Monday, June 13, 2011

Weiner, Viewed From Over Here

It is weird to read the news about Congressman Weiner while I'm in France. The guy did what again? Sent a picture of himself in his underwear to a lady? Sent some other ladies pictures of himself with his shirt off? From the American headlines, you would think there was a scandal.

A guy in his forties gets random messages from young women, he's going to be interested. They say sweet things to him, he shows off, they gush, he shows off more. It's addictive. You will not find very many guys in their forties who would not pause to entertain a young lady who showed that kind of interest in him. He doesn't need psychiatric treatment, if that's all that happened. He's dumb, but normal, which is not contradictory.

Weiner uses Twitter, like millions of other people, to follow events and to broadcast his opinions about things that are going on. Sometimes people tweet @RepWeiner and sometimes he goes into direct message mode, which is not posted publicly, to correspond with followers. That's nice, I think it would be cool to be able to have a personal conversation with a Congressman on the computer. There might be joking around, satire, people might tell their personal stories, and sometimes, it appears, there is some flirtation, sometimes rather explicit. And sometimes you screw up and tweet when you meant to DM, and some slimeball who hates you gets a screencap before you can delete it. Leading to the sad situation of RepWeiner, the Twittering Fool.

I suppose there is tweet-sexing or something, I know nothing about that and that does not seem to be what Weiner was doing. He was just communicating informally with constituents and interested citizens, and some of them were cute chicks, and some of the conversation ran off the tracks in a predictable direction, facilitated and amplified by speed-of-light technology. When most of us older guys are talking to a woman, it is extremely rare for the situation to come up where she would want to know how we look in our underwear, even joking. But a Congressman has the advantage, every personal thing he shares with a private citizen is flattering, he is a high-status person and power is a known aphrodisiac. Situations will come up, things will be made available to a powerful man that the rest of us have to struggle for. RepWeiner received the kinds of correspondences that TonyW would not have, and he should have exercised more caution in how he dealt with them.

He shouldn't have said those things, Weiner shouldn't have sent those pictures. He's married, everybody knows what you aren't supposed to do. Guys in their forties aren't supposed to show off for women in their twenties. Because we are Americans, we have no concept corresponding to "c'est la vie," we have only judgment and blame. And now he's going to a shrink to deal with his problem. It's weird.

46 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

the worst part is how judgmental the Democratic leadership in Congress has been

give the guy a break, he was born that way

there is no scientfic evidence that his "disturbance" can be cured

we need to support this sexually exploratory minority

Jim, if I were you, I'd spent whatever time you don't have to spend on your presentations out seeing sights on the street and forget about this lame blog

and to our sophisticated friends in France I have one message:

LAAAADEEEE!!!

June 13, 2011 9:55 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

If, in your judgement, so-called Anonymous, this blog is so lame, that says something about you more than the blog. You are a pseudo-intellectual masochist if you continue to come here to spout your nonsense!

June 13, 2011 10:21 AM  
Anonymous svelte_brunette said...

Anon claimed:

“give the guy a break, he was born that way
there is no scientfic evidence that his "disturbance" can be cured
we need to support this sexually exploratory minority”

Stupid Promiscuous Heterosexual is hardly a sexual minority. They proliferate among our political, athletic, and entertainment classes. Hardly a week goes by before another one makes the news for sexual relations with someone they shouldn’t have. Sometimes it’s also criminal behavior and someone goes to jail. If they’re politically well connected enough though, they can avoid that.

It is probably common in the less visible classes too, but nobody bothers writing stories about them, but you can see them on a TV show called “Cheaters.”

There are probably things our local churches could do to try and curb this behavior, but it seems some of them are far more obsessed with what the gays are doing instead.

Have a nice day,

Cynthia

June 13, 2011 10:27 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Can you imagine what it is like to be anon's wife? Guy has no imagination, thinks anybody who's sex life is satisfying is an "explorer" or a "deviant" or a "sexual minority." Thank God for the pool boy.

June 13, 2011 10:29 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"we need to support this sexually exploratory minority" just like elected House and Senate GOP members support Vitter the john:

"WASHINGTON -- As Republican calls for the resignation of Democratic New York Rep. Anthony Weiner mount, the party is being forced to confront its own uncomfortable reality: sitting Senator David Vitter of Louisiana.

Vitter was discovered to have regularly used the prostitution service of Deborah Jean Palfrey, also known as the D.C. Madam, after details of an investigation into Palfrey's service were leaked toHustler magazine.

Vitter admitted to using the Washington, D.C.-based prostitution service in July 2007. Even so, 27 prominent Republicans gave a total of $161,700 to Vitter's 2010 reelection effort.

One of those Republicans was John Cornyn, the head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. Cornyn called on Weiner to resign Wednesday. In 2009, he gave Vitter $10,000 and as chair of the NRSC directed another $42,800 to his campaign, according to Federal Election Commission records.

House Speaker John Boehner has yet to weigh in on Weiner, but if he does, he may have to answer questions about the $5,000 he gave to Vitter in 2010. Boehner was one of only three House Republicans to donate to Vitter's campaign.

In July 2007 Vitter admitted, first in a letter and then at a press conference, to have used Palfrey's prostitution service when he served in the House of Representatives from 1999 to 2004. Vitter was also revealed to have scheduled prostitution appointments during House roll call votes. Vitter had previously denied having an affair and paying for prostitutes, citing family problems for his withdrawal from a bid for the Louisiana governorship in 2002.

After the Palfrey revelations, a New Orleans-based prostitute, Wendy Yow, came forward andrevealed that Vitter had regularly used her services after he was elected to the House in a special election to replace Rep. Bob Livingston, who retired to become a lobbyist after revealing his own affair.

Vitter continues to deny any involvement with Yow or other prostitution services aside from the D.C. Madam. Yow, however, passed a polygraph test administered by Hustler.

