This will be my one and only post rubbing your collective noses in it. Weiner did it, and he is up there taking his lumps, answering every question. I really liked the way he didn’t try to evade anything, said he did it, and is sorry to his wife and friends and everyone else.
And hell no, he shouldn’t resign. He didn’t do anything illegal. Being a cad is not a crime.
And no, I’m not gloating. I like the guy and wish he hadn’t been this god damned stupid, and it sucked watching him cry up there. I am a little shocked at some of you clowns who decided to just attack me for simply updating the story as it unfolded. Like I said, the most obvious thing in all of this was that he meant to DM the picture to the girl, and screwed up. I’ve tweeted passwords accidentally, thinking I was typing in a different window. She could offer a sincere defense because she probably had no idea the picture was coming. But again, even when Breitbart is involved, you can’t ever be surprised by the stupidity of people who seek and obtain elected office.
Now, if we could just get Cheney to text a dick picture.
Cat Lady
Fucking judgment – how does it work?
cleek
no no no. it’s all a setup.
Photoshop! Breitbart! dirty tricks! ratfucking! Occam’s a dirty liar!
Citizen Alan
Well thanks for making me vomit all over my keyboard.
And goddamit what the fuck is WRONG with Democrats!! Have they never fucking heard of hubris?!? Have they all been in a fucking coma for the past twenty years to think that a Democrat could get away with something like this without their enemies using crap like this to destroy them?!?! Do they think this is a fucking game at some frat-house party?!!? God-damn motherfucking shit!
August J. Pollak
UR DOIN IT WRONG
BTD
Definitely gloating by you.
But thanks for the “not resigning” thing.
My own views remain the same as always, pols’ personal lives, absent legal or ethical issues, have no place in the public discourse.
I’ve had consistently held this view.
Never expressed an opinion on whether Weiner did anything he was accused of. Never saw that this story mattered. Always said so. Never thought about debunking it, Never cared about the debunkings.
I still don’t. To me whether Weiner did it or not was never the issue.
Pretending it was a legitimate issue was always my beef.
TimE
More than anything, I’m just irritated that one of the only articulate, passionate defenders of liberal causes just erased himself from any meaningful national political discussion. God, what an idiot.
Chuck Butcher
That would be any picture of him…
Dick
cathyx
I’m sick and tired of these public figures who are so egotistical that they don’t have any understanding of what normal acceptable behavior is.
He’s too stupid for his job.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
THere are four on his Christmas card every year.
“Let’s see, I have a high-profile job, I’m a combative attention junkie, and I have a pyschological need to have meaningless quasi-sexual relationships with several women. You know what I’m going to do? Get married!”
Shinobi
I’m just sad. I like him, he should work on not doing scumbag like things.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@TimE: I don’t know. Give it six months. I suspect Weiner won’t be shy about getting back in the spotlight.
Montysano
A politician, while committing no crime, used terrible judgment regarding his sex life. Mark me down as “less than surprised”.
The most depressing part is that Breitbart will, in one fell swoop, recover his credibility.
cleek
sounds like Weiner got cocky. what a dick.
Alan
Not illegal, but lying to America is pretty damn sickening. He doesn’t need to resign, but if I were in his district I sure as heck wouldn’t vote for him for dog-catcher. Apology not accepted. He wants to take 10 years off, do some good work at a non-profit or something, then come back and we’ll see. Right now, he needs to go away.
Glenn
Yes, he “didn’t try to evade anything,” except of course he totally did until he couldn’t anymore. No points for that, sorry.
But I agree he shouldn’t resign.
And hello, Mayor Quinn.
FlipYrWhig
There WAS a picture of The Cheney Dick in tight pants, remember? A magazine cover IIRC.
FlipYrWhig
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
He’ll be cock of the walk!
trollhattan
On the plus side of the ledger, Jon Stewart will probably bring back the R&B singer for a Wiener redux.
Hopefully this is the end of it, but I suspect any thoughts of a Weiner senatorship are kaput(z).
Mike G
If he’d only shot someone in the face, there’d be no repercussions and no demands to resign from the grubby-minded Idiot Chorus.
sukabi
So John, since you’re “not gloating” how about picking up Anthony’s balls and running with them?
It’s not like Clarence Thomas and his massive conflict of interest is just going to disappear by itself… coverage of it will, but the actual conflict of interest will be there infecting THE ENTIRE COUNTRY from here on out.
or are we just interested in stupid sex tricks?
