The picture found here (via Instapundit) says it all, really: it’s of Anthony Weiner, sitting in his gas-guzzling truck (which he can’t even justify as being for his kids, as he doesn’t have any) and visibly wondering how everything could have gone so badly in the space of a week. Because all the other people who got caught sending pictures of your genitals to women half their age didn’t get in trouble for it, apparently. Especially the ones that later fell out of the Stupid Damage Control Mistakes Tree and hit every branch on the way down. Note for researchers: this was supposed to be one of the Democrats’ smart ones. Truth be told, he just benefited from a media that takes it easy on its ideological friendlies, up to a point. Cross it, and it’s chum-in-the-water time and the media get to be the sharks.
But I digress. The question is, what happens now?
The first possibility is that Anthony Weiner does the same thing this week that he did last week: which is to say, continue to do and say stupid things that will give the media an excuse to continue to cover the story. It’d take a lot, but given that Weiner was doing things like being recorded calling a producer – a producer – a ‘jackass,’ possibly the Congressman is up to the challenge, or is just ready to immolate his career once and for all. If that happens, it ends with a resignation, which means… another special House election in New York state.
(pause)
Oh, boy.
On the other hand, possibly Weiner will decide to keep his trap shut, hunker down, and wait for the media to find a new target. That is in fact a workable solution, at least in the short run: as it stands now I don’t think that Weiner has actually broken any laws*, and he [belongs] to the political party (that would be the Democrats) that [doesn't] demand accountability from its members, as a look at the Democratic leadership will quickly make clear. So he could survive.
Survive, sure… but he’s also broken. Anthony Weiner wanted to be mayor of NYC. Well, he probably still wants to be, but that dream has gone up in smoke. New Yorkers might have tolerated a guy sending out pictures of his genitals – particularly if there was a good story attached to it – but they generally won’t tolerate a guy who won’t own up to it, and they don’t like having their intelligence insulted. Weiner had an impressive war chest and could have parlayed his quiet feud with NY party bosses into a genuine insurgent’s bid; now, he’s not going to make it out of the primary.
Meanwhile, his reputation on the national level is likewise wrecked. Anthony Weiner was one of the Democrats’ attack dogs… only he turned out to be a badly-trained attack dog that was all bluster and bark; the first smack in the muzzle and now he cowers and whines. Seriously, are Republicans supposed to be afraid of this guy? Do you think that our TV people are still thinking to themselves “Oh, God, I’m going to be going up against Weiner tonight!” Nope: now they’d be thinking “Oh, boy, I’m going to be going up against Weiner tonight!” Which the Democrats know full well, which is why Weiner won’t be making quite as many of those media appearances as he has in the past. Or any at all.
In other words, from a certain point of view we’re in the endgame now.
Some implications of this will be in Part 2, as this post is getting a bit long.
Moe Lane (crosspost)
*Which would not have been the case if he had gone to the FBI, of course. They have no sense of humor when it comes to filing false reports.
[Edited for clarity. - ML]
Moe Lane
Dan Spencer
Dan McLaughlin
Jeff Emanuel
The story won't die..his potentialmayoral rivals won't let it
gawken (Diary) Sunday, June 5th at 1:59PM EDT (link)Weiner might be able to hunker down, and hope it blows over ( another bad pun)..but not this time. He has 3 or so Dem rivals for mayor of NYC, and tey will NOT let the story die. And the NY tabloids will also keep it alive.
I think he will be forced to resign, by his own party, because he will soon become a permanent picture of ridicule. Pols may have NO shame, but when the entire party , by association.. becomes the butt of a perpetual joke, then his time is up, he has to go.
Aso, he has lied continuously from the onset, and one or more of those lies will be exposed.
The story won't die..his potentialmayoral rivals won't let it
gawken (Diary) Sunday, June 5th at 1:59PM EDT (link)Weiner might be able to hunker down, and hope it blows over ( another bad pun)..but not this time. He has 3 or so Dem rivals for mayor of NYC, and tey will NOT let the story die. And the NY tabloids will also keep it alive.
I think he will be forced to resign, by his own party, because he will soon become a permanent picture of ridicule. Pols may have NO shame, but when the entire party , by association.. becomes the butt of a perpetual joke, then his time is up, he has to go.
Aso, he has lied continuously from the onset, and one or more of those lies will be exposed.
I hope he doesn't resign right away.
chbroussard (Diary) Sunday, June 5th at 2:07PM EDT (link)I’d like to see him dangling in the wind for just a little while longer. He’s such an obnoxious little nerd.
I hope he doesn't resign right away.
chbroussard (Diary) Sunday, June 5th at 2:07PM EDT (link)I’d like to see him dangling in the wind for just a little while longer. He’s such an obnoxious little nerd.
The story is too interesting/bizzarre to die...
jaykali (Diary) Sunday, June 5th at 2:21PM EDT (link)Classic ‘whodunit’ and why?!? So I finally saw a yfrog story from hotair saying that they are denying any kind of hacking going on so it sounds like he’s toast.
