Are we hypocrites if we say Weiner should not resign?

[Pryderi]

Poll question: Are we hypocrites if we say Weiner should not resign?

[OKNancy]

1. Why should he resign? It's up to the people of his district

to fire him if they want to.

[Pryderi]

3. Let me refresh your memory

[pnwmom]

7. We didn't say he should resign. We just laughed at their hypocritical morality.

Democrats aren't afraid of sex or even of muscle pictures.

[Blaq Dem]

25. Agree. At this point, who gives a ....

[K8-EEE]

8. Nobody demanded anything - he was a so-con

If you run on "family values" then....your constituents would want you to resign.

[OKNancy]

18. I don't need my memory refreshed. It was his choice to resign

he was trolling for a live date. He is also a family-values Republican. He resigned because he knew he could never survive another Republican primary. Weiner can.

[Retrograde]

30. I don't think Lee should have resigned

at least, not over the Craigslist stuff.

[LynneSin]

36. I have to agree. Weiner has never been one to push these so-called 'Family Values'

It's one thing to be a dumbass, another to be a hypocrite.

[lynne]

68. He introduced a bill to keep the internet free of sexual predators -

- and if that isn't a hoot I don't know what is. As far as political theater, it doesn't get any better than this! Does he even have a clue as to the age of these online "women" - who he stated he'd never met?

http://www.weiner.house.gov/issue_display.aspx?id=844

[LynneSin]

70. Was he doing this with underage girls

I don't call a grown man sending nude photos & sexting to a adult woman a sexual predator. I just call him a horny old bastard.

[Rex]

48. Er uh...THAT is why he should resign!? SERIES!?!?!

Did we get invaded by Freepers or something?

OH NO HE TOOK A PICTURE OF HIS TORSO!!!

RESIGN RESIGN!!!

How fucking totally stupid.

[Motown_Johnny]

67. was Weiner presenting himself as an unmarried man on a dating site?

If not, you need a better example.

[Tippy]

4. I'll second that......

[FBaggins]

2. Depends on what you said for Edwards/Vitter/Spitzer - etc.

Hypocracy requires an inconsistent position.

[bluestate10]

50. My feeling was that Vitter should have and still should resign and Spitzer did what

was right for his state. Edwards was already out of office when his scandal broke, he is a cad, but there was no office to resign from other than reputation.

[pnwmom]

5. No. Because we're not The Anti-Sex Party.

That's the other side's title.

[arbusto_baboso]

11. Precisely. If he had championed anti-sex legislation, then I'd call for his resignation.

It's about the hypocrisy for me. Even the lying is not that important. It's the actions as a representative.

[justiceischeap]

12. Ding ding! As I said in another thread...

If you run on a family values platform and get caught with your pants around your ankles, then you should resign but if you don't claim to be for the "sanctity of marriage" then you shouldn't have to resign. IMO, being a lying hypocrite is worse than being a liar.

[Beaverhausen]

6. Was there anything illegal in what Weiner did?

[JuniperLea]

14. I don't think so...

Immoral isn't illegal. How many guys flirt on the Internet every day? Do we have enough jail space for all that action?

[FBaggins]

19. Is "not a criminal" your litmus test for elected office?

"Willing to lie to me to protect his own butt" doesn't even enter into the calculation?

[Beaverhausen]

26. This is between Weiner and his wife-it has nothing to do with his job.

[FBaggins]

31. Nothing to do with his job?

You do know why affairs can hurt your ability to hold a security clearance, right?

Had much time to do his job over the last few days? Think he'll have much time for it next week?

Of course a total lack of integrity has something to do with his job. He's a congressman for goodness sake!

[angstlessk]

33. He did NOT have an affair..get over yourself!

[FBaggins]

38. Ok... so now the standard is...

"not a criminal AND didn't have an ACTUAL affair" ?

Let me know when "shred of honesty" hits your radar screen for US Congressmen, ok?

