshole is his sneering, browbeating, “God, I’m so tired of having to deal with idiots like you,” public persona, which admittedly would probably bear a striking resemblance to my own, if I was out in public and surrounded by predatory media as much as Weiner. Because those factors gave me pause, I originally was only going to give him 1100 points. But then letters from some friends and acquaintances got me thinking. “I was actually pretty solidly in the ‘he doesn’t hold anti-dick pic positions publicly, so he’s not a Larry Craig a hypocrite and I don’t care’ camp until [college student] Gennette Cordova said she didn’t ask him to send [the photo],” said Rolling Stone’s own Meredith Clark. “If a person hasn’t made it crystal clear s/he wants to screw you and/or mess around online, sending a penis photo is no better than whipping it out on the subway. Those guys are million point assholes, so he is too.”
I kind of feel the same way – I always thought sending unsolicited photos of your pee-pee to strangers was a sex crime. At least, that’s what’s always been holding me back.
Beyond that, I may be old-fashioned, but as a married person, I’ve been a little amazed at how little flak Weiner has been getting for dragging his wife through all of this mess. There are many levels of betrayal in relationships …. For instance, I’m pretty sure you’re a dick if you go to a bar and blab secrets about your wife/girlfriend to your buddies behind her back. And you’re really a dick if you actually leer at other women and stare at them with the old “Wile E. Coyote eyeing a T-bone steak” pose in front of her friends. If you start thinking about it in those terms, I’m not even sure where tweeting photos of your genitalia to strangers all over the country and sexting in semi-public forums (as a nationally-famous politician with a whole army of media watching your every move) rates on the betrayal scale, but I’m sure it’s up there. Recognizing that this is none of my goddamned business, of course, and it’s not my job to enforce fidelity in Anthony Weiner’s marriage, I didn’t give him any extra points for that, but still… ick.
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Finally, the question that perhaps was the main issue in the Weiner scandal:
Question #6: Are you an asshole if you condemn one congressman, but excuse another for the same behavior because he happens to be a member of your party?
An awful lot of this went on in the Weiner case. The usual liberal sites/publications rushed to his defense – often, the same people who pointed fingers over similar scandals on the Republican side and had gloated about this or that example of “Republican family values.” Meanwhile, the Republicans who had been quiet about eerily similar cases in their own party, like the Chris Lee business were often up in arms. “This behavior is so ubiquitous it threatens to send all humanity over the precipice into Assholedom,” noted Kreider.
“This is one of the most insidious forms of political asholishness around,” commented Sirota sagely. “I would argue it’s a mass psychology that is making not just Washington, but all of America, into an Assholedom.”
Fineman gets it right on this and he is one of the MSM offenders:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/howard-fineman/where-weiner-didnt-matter_b_879321.html
“One of the things I have read in the last few days is that In 1985 Weiner did use race-baiting against a fellow Democrat in a primary, secretly, and then admitted he was behind it after winning the primary.”
Tony C.,
I think and you’ll probably agree that when it comes to politics or to life, there are no heroes. Occassionally, someone may behave in a heroic manner in a given instance, or instances (MLK perhaps), yet that doesn’t mean we are dealing with a saint, if there ever was such a thing.
NYC politics in 1985, in Weiner’s district could well have included race-baiting, because even though it was very Jewish and liberal, Reverend Al for instance seemed a bogeyman to many in the Jewish community.
Though I’ve tried to live my own life/career grounded in morality and ethics, I’ve at times fallen short of my own standards and have also been self-serving, we all have. That I think Weiner has made a far greater contribution towards the good of his country and his district is obvious. In stating that though, it doesn’t mean I think he’s a wonderful person or that I would want to be his friend. Neither would be true, but then that is the same as my attitude toward many politicians.
As for sociopathy, I wonder whether today progressiv3es are less sociopathic, because the road to wealth, fame and power certainly is easier to negotiate as a conservative?