Flugelhorn
Sorry. He should resign. If he does not resign, he should be recalled by the very people who put him in office. It is a question of judgement. If he is that bloody stupid then how can he possibly have the mental capacity to govern? Stupid is as stupid does.
Mike Kay (True Grit)
BWHWHHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHHA
AHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHHA
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First Edwards……..
Now Weinier…..
BWHWHHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHHA
AHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHHA
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August J. Pollak
Look, John can’t say with certitude that he’s not gloating. There may be gloats out there somewhere.
Davis X. Machina
I suppose this puts a crimp in the ‘Draft Weiner for “real progressive” primary challenge to Obama’ movement.
sukabi
@Flugelhorn: why just him, let’s go through all elected officials emails, personal files to see what stupid shit they’ve done and make them all resign.. if you’re talking about having defective judgement, there isn’t a human that would be qualified.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
Tweety’s about to stroke out over Weiner’s Weiner reveal
cathyx
You would think that someone who has gone through life with the name Weiner would have more sense than to do this. He obviously has learned nothing from the teasing I’m sure he endured.
Warren Terra
No normal camera can find the real one, and there just aren’t enough pixels to express how big he thinks it is.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Davis X. Machina: Alan Grayson was always our only hope anyway.
BTD
@Flugelhorn:
Yes, this is definitely a reflection on his capability to carry out the duties of a Congressman.
Yeesh.
BGinCHI
If I was serving in Afghanistan right now I’d just put my shit down and walk away.
me
Great, now Breitbart got one right. We’ll never hear the end of it.
@trollhattan: … or mayor of NYC.
Valdivia
@Glenn:
doubt it will be Quinn.
ETA stand corrected, thought you meant someone else. I can see her winning actually.
cleek
@Mike Kay (True Grit):
yes, Edwards is “first” on a timeline consisting only of Edwards and Weiner.
but choosing such a timeline says more about the chooser than anything else.
Tom Q
Because of the way Weiner handled this — claiming more or less innocence, and getting alot of progressives to give him benefit of doubt — he’s:
1) Demoralized his own side
2) Seen to it that Andrew Bretibart’s next six falsehoods will be given credibility by the entire mainstream press
3) Pretty much put the mayoral hopes to rest
rikyrah
I didn’t give a shyt about this story in the least. So, is it now over?
JonF
Meanwhile David Vitter laughs and says “taking questions? What an idiot!”
bemused
@FlipYrWhig:
Now that’s funny.
It never ceases to amaze me that people in his position do such stupid ass, junior high shit. Evidently ego and brain cells cannot coexist in some.
D-Chance.
Drudge in full Weiner-watching mode. This makes up for his total Schwartz Silence when Arnie’s affair was made public.
BGinCHI
So, let’s recap:
Married congressman gets caught sending pics to women who are not his wife and carrying on an ‘online’ relationship.
Married Senator is caught using prostitutes (illegal) and wearing diapers while doing so.
Matching outrage?
eemom
WTF is there to LIKE about the fact that he let this fester for two weeks before he came clean — and only did now because he had no choice??
And as ABL said above, why hasn’t that time been spent on saving the Thomas story?
The guy is an irresponsible worthless prick. I can’t believe you find him ADMIRABLE.
fasteddie9318
@Mike Kay (True Grit): Hey, yeah, that’s fucking awesome! Maybe all the rest of the insufficiently-subservient-to-Obama Democrats can fuck up like this too, that would totally make me die laughing! Woohoo! Go
RepublicansObamaMike Kay!Citizen_X
@FlipYrWhig: Yes, that would be this Cheney picture. (SFW, but not safe for your sanity.)
Tim, Interrupted
Bullshit John.
Many commenters, myself included, called BS on the fact that you were giving this “story” any attention at all; regardless of the truth of the facts at its ROOT. tee hee
Still waiting on your FP post regarding Clarence Thomas and his lying money whore wife.
Carrie
I thought it was a lovely picture, very representative.
Suffern ACE
@rikyrah: Nope. He said there were six inappropriate relationships. All six women will need to be found and shamed. That’s just how it is done. My guess it will take all summer. And then we’ll find number 7.
Helen
@Flugelhorn:
I live in his district. Not gonna happen.
