I'm definitely gonna get shit for this, ESPECIALLY since I'm new

[QuintanarooBoy]

But I think Anthony Weiner has serious problems. Whether or not he should resign, I don't know: He still seems to have a lot of support in his district. But, were he my Congressman, I would indeed want him to step down.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x591011

That's a link to the clip in the Video Forum of Bill Maher and Jane Lynch reading verbatim the tweets exchanged between Weiner and a woman in Las Vegas. The clip clearly indicates that the Weiner Matter (I refuse to call it "gate") is not one of bad judgement, but psychological illness.

Then there's the the 17-year-old. Weiner claims the tweets weren't explicit. Then again, he has claimed a lot of things lately, many of which have proven untrue. But even if those communications contain nothing tawdry, it is still just basically WRONG for a man his age to be engaging in such behavior.

That's the way I feel, hope I don't get banned, but hey, that's not up to me.

[Exultant Democracy]

1. Shoul he get some help, yeah. Should we ignore the wishes of the 65% plus who want him to stay? No

His constituents clearly want him to stay in office and their opinion on this matters infinitely more than yours.

[bluestate10]

31. You are over stating Weiner's support. 51% of the people in his district

wanted him to stay on. 37% wanted him to resign. The rest were unsure. The poll was taken before the information about the 17 year old girl came out. My guess is the 37% is much larger now and the 51% smaller.

[proud2BlibKansan]

39. When was the poll taken?

Before or after the info about the 17 year old came out?

[Nye Bevan]

2. Larry Craig broke the law and never resigned.

Weiner is obviously a lying, sleazy pervert, but that's not illegal. If his constituents stll want him representing them, who am I to second-guess them?

[madmax]

14. +1

[ellenfl]

35. how is he a pervert? i'm not getting this pervert thing at all.

sexual foreplay between (or among) consenting adults is not perversion in my playbook. he's a sleaze who betrayed his wife but that should be between them. there is not a guy created, especially a conservative one, who is not wishing they had done what weiner has. it's not perverted, it's sexual. imo, the only thing weiner has done wrong is betray his wife, until and unless i hear otherwise, e.g. that he has broken a law.

ellen fl

[Nye Bevan]

37. Perhaps I'm just an old fuddy-duddy.

But I still think of sending a photo of your erect cock to a woman you have never met as somewhat perverted.

But then again, standards change. Women displaying their ankles used to be considered outrageous. Perhaps I just need to move with the times.

[Cleita]

3. I agree. I even did a post on it several days ago about

these actions as being a call for help. It doesn't mean that he can't do his job effectively, it just means that his illness needs to be diagnosed and treated.

[pscot]

19. I thought it was just the new normal

But then I no longer have a clue as to what this country is about.

[shraby]

4. Many congresscritters have correspondence of one sort or

another with teenaged constituents and also teenagers across the nation who are interested in politics. Been that way for a long long time.

To pre-judge Weiner on this is just plain wrong, especially since her family said nothing untoward was communicated to her.

I always thought someone is innocent until proven otherwise. Nuff said.

[patrice]

20. Yep. Think of all of the staffers, right this minute, who are going through Twitter

accounts trying to delete any that might be under-age!

[madmax]

5. Doesn't matter if you're new - we all argue our own points

If it were another time I might say - yeah he's gotta go but, we're in serious shit in the country and we need every Dem seat. I'd vote Hannibal Lechter if he was fighting for the the middle class and poor and ate Boehner's liver with a nice Chianti and some fava beans. That's just me.

Banned? Nah, unless you're a troll - read the rulz thang.

LOL wait when you here a little longer and read some verbal battles. There are certain lines we don't cross but, I believe you can freely speak your mind on DU and be respected for your difference of opinion.

[classof56]

6. Welcome to DU

Hope you are not adversely affected by the Wallow fire.

After watching this video on another post, I'm in total agreement about the inappropriateness (to say the least) of Weiner's conduct. I supported him and admired his political stances. Not sure if he should resign, but as I stated in the other thread, his wife should definitely take away his cell phone and monitor his internet exchanges. Or however that works. Anyway, yep, he did wrong and I hope he'll change his ways. Thanks for your post!