On Monday, Weiner admitted that he had sent a lewd picture to a follower of his Twitter account and then lied about it to the public and the media. He continued to explain that he had engaged in inappropriate online conversation with at least six women over the past few years. No money changed hands and no laws were broken.

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Preibus has led the calls for Weiner to step down. On Wednesday he assailed the Democratic response to the scandal: "If Nancy Pelosi was serious about draining the swamp ... there are certain times that leaders need to step up and make a difficult decision to tell their own that they should leave."

On Tuesday, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) stated, "I don't condone his activity. And I think he should resign." Cornyn echoed Cantor's call on Wednesday.

Other lawmakers who may be thinking twice before calling for Weiner's resignation include Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), John Barrasso (R-Wyo), John McCain (R-Ariz.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Mike Enzi (R-Wyo), Mike Johanns (R-Neb.), Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.), Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), Dave Camp (R-Mich.), Louie Gohmert (R-Texas). Each contributed to Vitter's reelection campaign."

June 13, 2011 11:47 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"Stupid Promiscuous Heterosexual is hardly a sexual minority."

guys who feel compelled to send disrobed photos of themselves to every female who calls them hot remain a minority

they don't have a choice!!!

"Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain said in an interview with Bloomberg View columnist Jeffrey Goldberg that President Barack Obama was "raised in Kenya."

The suggestion from the former CEO of Godfather's Pizza came in an exchange about why the GOP hopeful doesn't consider himself an African American.

"I am an American. Black. Conservative," he said in explaining his view on the matter. "I don’t use African American, because I’m American, I’m black and I’m conservative. I don’t like people trying to label me. African American is socially acceptable for some people, but I am not some people."

Cain said that he considers himself to be "a black man in America" and feels stronger ties to the United States than to Africa. He suggested his perspective has been informed by the fact that he can trace most of his ancestors to the U.S. and it also "goes back to slavery."

The presidential contender went on to draw a contrast between himself and the president, who he described as "more of an international," before suggesting "he was raised in Keyna.""

While Cain has generally been regarded as a longshot contender in the race for the Republican presidential nomination, recent polls show the GOP hopeful making headway in his pursuit of the White House."

June 13, 2011 1:03 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

June 13, 2011 3:14 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

June 13, 2011 3:23 PM  
Blogger JimK said...

Anon, I have allowed you to post irrelevant and chimerical news stories, but I will not allow you to insert your fabrications into existing stories. I'm sorry the truth does not serve you well enough, but you will stick to it here.

JimK

June 13, 2011 3:26 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

did you know the Obama administration considers war an appropriate response to computer viruses?:

"Appearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee for a confirmation hearing for his appointment as the secretary of defense, Leon Panetta warned that the U.S. could face cyberwarfare in battles to come.

“The next Pearl Harbor we confront could very well be a cyber attack,” Panetta said.

“This is a real possibility in today’s world,” he said. “As a result, I think we have to aggressively be able to counter that.”

The Obama administration recently unveiled its proposal for global cybersecurity. Statements from the Pentagon have also indicated that the government will consider cyberattacks originating from foreign countries to be equivalent to acts of war meriting military response."

I wonder if some terrorist secretly sent out those Weiner pictures.

June 13, 2011 4:09 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"Anonymous's" multi-year hate-based obsession with gays as well as his new laser focused fascination with Internet photos of Weiner's weiner are apparently incurable.

June 13, 2011 5:09 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Obama has now officially joined the judgmental hypocrites of the Democratic Party.

How would they like it if they were judged for being who they are"

Weiner should stay in office and be the candidate to run against the Republicans next year.

He's in TREATMENT, people!

It's only right to run him as the representative of the Democratic Party in 2012:

"President Barack Obama tells NBC's Ann Curry in an exclusive interview scheduled to air Tuesday that if he were Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.), he'd resign from congress.

Weiner has thus far resisted calls to step down from his post amid intense controversy surrounding inappropriate interactions he admitted to engaging in online and lewd photos surfacing of the congressman.

The AP reported earlier in the day that White House spokesman Jay Carney said the president feels that the embattled congressman's actions have been "inappropriate." However, he stopped short of signaling Obama thinks Weiner should resign.

Over the weekend, Democratic party leaders urged Weiner -- who is currently on a temporary leave of absence from his job and seeking treatment -- to resign."

June 13, 2011 8:29 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

everyone can calm down now

the Dems in Congress have stopped being judgmental and have now sided with the true victim here: Weiner

the Weiner shade of the rainbow is now official:

"WASHINGTON -- The House has approved without objection a two-week leave of absence for embattled Rep. Anthony Weiner.

Weiner's request was approved by unanimous consent at the close of legislative business Monday night.

The New York Democrat is receiving treatment at an undisclosed location after becoming embroiled in a sexting scandal."

whew! that's a relief!

Dems are now back to following the arc of the rainbow as it bends toward tolerance

just think of the bullying and torment this poor fellow endured every time he innocently slipped a picture of himself to females who taunted him by calling him "hot"

not hurting a soul, just bein' himself

shouldn't we all be free to be you and me?

let's just hope he hangs in there and runs for re-election (wink-wink)

June 14, 2011 6:43 AM  
Anonymous Pride in Israel said...

"Gay Orthodox Jews See Growing Acceptance in Israel

TEL AVIV, Israel (RNS) Though never short on spectacle, this year's annual gay pride festival was even more colorful with a parade float, sponsored by Google, representing the country's religious gay and lesbian communities.

Dressed in shorts and T-shirts bearing the words "Religious Pride Community," the 20- and 30-somethings who accompanied the float on Friday (June 10) smiled proudly if even a bit self-consciously when onlookers did a double take or shouted, "Good for you!"

While Israeli law forbids discrimination based on sexual orientation in most areas of life, and gay soldiers can serve openly in the military, the public at large is only beginning to accept the notion that observant Jews can be both openly religious and openly gay.