Joe Bauers
@Tom Q:
This. Breitbart needs to be caught lying at least 20 consecutive times before the media will be brave enough to call him a liar. This one instance where he was telling the truth just gave him permanent, unimpeachable (to the media) credibility, no matter what he lies about from here on out.
Damn you, Weiner. Just damn you.
Tim, Interrupted
@eemom:
Good God, you are the most faux-pious, self-righteous, judgmental, outraged old bat on the Intertrons. What skeletons are you hiding, eesmarm? Extrapolating from your personal sense of spittle-spraying braying in the cases of Edwards and now Weiner, I’m guessing your skeletons are legion.
Peter
I’m disappointed it turned out this way, but I will admit I can’t wait to see what Fred has to say about this.
Mouse Tolliver
@Montysano:
You say that as if he ever lost credibility in the first place. He’s still a regular on Bill Mahar. ABC tried to get him on their election night coverage. Tweety actually defended him the other day when Joan Walsh criticized him for ACORN and Shirley Sherrod.
fasteddie9318
@eemom: @Tom Q: This. Seriously. I don’t give a shit who Anthony Weiner feels like showing his dick to, but I sure would appreciate it if he didn’t fuck the liberal cause over in the process.
Villago Delenda Est
@Tom Q:
For this alone, I wish him to DIAF.
Thanks for nothing, fuckwit Weiner. Thank you for giving the utterly corrupt shitstain Clarence Thomas a free pass as well.
You’ve helped the cause enormously.
Anthony Weiner is a non-useful idiot.
Mattminus
Still not really caring, but what a fucking idiot!
Don’t they teach these morons that “it’s not the crime, it’s the cover up”?
cleek
@Tim, Interrupted:
hey, look everyone: irony!
eemom
@Tim, Interrupted:
gfy Timmeh. I’m done with you.
Kane
Isn’t “rubbing your collective noses in it” kind of the defintion of gloating?
Steve
I won’t gloat because no one tried to rub my face in it along the way, but my instant reaction was “Put my prediction down as “not a hack” for the record.” So I’m at least going to take credit for being right once in my life.
I won’t give Andrew Breitbart credit for being right because I don’t know what he even did to be “right” about. As far as I can see, the guy basically hosts a website where you can post any sort of accusations against a Democrat that you like. Even if we make the too-charitable assumption that he has nothing to do with doctoring evidence himself, he doesn’t really care if these accusations are true or false, and he doesn’t really care if video and audio evidence is legit or totally doctored. So I’m not sure how he’s “vindicated” now.
I don’t blame anyone who had doubts about this story, given how many baseless right-wing smears are out there (although I still think people who were convinced it was a giant conspiracy to silence Weiner’s righteous attacks on Clarence Thomas need some help). I do think that anyone who purported to render a “conclusive” debunking of the story, or anyone who was slam-bang convinced by a “conclusive” debunking, ought to reflect a little so they’re better prepared for next time.
Kane
Isn’t “rubbing your collective noses in it” kind of the definition of gloating?
Kane
Isn’t “rubbing your collective noses in it” kind of the definition of gloating?
Tim, Interrupted
@eemom:
Off to your 5:30 enema, grandma. And remember, I’ll never quit you even though you quit yourself long ago.
Studly Pantload, a full-service troll
Even I have to admit, Cole, boy-howdy did you earn nose-rubbing rights on this one.
That’s the shame of the frank, brash ones. Whatever side of the aisle they come from, they first wow their base with their candor, then inevitably get caught up in an unforced error of clownish proportions.
Us progressives LURVE it when someone storms the stage and raises hell, and (many of us) get snitty when someone like Obama stays on the “professorial” course, placing the higher value on speaking as if before adults rather than teeny-boppers at a pep rally. But there’s a reason the story where the tortoise beats the hare has endured.
Granted, Weiner didn’t gaff in the job of spreading the progressive message. But I think his action speaks to a manner of shooting from the hip without due forethought.
This whole thing gives me a big ol’ sad. Weiner may not have lost his ability to lead for his direct constituents, but his credibility as a frank voice for progressive values has gotta be lookin’ pretty banged up for a good while.
sixers
How does his admission affect the federal investigation looking into the hacking that people here told me was coming? Good god some of you people are gullible.
Breitbart! He was hacked! The images are altered! His wife is proud of those pictures! This is nothing but a smear campaign! Breitbart!