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[PCIntern]

11. well, you don't have to be a coal miner to know a lump of coal when you see it...

sorry, but there's little subtlety in Weiner's performance...and I don't think he should resign, BTW.

[The Midway Rebel]

18. Yeah, because rocks and minerals are the same thing as psychological disorders.

NOT!

I feel fully qualified to identify coal, I was born in Kentucky, got an A in Geology 121, I own a streak plate, thumbnail, paper clip, and a copper penny.

I am certain that Moh's hardness scale does not apply to the nuance and extensive training of diagnosing psychological dysfunction.

[patrice]

21. ding!

[The Midway Rebel]

25. Hit and run post.

Somehow, I get the feeling that the OP is not "ESPECIALLY" new.

[HopeHoops]

8. SHIT!

Well, technically you asked for it. :hi:

WELCOME TO DU!

Oh, I just watched that clip about half an hour ago and laughed my ass off, but keep in mind that the clip in question was with an adult, not a minor. The issue of marital compromise and appropriateness aside, there wasn't anything illegal involved. It wasn't like he hired hookers like Vitter did.

[spanone]

9. yea, keep pushing the 17 year old thing cause you know, he lied before

[La Lioness Priyanka]

10. this needs to be a stand alone thread? it hasnt been said before?

[Overseas]

24. I agree. New person should be encouraged to just add thoughts to the many existing threads.

I wish more people would do that.

I hope the new member will learn to do that.

We've already got tons of threads to which posters who don't like Anthony Wiener could add their thoughts.

[Mimosa]

27. That's what I used to do.

Until I got the lay of the land I didn't start topics. (Seldom do, even now.) But I didn't wait forever, either. When I did my topics were received OK. But I wasn't starting topics like this one when there have been 'tons of threads'.

[Overseas]

32. Me too. I joined existing topics for a long time.

Especially in case like this, with several threads available to join.

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Stevenmarc]

13. But he's not in your district.....NEXT!!!

[patrice]

23. ding! ding!

[lumberjack_jeff]

15. That conversation had two participants.

Freaky? By my standards, yes.

But he wasn't telling her anything she didn't want to hear.

[HipChick]

22. Agree..by OP standards anyone involved in cybersex has 'serious' problems

I don't see in anywhere in the transcripts where the participant said no..

[Snoutport]

16. Welcome to DU

I agree it is hard to understand why a seated elected official would put his job, family and the respect of the people he represents in jeopardy like this.

When you are a politician what people think is important. When you are a politician your actions color the impression of your entire party. One person's bad behavior can change an election.

But sometimes power goes to your head and you think you are above reproach.

If he stays and does not resign he will have to weather a real storm. If the people re-elect him, then that's that.

But he should have been smarter.

(and, he and Bernie Sanders were my favorite politicians so...I don't say anything lightly...I had hoped for better from a man I thought was a straight shooter)

[lumberjack_jeff]

17. His profile didn't insulate him from criticism, it made him more vulnerable.

Very few people would be motivated to do the panty sniffing required to catch you or I doing something wrong, simply because no one really cares.

[Morning Dew]

26. You might want to re-think that...

"weiner matter" is kinda gross.

[ClassWarrior]

28. I feel your concern: "I hope I don't get banned..."

:rofl:

Hoo-boy.

NGU.

[mitchtv]

29. ho hum

Moving to Queens or Brooklyn? No? Don't worry about it.

[underpants]

30. I get that. I wouldn't worry about getting banned we accept all kinds around here

I think that he clearly had a problem. The volume of texts and the variety of sites that he used means that he was at this all the time.

Good luck. I don't think you have anything to worry about.

[arcane1]

33. There were two parties in that conversation

and they both sound about the same as far as their content. So why does only one of them have mental problems, and not the other one?

[ismnotwasm]

34. I think it's up to his constituents if he should stay or go

But I agree, he's shown an incredible lack of judgment for such a smart man. Never a good sign, so I guess the question is, does this particular level of dumbassness affect how he represents the people who elected him? If not, I think we should let it become a private issue between him and his wife.

[badtoworse]

36. Weiner has become an embarrassment. I think he should go

If his constituents want him to stay, it's their call.

[geckosfeet]

38. Could not disagree more. But hey, that's just me. Oh - and a couple upthread posters.

[QuintanarooBoy]

40. !