Religious Jews who are gay or lesbian have traditionally hidden their sexual orientation from their rabbis and others because traditional interpretations of the Torah consider same-gender sexuality an "abomination."

Within Orthodox communities, the Modern Orthodox are much more open-minded than the ultra-Orthodox, many of whom still view homosexuality as an unspeakable sin.

The irony, activists say, is that gay religious Jews don't just remain in the closet; many simply stop living a religious life altogether.

"Many religious people who realize they're gay feel rejected by the society they grew up in and decide to become secular," explained Talya Lev, a spokeswoman for Bat Kol, an Israeli-based Orthodox lesbian organization. "Yet there is a growing number of gay religious people for whom religion is an integral part of who they are, and they won't give it up."

Activists say there are thousands of religious gays and lesbians in Israel, the majority of them still in the closet. But in the past five or six years, she said, more have summoned the courage to "come out" as Orthodox and gay.

"They're no longer running away, and some communities are even embracing them," she said.

A few mainstream Jewish institutions are also reaching out. Last year, the U.S.-based ROI Community of Young Jewish Innovators gave Bat Kol a $10,000 grant to develop an English-language website that is now accessible to observant lesbians.

While conceding that "there's still a long way to go," Lev said Orthodox Jews are at least "beginning to acknowledge that (we) exist."

Part of the shift can be traced to "Trembling Before God," a groundbreaking 2001 documentary that followed American and Israeli Orthodox gays and lesbians as they struggled to reconcile their religion and sexuality.

Daniel Jonas, spokesman of Havruta, an Orthodox gay men's association that also belongs to the Religious Pride Community coalition, said the film "had a strong impact on religious society."

"Some of those interviewed were kicked out of their homes, their communities, committed suicide," he said, putting the religious community's exile of gays and lesbians on full display.

He also credited -- of all things -- Israel's 2005 withdrawal from the Gaza Strip for changing attitudes. He said many Orthodox Jews began to question their faith after the Israeli military forcibly uprooted religious settlers from Gaza, despite rabbis' assurances that God would not let this happen.

"Suddenly, perhaps for the first time, people realized they cannot put all their trust in the leadership of their rabbis," he said. "They had to think for themselves. It gave space for the individual in modern Orthodox society."

Even so, many Orthodox Jews and institutions stick with tradition, believing that homosexuality is a preference, not an orientation, that can be unlearned with the help of "conversion" therapy.

Gidi Grunberg's father told a family therapist that his son was ill.

June 14, 2011 7:30 AM  
Anonymous Pride in Israel said...

""The therapist asked my father whether he could change his height or his eye color. When he said 'no,' the therapist said, 'That's how it is with being homosexual. Your son is who he is."'

As a teenager, Grunberg said he quit his religious youth group "because I knew they wouldn't accept me if I came out of the closet." Today, he coordinates three groups for Orthodox gay and lesbian teens and young adults that draw about 100 participants to "discreet" locations.

"It's a place where they can be themselves," Grunberg said, "both religious and homosexual."

Lev, the lesbian activist, remains convinced that familiarity will breed acceptance, however slowly. As religious Jews realize that gays "are not strangers, but are in fact their friends, students, neighbors, and children," people will be "more willing to accept the person, even if they have issues with the act of homosexuality itself."

That's how it's been for Daniel Jonas, a spokesman for Havruta, the gay men's Orthodox group, who lives in a quiet Jerusalem neighborhood with his partner, Uri Erman.

"Our neighbors figured out that we're gay and they're cordial," said Jonas, who prays every day. "But I think the religious girls downstairs are still trying to come to grips with it."

Erman, who is no longer Orthodox, and Jonas keep a kosher home and they attend traditional Shabbat-eve dinners together at their Orthodox parents' homes. While they could find more acceptance in more secular Tel Aviv, they plan to stay in conservative Jerusalem.

"It would be very easy to leave," Jonas said, "but I love this city and feel committed to fight to make it a more tolerant place.""
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/13/gay-orthodox-jews_n_876296.html

June 14, 2011 7:31 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I thought this was a blog about what's happening in America

June 14, 2011 11:26 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"President Barack Obama tells NBC's Ann Curry in an exclusive interview scheduled to air Tuesday that if he were Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.), he'd resign from congress."

in another interview, Obama addressses his own situation, hinting he may follow Weiner's lead:

"WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama says his wife and daughters aren't "invested" in him being president and would have been fine had he decided against running for re-election.

Asked about his family's reaction, Obama said: "Michelle and the kids are wonderful in that if I said, `You know, guys, I want to do something different,' They'd be fine. They're not invested in daddy being president or my husband being president."

He says first lady Michelle Obama would be the first one to encourage him to do something "a little less stressful.""

how about a new consulting firm in 2013?:

Weiner & Obama

June 14, 2011 11:33 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

we need to the gays pushing their agenda out of the media:

"CNN's Don Lemon asked Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum if he has any gay friends on Monday.

Lemon, who publicly revealed he is gay in May, was speaking to Santorum in New Hampshire ahead of CNN's GOP debate on Monday night. Santorum is widely celebrated for his social conservatism and his opposition to gay rights. In fact, he is perhaps most famous for the popular anti-gay marriage comments he made in 2004.

Lemon asked how Santorum could be for small government and a ban on gay marriage at the same time. "Some people see that as government intervening on people's rights," he said. Santorum said he was merely trying to enshrine what was already in many state constitutions.

Lemon then said that he had recently been on a show where Santorum had been called bigoted for his views on gay rights.

"I have a difference of agreement on a public policy issue," Santorum said. "That doesn't mean I'm, you know, I hate anybody. I don't hate anybody."

"Do you have any gay friends?" Lemon asked. "Yeah," Santorum said. "In fact I've had gay people work for me."

"Yeah. And friends?" Lemon asked again. "Yes!" Santorum insisted.

"You know, when people say I have black friends," Lemon persisted.