Holy shit this was hilarious.
TooManyJens
@Tom Q:
This pisses me off ENDLESSLY. To try to avoid a little embarrassment, Weiner gave cover to Andrew “ACORN enables sex trafficking” Breitbart. Now we’ll never get that guy off the air.
Svensker
@August J. Pollak:
You trying to summon Mickey Kaus?
TFinSF
Screen-grab of Cheney dick pic, enlarged 4X:
:-
jl
NO! How dare you, Tim, Interrupted! I am the most faux-pious, self-righteous, judgmental, outraged old bat on the Intertrons.
I challenge anyone here to self-righteous outraged comment-down, right now!
El Tiburon
@Montysano:
Yes, and that all of the so-called experts who did everything to prove the pic was a hoax.
So not only did Breitbart recover, but the left-wing took a hit on its credibility as well.
What is wrong with these people?
Tsulagi
Not mine. Last week when he gave that “Well, that may or may not be my junk photo that I may or may not have mistakenly sent” you knew there was a fair probability it was going to end in something like his press conference today.
Would agree with that. But sure don’t have any sympathy for him. Not for someone intelligent enough to know they’re doing something stupid, but still do or repeatedly keep doing it. From Weiner’s own mouth… “This was me doing a dumb thing, doing it repeatedly, and lying about it”
Still, on the importance of this “issue,” would rate it about the same worth as one cow fart’s contribution to global warming. BFD.
You would think, or at least hope, those elected to Congress like Weiner would have a greater grasp and understanding of that internet thingy. But then you would be wrong. Even Tubes Stevens could have told Weiner his junk photo might travel back in another tube to slap him in the face. What a dumbass.
shortstop
Maybe Breitbart will have a fatal MI yelling about the efficacy of child armies.
That’s the only way I can think of that he’s ever going to go away now.
Studly Pantload, a full-service troll
@jl:
Uhm, have you not been reading the rest of the comments?
=0 )
BGinCHI
Breaking…..
Andrew Breitbart to replace David Gregory as the host of Meet the Press.
“I just couldn’t stand in the way of a man with such probity and genius,” Gregory said. “I’m proud to call him a friend,” he added, tearfully.
Mike Kay (True Grit)
Hmmm.
Where are all the people who yelled at Cole for merely raising the possibility that Weiner story didn’t make sense.
Surely, they’ll apologize to Cole and take stock of their knee jerk reactions.
http://mydd.com/2007/10/11/national-enquirer-wonkette-bullshit-bucket
jl
@sixers:
No, Breitbart is still an ass who produces fraud and nonsense. The pic scandal was silly. W * * n * r blew it up by lying about it (I censor myself since “w * * n * r” is bad evil filth perv pr0n now, and pics, the word, and and concept in all its manifold obscenity must be expunged).
I hope something as stupid as this is the best Breitbart comes up with from now on.
Alex S.
Yay, I knew it… and well, the rest is a private matter.
Culture of Truth
Oh, I think there’s a little gloating going on. Like, way over-the-top gloating.
Fred
So let us recap. John Galt Cole throws a dart blindfolded and hits the bullseye. All the time saying he had no agenda but to ‘get to the bottom of it’. ‘Just asking questions’. That’s all. Just innocent question askin is all….lol.
Now he posts a gloating post about how he is not gloating about being right. So once again, he shows his true colors and my criticism still stands! If all he wanted to do is get to the bottom of it and it had nothing to do with being right or wrong why the post? Worded the way he did.
Comrade Scrutinizer
No egg on my face, Cole. The problem here isn’t anything Weiner did. The problem is giving stories like this legitimacy by going on and on and on about something that makes no fucking difference whatsoever. I don’t really give a shit about what two, or six, or fifteen consenting adults do in their spare time, as long as they aren’t breaking any laws. I’m not surprised when the said two, or six, or fifteen people try to cover up what they did to avoid personal embarrassment.
What does bother me is people who empower thugs like Breitbart by harping on non-stories, and gloating (yes, Cole, GLOATING) about the outcome.
Fuck that.
Svensker
@Fred:
No matter what, Fred is right! Win, win!
(Do I have that right?)
BGinCHI
@Fred: Hey, you in the hole, here’s another shovel.
Bender
I.
TOLD.
YOU.
IDIOTS.
SO.
