This is All I'm Saying About Anthony Weiner

And so, Anthony Weiner has announced his resignation, on the grounds that the so-called scandal has become such a distraction that it's no longer possible for him to serve effectively. That's hard to deny, since none of his colleagues has defended him, while President Obama, Harry Reid, and Nancy Pelosi have all said publicly that he should resign. Though he's a media star, highly visible and beloved by liberals, Weiner doesn't seem to have many friends on Capitol Hill. He was likely to be expelled from his committees, and it's probably true that his continued presence in Congress would do little good for the causes he supports.

But that's a factor of the reaction to what Weiner did. His ability to serve has been compromised not by his cybersexual encounters, but by a snickering, sanctimonious, deeply hypocritical Washington/media culture. You know the story: Weiner ranks quite low on the sex scandal scale; he didn't actually have sex with anyone, nor did he meet anyone in person; he did not prey on minors or on his employees; he did nothing illegal. He had some sexually-charged online chats with strangers, and shared some intimate self-portraiture. Whether you think this is a major transgression or not, you can't reasonably put it in the same league as the Vitter, Sanford, Ensign, Spitzer, McGreevy, Craig, Edwards, Gingrich, or Clinton scandals. As many have rightfully noted, these scandals only should matter when they involve illegal activities, or when they illuminate hypocrisies (as in the case of all Republicans who sermonize about the evils of abortion or gay marriage, then walk away from the podium and casually sodomize an aide).

But that's all been said a lot. What hasn't been said enough is that Anthony Weiner really didn't do anything so awful. Or, if it was awful, only his wife, Huma Abedin, is in any position to say so. If she has a problem with it, then yes, it is a problem -- a personal problem. Maybe Weiner has some work to do as a husband. But why the universal assumption that Ms. Abedin has been badly wronged? Isn't it possible that her attitude is: "I don't mind if Anthony fucks around on the Internet, as long as he doesn't pursue anyone in the flesh, and as long as our marriage stays strong?" Or: "Yeah, Anthony was supposed to stop doing that; I'm a little pissed." Why does the fact that Anthony Weiner engaged in some mildly naughty online conversations automatically make him a terrible person, and Huma Abedin a poor, suffering, abused spouse?

Now, in fairness, let's take it the other way. Abedin may indeed feel that this was a major transgression, that it amounted to a kind of infidelity, that it was a violation of her trust, and that the marriage cannot survive the continuation of these activities. If that is the way she feels, fine. It's up to her. It's between them. Why Weiner's cybersexual activities should bother anyone other than Huma Abedin, I can't imagine.

As popular culture becomes more permissive, the society surrounding it seems to grow more repressive. As Bill Maher pointed out last week, Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis grabbed each other's genitals on stage as part of a comedy bit at the MTV Movie Awards -- a children's show! But an adult flirting with another adult in private on the Internet -- that's inexcusable? That's a sign of moral decay? You know what I find infinitely sicker and more shameful than Anthony Weiner's online conduct? The conduct of his detractors at his press conferences.

Does the name Howard Stern mean anything to you? He was an occasionally amusing shock jock who enjoyed a brief moment of relevance at some point in the nineties. Apparently he's still around, and still talking and everything, and it was one of Stern's sidekicks whose voice was heard disrupting both of Weiner's recent press conferences. Not only was the goon's behavior embarrassing; he was clearly ignorant of everything he was trying to comment on, repeatedly addressing the congressman as "Senator Weiner," and shouting incoherent questions about penis size and erectile function. This was not a bit of Andy Kaufman reality hacking. This was a braindead bully, sitting at the back of the room, barfing language.

And then, of course, there is poor little Andrew Breitbart, who is only to be pitied. We partly owe the Weiner scandal to Breitbart, because Breitbart thinks this proves something about liberals, the way the Vitter, Craig, or Ensign scandals prove something about "family values" conservatives. I hardly need waste your time or mine explaining why Breitbart is wrong. Let's just say he's Breitbart and leave it at that.

But then, we don't owe the scandal only to Breitbart. We also owe it to Anthony Weiner, because even though I don't think he did anything so terrible, it was absurd of him to think none of this would ever come to light. You're a highly visible member of Congress, and you're interacting with strangers on the Internet; of course at some point those photographs are going to appear in a context you didn't choose. For an ambitious politician, it was a silly risk to take.

That's all.

Noah

10:53 PM

2 comments

Comments

All true, Noah, but you ignore what many have pointed out: The main issue was not his minor transgression but his lying about it. As with Watergate, it was the cover-up that really got him into trouble. Cyber-sex may not be relevant to his ability to do his job, but integrity and credibility are.

Of course, how serious his lapse in integrity was relative to those of many of his colleagues would be a fair area for debate. My only point is, you can't really ignore it as a factor, perhaps the primary one, in his resignation.

# posted by Rick : 6/18/2011 3:52 AM

But in the case of Watergate, the cover-up was covering up a real crime. I understand "the problem is that he lied," and like Clinton, Weiner probably made a mistake by not being 100% honest and revealing everything right away. But I still find more fault with a culture that makes these guys feel like they have to lie about these things. A politician lying about politics, war, or the economy is obviously unacceptable. But a politician lying about e-mailing pictures of his underwear -- I just don't care that much. For me, it doesn't much color Weiner's integrity or credibility, because it falls so far outside the boundaries of his public and professional life.

# posted by Noah Diamond : 6/18/2011 7:16 AM

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Friday, June 17, 2011

This is All I'm Saying About Anthony Weiner