Weinergate: So it really was his Wiener
Liar, liar, boxers on fire:
Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y., admitted Monday in a stunning press conference that he sent a lewd photo to a woman over Twitter, after claiming for days that he was hacked. Saying he is “deeply ashamed,” he also said he’s had explicit exchanges with six women over the last three years, some of which occurred after he got married in 2010.
But the seven-term congressman said he would not resign, expressing hope that he could win back the trust of his constituents.
“This was me doing a dumb thing and doing it repeatedly and then lying about it,” Weiner said. “And that’s all there is.”
House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, with whom Weiner said he consulted before speaking to reporters Monday, announced after Weiner’s news conference that she is calling for an ethics investigation “to determine whether any official resources were used or any other violation of House rules.”
“I am deeply disappointed and saddened about this situation, for Anthony’s wife, Huma, his family, his staff and his constituents,” Pelosi said in a written statement.
Weiner got choked up several times as he delivered his remarks and afterward took questions from the media, particularly as he discussed his wife — Huma Abedin, an aide to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. He said he has apologized to her and, though she was not present at the press conference, said they have “no intention of splitting up.” He said she was “not happy” about his actions.
After a week of denials, Weiner opened up the press conference by saying he takes “full responsibility” for his actions. “I have made terrible mistakes that have hurt the people I care about the most and I’m deeply sorry,” Weiner said, as he proceeded to detail a host of indiscretions for nearly a half-hour.
[…]
He said his wife already knew about some of the interactions he’d had with women online before they were married but did not know that he sent the lewd Tweet a week ago. Though he repeatedly apologized for his actions, Weiner said he has never had a physical relationship with the women and has never had sex outside his marriage. He said he was never in the same room with and never personally met any of the women he had the interactions with online.
You can thank Andrew Breitbart for forcing Rep. Weiner into backtracking on just about everything he’s said regarding “Weinergate.” Go here and scroll to see more risque Weiner photos obtained by Breitbart, as well as to read a post by one woman who chatted back and forth some with Weiner over Facebook, where some inappropriate conversations took place. It’s very clear that Weiner was engaging in online cheating against his wife. How humiliating this must be for her, especially considering they’ve only been married for about a year. God bless her through what she’s having to deal with right now.
Which brings me to my next point. Unlike the left, who gleefully drool over stories of infidelities by married Republicans, I take no pleasure out of discussing the marital transgressions of Democrats. Anyone who has ever had to suffer through the news that their spouse has been having an affair, or anyone who is close to someone who has been through it knows that it’s not a laughing matter. Affairs are selfish by nature. The people who have them think nothing of anyone but themselves. They don’t take into account how badly the revelation of the affair will deeply hurt their family, their friends, and in the case of a politician, will disillusion some constituents as to their character and integrity. After all, if your elected representative can’t honor the vows they made to their spouse, how can you trust that they’ve been (or will be) completely honest with you?
Look at the trail of lies dropped over the years by indicted former Senator, twice failed candidate for President, and admitted adulterer John Edwards (D-SC/NC) if you think unfaithfulness by a candidate for elective office or an elected official should remain a “private matter.”
Weiner has said he won’t resign and will work to gain back the trust of his district. Assuming he’s not forced out by a panic-stricken DNC, ultimately it will be up to his constituency to decide as to whether or not they believe he’s worthy enough to serve another term in the US House. But whatever they decide, thanks to his brazen nature and abject stupidity his reputation will forever be stained (no pun intended) by the series of sexually inappropriate online incidents that led up to his “tearful” admission today.
I’d like to believe we’ll never hear about another Weinergate-esque scandal again, but sadly, it seems like almost every week we’re hearing about another politico who has admitted to not being faithful to their spouse. What the crap is wrong with people? I can’t imagine even for one second cheating on my s/o. Not only because I’ve seen how devastating it is to people who’ve had it happen to them, but because, well, it’s just morally wrong. Not only that, but you don’t do something to someone else that you wouldn’t want done to you. This is pretty simple and straightforward but is, unfortunately, something that all too many people who get elected to serve in office seem to forget once they get comfortable in their position of power. I don’t expect elected officials to be perfect. I don’t even expect to agree with everything they say all the time. But at the very least I do expect them to remain true to their spouse and their family. You can tell a whole lot about the kind of person you’re considering voting for by how they treat their family.
Yes, Virginia, character really does matter.