(And no, he shouldn’t resign, for the “crime” of insulting lefties’ intelligence by his crude cover-up. Who could blame him?)
Georgia Pig
Somewhat OT, but I was just discussing with a friend how the technological developments of the last several years haven’t really done all that much to improve human life. This is yet another confirmation, Congressman using a cellphone and social media to send dick pics, 24hour cable channels providing wall-to-wall coverage and a bunch of people wasting time on an internet blog talking about it.
Mike Kay (True Grit)
@fasteddie9318: Weiner is a Democrat? Since when?
Before or after he killed the Institute of Peace?
Before or after he championed the invasion of Iraq?
Before or after he declared Turkey was among “the worst enemies” of the United States?
Before or after he called for the end of humanitarian aid to the Palestinians?
Before or after he tried to ban the Palestinian delegation at the United Nations?
With “Democrats” like that, who needs Netanyahu.
Ella in New Mexico
@TimE:
Yeah—maybe for a week or so but in this day and age, he can get right back on that horse as soon as the dust settles.
Breitbart is a disgusting piece of human excrement, but then it has always been evil’s job to find ways to bring good people to their knees. It’s our job to resist the temptations that get us there in the first place. Thankfully, Anthony Wiener didn’t do enough to take him out for very long.
cleek
@Bender:
congratulations, you’re no longer batting .000 !
boss bitch
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
that’s sadder than Weiner’s press conference.
jimbob
@Suffern ACE: Yeah, who does this fucker think he is? Tiger Woods?
lamh34
BTW, cnn reporting: nancy pelois asks for possible ethic probe investigation against Weiner!
grandpajohn
@Alan: If every politician in Washington who had committed a stupid action somewhere in there past, were to resign we wouldn’t have enough congressmen or senators to make a quorum, which upon thinking about it might be what we need.
Until then however we don’t need people whose only goof was to do something stupid resigning.
republicans certainly don’t do it even when they commit illegal acts.
Surly Duff
@Joe Bauers:
Sweet fancy Moses, you are gullible. I don’t think you understand how the media works. They are not interested in honest brokers and credible stories; they are interested in muck-raking. Breitbart can do that in spades. Even if this ended up being some elaborate hoax, fabricated by Breitbart and his cronies (see Acorn and Sherrod and etc,etc), the media would STILL come running when they announced they had the newest scandal du jour.
The media would have given him a pass to spout his filth and sleaze regardless of the truth of this one story.
Villago Delenda Est
@lamh34:
On what basis? That he’s a total dumbshit for lying about the damn tighty whitey picture in the first place?
Don’t finance the moron’s next campaign. That will learn him.
Fred
@Svensker: If you think this whole thing was about being right then you have not been paying attention grasshopper.
As it turns out I gave Weiner more credit than he deserves.
But at the end of the day, Breitbart is still a douche bag.
Surly Duff
@fasteddie9318:
Can we please have some perspective? The administration’s agenda is not going to be thwarted by a mishandled crotch shot expose.
cat48
If Clinton (who probably told him to fess up & get it over with, Dude!) and Diaperman Vitter survived; so will Weiner.
lamh34
@Villago Delenda Est:
I’m assuming as a pre-emptive strike against the “why hasn’t Dems asked for ethics probe” meme that was probably already in the works, and also because she knows that no congressional funds or property was used by Weiner. So an ethics probes that will find nothing is better than no probe and endless hours of why don’t the Dems probe Weiner
Odie Hugh Manatee
My only comments on this are:
Weiner is an idiot but I can’t care less about him or his conduct since he doesn’t represent me and what he did was stupid, not illegal. He should have known better, especially since he has chosen to be an outspoken voice on progressive issues. He knew that this would make him a prime target for retaliation by the rabid right.
That and he should have figured that with a last name such as his, the last thing he should be doing is sending pics of his schlong in a hammock to strangers online. That makes for an easy association in the minds of people, making it harder for them to forget about it.
If stupid was a crime then most of this country would be locked up. Sometimes I think it should be.
Though he doesn’t represent me, I’m glad that he’s not quitting. Since Vitter has set the new standard for what’s acceptable without resigning, the right has nothing to complain about here.
Villago Delenda Est
@lamh34:
OK, I can grok that line of reasoning.
Still, it’s depressing that she feels a need to do it in the first place. There are better things for Congress to spend time on.
lamh34
@Villago Delenda Est:
Agreed.
