Politicians and Ethics
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2011-06-09/politicians-and-ethics
Representative Anthony Weiner has been apologizing for sending a lewd photo via twitter and then lying about it. Sadly, the episode doesn’t feel all that shocking. The pattern is familiar. Yet, for many it’s another blow to hopes that people in politics will adhere to a higher ethical standard despite abundant evidence to the contrary. This latest impropriety adds to the frustration that many already feel over the ongoing political gridlock in Washington. Join us for a conversation about voter reaction to this latest scandal and what’s wrong with Washington
Guests
Charlie Cook
editor and publisher of the "Cook Political Report"
Ruth Marcus
columnist and editorial writer, The Washington Post.
Melanie Sloan
executive director, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington
Jennifer Preston
reporter, New York Times
Comments
Please familiarize yourself with our Code of Conduct and Terms of Use before posting your comments.
A level of perversion and hubris that we have not seen in awhile. Mr. Weiner is still lying by saying these images were sent as a joke. Sending young women pictures of his erection that he does not personally know a joke! It's more than weird under any circumstances. As someone who believes the ideology of the left is a threat to our country I say let him stay in office. Anyone who looks at him knows he will do and say anything to advance his agenda, at least with him you can see the real face of much of the democratic party.
Thanks for the wonderful comment monte. As someone who believes the ideology of the right is a threat to our country I say let Rep. Weiner stay in office. Personal issues don't really have any bearing on policies- a bad policy is bad whether or not the author is a moral person. Just as a good policy is good regardless of whether or not the author is moral or honest.
Just look at former President G.W. Bush. He is a very nice guy- his policies were terrible, however. Then look at former President Clinton- good policies bad moral choices.
Based on the way you think I guess I can say that Newt Gingrich is the real face of the republican party- he left TWO wives when they got sick. So, again using your theory on government, any republican will do and say anything to advance their agenda.
Thanks again for your stupid- I mean great- comment.
You constitution twisting gun grabbing weak kneed cradle to grave nanny staters are so short sighted. Did you ever consider that he opened himself up to blackmail. He not only compromised his family he compromised the country, and you say his private life does not matter. I predict he will be gone by next week.
Term limits might go a long way to stopping this cr*p. Some of these long term politicians feel too powerful, important and "imperious" and think they can get away with these type of things.
My rule of thumb is this: If the elected public servant has made it part of their philosophy for holding office to interfere with other peoples personal lives with government intervention, then this sort of thing becomes relevant. If the public servant has a laissez faire leave people alone attitude to so-called values issues, then leave them alone.
Otherwise I go by the Adam Clayton Powell Supreme Court decision: if the constituents of the public servant have been told of the misdeeds, it's entirely up to those voters if they wish to re-elect a scoundrel.
Besides we knew a few scoundrels in the House and Senate in order to represent a good cross-section of the national constituency, (viz. Roman Hruska...)
What consenting adults do on their off hours is their business, assuming it's not harming themselves or others (including spouses). Mr. Weiner might have offered this explanation, instead of falling into the puritanical "rope-a-dope" trap that ensnared others such as Bill Clinton. His lies and deceit is what's given license to the sex-obsessed voyeurs to unrelentingly hound Anthony Weiner. As a public official he admittedly used poor judgement in tweeting his pictures, but he's not a religious leader or saint. He should have "manned up" immediately and insisted on keeping this between him, his wife, and the others who were involved.
Why do we have such a sexed-up society? Because we have made our sexuality a product and a sales tool. Abstaining is difficult when you're inundated, like not swallowing seawater when you're drowning. Libertarians, Demopubs, Evangelicals, Jews, Mormons, elderly bodybuilders from Austria and so on are all subject to the same inducements and urges. Sex is a perk of power, and power wouldn't seem sexy without it. Even preachers, priests and maybe popes "do it." David Letterman and Oprah are both admittedly sexually "messed up" but they get millions for it. But it may be a long stretch before anyone named Weiner, or even Richard or Roger, are elected to office again. David Brooks says we're bonobos, because of the way we play sexually. He's wrong because sex for us has become all part of the working day, and that's a shame. And that didn't have to be.
It was wrong for Congressman Weiner to do what he did and he lied about it. So what? It's not as bad as the lies Bush told that got us into two ilegal wars, killing hundreds of thoudands of people and nothing happened to him!
The guy sent dirty e-mails to adult women, stupid yes, not a crime, get over it. We shouldn't even know about it
My problem with the Weiner case, and the same for Charlie Rangel, is their notion that the rules do not apply to them. For Anthony Weiner to believe on some level that these texts and tweets were ok and that he would not be caught or held accountable just makes me wonder what else would fall on this list. I was a big fan on Anthony Weiner but would no longer consider myself a supporter.