"I was with a gay friend of mine just two days ago," Santorum said. "I mean, so, yeah, I do."

"You know that's a headline: Rick Santorum has gay friends," Lemon said, perhaps not knowing that the interview would later run with the chyron SANTORUM: I HAVE GAY FRIENDS underneath it. "It shouldn't be," Santorum said. "I don't know what the shock value is.""

June 14, 2011 12:32 PM  
Anonymous undisclosed disorder, undisclosed location said...

ut-oh, the ever-steady Dems are back to judgmental intolerance

gone is their love of the rainbow

no colors anymore, the Dems have all gone black

maybe soon they'll fade away and not have to face the facts

not easy facing up when your whole world is black

"WASHINGTON (AP) --With a defiant Rep. Anthony Weiner resisting calls from colleagues to quit and President Barack Obama saying he'd resign if he were in Weiner's shoes, House Democrats are wrestling with how to put the embarrassing online sex scandal behind them.

Democrats met behind closed doors Tuesday for the first time since the New York congressman admitted to sexually charged online relationships with several women and lying to hide his misdeeds. Frustration among Democrats is increasing as the scandal moves into its third week.

Democrats could try to oust the seven-term congressman from the House Democratic caucus or try to strip him of his committee assignment on the Energy and Commerce panel in hopes of persuading him to quit Congress.

Going into the meeting, Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, D-N.Y., told reporters, "Hopefully, we're hearing he might resign in a couple of days." She did not elaborate.

Obama's blunt words could help Democrats trying to oust Weiner.

"I can tell you that if it was me, I would resign," Obama told NBC's "Today" show.

In a rare foray into a congressman's ethical conduct, Obama said Weiner's actions were "highly inappropriate."

"I think he's embarrassed himself." the president said in an interview airing Tuesday.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., told reporters Monday, "I hope that the president having spoken and some leaders in Congress speaking out that Congressman Weiner will hear this and know that it's in his best interest for him to leave Congress."

The cascade of raunchy photos and other revelations about the 46-year-old married congressman has been a distraction for Democrats seeking an edge as they look ahead to the 2012 elections. Besides Pelosi, several other Democrats have called for Weiner to quit, including party chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz.

Congress returned to work Monday and the House quickly approved without objection a two-week leave of absence for Weiner. The congressman is said to be in treatment for an undisclosed disorder at an undisclosed location, but his spokeswoman has declined to provide information on his whereabouts.

Also on Monday the House Ethics Committee began a preliminary inquiry that could bloom into a full investigation if Weiner continues to ignore calls to resign.

Weiner's vow to seek treatment and to work to repair his tattered reputation did little to ease the furor.

Republicans suggested that Pelosi was not tough enough on Weiner. Michael Steel, a press aide to House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said in an e-mail that Weiner's intention to seek a leave of absence "puts the focus" on Pelosi.

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., who has called for Weiner to resign, said if Weiner does not leave, Democrats should consider taking away his committee assignment."

June 14, 2011 1:34 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

that candidate field for the Republican debate in NH last night was amazing!

what a strong field!

and Palin, Huntsman, and Perry weren't even there!

you could feel the shudders coming from the White House all the way across town!!!!

June 14, 2011 2:31 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

you could tell just by watching the debate that the gay agenda is history and will be......ROLLED BACK

June 14, 2011 2:34 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

House Republicans Cut Food Assistance For Low-Income Families While Protecting Azaleas

WASHINGTON -- If you're an azalea at the National Arboretum, you're in luck -- a Republican on the House Appropriations Committee is looking out for you. If you're a woman, infant or child, however, you're on your own.

Slipped into the FY 2012 agriculture appropriations bill that the House is expected to take up today is an unusual provision on page 13 requiring the National Arboretum to maintain a very specific portion of its azalea collection.

"The Committee directs the National Arboretum to maintain its National Boxwood Collection and the Glenn Dale Hillside portion of the Azalea Collection," reads the bill. "The Committee encourages the National Arboretum to work collaboratively with supporters of the National Arboretum to raise additional funds to ensure the long-term viability of these and other important collections."

While azaleas are being carefully tended to, the bill would cut $832 million from a program that provides food assistance to low-income mothers and children. The Center for Budget and Policy Priorities estimates that the reduction could result in as many as 475,000 people being turned away from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) if food prices continue to rise.

“Everyday people across the country leave their homes in search of work, only to return at the end of the day with more worries and less hope," said Rep. Sam Farr (D-Calif.), the agriculture subcommittee's ranking member. "At a time that people continue to struggle to make ends meet, Republicans want to cut funding to food programs that are helping put food on the tables of those most in need."

"Governing is about choices. It is clear where the House majority’s priorities lie -- and it is not with those of the American people," said Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), a strong WIC advocate, in a statement. "These cuts are unconscionable and will not only hurt families trying to survive, but also hurt our economy."

"We understand that we have an obligation to get our fiscal house in order," added Farr. "And Democrats are ready to work with our friends across the aisle to make that happen, but not by discriminately targeting those most in need.”

June 14, 2011 2:59 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I see you didn't mention the cost of maintaining the azaelas

nowhere near 832 million

but Pelosi continues with her limo service and, while we're at it, could we cut back on the housekeeping staff at the Capitol and have Pelosi do a little cleaning herself?

that should pay for some low income assistance, probably more than the mulch at the Arboratoreum

June 14, 2011 3:06 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"WASHINGTON — House Speaker John Boehner on Tuesday joined President Barack Obama and a chorus of other Democrats in suggesting that Rep. Anthony Weiner resign, while a member of Weiner's New York congressional delegation said she expects him to quit soon.

Boehner, who until now has let Democrats wrestle with Weiner's sexually charged messages and photos to several women, responded with a one-word answer when reporters asked whether Weiner should quit.

"Yes," he responded.

Earlier, Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, D-N.Y., told reporters, "Hopefully, we are hearing he might resign in a couple of days." She did not say how she learned that Weiner may soon buckle under the pressure.