Elizabelle
And the reason this couldn’t come out (tearfully) on Friday afternoon is … ????
Way to go, dude. Monday on a slow news week.
The media is tiring of Sarah Palin and the misuse of history. (RIP, Paul Revere.)
maus
@Villago Delenda Est: It may also be a pre-emptive warning to others, not so much not to do it, but to fucking ‘fess up to begin with rather than make everything worse for Dems by drawing this out into the media echo chamber.
Alex
So…Weiner’s a cad, Fred’s an embarrassed cunt, the sun still rises, and the world shall turn. All in all, a gripping Monday.
Charlie Dodgson
Cheney? The Cheney who literally shot a guy in the face on a hunting trip, and had the guy on TV as soon as he was out of the hospital, literally apologizing for getting in the way of the gunshot? That Cheney?
IOKIYAR. If he sent the same damn pic, Fox News for the next week would be a chorus of paeans to his virility…
Villago Delenda Est
@maus:
Yeah, but from the time of Nixon on, politicians of both parties think they can cover it up and get away with it, and they never do.
Which I suppose fits nicely into the classic definition of insanity.
The Raven
And Republicans are allowed to have kinky sex lives & Democrats are not.
Hell to be a Democrat.
Croak!
arguingwithsignposts
@Elizabelle:
Because Breitbart had the photos on Monday, and would have dribbled them out throughout the week anyway. There was no way to push this off until Friday when the game was up.
Villago Delenda Est
@arguingwithsignposts:
Dumbfuck should have done it LAST Friday.
Shit, the jig was up when he talked about “certitude”. Idiot.
lamh34
BTW, I’ve never tried to defend Weiner on this, so there is no egg on my face…but this is how you write a post about Weiner without gloating!
Anthony Weiner Presser
Short and sweet!
arguingwithsignposts
@Villago Delenda Est: I agree, he should have done it the day it came out, fwiw. But he didn’t, and so Breitbart started in on Monday. I’m just saying that he couldn’t wait until this Friday.
les
@sukabi:
Actually, this is a superior idea and could be the salvation of the nation. clean fucking slate. So to speak.
Villago Delenda Est
@arguingwithsignposts:
Oh, I agree with you that it was better to get it over today as opposed to waiting all week.
It would have been much better to get it over when it first broke, as you indicate.
It’s the attempted coverup. Every single time. The idiots NEVER FUCKING LEARN.
Joel
Take that Fred!
Sixers
What’s interesting to me at this point are all the people here who rushed to Weiners defense over the past 10 days because most people here really really pay attention to politics. More than I do for sure and what strikes me as almost lunacy is you people have watched countless sex scandals play out on both sides of the aisle and for some reason the word “Breitbart” and the fact that we(me too)loved Weiner sticking it to the GOP caused people to put blinders on to some obvious rotting fish details that were available from the start. I can see Cole’s frustration with people accusing him of pimping this to bring Weiner down. Are you people fans of a sports team that goes down with the team or independent thinkers first that are also members of a political party? Its shit like this that makes me lean independent.
Hungry Joe
Re A.W.: That’s it. That does it. I abjure empathy now and forever. Clearly, I have no fucking idea what’s going on in another human being’s mind, no clue as to what he or she is experiencing. And never have. And never will. “What was he thinking?” is a meaningless question, because there’s no way of knowing, ever. It’s like asking, “What color is the sjofrleratc in parallel universe 885-K?” And more and more it’s looking like* I’m the only sane human in this one. No offense.
*From my perspective, anyway.
Alan
@grandpajohn:
Sorry, there’s stupid, which everyone gets to be sometimes, and then there’s directly lying repeatedly which is knowing, pre-meditated and malicious. Stupid can be forgiven easily. Repeatedly lying to me: No.
El Cid
I didn’t really say much online, but…
(1) It wasn’t like this is the sort of thing which powerful people in the public eye never ever do, because, I dunno, so many of them are egotists, are or become arrogant, and just don’t think of things in terms of ‘this would be pretty easy to get caught at’.
(2) Yeah, the whole squirrely-ness of his comments on the matter was a flashing red light on most or all of it being what he did. Particularly that super-weird thing everyone mocked about him ‘not being sure’ or whatever that it was his photo.
