Anthony Weiner

Should Disgraced Politicians “Come Back”?The Cases Of Anthony Weiner And Eliot Spitzer And The New York Mayoralty In 2013

Ronald 3 Comments

The political world is abuzz with rumors that former New York Congressman Anthony Weiner is thinking of running for Mayor of New York City in 2013, to succeed Mayor Michael Bloomberg!

There has also been discussion of the possibility of former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer running for Mayor as well.

Both New York politicians resigned after sex scandals, which would ordinarily destroy their future careers, but at least Spitzer has been a host of news shows on CNN and now the CURRENT channel, and has come across very well as a political commentator.

One could argue that after such scandals and disgrace, that these and others, including former Senator John Edwards of North Carolina, the 2004 Democratic Vice Presidential nominee, should just go into the woodwork and never re-emerge again!

And yet, Louisiana Republican Senator David Vitter survived a sex scandal, never resigned, and was reelected to the Senate!

So the best answer is that anyone has a right to run for public office, and the scandals will reflect on their character, but ultimately, IF the American people want a former disgraced politician to run and win, that is their right, and none of us should condemn such action by the candidates, or by the people who choose to support them!

The Death Of Andrew Breitbart: Not A Time To Celebrate

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Andrew Breitbart, an infamous right wing blogger, who ruined the reputation of Shirley Shirrod, who worked in the Department Of Agriculture; and participated in the destruction of ACORN (Association Of Community Organizations For Reform Now), a community based organization promoting voter registration, health care, affordable housing, and other social issues, died yesterday at the age of 43.

Utilizing lies, deception, falsehoods, and with no basis of fact, Breitbart had no problem with destroying the reputation of others in his mad quest for influence and power in the media.

His attempted destruction of Shirley Shirrod as racist was proved to be false, and she moved ahead to sue him, and was doing so at the time of his death. But she proved she was better than him, by expressing shock and sadness at his sudden death at a young age, a sign of her classiness.

ACORN, sadly, was destroyed, with Fox News Channel assisting in the dirty deed, based on false realities and facts.

Breitbart also helped to expose New York Congressman Anthony Weiner, who was stupid and arrogant enough to post inappropriate pictures on social media, and delighted in that expose, leading to Weiner’s resignation.

Breitbart had no ethics or morals when it came to destruction, and yet that is not a just cause for some to celebrate his passing. He was a devoted father and husband, and no one should celebrate the demise of anyone, other than a vicious dictator. And he was so young, only 43, dying suddenly of heart trouble.

So we can condemn his activities and lack of ethics, but still feel it is not a time to celebrate, and wish his family well.

The Loss Of The Anthony Weiner Congressional Seat In New York: Its Meaning

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The 9th Congressional District in Queens and Brooklyn, New York, was represented in the past decade by an aggressive, outspoken Democrat named Anthony Weiner, who was noticeable for his fighting spirit against conservatives, the Tea Party Movement, and the Republican Party. He made a lot of news with his confrontations on the floor of the House of Representatives in the past few years.

But Anthony Weiner also had a fatal flaw, not unique to him among politicians, and that was his private sexual drives, which led to him putting text and pictures of his naked body on Facebook and Twitter, erupting in a scandal which forced him to resign in June of this year.

Now, as a result of his antics and stupidity, a district which was Democratic controlled since 1923, has gone to the Republican nominee, and it is being interpreted in different ways.

Let the author point out that this district was the one in which he resided for 15 years before his move to Florida in 1989, and he lived specifically in the community known as Fresh Meadows in the Flushing area of Queens County.

The thought that MY district is now represented by a Republican is hard enough to take, but the issue is its meaning!

Some would say it is an aberration, and a reaction against Anthony Weiner himself, as a similar situation with an upstate New York district, traditionally Republican for a very long time, went to the Democrat a few months ago after a similar sex scandal.

It should also be pointed out that this district will disappear due to the mandated change in district lines for all members of the House of Representatives after reapportionment of seats with census results now in, and therefore, the whole district will be divided among others, with New York losing two seats in the House of Representatives. So the new Republican, as much as if the Democratic candidate had won, is unlikely to be able to stay in Congress more than one year. In fact, since Weiner was personally not well liked in the New York delegation, he probably would have been thrown into a primary against a fellow Democrat in a newly established district, with a good chance of being defeated, without the scandal which unseated him!

Having said all that, some see the defeat as a repudiation of Barack Obama on the economy.

Others see it as a repudiation of the stand on Israel and the Palestinians that Obama and his administration have promoted, seen at least by Orthodox and Hasidic Jews, a large portion of the Jewish population of that district, as anti Israel.

