Tag Archives: Anthony Weiner

So long, Anthony Weiner

Anthony Weiner’s time in the political spotlight has been reduced to an hours-long countdown.

In less than a day, New York City voters are likely to hand the former Democratic congressman his walking papers and signal an end to his bid to become the Big Apple’s next mayor.

So long, Carlos Danger.

http://www.today.com/news/anthony-weiner-wife-humas-only-crime-standing-my-side-8C11108130?ocid=msnhp&pos=6

The rest of us out here in Flyover Country shouldn’t be concerned about Weiner. He once was a loudmouthed member of Congress, the body that writes federal law under which we all live. Then we learned that Weiner had been sending lewd text messages and videos of himself to women — none of whom is his wife.

He quit Congress in 2011.

Then he returned to the spotlight by announcing his campaign for mayor. Oops, then something bad happened yet again. We learned that Weiner hadn’t stopped the “sexting” after all, even after promising us he had stopped. He was using the “Carlos Danger” name to send the images to women — again, none of whom is his wife.

Weiner’s political fortunes plummeted. He’s now figuring to finish fourth in a field of Democratic candidates for mayor.

This entire episode has been an embarrassment for everyone. I’m even embarrassed writing about it, but it’ll be the final time I’ll comment on this man’s idiotic behavior.

New York is the most important city in the world, let alone America. It needs a mayor who is serious and who can be treated seriously. Anthony Weiner isn’t that man.

So long, Anthony.

Filner needed to be taught about sexual harassment?

I’ve decided the mayor of San Diego, Calif., who’s already a poster boy for a number of “causes” — such as boorish behavior, juvenile locker room conduct and mistreatment of women — has earned a special place in the Unmitigated Gall Hall of Shame.

His Dishonor, Bob Filner — through his lawyer — says the city needs to pay for his legal defense and his rehabilitation because it failed to provide him with adequate training on how to avoid committing acts of sexual harassment.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/01/bob-filner-sexual-harassment-training_n_3686032.html

When I first heard about that, I thought it was a joke. I thought it might have been a Stephen Colbert gag line, or perhaps something from The Onion — the noted online satire publication. But oh no. It’s the real thing.

Filner, the former Democratic member of Congress and now mayor of the America’s eighth-largest city, says he wasn’t taught about sexual harassment. This grown man doesn’t know that it’s not right to grope female staff members, or tell them they would get along better in the work place if they didn’t wear undergarments, stroke their faces and other body parts in a fashion that women would feel threatened sexually?

Filner faces lawsuits from 10 women and the number may still grow. He needs to quit his job as mayor, but so far says he won’t do that. Instead, he’s entering a two-week rehab — as if a fortnight is enough time to rid him of the demons that cause him to commit such egregious acts against women.

This guy is one sick individual — who doesn’t deserve an ounce of sympathy. He instead deserves to be hounded out of public office.

Hit the road, Mr. Mayor.

Scandals know no partisan bounds

A word of caution is due to Republicans here and across the country as they watch the struggles of three well-known Democratic politicians.

Let’s not gloat, folks.

Anthony Weiner wants to run for mayor of New York. Bob Filner already is mayor of San Diego, Calif. Eliot Spitzer, the former governor of New York, now wants to become NYC’s comptroller. All three of them have made headlines for (in order) sending text messages and videos of a certain functional body part to women; groping and speaking hideously to female staffers; consorting with prostitutes.

Some Republicans are relishing the troubles that have befallen these Democrats. One noted conservative columnist and Fox News TV commentator, Michelle Malkin, recently tweeted about how silent Rep. Nancy Pelosi and other Dems have been about Filner’s difficulty; I responded to her with a tweet that advised her to cool the “partisan perv” talk.

The record shows that Republicans have endured more than their share of sexually related difficulties. To wit:

House Speaker Newt Gingrich’s extramarital affair with a staffer while he was blasting President Clinton for his own marital misbehavior; U.S. Sen. David Vitter of Louisiana becoming involved with a call girl; U.S. Rep. Mark Foley’s email flirtations with underage congressional pages; U.S. Sen. John Ensign’s marital infidelity; U.S. Sen. Larry Craig’s arrest (and this is my favorite scandal) for making indecent sexual advances to others inside a men’s restroom at a Minnesota airport.

Let’s stipulate that all three men now caught in the sexual perversion vise — Weiner, Filner and Spitzer — deserve every bit of the scorn they’re getting.

