You Can Always Count On Amanda Marcotte To Take The Ridiculous Approach
Dana Goldstein writes at The Nation that Marcotte finds a way to characterize Weiner as the victim of an anti-sex "free-for-all of rooting through politicians' trashcans to make sure their private sex lives adhere to someone else's standards."
Oh. Please.
In Goldstein's words:
But let's face it--any public figure who indulges this particular fetish is asking for trouble. Let's review exactly what Weiner did. Over the course of several years, he repeatedly met strange women online and then proceeded to consensually swap semi-nude photos, sexts, explicit email and Facebook messages, and occasionally engaged in phone sex with them.In the case of Meagan Broussard, the Texas mom who just happened to have ties to an as-yet unnamed Republican political activist, Weiner reached out to her at 3 p.m. on a Thursday; a photo he sent her depicts him sitting at a desk. He seems to have had phone sex from his Congressional office two days earlier with another woman, Lisa Weiss, just before he went down to the House floor to vote on a healthcare bill.
Weiner is a well-known workaholic. I'm not suggesting that he ever failed to fulfill his duties as a representative of New York's 9th district. And it isn't illegal to have phone sex from one's Congressional office. But what sort of mature, adult professional carries on in this manner during business hours, with one's staff just outside the office door? Not one with his priorities in order.
How did Weiner finally get caught? Due to his own stupidity when, on May 27, he miscoded a direct message containing a photograph of his crotch. Instead of sending the photo to Gennette Cordova, a Seattle college student, he blasted it to his public Twitter feed.
At that moment, Weiner lost any tenuous claim to privacy he may have had. (Remember, he was already aware that five women across the country possessed indiscreet photos of him. He was playing with fire.) I'm no fan of our debased and decadent media culture--heck, I usually write about education policy!--but I think that in America in 2011, it is simply absurd to suggest that the media not ask questions about a photo of an erect penis blasted out over a Congressman's Twitter feed.
Not even if you agree with his politics, like Amanda Marcotte says she does.
I get really sick of people giving a pass to others when they do. Oh, and I happen to be for the stuff Weiner is that Marcotte mentions in her piece -- gay rights, choice on abortion, and I support Planned Parenthood -- personally, with my dollars. But, I think Weiner showed wild stupidity unbecoming somebody elected to one of the highest offices in the land. And I don't think we're anti-sex prudes in not keeping mum about that.
For future reference, if you're a married public figure tweeting photos of your dick to a college girl in Seattle, Wolf Blitzer might want to ask you a few questions.
'don give a damn about a politicians private life... but when you start lying about stuff that's been made public [ironically by him] that's when I would wonder about how you can square all that.
Are these bozos so capable of compartmentalizing? I suppose. most of 'em seem to think that "this rule is for thee, not for me..." Regardless if it's taxes, or skirt chasing. Feministas should be having a field day, but like for Billy Boy they totally cover for him.
If a guy is single and sending creepy texts to girls. no great shakes. But a politician in a position of power, and married does that? Has no principles at all.
SwissArmyD at June 8, 2011 9:54 AM
He lied, and attempted to blame others for his actions. Who would trust, or allow such a person to have any influence over his life?
He needs to resign, or be expelled.
MarkD at June 8, 2011 10:00 AM
He's sure got a lot of free time, for a Congressman. Workaholics are usually avoiding something, and I'm guessing that his homelife with Hillary Clinton's top aide doesn't include much sizzle. Marcotte worked for John Edwards, so obviously her taste in men and employers is doubtful.
KateC at June 8, 2011 10:08 AM
forgot to add... idealogues like Marcotte can't seem to fathom that it is the lies and the lack of understanding about impropriety that people care about in a politician's character...
SwissArmyD at June 8, 2011 10:29 AM
There's more to this than the lying; there was an abuse of power where Weiner either encouraged other people to lie or sat back and did nothing while they lied and browbeat people on his behalf.
Joe at June 8, 2011 10:59 AM
Marcotte is consistently and factually wrong on almost everything she opens her mouth about, i.e. John Edwards' character, Duke rape case, Weiner, etc.
Why anyone takes seriously her irrational blatherings is a mystery.
lsomber at June 8, 2011 11:24 AM
Hell of a way to wake up at 6am: http://reason.com/blog/2011/06/08/no-really-swat-team-raids-hous
Just thought I'd brighten y'all day...
I R A Darth Aggie at June 8, 2011 11:31 AM
Here's what I tried to post in the comments section on the articles site but it wouldn't let me:
"My problem isn't that he sexted pictures of his "manhood" to other ladies. What happens between him and other consenting adults is between them. Hell, I don't even care that he did it as a married man. That's between him and his wife. A little adultery isn't that uncommon among powerful men and while I find it distasteful, it doesn't warrant a firing.
What I care about is that he did it on the tax payers dime. Over a span of 5 years, he managed to get away with doing this while at WORK. Work that is supposed to be as a public servant. Work that earns him a very generous salary that you and I pay for. Then, he lied about it. Repeatedly. Even when there was overwhelming evidence that it was him. You can't justify that no matter how you try to spin it. He's a liar, hypocrite. He's not only a liar but also an idiot.
Is that the kind of guy you want in power?
Furthermore,I have no doubt that if this was a Republican, people'd be screaming for his head (and none of the B.S about how Reps are the ones preaching family values and blahblahblah... with that I could argue that the Dem's must have NO family values then.)
No article written by a left leaning ultra fem (I am a woman by the way) about right to sexual privacy is going to convince me this guy deserves to keep his job. He gave up his right to privacy when he hit the send button on his phone."