Still others see it as a repudiation of the Democratic nominee, who while Jewish, supported gay marriage in the state legislature, something that Orhodox and Hasidic Jews loathe with passion!

Does this mean that the general Jewish population is ready to abandon Barack Obama and the Democrats nationally?

The answer is who knows, but while it seems highly doubtful that large numbers of Jews will vote Republican, it is certainly a warning to Obama and the Democrats to work hard to convince Jews that Obama is NOT working against Israel’s interests, that they will fight for more jobs, and at the same time, NOT back off on gay marriage and gay rights!

Orthodox and Hasidic Jews have the right to be against gay marriage, as much as many Catholics and evangelical Christians, but that does not mean that their personal prejudices should deny equality in all ways to gay and lesbian Americans! This needs to be seen as a civil rights issue!

Since the percentage of Jews who are Orthodox or Hasidic is small, and since most Jews believe in the New Deal and Great Society programs that continue to be defended by Barack Obama and his party, this election, most likely, is simply an aberration!

The Harassment And Bullying Of Anthony Weiner By New York Media: Disgraceful!

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The New York media has always been more difficult and aggressive than most other media, but what they have just done to former Congressman Anthony Weiner is totally disgraceful!

The New York Daily News and the New York Post, both well known for being “rags” rather than reputable journalism, destroyed Anthony Weiner, harrassed, hounded, and bullied him to the extreme, sensationalized his faults and misdeeds to such an extent that it was literally impossible for him to survive in office!

Did Anthony Weiner conduct himself in a proper fashion on the internet, on Twitter and Facebook? Obviously, NO, but did his sins deserve the kind of mistreatment that he suffered?

The author thinks other politicians have conducted themselves in far worse fashion and have not been assaulted in such a vicious way!

And the fact that his party, the Democratic Party, also brought such great pressure on him is very different than what the Republican Party does with its transgressors! And in so doing, we have lost a major progressive voice for the middle and lower classes!

No one is saying to give Anthony Weiner a free ride, and overlook his faults, but if his district wanted him to stay, that should have been the ultimate decision maker!

So, as suggested yesterday by the author, Anthony Weiner, IF he is willing to do it, should announce for the special election, and leave it to the people to decide in his district, as to whether they want him back or not. Democracy should rule, not the reckless and insulting behavior of the New York media, best defined as TRASH!

Defense Secretary Robert Gates’ Comment On Diplomacy And Its Relationship To The Anthony Weiner Scandal!

Ronald 1 Comment

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, in his last testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee before his retirement, made a very interesting statement yesterday regarding international relations and diplomacy.

With a big smile, he said that it was clear that all governments lie to each other, and that is par for the course!

What an interesting public admission, and it also applies to relations between people in any field of work, that diplomacy requires tact and a certain amount of deception called “artful lying”, whereby those on the other side do not realize they are being lied to.

It is a fact that all people and institutions are engaged in lying to help promote their individual or group cause. It is a question of being effective, and NOT being caught in the lie that is the magic of success!

This is brought up because of the outrage many have about Anthony Weiner, who lied about his private obsessions and compulsions.

It is not that we should approve of his behavior, but the question remains why is there a double standard as to who stays in office and who leaves after private misbehavior!

Under pressure from Democratic leaders and even President Obama, Anthony Weiner resigned today, even though his constituents showed their support of him in public opinion polls.

Anthony Weiner was a great spokesman for his beliefs, and really cared for the middle class and the poor, and his resignation is a loss to the nation at large.

A special election in a heavily Democratic district will now have to be scheduled, and it is a fact that IF Anthony Weiner chose to run for his vacated seat and his constituents chose to reelect him, that would be perfectly justified and should end the issue of him being a political liability. Democracy should rule, and it is now up to Anthony Weiner to decide if he wishes to pursue this strategy!

The Democratic Party Image Hurt By John Edwards And Anthony Weiner: Is Either Political Party Able To Avoid Scandal And Effectively Govern The Nation?

Ronald 1 Comment

Just as the Democratic Party has been able to celebrate the gaining of Congressional District 26 in upstate New York in a special election to fill the seat of Republican Chris Lee, who resigned over a bare chest pic on the internet, they are beset by the indictment of former Senator John Edwards on misuse of Presidential campaign contributions to cover up his illicit relationship and the fathering of a child, and now by Congressman Anthony Weiner for his Twitter, Facebook, and internet conversations and pics that could best be described as raunchy!

But then the Republican Party has also had its ups and downs, and it seems a constant battle for each political party to stay above water in public opinion image!

That is why many often express willingness to be independent and have nonpartisans in public office, to do what is best for the American people.