Misbehavior by male politicians, though, hardly is a partisan endeavor. Pols from both parties in recent years have garnered their share of infamy.

 

This slug should slither away

Bob Filner is a slug.

Don’t take my word for it. The San Diego mayor has all but described himself that way.

http://www.politico.com/story/2013/07/bob-filner-announcement-sexual-harassment-94815.html?hp=l12

He’s admitted to groping women, saying unbelievably crass things to them, accosting them, making their working lives miserable. He needs to resign his office. But he won’t.

Filner, the former Democratic congressman from southern California, instead says he’ll enter two weeks or rehabilitation to cure himself of the demons that drive him to do these horrible things.

The man doesn’t get it. He doesn’t understand that he no longer can represent his fine city.

Filner is just the latest pol to get himself into some serious political trouble. The other, of course, is Anthony Weiner, the former congressman who’s now running for mayor of New York. I’ve already declared my desire for Weiner to stay in the race and let voters cast him aside — which they should do.

Filner needs to take another course. He’s already in the office. He’s already betrayed the trust of everyone who’s supported him.

Filner needs to go to rehab as a private citizen, try to fix what ails him and perhaps try to reassemble what’s left of his life. And it’s going to take a lot longer than two weeks.

 

Weiner poll numbers numbers take a dive

This is what I’m talking about.

Anthony Weiner – aka Carlos Danger – is taking a serious hit in public standing as revelations about his latest “sexting” escapade start to sink in with New York City voters.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/25/poll-anthony-weiner_n_3653422.html

Weiner revealed this week that he engaged in lewd communications via the Internet after he resigned his congressional seat in 2011. He called a press conference with his wife, Huma Abedin, standing with him. The New York mayoral candidate vowed to “move forward” and will stay in the race until the end.

Good for him, and that’s not because I want him to win.

The former frontrunner is now running second behind fellow Democrat Christine Quinn, who’s about 9 percentage points ahead of Weiner.

Many pols and pundits have called for Weiner to drop out of the race. I maintain he should stay in and let the voters have their say. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that a majority of New York Democrats will nominate him. If they do, that’s to their discredit – but they have to live with the result. Thus, it’s their call to make. Not mine. Not anyone else’s.

My guess is that Weiner’s polling will continue to slide as primary day approaches. If he loses, then we’ll be done with the tasteless jokes. Let’s hope, too, the nation will be done with Anthony Weiner.

Let the NYC voters decide your fate, Mr. Weiner

Dear Anthony Weiner,

Don’t exit the New York mayoral race because you’ve been caught “sexting” someone after you quit your congressional seat after doing, um, the very same thing.

Yes, you had said you’d changed your ways. You had sought forgiveness from your lovely — and very smart — wife, Huma, who in turn had forgiven you for your naughty behavior.

So here’s the deal, Anthony: Let the voters have their say.

This new revelation about your handle “Carlos Danger” ought to become part of the dialogue among the candidates running for mayor. Why not let character become an issue? You are, after all, seeking to become mayor of arguably the most important city on the planet. The character of the city’s chief executive should be part of the debate.

In my view, NYC voters deserve better than you. But that is their call to make, not mine. I live out here in Flyover Country. However, I do care what New Yorkers think of their mayor.

Let them decide whether they want you to be their city’s public face and risk the possibility of become a laughingstock because they chose someone with your particular proclivity for naughtiness.

Get some help, Mr. Weiner

Anthony Weiner has just held an extraordinary news conference in which he admits that some of the “sexting” messages he sent out came after he resigned his congressional seat in 2011.

But everything’s OK, said the New York City mayoral candidate, because he and his wife, Huma Abedin, have repaired their marriage and she’s forgiven him.

Well, forgive this, Mr. Weiner: The people of NYC should take a dim view of these latest revelations into your (lack of) character.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2013/07/23/weiner-comments-on-new-sexually-charged-messages/?hpt=hp_t1

This is a preposterous turn in the life of a once-promising Democratic lawmaker who now wants to run the nation’s largest city. It’s NYC’s standing as the financial capital of the universe that makes this story important in places far away from the Big Apple.

Weiner got in trouble two years ago when it was revealed he had sent lewd text messages and tweets that showed parts of his anatomy that should remain, um, private. He quit Congress after first denying that his body part on display and then admitting it. Now we learn that even after leaving office, he kept doing it.

Now he wants to New York voters to elect him mayor and take the reins of arguably the most important city in the world?

Good grief.

Is there no limit to this man’s gall?