(3) All this amateur online blog-based e-tective work was completely unconvincing and kept casting lines farther and farther out to snare more and more unsavory plotters. Which is not to say those types aren’t on patrol all the time for hacking or just hanging out and watching for any embarrassing to incriminating thing by a Democrat or librul or regyulator or little girl who speaks up for something conservatives hate. I just kept reading all this triumphalist circular-debate stuff about how all this was tracked down through this or that echo of an electronic sign and proven to be faked.
At least Clinton actually got to have sex from his scandal.
And Clinton actually became more popular with the white Southern guys I knew, b/c him being a dedicated and successful hound dog made him okay in their eyes, particularly since it meant he wasn’t some snob homo, and what’s more he was good at it.
I don’t think this will be the case for a guy tweeting a picture of his underpants to a young woman far away.
mattH
Bah. Fuck You, Cole. WTB mind bleach.
ShadeTail
The really funny part about many of the responses here is that they are (once again) completely misconstruing what Mr. Cole wrote. When he said he isn’t gloating, he meant that he isn’t gloating *about Weiner*. He most certainly is gloating about the self-righteous losers being proven totally wrong, and he has the right to gloat about that considering the grief he’s been taking from them.
Oh, and by the way, those of you kicking Weiner now that he’s down. Smart people do stupid things all the time. This one thing isn’t a measure of his intelligence. And anyway, expecting perfection from your politicians is at least as stupid as what Weiner did.
Joeyess
Is Fred 12?
John Cole
@ShadeTail: English is hard.
Lawnguylander
Be fair now, it was not possible for some internet commenters to wait and find out if Weiner really did this before declaring with certainty that he hadn’t. The world demands to know what they think. And what if they had been right and didn’t say so? It would’ve been horrible for everyone for them not to be on the record about it.
Kyle
ShadeTail, you say it well.
Mutaman
Sayanora. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out. Maybe I can forgive the twitter nonsence, or wasting time that could have been spent doing some good, or even the lying? But making Breitbart look good? No way. take a hike.
LongHairedWeirdo
Well, I’ll admit it – Breitbart going at it, coupled with a demonstration of a trick to produce the screenshot, coupled with a perfectly normal response if an ex-lover had possibly sold a groin-shot made me think it was more likely to be a setup than a fuckup.
But I don’t regret thinking it was a setup. Breitbart should be considered an inaccurate source of information, not worthy of being trusted, because he’s an inaccurate source of information, not worthy of being trusted. As the old saying goes, even a blind hog can find an acorn once in a while.
Sixers
@LongHairedWeirdo:
If you don’t regret it you’ve learned nothing and will be duped again.
I picture people here screaming “Breitbaaaaaart!” like Kirk during the Wrath of Kahn.
I actually almost had a twinge of respect bubble up for him when he showed up to the Weiner press conference. I loath him but still that was a power move right there. Oh I’m a not lier? Well how bout I sit in the back while you cry your little tear, Mr. Weiner.
Hate Weiner for what he did which includes legitimizing Breitbart.
honus
What is the matter with these guys? Just a test-anybody on the site ever text a picture of their junk? I’m assuming none of us are congresspersons.
Libby
OK. NOW, I believe it. Not even surprised. Suspected it would turn out this way. But sorry, I refuse to give Breitbart’s sole word any credibility, for anything, even if I’m pretty sure he could be right. Until it comes from a more respectable source than his wingnut tiltawhirlitzer, I’m still going to give idiots the benefit of the doubt.
ABL
@Comrade Scrutinizer: this.
Mutaman
I have not only never texted a picture of my junk, I’ve never even thought of doing it.
John
Fascinating how now that Weiner’s admitted it everyone suddenly was all about how this is a bogus story, and there weren’t tons of people linking to dubious Daily Kos analyses seeking to prove that the picture was doctored and Weiner was the victim of a right wing frame-up.
4jkb4ia
John was far more willing to give Weiner the benefit of the doubt than TNC who just posted, “Someone hacked my twitter account, Liz Lemon!” Which supports that this was a big enough story that if you were concerned with politics at all, you couldn’t ignore it.
(mutter mutter)
Bender
wonkie – May 31, 2011 | 9:55 am · Link
The “tell” that this is another Rethuglican smear is the adolescent decision to attack someone named Weier with a peis shot. It’s so O’Keefe, so Breitbart. so typical of the sophomoric mentality of people who take Ayn Rand seriously.