But that is, unfortunately, not the history of political parties since the time of Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton, and the reality is that the American people, by overwhelming numbers and the system mechanics that are in place, will continue to make a choice between candidates of the two major parties, and if dissatisfied, throw the “rascals” out on a regular basis.

The only problem with that will be the lack of institutional experience if there is constant turnover, and a group of “rookies” taking over and leaving every few years.

The question will have to be answered whether we are going to expect “perfect” people in public office, or realize the weaknesses of human nature and stop expecting our political leadership to come across as saintly, when even religious leadership and other fields of high respect produce many imperfect people.

Do we want mediocre people in office, as long as they are somehow utopian and seemingly perfect in their behavior, or are we willing to accept that the “great” people in public office, from the time of Benjamin Franklin to Bill Clinton and beyond, have “skeletons in the closet”?

The Contradictions And Blunders Of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor!

Ronald 1 Comment

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia has really been, symbolically, shooting himself in the foot lately!

Calling for spending cuts, if there was a desire to provide relief to flood and tornado victims in the South and Midwest, made him look totally hardhearted and uncaring!

Calling upon New York Congressman Anthony Weiner to resign because of his sex scandal was hypocritical, since Cantor did not say the same thing about Senator David Vitter of Louisiana, Senator John Ensign of Nevada, Senator Larry Craig of Idaho, or Governor Mark Sanford of South Carolina, among others.

His lack of consistency and compassion is a major negative, plus the image created that he is an overly ambitious man who wishes to undermine House Speaker John Boehner due to his own ambitions to take over that position!

Eric Cantor does not exactly come across in a positive way for someone who wishes to become a national leader with consistent views and principles! Instead, he gives the impression of willingness to do or say anything to advance himself!

The Anthony Weiner Disaster: No Solution Is Good!

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New York Congressman Anthony Weiner, admired by many for his willingness to fight for his principles, and hated by Republicans because of his strong attacks on their party and its policies, has put himself in an impossible position by his involvement in “sexting” on Twitter, Facebook, and on email.

For a member of Congress to be involved in a sex scandal is nothing new, unfortunately, but his lies and deceit for a week make his finally “coming clean” much more problematical. It is sad how a talented politician can be so self destructive, and can risk his career, and his new marriage, all because he has no self control over his sexual urges.

Should Weiner resign? Some would say yes, and others would say no, but some politicians have stuck it out, and have survived, such as Senator David Vitter of Louisiana, and President Bill Clinton. Of course, many more have quit under the pressure, and the intensity of the attacks, and a planned investigation by the House Ethics Committee, and the lack of public support by his Democratic colleagues are telling signs of his likely failure to be able to stay in office and leave it to the citizens of his congressional district to decide his fate.

In fact, his seat is likely to be disappearing during reapportionment of seats in the House of Representatives, with the fact that two congressional districts will be eliminated for the state of New York in any case.

So, sadly, Weiner, who once hoped to run for NYC Mayor, is probably doomed and likely to be forced out soon. Public scrutiny of public figures makes one realize that if he or she cannot keep his behavior within norms, then his or her humiliation and embarrassment is legion, so expect Weiner to resign under fire very soon as another victim of his own shortcomings!

Coming Back From Vacation, And Plenty To Comment On!

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Having just come back from an enjoyable week in Montreal and Quebec City, there is plenty to comment on, as politics never takes a vacation!

Sarah Palin, Rick Santorum, Anthony Weiner, and Evan Bayh lead the charge, and they just prove how entertaining and frustrating American politics has become! It is theater, and one just needs to shake his head, and laugh, while feeling an urge to put a muzzle on these political leaders, who demonstrate such poor judgment, and make one wonder why any of them should imagine that they should be President or Mayor of New York City, or even Governors, Senators, and Congressmen!

So now, one can count on regular, daily updates on the political battles, starting shortly after this entry is published! Enjoy reading and commenting at your pleasure!

The Ultimate Outrage: House Republicans Vote Against Health Care For September 11 First Responders! :(

Ronald 1 Comment

One of the most outstanding examples of anger on the House floor within memory occurred last week when NY Congressman Anthony Weiner erupted after House Republicans, with the exception of a few, refused to support a bill to provide health care to first responders on September 11, 2001, who have had numerous health issues as a result of exposure to the horrific environmental conditions created by that terrorist created nightmare! 🙁

There has not been any issue that the GOP has responded to that shows any decency, any humanity, any compassion–and yet supposedly this party is favored to win seats in the midterm election! 🙁

This is also the party whose members still include people who believe the “birther” myth, that Barack Obama is not a citizen and was born in Kenya! 🙁

It is sadly clear that this party would reject Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, and Dwight D. Eisenhower as RINOS (Republicans In Name Only), were they to be alive today! 🙁