Weiner is seeking professional help at an undisclosed location. His wife, State Department official Huma Abedin, is due back from an overseas trip early Wednesday.

Rep. Rob Andrews, D-N.J., said after a meeting of all House Democrats that Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi repeated her past statements. Pelosi has called for Weiner to resign.

Andrews said there was no discussion of stripping Weiner of his assignment on the Energy and Commerce Committee.

A House Democratic official said the caucus did not take any action against Weiner because party members wanted to see whether the mounting pressure would persuade him to leave on his own. The official spoke on condition of anonymity, because he was not authorized to comment on the meeting."

June 14, 2011 4:14 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"I see you didn't mention the cost of maintaining the azaelas"

You don't see a thing. You are apparently blind.

"the gay agenda is history"

No it isn't. Allowing gays to marry just like straights do is the future. Just ask your kids' friends.

"In recent election cycles the so-called "values voter" agenda has often been distilled to abortion and same-sex marriage. Yet these two controversial topics are no longer necessarily linked in the minds of Americans. The gap is particularly notable among the Millennial generation, who support rights for gay and lesbian Americans at rates much higher than their parents but whose generally supportive views on the legality of abortion do not deviate significantly from their parents or the general public.

Differing Trends

Over the last decade, the pattern of support for legalized abortion and same-sex marriage have been dramatically different. As we noted above, despite some modest volatility, support for legalized abortion has been generally stable during this period. Roughly the same percentage of Americans said abortion should be legal in all or most cases in 1999 (57%) as say this today (56%). On the issue of same-sex marriage, in contrast, there has been a dramatic shift in opinion, especially over the last decade. In 1999, only 35% of the public said marriages between same-sex couples should be recognized by the law as valid. In 2011, a majority (53%) say same-sex marriage should be recognized by the law as valid, an 18-point increase.

Generational Differences

...Among Millennials, nearly 6-in-10 (57%) say gay and lesbian couples should be allowed to marry, and an additional 19% say they should be allowed to form civil unions. Among Americans age 65 and older, only about 1-in-4 (26%) say gay couples should be allowed to marry, and another 27% say they should be allowed to form civil unions. Seniors are more than twice as likely as Millennials to say there should be no legal recognition of gay couples' relationships (44% vs. 21%)."

http://www.publicreligion.org/objects/uploads/62/Millennials_Abortion_and_Religion_Survey_Report.pdf

June 14, 2011 4:14 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Remaining in office despite numerous cries for his resignation worked out so well for President Clinton. I think Weiner would do well to follow his example. After all, only Mrs. Weiner, like Mrs. Clinton, has the right to be offended by her husband's adolescent conduct.

June 14, 2011 4:19 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"Allowing gays to marry just like straights do is the future."

not the near future, as the Repubs will easily take the Senate and, probably, the White House

even millenials, who have been indoctrinated by the NEA and Hollywood, don't vote on the issue so a gay obliteration of marriage will remain elusive

so as long as Dems embrace Keynesian and socialist policies, a byproduct will be a gay agenda with no fuel

June 14, 2011 5:03 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"Calif. Same-Sex Marriage Ruling Upheld
June 14, 2011 at 5:04 PM ET

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A federal judge on Tuesday upheld a gay judge's ruling that struck down California's same-sex marriage ban, noting that his fellow jurist could not be presumed to have a personal stake in the case just because he was in a long-term relationship with another man.

In a 19-page ruling, Chief U.S. District Judge James Ware said former Chief Judge Vaughn Walker had no obligation to divulge whether he wanted to marry his own gay partner before he declared last year that voter-approved Proposition 8 was unconstitutional.

Ware called it the first case in which a judge's same-sex relationship had led to calls for disqualification. He said there probably were similar struggles when race and gender were the issues."

June 14, 2011 5:52 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"Same-Sex Marriage Within One Vote of Passage in Albany
June 14, 2011, 4:42 PM

ALBANY — New York is within a single vote of legalizing gay marriage after a second Republican state senator said on Tuesday that he would support the measure should it come to the floor this week.

The senator, Roy J. McDonald, from the capital region, made his comments to reporters amid growing indications that Republican leaders would bring the bill to an up-or-down vote on Thursday or Friday.

Three other Republican state senators, speaking on condition of anonymity because their conference had not yet formally debated the measure, said they believed the bill was almost certain to come up for a vote and that it would likely pass, making New York the sixth, and largest, state in the nation to legalize same-sex marriage.

The vote tally in the State Senate now stands at 31 of 62 members, with one more vote needed to approve the law. The Assembly has passed the measure several times before and is likely to do so again this week if the Senate moves ahead.

“I think I’m doing the right thing, it’s the appropriate thing, and if the public respects that, I’m grateful,” Mr. McDonald said as reporters pressed him in the Capitol for his decision. “If they don’t, then I move on.”

Mr. McDonald’s announcement followed a declaration Monday by a Republican colleague, James S. Alesi of Monroe County, that he would also support the bill. Three Senate Democrats who had voted against the measure two years ago also said they would vote for it this year.

On Tuesday afternoon, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo introduced his bill to both houses of the Legislature, a step he said earlier this year he would not take unless he were confident of a victory. His measure would allow same-sex couples from anywhere in the nation to marry in New York beginning 30 days from passage.

The governor’s language also includes provisions that exempt religious institutions from any obligation to solemnize or provide facilities for gay weddings, a sticking point for Republicans in both houses of the Legislature."

June 14, 2011 5:53 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

gee, I wonder why everyone's so interested

you'd almost think they had something in mind:

"Monday's GOP debate netted very good ratings for CNN.

The debate, which featured all of the major (declared) Republican candidates for president, drew 3.162 million viewers and handily winning the the Monday night cable news ratings."

"SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A federal judge on Tuesday upheld a gay judge's ruling that struck down California's same-sex marriage ban"

excellent example

when California first started debating a gay obliteration of marriage, polls showed voters in favor

after talking it through, the voters rendered their verdict: no gay destruction of marriage

now, a gay judge has ruled it unconstitutional under the U.S. Constitution

the Supreme Court is sure to set it straight (wink-wink)

"“I think I’m doing the right thing, it’s the appropriate thing, and if the public respects that, I’m grateful,” Mr. McDonald said as reporters pressed him in the Capitol for his decision. “If they don’t, then I move on.”"

yes, well get ready to move on

note that in both cases, the will of the public is being dissed

no sign of a millenial generation surge

June 14, 2011 7:46 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"WASHINGTON (AP) - House Speaker John Boehner says the Obama administration clearly will be in violation of the War Powers Act by this weekend after failing to seek congressional consent for the U.S. military action in Libya.

In a letter sent to the White House on Tuesday, the Ohio Republican asked President Barack Obama to explain - by Friday - what are the legal grounds for the operation."

every President since Nixon has complied with the War Powers Act

does Obama thinks he's above it?

stay tuned

it could be impeachment time

of course, Barry's probably just too busy

could be he's writing a new children's book or redecorating the Oval Office or travelling to the Carribbean?

June 14, 2011 10:55 PM  
Anonymous the Dem scandal that never ends said...

Former porn star Ginger Lee appeared at a press conference in New York Wednesday to discuss her relationship with embattled Congressman Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.).

"I did not sext Anthony Weiner," Lee said in a statement. "I did not send photos to him or receive photos from him. Any time he would take conversations in a sexual direction, I would not reciprocate."

“When the scandal broke and people started emailing me, I did not know what to do. So I emailed Anthony Weiner. He asked me to lie about our communication."

"I think that Anthony Weiner should resign, because he lied to the public and the press for more than a week," Lee concluded.

According to Lee's lawyer, Gloria Allred, Lee and Weiner exchanged approximately 100 emails, starting in March and ending approximately two weeks ago. In a number of them, Weiner made reference to his "package."

“I have wardrobe demands too. I need to highlight my package," Allred read from one email allegedly sent by Weiner. “Alright, my package and I are not going to beg," he apparently wrote in another.

When Lee's name first appeared in connection to Weiner both she and the congressman dismissed any notion that they had a relationship.

“This is another person who I -- has gotten dragged into this for no reason other than she was following me and asked to be followed by me,” Weiner told CNN's Wolf Blitzer on June 1, as he sought to keep the lid on the scandal. “I think what this is about is a fairly pro forma thing that goes out that I send out to people as I follow them.”

“This has gotten a little bit crazy. I don't know who the woman is. I followed her for a moment. And then someone started Tweeting, oh my goodness, Anthony Weiner is following someone in that industry.”

“I haven’t met Rep Weiner. I follow him on Twitter because I support him & what he stands for,” Lee said in an email to The Daily Caller. “I have been hounded by his political opponents but that hasn’t changed my view of him and what he fights for.”

According to TMZ.com, however, at the same time that Weiner was denying any direct contact with Lee, he was corresponding with her to offer advice on how to manage the scandal.

"Do you need to talk to a professional PR type person to give u advice?” he asked on June 2. “I can have someone on my team call.”

"The key is to have a short, thought out statement that tackles the top line questions and then refer people back to it," he said. "Have a couple of iterations of: 'This is silly. Like so many others, I follow Rep. Weiner on Twitter. I don't know him and have never met him. He briefly followed me and sent me a dm saying thank you for the follow. That's it.'"

Lee said on Wednesday that as the scandal grew, she emailed Weiner for advice, but wasn't comfortable with the statement he asked her to give to the media denying that they were in contact.

Allred said that should her client be asked to cooperate with a House ethics investigation, Lee would cooperate full. “She stands ready to cooperate with that investigation if asked to do so," Allred said. "If asked to testify, she will testify truthfully. And she will provide all of her communications to and from the congressman to the committee.”

June 15, 2011 2:38 PM  
Anonymous going to Carolina in my mind said...

Republican state representatives in North Carolina voted to override Democratic Gov. Bev Perdue's veto of the state budget Wednesday morning, ensuring that a provision to strip all federal and state money from Planned Parenthood will take effect on July 1. North Carolina is now the third state, after Indiana and Kansas, to defund the family planning provider because it also provides abortions.

June 15, 2011 3:23 PM  
Anonymous David S. Fishback said...

In a very important respect, the GOP debate was very useful, since all the candidates are making it clear that their view of the role of government in the economic life of the country is the same as that of the GOP in the 1920s. As for the substance of their views, they all would have fit right in with a GOP discussion leading up to the 1928 presidential election. And we all know -- or should know -- what happened in 1929.

That the Democrats won the presidency and the House (and sort of won the Senate) in 2008 enabled us to avoid the total collapse we experience in the years of Republican rule after the 1929 crash. If the voters are wise, they (we) will remember that it was the laissez faire approach of government to the economy in the first decade of the 20th Century (similar to that of the 1920s) that caused the near-collapse in 2008, which we are still trying to dig out of.

June 15, 2011 3:38 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"And we all know -- or should know -- what happened in 1929."

yes, we do

taxes were raised and unions pushed through enormous tariffs in a recessionary environment, causing a depression

the problems continued during the FDR era until WWII melted everything down

after that, we were the only power with our infrastructure intact and we had the business of rebuilding and occupying the civilized world

in addition, chain stores and businesses exploded reducing costs and exploding employment

to quote Ronald Reagan:

"a recession is when your neighbor loses his job

a depression is when you lose your job

a recovery is when a Democratic President loses his job"

"If the voters are wise, they will remember that it was the laissez faire approach of government to the economy in the first decade of the 21st Century (similar to that of the 1920s) that caused the near-collapse in 2008, which we are still trying to dig out of."