[Orsino]

52. Weiner has delivered many, many "shreds of honesty."

Whatever we think of his personal behavior, or of the potential for blackmail he dared, let's not kid ourselves. Weiner still looks to be one of the least corrupt members of Congress.

If we're going to panic and start demanding resignations for unethical behavior, we might start with Weiner's more murderous colleagues.

[Beaverhausen]

34. what exactly do you think Weiner did? Share national secrets with these women?

[FBaggins]

39. I don't have the foggiest idea.

What I know is that where his weiner is involved, the guy can't be trusted.

And I know that he's willing to lie to me and get angry that I would dare question his honesty.

Such a "man" can't get my vote.

If your standards are lower. That's your problem.

[denverbill]

41. Did he lie? When?

[ChrisBorg]

46. June 1 CBS news

"Well, the main question that a lot of people are asking is did I send the photograph," Weiner said in an interview with CBS News. "I did not. This was a prank, a hoax."

CNNpressroom

It certainly doesn't look familiar to me, but I don't want to say with certitude to you something that I don't know to be the certain truth.
But I do know some certain truths here. I didn't send any Twitter picture. The person who allegedly it was sent to, this poor woman who is, frankly, a victim in all of this, didn't get it. She put out a statement saying as much. I don't know her, she doesn't know me.


ABC

"I did not send that photo. My system was hacked. I was pranked," Weiner told ABC News Wednesday.

[denverbill]

53. It sounds to me liked he was hacked. The picture was his, but he didn't send it out on twitter.

I frankly suspected from the beginning that it was him in the pic just based on his carefully worded phrases and the lack of an outright denial that the pics were him. The "It certainly doesn't look familiar to me," part is about the only thing that looks untrue to me, though he did qualify it pretty dramatically.

[ChrisBorg]

61. He has admitted to taking and sending the photos. He had a 1 hr long presser.

I believe he is now telling the truth. To defend a man against accusations he admits to is unneeded and somewhat unhinged.

[lumberjack_jeff]

57. Here's how that obviously went down.

Breitbart obtained that photo from someone who illicitly intercepted that photo. The person to whom it was sent didn't cooperate in the smear, so Breitbart's winged monkeys hacked it to the young woman in Seattle who had the misfortune of jokingly calling Weiner a boyfriend.

Once that blew up in Breitbart's face, he was forced to offer money to the other women on his online flirt list to salvage his reputation. The woman who ABC will identify didn't come forward, she was contacted by Breitbart and offered money.

Has Weiner flirted online? Almost definitely yes, IMHO. The same can be said for just about anyone.

[ChrisBorg]

62. You forgot the sarcasm thingy.

I hope. You do realize he spent an hour admitting to everything.

[lumberjack_jeff]

64. "Everything"? So where is the Lindberg baby? Uh, and welcome to DU. n/t

[ChrisBorg]

65. His ashes were scattered in the Atlantic Ocean. His exact location is impossible to say now.

[LanternWaste]

73. I imagine judging individuals on their sexual proclivities

I imagine judging individuals on their sexual proclivities via our own personal standards and mores is becoming vogue again...?

[BlueStater]

9. I wanted Vitter and Craig to resign because they were hypocritical assholes.

Not because of their scandals.

[JoePhilly]

10. No, only the GOP demands that Dems resign for this kind of thing.

If a GOP member screws some prostitutes, they get a standing ovation.

Only the GOp uses sex as a weapon in this manner.

[RZM]

13. I don't think I'd push him to resign

I don't really care about his tweets. I care more that he didn't come clean right away, but I wouldn't argue he has to resign over it. If the voters of his district don't want him, they'll let him know next year at the polls.

I do think those who argued it was a conspiracy from day one should admit they were wrong. Though I didn't play close attention, my sense was that it was a hack and obviously I got it way wrong. See, that wasn't so hard :)

[me b zola]

15. Honest to God i don't get this

Why should he resign? I don't get it. I just don't see how anyone can say that REp Weiner did anything wrong. I do see, though, that he was the target of charactor assassination.