It's probably a good thing that I didn't get to post it because she's not a very reasonable person anyway and neither are half the people who post there. It might have just led to a bunch of erratic replies calling me a traitor to women or some other nonsense.
Sabrina at June 8, 2011 12:45 PM
Here is Marcotte's response to Goldsteins article....
http://www.thenation.com/blog/161265/weinergate-throwing-stones
Sabrina at June 8, 2011 1:09 PM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2011/06/08/you_can_always.html#comment-2233498">comment from SabrinaThanks, Sabrina. A tip: Go in through Google or "The Nation" may make you give your email address to read it:
http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=http://www.thenation.com/signup/161265%3Fdestination=blog/161265/weinergate-throwing-stones&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8#sclient=psy&hl=en&client=safari&rls=en&source=hp&q=Marcotte+goldstein+throwing+stones&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=4f5aec7275b2637d&biw=1716&bih=944
Amy Alkon at June 8, 2011 1:21 PM
What I care about is that he did it on the tax payers dime. Over a span of 5 years, he managed to get away with doing this while at WORK. Work that is supposed to be as a public servant.
He's a Congressman. He's *never* off the clock.
It's like being a CEO or a Business owner.
ErikZ at June 8, 2011 3:28 PM
What a jerk- he pursues and marries what seems to me like a remarkable (and very attractive) woman, then chases other women. Are we all agreed that he's not only a jerk but a stupid jerk?
Only thing is- he's up there crying, and the girls are like, Omigod! Look what he did!
How about look what YOU did? They knew he was married, most of them knew he was a creepy stalker type, WHY DID THEY ENCOURAGE HIM?
Are any of those girls going to come forward and tearfully say, "Oh, I'm so sorry, why did I ever think it was a good idea to carry on with a married congressman- I'm such an idiot!"
Oh- I forgot- girls just LOVE to be pursued, so they can stand there and revile the guy when he gets caught...it really says something about what women want, that his wife totally ignored the clues that he was a jerk (she or her friends had to have seen clues) because it was so great to be courted and treated like a princess. Is that all that y'all want, really? To be treated like a princess by a rich jerk?
andy at June 8, 2011 8:29 PM
Actually, if you are a Dem Congressperson who sex DMed to college girls: Wolf Blitzer DOES NOT want to ask you questions. That is part of the problem. Wolf Blitzer wants to help your alibi.
gcotharn at June 8, 2011 9:29 PM
Can someone please explain to me why many women on the Left consistently defend the dreadful actions of Men on the Left towards women?
I realize that some women have convinced themselves that all men are deceitful pigs and men in power even more so, but when I look around at my set of male friends (in all parts of the socio-economic strata) I think such a generalization is patently false as asserting that all women are angels.
Has our society descended to a point where it is now improper and unacceptable to judge anyone for anything?! The fact that Anthony Weiner is still employed as a Congressman leads me to conclude so.
Robert W. (Vancouver) at June 8, 2011 10:26 PM
"Diaper Fetish" Vitter paid prostitutes, yet he's still in office. Not only is Vitter guilty of a crime (unlike Weiner), but his infraction has the unsightly stain of hypocrisy, as he also insisted that Clinton should resign when his affair came to light.
"Toe Dancer" Craig was going to resign...until he wasn't...until he was...until he wasn't...and was convicted, and still didn't resign.
How can anyone realistically suggest that Weiner should resign? Congressmen who have done worse haven't. Like it or not, Weiner easily passes under the bar compared to others who have been caught in worse without resigning.
Patrick at June 9, 2011 6:14 AM
"Can someone please explain to me why many women on the Left consistently defend the dreadful actions of Men on the Left towards women?"
One could ask the same question about why western feminists defend Islamic men's treatment of women. The answer of course is that ideology appears to be far more important than reality.
AllenS at June 9, 2011 6:30 AM
I would argue that it is a non-scandal that should have been ignored if these were private messages that were found by hacking his account, but this was caught because he accidentally broadcast a saucy pic to his public twitter feed, one that he uses as a political tool. We are supposed to ignore that?
And of course his subsequent behavior just reveals his character all the more, and we certainly aren't going to ignore that.
Astra at June 9, 2011 8:53 AM
Oh give it a rest Patrick over Larry Craig. The only thing that made Toe Dancer look guilty was him pleading guilty to that charge. Toe tapping in a bathroom is illegal now? Wake me up when they have folks on camera/audio propositioning someone for sex in a airport/burger king bathroom or actually engaging in a public sex act.
That whole insane affair stank from both sides. That Craig would try to plea quietly (guilty or just wants it to go away) and that the state is so worried about public sex they'd trump up such baloney charges from a cop stuck on water closet guard doody er duty.
Next they'll be arresting people for doing the Lambada or just ye ol' bump n' grind on the dance floor in some club.
Sio at June 9, 2011 11:55 AM
Remember that this is the same Amanda Marcotte who judged the Duke boys guilty on the basis of them being white, male and 'privileged'....now it's a liberal politician who has *actually done something wrong*, and it's an invasion of his sexual privacy and just so not his fault?
Hypocrite...she also advocated 'waiting until all the evidence is in' in the case of that abortion doctor who allegedly killed live babies that survived the abortion procedure.
If you're in Mandy's camp, you can be forgiven anything....
crella at June 9, 2011 10:32 PM
Marcotte is just an ego on legs. In her world, the entire rest of the world exists to serve her and to validate her viewpoints.
Cousin Dave at June 10, 2011 8:36 AM
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