The recession was over many months ago, David. The curent problems in the country are not due to 2008 but the uncertainty caused by the regulatory overreach of the Pelosi era. Because of our system, the American people couldn't turn the Senate back to the Republicans so we have to wait until next year to reverse the damage.

The seeds of the 2008 recession, btw, was largely the result of teh tinkering done by the head gay in America, Barney Frank, who decided to "roll the dice" and pressured the widespread distribution of bad loans to those who couldn't afford them. Bush the lame duck should have resisted, yes, but the Dem takeover of Congress in 2006 was the root of the problem.

Ask any mermaid you happen to see.

June 15, 2011 4:12 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

the head of the gay journalists on cable news gives her views:

"Rachel Maddow and Bob Herbert had a disagreement about the Anthony Weiner scandal on Maddow's Monday show.

Maddow began the segment by running through a long list of stories that the scandal was crowding out, and she brought on Herbert to discuss it. In her view, Democrats calling on Weiner to resign are making a big mistake.

"Why are Democrats turning on Anthony Weiner like this?" she asked.

Herbert said, "We should want higher standards in government," he said. "I do believe that Weiner's behavior has been egregious. In the first place, it's profoundly disrespectful to women. And if the photos that he sent, if they were uncensored, he'd be gone now. I mean, he sent some hideous stuff."

"But isn't that just rewarding the disproportionate coverage of him?" Maddow said. "For somebody like the president...to be stepping in and saying this is the standard that Democrats are held to, to me seems like a form of unilateral disarmament."

Herbert said it was simply about maintaining certain standards in a political party.

"I am absolutely flummoxed that Democrats are throwing him under the bus for this," Maddow concluded."

June 15, 2011 8:13 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

a new attack on religion from the heart fo Gayland:

"A new bill aims to cut short a proposed ban on circumcision in San Francisco.

US. Representative Brad Sherman (D-Calif.) will introduce the Religious and Parental Rights Defense Act of 2011 to prevent S.F. and other municipalities from banning male circumcision, which is religious obligation for Jewish males and is a common Muslim and Christian practice.

Sherman, who is Jewish, currently has one co-sponsor on the bill, Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), the first Muslim elected to Congress, JTA reports.

"The Religious and Parental Rights Defense Act of 2011 ensures that Jewish and Muslim families will continue to be able to enjoy the free exercise of their religious beliefs," Sherman said in a statement, adding that proponents of a ban have an obligation to provide compelling medical evidence against male circumcision. In fact, he said, the medical literature shows the opposite.

Announcement of the bill comes as the San Francisco "intactivist" effort heats up. Voters won't be able to weigh in until November, but the anti-circumcision movement is already gaining support.

Matt Hess, president of San Diego-based group MGM Bill (MGM stands for "Male Genital Mutilation"), recently raised claims of anti-Semitism after the release of a second issue of his comic, "Foreskin Man," which featured a sinister Orthodox Jewish villain by the name of Monster Mohel.

The San Francisco effort would ban circumcision for males under the age of 18, carrying a fine of $1,000 and up to one year in prison."

June 15, 2011 8:31 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

remember, not so long ago, this was a done deal in Maryland

it ain't over until the fat lady sings

and laryngitis is going around the opera house:

"Two years ago, the Democrat-controlled New York Senate overwhelmingly defeated legislation that would have legalized same-sex marriage.

But by the end of this week, the Senate — now controlled by Republicans — may pass similar legislation. The Assembly was expected to pass the bill today.

It appears Gov. Andrew Cuomo and like-minded activists have convinced at least two Republican senators and three Democrats to switch their vote to “Yes.” That means 31 senators support the redefinition of marriage; 32 votes would be needed to pass the legislation.

The Rev. Jason McGuire, president of the New Yorker’s Family Research Foundation, said there are intense talks going on among Republicans.

“This should be a very good sign for those of us who support the traditional definition of marriage and the family,” he said. “But it’s not a done deal, by any means. Keep the calls coming. Keep the emails coming.”

If the legislation passes, New York would become the sixth state — and the largest, by far — to legalize same-sex marriage. McGuire invited marriage advocates across the country to stand with him and his team.

“We are calling for God’s people to pray,” he said. “That’s the bottom line. We recognize the battle is won or lost on our knees.”

New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan said the issue is not equality, as activists claim.

“It is about upholding a truth about the human condition,” he wrote on his blog. “Marriage is not simply a mechanism for delivering benefits: It is the union of a man and a woman in a loving, permanent, life-giving union to procreate children.

“God, not Albany, has settled the definition of marriage a long time ago.”"

June 15, 2011 10:02 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"laryngitis is going around the opera house"

There's always Ricola honey-herb drops.

Everyone knows the show must go on.

June 16, 2011 1:04 AM  
Anonymous Aunt Bea said...

4. Revenue Act of 1924
"The bottom rate, on income under $4,000, fell from 1.5% to 1.125% (both rates are after reduction by the "earned income credit").
Exemption of $1,000 for single filers and $2,500 for married couples and heads of family. A $400 exemption for each dependent under 18."
The top marginal rate on individuals fell from 58% to 46%.

5. "The United States Revenue Act of 1926...reduced inheritance and personal income taxes, cancelled many excise imposts...
A rate of 13.5 percent was levied on the net income of corporations."
The top marginal rate on individuals fell from 46% to 25%.

6. Revenue Act of 1928
"A rate of 12 percent was levied on the net income of corporations.'
The top marginal rate on individuals remained at 25%.

7. October 1929, the stock market crashed

So the facts of US history show there were some tariffs raised by the GOP before the stock market crashed in 1929. History also shows that deep tax cuts for individuals were made as well as new deductions allowed, and there was some tinkering with the tax rates for corporations, all of which preceded the stock market crash of 1929. Taxes were not raised until 1932, three long years after the stock market crashed and Hoovervilles were overflowing with homeless unemployed people all over the country. The New Deal enacted special relief programs aimed at the homeless under the Federal Transient Service (FTS), which operated from 1933-35.

