Let's admit it. We all encounter events in our lives of which we're not especially proud. I, for one, failed my high school chemistry final and I was once a liberal Democrat before I came to my senses. Still, I survived.
Former Sen. John Edwards couldn't keep his pants on and hopefully will go to jail, but he'll also survive, even if he won't have his hairdresser in prison.
Rep. Anthony Weiner apparently couldn't keep his pants on, either, but he should survive, personally if not politically-IF he ever learns to keep his mouth shut. He took one, small step for Weiner down that path by withdrawing from a Milwaukee speaking engagement on Friday.
Most of us enjoy at least to some extent such scandalous news and political scandals as those enveloping Edwards and Weiner. That said, the whole, smarmy Weiner-wiener-Twitter tale has gotten very old and is fast becoming less titillating than it is absurd. Weinergate will always have a redeeming factor, though, its multitude of ironies, which make its smarminess interesting, if not palatable.
The latest fillip in the story, Rep. Weiner's staff calling the cops on a reporter for trying to report, only adds to the irony surrounding the pathetic nature of the story of the congressman who was elected and re-elected on the bases of his liberal creds and made his rep as an outspoken, progressive proponent of all things liberal and is now ultra-conservative in his craving for a return to normality.
Thanks to Weiner and despite his continual blabbering, all the facts of the Weinergate case are still ambiguous but this much is clear: Someone took a picture of someone's bulging privates in a pair of briefs; someone transmitted the photo to a 21 year old college student on Weiner's Twitter account; someone ratted out that yet unidentified someone.
The ironies overfloweth and the cop feature only adds to them.
According to the CBS account, Marcia Kramer went to the congressman's Washington office in hopes of establishing some certitude regarding Weiner's stated incertitude as to the identity of the privates in question. Kramer announced herself and her purpose, namely to interview the six-term representative from New York's 9th cd.
Doors slammed, she was ignored, and finally was granted a very brief audience with Weiner's press secretary, David Arnold, the gist of which discussion was more denial. Kramer left and someone in the office sicced the police on her.
Weiner has steadfastly refused to officially notify legal authorities of the alleged Twitter hacking/prank, opting instead to hire private legal counsel to investigate and protect his interests, whatever they may be. Yet, his office notified legal authorities over an innocuous request for an interview.
How ironic.
Also bubbling with irony is the Rep. Anthony Weiner-Sen. Chuck Schumer relationship, and current lack thereof.
Anthony began his career as a Chuckie protégé, serving as an aide in the Washington office of then-Congressman Schumer, shifting back to New York's greener pastures as a city councilman for three terms, moving on up to Schumer's 9th cd seat when Schumer moved on up to the Senate, semi-shifting back to the Big Apple to take a few shots at the mayoralty, before settling in back in D.C., properly ensconced in his congressional seat from which he loved to noisily rail at conservatives and verbally abuse his staff.
Old buddy Chuckie, known as a publicity hound who never misses a chance to get his face on camera advocating or protesting one thing or another, has yet to weigh in on Weiner's ongoing Twitter travails.
Not a word has been heard from the loquacious senator on behalf of his former protégé, no television appearances or interviews, no votes of confidence in Weiner's integrity as a progressive spokesman, not even a press release from the senator's office.
Sadly ironic even if it is in character for liberals.
Then there's the most ironic element of all: the fall to Earth of a nice, Jewish boy from Brooklyn, a progressive, Democrat star, avid supporter of Obamacare and partial birth abortion, a hawk-dove who voted for the Iraq War before he opposed it.
Isn't it ironic that Anthony Weiner is finally getting his comeuppance! Well, maybe not. It's more like poetic justice. It couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.
(See all sources at http://www.genelalor.com/blog1/?p=4725)
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