[Cleita]

16. No. As some other DUer said, he didn't shoot someone in the face. n/t

[FarLeftFist]

17. We are not the prude conservatives!

Nor are we the hypocritical republicans who rail against abortion while paying for their mistresses abortion, nor do we rail against gay marriage while having gay affairs like the republicans.

[Nye Bevan]

20. IF you said that Lee should resign, and that Weiner should not, then you are a hypocrite.

But many here (including myself) never said that lee should resign.

[Sky Masterson]

21. No

He did what dudes do. Dudes are stupid BTW. The only person he hurt was himself and his wife.
He is a great congressman and I would love to still see and hear him fight the good fight.
Also I hear that you can survive almost anything in politics except a live boy or a dead girl.

[denverbill]

22. Was what he did illegal?

No.

Was he soliciting sex from underaged girls? No.
Sexting Congressional pages? No
Hiring prostitutes? No
Paying hush money? No

Was what he did immoral? If he was single, it's borderline. There are an awful lot of people who send a lot worse pictures of themselves to other people. Being married, yes, it's immoral, but significantly less immoral than screwing some other man's wife or getting a BJ from a staff member.

Is it worse to send someone a private photo of yourself partly naked or pose naked in Cosmo like Scott Brown?

[RZM]

24. Appearances do matter

Mark Sanford didn't do anything illegal either. But plenty of people don't think it's cool to visit your mistress in Argentina and then lie about it to the press. I'm sure plenty of people also don't think it's cool to send frisky texts/tweets/whatever to other women when you have a wife at home. Illegal? No. Bad for your political career? Absolutely.

[denverbill]

40. Mark Sanford didn't resign. But he improperly used state funds to fly to Argentina.

AND he left the state and lied about his whereabouts, so the chief executive was completely out of touch for prolonged periods. And he was fucking somebody else to boot.

So he misappropriated funds, left the state without a Executive decision maker, and committed adultery.

I really don't think that compares to sexting. Yes it was stupid for him to do it, and it was certainly not very moral of him to do it when he's married. But it's significantly less immoral than committing adultery and using state funds to fly to see your mistress.

And Sanford did not resign.

[RZM]

42. Weiner hasn't resigned either

I don't think he will and I certainly don't think he has any obligation to do so, though I was wrong about this thing from the get-go so what do I know ;)

I don't know much about Sanford's plane money. If he broke the law, I guess he should have resigned, though the list of politicians who failed to resign after financial improprieties is pretty long, so he's certainly not unique there.

[denverbill]

44. Well unfortunately, he's opened himself to a lot of ridicule. Especially with his name.

It's disappointing to have this happen to yet another leader. But I'd rather have 435 more just like him in Congress who actually fight for and care about average Americans than 435 Puritans who vote against us.

[lumberjack_jeff]

55. Yeah. Why on earth would he pick a name like that?

:dunce:

[movonne]

23. After all look what Clinton did and he survived...so why should

Weiner???

[JuniperLea]

28. And Clinton had actual contact with a woman...

This was just InterTube posturing. If there was any spillage, it was on Andrew's own clothing by his own hand.

[seabeyond]

27. i have never said anyone in sex scandal should resign. so no. i am not. pissed at immaturity

and arrogant and selfish behavior by weiner. think he is creepy now. wont respect him. but i have never suggested any of these people resign. up to the voter

[Zookeeper]

29. No. He wasn't preaching "family values" while hiring hookers...

physically cheating or tapping his foot under restroom stalls.

[wickerwoman]

32. No.

I've never in my life demanded anyone step down from office for a personal non-job related scandal.

Although I have enjoyed watching Republicans eat their own as these things come up from time to time.

I'm sure they're hoping they can enjoy watching us do the same.

[B Calm]

35. SOB. . . Resign for flirting LOL!

[fascisthunter]

37. lol

oh brotha

[lumberjack_jeff]

43. My "this is my business" threshold is very clear.

Abandoning your state to "hike the Appalachian trail"? Malfeasance.
Picking up men in public restrooms? Illegal.
Hookers? Illegal, diapers or not.
Having kids with the live-in domestic help? Hypocritical in the extreme.