June 16, 2011 9:23 AM  
Anonymous David S. Fishback said...

The New Deal established a regulatory infrastructure that prevented American Capitalism from going off the rails for 70 years, until the Bush II over-deregulation policies so weakened the regulatory framework that the economic system again went off the rails. Obama (and to some degree Bush) were smart enough to figure out how to avoid a total trainwreck. The GOP approach would put us right back on the road to 1929.

Also, what New Deal tariffs is Anon talking about? There were none. One of the big issues in the first third of the 20th Century was tariffs: The Republicans wanted them, and the Democrats were generally opposed.

The growth of the unions increased purchasing power of the working class, thus creating greater stability of the entire society and enabling us to be able to confront the challenges of World War II.

Anon is right about one thing: After WWI "we were the only power with our infrastructure intact and we had the business of rebuilding and occupying the civilized world." Now that we no longer have that advantage, which lasted until the late 1960s/early 1970s, our economic challenge is to how to compete with societies that have strong social safety nets -- or aspire to. Anon may think we will be more successful by going back to totally unfettered capitalism. I disagree. We need to find the best balance.

June 17, 2011 3:50 PM  
Anonymous Aunt Bea said...

Maybe Anon was referring to the Smoot–Hawley Tariff Act of 1930, which was the next tariff act passed by Congress after the Tariff Act of 1922.

Co-sponsored by Reed Smoot, (R-UT), chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and Willis C. Hawley, (R-OR), chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, this act was approved when the House passed the conference bill on a vote of 222 to 153, with the support of 208 Republicans and 14 Democrats.

Perhaps Anon's confusion stems from another one of Michele Bachmann's false and fractured history lessons. The Wikipedia link above reports "United States Representative Michele Bachmann (R-MN) has been mocked by journalists Keith Olbermann and Maureen Dowd for incorrectly referring to the act as "Hoot Smalley," and for blaming Democrat Franklin Delano Roosevelt for the act, when in fact it was sponsored by two Republican senators and signed into law in 1930 by President Herbert Hoover, a Republican."

Wiki continues with more facts: "In May 1930, the greatest trading partner, Canada, retaliated by imposing new tariffs on 16 products that accounted altogether for around 30% of U.S. exports to Canada. Canada later also forged closer economic links with the British Commonwealth. France and Britain protested and developed new trade partners. Germany developed a system of autarky.

Both Reed Smoot and Willis Hawley were defeated for reelection in 1932, the controversial tariff being a major factor in their respective losses."


You need to find a way to better inform yourself than listening to falsehoods spun by political candidates, Anon.

The lowering of defensive trade barriers did not happen until FDR and the Democrats passed the Reciprocal Trade Agreements Act of 1934, which "gave the president power to negotiate bilateral, reciprocal trade agreements with other countries. This law enabled Roosevelt to liberalize American trade policy around the globe. It is widely credited with ushering in the era of liberal trade policy that persists to this day."

June 18, 2011 9:03 AM  
Anonymous Aunt Bea said...

This CSPAN clip shows Michele Bachmann addressing the House of Representatives on April 27, 2009. Here's what she said:

"And as a matter of fact, the recession that FDR had to deal with wasn't as bad as the recession Coolidge had to deal with in the early 20's, yet the prescription that Coolidge put on that from history is lower taxes, lower regulatory burden, and we saw the roaring twenties where we saw markets and growth in the economy like we'd never seen before in the history of the country. FDR applied just the opposite formula, the Hoot-Smalley Act, which was a tremendous burden on tariff restrictions, and then of course trade barriers and the regulatory burden and tax barriers. That's what we saw happen under, under FDR that took a recession and blew it into a full scale depression. The American people suffered for almost ten years under that kind of thinking."

Bachmann has got these historical facts of the Great Depression completely wrong.

-The recession Coolidge had to deal with in the early 1920s was not greater than the Greatl Depression that started in 1929.

-It was the Smoot-Hawley Act, not the Moot-Smalley Act that raised tariffs high in a misguided attempt to protect US industry and farming.

-The Smoot-Hawley Act was passed in 1930, less than a year after the October 29, 1929 stock market crash and was signed into law by Herbert Hoover, who was President from 1928-1932.

-Senator Smoot and Representative Hawley, who sponsored the Smoot-Hawley Act both lost their bids for reelection in 1932 because of this act, which worsened the pain Americans felt during the first 2 years of the Depression and prolonged it.

-It's Bachmann who wants to turn the current recession we're trying dig our way out of into a "full scale depression" by repeating the mistake of cutting taxes just like Hoover and Coolidge did.

-The roaring twenties are not unlike the pre-burst bubble in the 1990s and early years of the 21st Century.

Too many years of Bush tax cuts combined with Clinton's signing of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, which removed regulations of the Glass–Steagall Act of 1933 that had prevented a second Great Depression for 70 years, brought us to the brink of a second Great Depression starting in 2007, exactly like Coolidge's and Hoover's tax cuts and lack of financial regulation brought us to the first Great Depression long ago.

Bachmann's retelling of this portion of US history is completely false. The biggest problem though IMHO is people like Anon believe her lies rather than research the truth themseles and then vote based on those lies rather than on the truth.

Those who forget history -- or *mangle* it -- are doomed to repeat it.

June 19, 2011 10:02 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

actually, anyone who doesn't realize that we're doomed unless we stop overspending and borrowing form our enemies to finance it is destined for great disappointment

you are doomed, however, to discover how mistaken you are

someone like Michelle Bachmann, if not Bachmann herself, will be the next President

and America will boom!

June 19, 2011 1:23 PM  
Anonymous Aunt Bea said...

That's right. It'll boom like it did in the 1920s right before it crashed and burned.

June 19, 2011 3:40 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

or maybe like the eighties

right 25 years before it crashed and burned when the Barney Frank Democrats took control of Congress

June 21, 2011 10:57 AM  

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