This story is not what needs to dominate the public discourse, since it is in many ways a non story. Did Rep. Wiener exercise poor judgment in carrying on the way hi did? Yes, he did, though compared to John Edwards, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Mike Ensign, his antics were downright sophomoric. If someone with the Name Wiener enters public life two things are certain, one is a sense of humor and the other is thick skin. Some of the shots such as him with a me sign or the alleged pussy shot (featuring him and his tabbies) are cute and funny in most contexts.
While his actions were juvenile and showed a lack forethought, they were not criminal. Anthony Wiener did not solicit money from his parents to use as hush money, nor did he father a child with the domestic help, nor did he even use campaign money to help keep the issue silent and at bay. He proved that he was human.
There are people who have the right to sit in judgement of his actions, and I am not one of them. Due to the nature of his actions, his wife is one of them. Whether or not they are able to successfully work through this and strengthen their relationship. That is by definition a private matter and should not be food for public consumption. The others are his constituents, should he decide to run for reelection. They have to decide if his actions have detracted from the zealous advocacy he has shown those who elected him while in their service. I have a couple of friends who live in his district who, barring something unforeseen still plan on voting for him in 2012.
Now that all of this that has become known as Wienergate has played out, isn't it time that we focus our attention on something more pressing such as the debt ceiling vote, the budget and maybe jobs and education? Just an idea.
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