Ash Can – May 31, 2011 | 9:57 am · Link
@Bender: It would help if the people reporting this were the least bit credible, wouldn’t it? Since you choose to believe them, you’re left looking like you don’t have the sense to come in out of the rain. But by all means, keep digging. It’s entertaining.
Felinious Wench – May 31, 2011 | 10:17 am · Link
What kills me is how the right wing was stupid enough to fall for this. Their knowledge of the Intertubes appears stunted. Twitter for passing lewd photos? Really? By a Congressman?
It’s so juvenile it’s ridiculous.
Ash Can – May 31, 2011 | 10:24 am · Link
They eat Breitbart’s stuff up because he makes things they so want to be true appear true. Then they ignore the inevitable debunking because, emotionally, they can’t handle it.
Felinious Wench – May 31, 2011 | 10:36 am · Link
@Ash Can:I mean, seriously. Do these people know nothing about Twitter and how it works? Do they not think a sitting Congressman might have a moment where they’d think “you know, this might not be a good idea.”
schnooten – May 31, 2011 | 10:37 am · Link
Another absurdity: Weiner’s a bit savvier than this.
Served – May 31, 2011 | 10:53 am · Link
On top of all of the evidence that this is phony, I would add that most “public figure” accounts are open to that person as well as staffers.
Sixers
Don’t worry ABL. People are used to you jumping to conclusions and then when you’re wrong not owning up to it.
Bender
Oh, come on, bowing isn’t necessary.
4jkb4ia
And now my husband turns out to have never heard of this story. It’s gossip about a Jewish public figure on top of everything else.
Gus
Grow the fuck up and keep it in your fucking pants. Christ what an asshole.
4jkb4ia
According to the Google, DovBear was perfectly able to ignore this story until today.
Bender
Mnemosyne – May 31, 2011 | 11:26 am · Link
Of course, the real (and depressing) reason Bender is taking a victory lap this morning is that he knows that it’s not true and, more importantly, it doesn’t matter that it’s not true. Most people will only see the headline making the accusation and will never see the follow-up that it was all a hoax. Breitbart was able to smear Weiner with a Photoshopped picture and the MSM will do absolutely nothing to make Breitbart pay for punking them once again.
Chris Andersen – June 3, 2011 | 10:20 am · Link
Is anyone actually watching what Weiner is saying. His whole body language suggests that is he is having a blast pulling people’s legs on this. He is being “evasive” only in the sense that he is incredulous that anyone is treating this like a serious story and thus he is purposely tweaking the nose of those who are pursuing it.
shortstop – June 2, 2011 | 4:49 pm · Link
@Bender:I don’t know what’s going to come out of this. It seems almost certain that the photo is of Weiner; it’s far less certain that he sent it, and your victory dance is premature. But you know that. You’re taking it now because you’re pretty sure you’re not going to be able to take it later. Kind of like calling on an opponent to concede the election when too large a percentage of the votes are still out.
Nate Dawg – June 2, 2011 | 7:08 pm · Link
@Bender:You’re a douche. Your list conveniently left out the major development in Weinergate—the yfrog security hole—which makes the likelihood that Weiner sent out the tweet plummet. Great work there, chief.
sukabi – May 29, 2011 | 6:09 pm · Link
@Bender: anyone who would believe ANYTHING Breitbart posts is an idiot. He’s been involved in more fraud than Goldman Sacs.
sukabi
@Bender: Weiner’s being an idiot doesn’t absolve Breitbart of his numerous frauds. He may have gotten lucky on this one, but all his other “scoops” have been full of poop.
I also don’t give a shit if Weiner tweeted both his balls in addition to his dick to women, the only people this effects is his wife and family… he’s not out there legislating “proper morality” while doing it, thus the importance / effect this will have on the welfare of the country is ZERO.
Sixers
@sukabi:
Except when he probably is forced to resign thus removing a powerful voice in the progressive movement. Other than that no big deal.
sukabi
@Sixers: if you’re pinning all your hopes / plans / future on one guy you’re always going to be disappointed.
it’s better to build a movement of multiple voices than to depend on one guy to be your voice.
brantl
@Warren Terra: Or how small it really is. His wife puts on lingerie and a jeweller’s loupe, to signal she’s in the mood.
Admiral_Komack
Well, Sure Looks Like Someone Has Egg On Their Collective Faces…
um…that’s not egg, dude…