Anthony Weiner Roast: After Lying, He Finally Comes Clean

Well, if it's going to cause all this trouble, at
least he's in good shape. Photo from HuffPo

Last week, when the only evidence for "Weinergate" was a closeup shot of a stretched out pair of grey boxer briefs, I gave Rep. Anthony Weiner the benefit of the doubt. Though he was being dodgy and lawyerly with his language, I really felt that he'd been punk'd. I figured the wiener shot was from his computer/phone/whatever, but that he'd been hacked or pranked by Andrew Breitbart and his goons.  I was wrong, but I had nothing more at the time to go on than the reputations of the people involved.

Now, Weiner's reputation is in the gutter, where Breitbart's reputation has languished for some time. In fact the saddest spectacle of this whole affair is that Breitbart is going to act and feel vindicated. The fact of the matter is, Breitbart is scum. And that is the best assessment I could give the man. And look at what his vindication consists of: the exposure of a Congressman's sex scandal where there was no actual sex. A scandal where every piece of (released) photographic evidence can be aired unblurred on network television.* Breitbart has potentially brought down a marriage and the career of a man who never made an issue of "family values," or chastity or monogamy. Weiner may be a lot of things, but he wasn't a hypocrite, making me wonder why this revelation was necessary or newsworthy.

I'm pissed at Weiner, because he lied. At the same time, I understand why he lied. There was no dignified way to come clean. It was going to be very embarrassing, and he was hoping he could dodge his way out of it.  But up against a force determined to bring him down, that just wasn't going to happen. Ultimately, this was none of our business, and Breitbart is no better than a National Enquirer expose.**

[Excerpt]

Anthony Weiner Press Conference: Admits Sending Racy Pictures, Refuses To Resign

Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) insisted he’s staying in office Monday, even as a string of embarrassing new revelations and photos emerged that apparently reveal a hidden, lascivious online life. . .

Read more at: Huffington Post

* Yes, I'm aware, there is allegedly a more explicit photo out there, a possibility that Weiner himself copped to. But in this day and age--and going forward--I think the percentage of people who have a naughty photo of themselves is only going to grow. And a large percentage of those are going to find their way to the internets.

** And, yes, The National Enquirer broke the John Edwards story. That story, however, was much more newsworthy, in that Edwards had made his marriage and family life a focal point in his presidential campaigns. Not to mention the fact that the affair, pregnancy, birth and cover up happened during a presidential campaign. Quite a different story than a Congressman who likes to get flirty online, IMO.