I am still very confused as to the motive of this. If it was him ‘accidentally’ sending a photo publicly vs a private message it still doesn’t explain why he would send that to a girl that he doesn’t appear to know at all. I haven’t seen any evidence that he knew this girl to just randomly send a pic too. That part still makes no sense to me. If it was an intern or someone he knew, etc etc – you could put the pieces together, but this is just bizzarre.
I agree, what we know so far is just the Tip of the
throwback59 Sunday, June 5th at 3:27PM EDT (link)uh..um…iceberg.
WeinerCrats end game
drfredc Sunday, June 5th at 5:15PM EDT (link)The end game for Rep Weiner depends upon the LOSERship showing some partisanship towards promoting the adoption of the WeinerCrat label of the Obamacrat party. But oh, forget that ever happening…
My guess is Rep Weiner has a position waiting for him on some TV ‘news’ team as an unbiased political analyst of the 1st order. If he decides to take it,.. More likely, he’ll hunker down and be re-elected…. Being a sexual screwup is a resume enhancement for the Weinercrat party.
Always, Fred C
Weiner's actions
jomo2009 Sunday, June 5th at 6:44PM EDT (link)give new meaning to the term “limited hangout.”
This is what I've said all along about Weiner
steve010 (Diary) Sunday, June 5th at 7:43PM EDT (link)Here’s the thing that solves it all,” said McCroskey, “for him to call for a criminal investigation. All they have to do is look at his TweetDeck and see if it came from there, see what IP address [it had]. The local police department or Capitol Police could probably figure this out in 15 minutes.”
Only problem is that he knows it came from him.
Tangential point I've been considering
Dave_in_Fla (Diary) Sunday, June 5th at 7:46PM EDT (link)One of the reasons that Weiner and Debbie Wasserman-Shultz (and well frankly everyone with a D behind their names) are so BAD as this type of PR, is that they are intellectually lazy. They are used to the media covering their mistakes, and not reporting when they say things that are dumb, or contradictory of previous positions.
Just consider the firestorm that occurs whenever Palin says anything that goes against “what everyone knows”, it ends up in every media source nationwide. But Weiner? He is used to being able to threaten to dismember and eat the bones of Republicans, and the media just chuckles and calls him “feisty”.
So when CNN starts asking “can you just answer yes or no?”, they are caught in unfamiliar territory with no experience on how to proceed.
“If they were merely incompetent, then at least SOME of their actions would have been to the benefit of the country.” – Joe McCarthy
No...they are not used to the new journalism.
wennejunk (Diary) Sunday, June 5th at 9:49PM EDT (link)That would be you and me and everyone else out there who are not part of ‘The media’ who keep spreading the word until ‘The media’ has to ask real questions…just to keep some semblance of legitimacy.
There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done,’ and those to whom God says, in the end, ‘Thy will be done.’ -C. S. Lewis
Long live the New Media: Keeping Brian Williams honest and Dan Rather unemployed!
rickbull Sunday, June 5th at 11:09PM EDT (link)NT
WE ARE THE 53% (who actually pay taxes).
Listen for Breitbart at noon tomorrow New York time. Something is breaking. NT
bobojake (Diary) Sunday, June 5th at 8:18PM EDT (link)Maybe I'm missing something but
johnCV (Diary) Sunday, June 5th at 9:26PM EDT (link)didn’t we just lose a “stupendous, earth shaking repudiation of every conservative principle” special election to replace a congressman who was run out/resigned for sending shirtless photos of himself? After 1 week.
I fail to see why this is irrelevant in the discussion. Oh wait, yeah, with democrats, degenerate behavior is a feature, not a bug.
Got it.
Yes, when they have no ethics, they can do no wrong. -nt-
rickbull Sunday, June 5th at 11:11PM EDT (link)WE ARE THE 53% (who actually pay taxes).
Leftist Conspiracy Theory: Clarence Thomas Hacked Weiner and Framed Him!
Ausonius (Diary) Sunday, June 5th at 10:44PM EDT (link)Yes, I know, but here is the scenario: Corruption-fighting all-American politician Weiner was about to expose … (wait for it) … deep corruption in Clarence Thomas’ IRS claims, particularly about Mrs. Thomas’ conservative foundation Liberty Central.
And just when SuperWeiner was about to bring down Evil Conservative Thomas, the media suddenly focused on those pictures which obviously were sabotage from Hilary’s “Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy,” which is what really controls Washington D.C….except it doesn’t
There are many such sites with this story: See:
http://newsone.com/nation/jothomas/weinergate-clarence-thomas-anthony-weiner-scandal-smear-campaign/
Ausonius: 310-395 A.D. Teacher, Poet, Consul, General, Farmer.
Personal Tutor to the future St. Paulinus of Nola and to young Gratian, heir to the throne during the turbulent final years of the Western Roman Empire. When his former student Gratian was assassinated, Ausonius threw up his hands and retired to his farm in Gaul. Rome was captured by barbarians 14 years after his death.