Typing? I don't give a shit. If anything, this case is a great example of the value of his consistent defense of online privacy. I won't reward Breitbart's winged monkeys for snooping/hacking email.

There isn't a married man or woman in this country who hasn't flirted (to one degree or another) with others. Whether that flirting has crossed the line for the spouse affected is only their business.

[Iggo]

45. We?

[bluestate10]

47. Yes. Totally. In particular given that a progressive democrat can easily

hold his seat if he vacates. The longer Weiner hangs on, the more damage he does to that progressive's chances of a big victory. Weiner is selfish. If he really cared about his constituents instead of his own ass, he would have realized what displaying a hard penis to several women could bring. His weasel words made during his "confession" leaves me feeling that he has bedded women and that more brutal shoes are about to drop. For the love of god, Weiner must quit and go away.

[Pryderi]

49. So it's ok for someone to randomly tweet a pic of their turgidness to you?

[lumberjack_jeff]

54. Random?

Straw man (n)
a component of an argument and is an informal fallacy based on misrepresentation of an opponent's position. To "attack a straw man" is to create the illusion of having refuted a proposition by substituting it with a superficially similar yet unequivalent proposition (the "straw man"), and refuting it, without ever having actually refuted the original position.

[Pryderi]

66. does "targetted" work better for you? n/t

[lumberjack_jeff]

75. "upon request" works better. n/t

[Spike89]

51. No, because we don't all share a history

I have never called for any politician to resign over a legal sex scandal (I haven't but reserve the right to get all bent out of shape over an illegal sex scandal). Of course, the sex scandal is rarely the outrageous behavior...the coverup is always the worst part.
Let his constituents give him the boot if they want, if he loses enough support, they can even try to force him to resign, but it isn't my fight and I am no hypocrit for not believing this crap is trivial.
For the record, if Weiner had been blackmailed (say he gave away state secrets to preserve his, well, that isn't a sex scandal, it is a treason scandal) or if he had introduced or even voted on a bill to make it mandatory for everyone to send crotch shots over Twitter to cover up his actions, I'd be outraged. In other words, I don't care what he does as long as he doesn't break real laws or subvert his oath of office.

[Philippine expat]

56. If he had fessed up initially I would say no

but he lied and tried to find a way to cover it up so I vote yes

[TheBigotBasher]

58. Tell me one time he spoke as a moral conservative,

legislated as a moral conservative or preached as a moral conservative.

If he has then he should resign. If he has not done, then it is a matter between him, his wife and their families. The bedroom, where conservatives want big government and liberals want it shrunk to the size of a Santorum wipe.

[Iggo]

59. I say he should not resign. And I'm not a hypocrite. (n/t)

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

60. Did Bill Clinton resign? Or, JFK?

[stevenleser]

63. No, I never say people should resign for something like this.

If they break the law or force themselves on someone, thats different. Also, if someone claims to be morally superior but then does something like this, I feel like they should resign for the hypocrisy.

[Odin2005]

69. YES. The Pukes used Clinton's lying about Monical as an excuse to impeach him.

[hack89]

71. Yes. I don't like people who lie to me. He is a lier. nt

[B Calm]

76. Then with those high standards, every republican in office would have to resign.

[hack89]

79. Sounds good to me. nt

[B Calm]

77. Deleted

[Bill McBlueState]

72. Who do you mean by "we"?

I'd have to think about who is in the group you denote by "we" and what previous opinions they've expressed about this sort of thing.

[rucky]

74. Did he abuse his office?

[ileus]

78. Why would we be? AW's one of the good guys...forgive and forget.

[TheKentuckian]

80. I don't give a loose shit about TeaPubliKlan sex or sex related bullmess either.

I only "care" that they run on "family values" and use religion as a prop to push regressive policies while being what they are against.

I do think Ensign should have stepped down forever ago but then he was using his office to bribe his skank and her husband along with large sums of money.