Cato@rock.com
AND…Know Your Czars…Before They Hit BIG BRObama’s Unemployment Line in November: http://www.czarcards.us/
I promise I will never ever ever quote Bill Maher again, but . . .
rickbull Sunday, June 5th at 11:35PM EDT (link)Puh leeeeeeezzzzzeee!
WE ARE THE 53% (who actually pay taxes).
Weiner's SUV registration expired in 2007, and as of March, he had over $2000 in unpaid DC parking tix
Old_Crow (Diary) Sunday, June 5th at 11:21PM EDT (link)I work in Africa 6-7 months of the year and sometimes I might be a month or late with things like car registration but four years…
I guess stuff like that is for ‘little people’
His registration expired in July 2007. Yesterday’s NY Daily News had the photo of the sticker with him driving.
The feeding frenzy has just begun.
time for popcorn.
http://gothamist.com/2011/06/05/weinergate_examining_weiners_exes_c.php
“Enlightened statesmen will not always be at the helm.” — James Madison
Here's the Daily News pic and story
Old_Crow (Diary) Sunday, June 5th at 11:23PM EDT (link)http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2011/06/05/2011-06-05_his_dc_car_is_registered_in_ny_and_way_out_of_date.html?r=news
“Enlightened statesmen will not always be at the helm.” — James Madison
The guy is pure scum
izoneguy (Diary) Sunday, June 5th at 11:28PM EDT (link)Why do all these women like scum?
Those who had once simpered: “I don’t want to destroy the rich, I only want to seize a little of their surplus to help the poor, just a little, they’ll never miss it!” – then, later, had snapped: “The tycoons can stand being squeezed; they’ve amassed enough to last them for three generations” – then, later, had yelled: “Why should the people suffer while businessmen have reserves to last a year?” – now were screaming: “Why should we starve while some people have reserves to last a week?” – Atlas Shrugged
Do you want the biology answer, izoneguy?
acat (Diary) Sunday, June 5th at 11:42PM EDT (link)Some women consider powerful men attractive because they believe their offspring will be better off?
Would you prefer the pop psych answer? “Daddy issues”?* The idea that they think that by being around someone powerful that they will be powerful? “They’re just groupies” ?
Does it really matter why?
What matters isn’t that some young women make poor choices, what matters is some scuzzballs take advantage of them.*
Note – I’m not saying may-september relationships can’t work .. but it’s pretty obvious (because Weiner stayed married) that that’s not what was going on here.
Sure, Weiner may only have a thing for comely co-eds, but .. he’s already proven a lack of self-control, what more do we need to know? I do not see where those who prey on the weak in one arena should ever be allowed into positions where they can do so in other arenas, especially ones paid for by our tax dollars.
Mew
* Worked with a jerk once who described his dating approach in college as “find the girl at the party with the worst relationship with her father…” He said it guaranteed relationships that would self-destruct but that were fun (for him) while they lasted.
——
Caveat Suffragator
More Weiner Messages to Young Girls? Evidence the Media Was Duped into Dropping the Investigation
izoneguy (Diary) Sunday, June 5th at 11:51PM EDT (link)More Weiner Messages to Young Girls? Evidence the Media Was Duped into Dropping the Investigation
http://patterico.com/2011/06/05/more-weiner-messages-to-young-girls-evidence-the-media-was-duped-into-dropping-the-investigation/
Those who had once simpered: “I don’t want to destroy the rich, I only want to seize a little of their surplus to help the poor, just a little, they’ll never miss it!” – then, later, had snapped: “The tycoons can stand being squeezed; they’ve amassed enough to last them for three generations” – then, later, had yelled: “Why should the people suffer while businessmen have reserves to last a year?” – now were screaming: “Why should we starve while some people have reserves to last a week?” – Atlas Shrugged
Cats notice the dogs that don't bark...
acat (Diary) Monday, June 6th at 12:08AM EDT (link)Where is the outrage from the New York Dem establishment? They seem almost as quiet as the French were when Dominique Strauss-Khan went down.
(short answer – like DSK’s peers, they *knew* Weiner was a slimeball…)
Where the media really *REALLY* want this to go away …
(you’re telling me Patterico and Ace can find these connections when the NYT has *how* many reporters and fact-checkers?)
Yeah. Wiener’s cooked.
Mew
——
Caveat Suffragator
Yeah. Wiener’s cooked
izoneguy (Diary) Monday, June 6th at 9:00AM EDT (link)Weinergate Bombshell: New Woman Comes Forward Claiming Cache of Intimate Photos and Online Communications with Beleaguered Congressman
http://bigjournalism.com/abreitbart/2011/06/06/weinergate-bombshell-new-woman-comes-forward-claiming-cache-of-intimate-photos-and-online-communications-with-beleaguered-congressman/
Those who had once simpered: “I don’t want to destroy the rich, I only want to seize a little of their surplus to help the poor, just a little, they’ll never miss it!” – then, later, had snapped: “The tycoons can stand being squeezed; they’ve amassed enough to last them for three generations” – then, later, had yelled: “Why should the people suffer while businessmen have reserves to last a year?” – now were screaming: “Why should we starve while some people have reserves to last a week?” – Atlas Shrugged