Oh come on out and out lies?! So saying end of life talks with your doctor is a death panel isn't an out and out lie? Those sound like lies to me, so they should they resign right?
Although the press relished grilling him, I can't help but think that if Rep. Weiner had been more frank, we could've mustard more support from his peers, instead of being left in the doghouse to fry. In any case, let's hope this is the end of it. If one of the alleged women were to spill the beans about having his bun in the oven, he would find himself in even more hot water.
I think this is the best comment I have read so far about Weinergate. Over at Gleen Greenwalds blog at Salon
“Exactly
Just as during the Lewinsky non-scandal, there is a wave of sudden right wing hand-wringing and faux concern for women. He lied! His poor wife! We’re so violated! What will we tell the children?
Here’s what you tell the freaking children: You tell them that these same faux moralists getting the vapors over an underwear crotch shot cheered on and defended vehemently the actions of an administration that was caught lying – in real time – in order to go to war with a country that posed no threat and had made no threat to the US, leaving hundreds of thousands dead, millions homeless, a nation destroyed, 4000 US service people dead, thousands more maimed for life, and taxpayers $3 trillion in debt.
Tell them that these same people defended and cheered on an administration that outed a CIA operative and her entire front organization and who knows how many assets purely for political gain.
Tell that that these same people got all up in arms about privacy when that administration got caught playing faux journalistic footsie with a male prostitute who had visited the White House 200 times on dubious “business” but cheered on the destruction of privacy rights and the 4th Amendment by this same administration.
Tell them that morality isn’t about someone’s sexual peculiarities but about life and death matters, and that they shouldn’t be distracted from the latter by media hype about the former.
—heller88 Read heller88′s other letters
To suggest that Congressperson Weiner should resign because he lied seems like a rather low threshold for U. S. American politicians. Senator Kyle stood in front of the cameras on the floor of the Senate and made absurd statements; when called on his distortions his office offered the following: 'not intended to be factual'.
Come to think of it we probably should clean house...and Senate.
What brought "disrepute" on the house are the votes for the 2002 Iraq war resolution based on a large "pack of lies". Why is it that in the US a congressman who demonstrates such poor judgment and told lies about displaying his weinie etc via the social network is more critical than holding congress people who voted for a war based on a "pack of lies" that resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands dead, injured and millions displaced. I think what gets our congress, our msm, the American peoples justice juices flowing spiritually and morally bankrupt . Pelosi took "impeachment off the table" for those of us who wanted to see those who lied about WMDs in Iraq accountable. I find this far more immoral than Weiners stupid decisions.
Unless he used government funds, why is this a public issue?
Is sending suggestive photos over twitter illegal? Isn't it just stupid, morally questionable, and juvenile?
Was/is he following young women or girls? They aren't interchangeable. If he wants to follow 18 year olds what's the big deal, except that he's married. Now if he's following girls, he should have been censured.
Regarding Mr. Weiner's sins, I am reminded of Dante's distinctions. The sins of the leopard relate to not being able to control the appetites, the sins of the lion show up when the intellect is subverted allowing chaos, but the sins of the wolf, the worst, happen when the intellect and devotion, all the highesst capacities of the human, are used to create death, darkness or cold.Compare Mr. Weiner, the leopard with wolves you have known.
I do not condone this man's behavior at all. But I cannot help to observe how different political cultures in Europe have evolved from that in the US. In Germany, high ranking holders of political office recently had to resign, because they cheated on their academic accomplishments. In the US by contrast, people with similar posts are made to step down, because they cheated on their spouses.
With all due respect to your guests - enough is enough! When Presidents can perform sexual acts in the oval office and congressmen can repeadedly misuse and abuse their power as elected representatives it is time to set the bar once and for all! Stop making excuses for the "level" of impropriety. If we continue to look the other way these acts will certainly escalate. Perhaps after the swearing in of the next male public figure we need to take him into an adjoining room for a castration ceremony!
Too many of our politicians have lost sight of their reponsibilities to the electorate. Mr. Gingrich is reported to have said that the people want politicians who will lead them and guide them. This is absurd; the people want politicians who will do what we tell them. Mr. Gingrich obviously has little grasp of the way a representative republic is meant to work.
Of course, "the people" are not of a single opinion. Politicians should focus on satisfying as many voters as possible, while not annoying too many too much. This is the system of government under which we are supposed to be living. It's shameful that our pols have decided they are in charge and the voters are supposed to serve them.
With love under will,
Bob
Politicians product is their words...that is what they provide as goods and services, if their words are no good then what do you really have !!!
I think what gets our congress, our msm, the American peoples justice juices flowing..... spiritually and morally bankrupt .
Can your guest discuss the focus on what we as a nation find immoral? Why is it that so many get more upset about congress members extra marital indiscretions rather than thousands of American soldiers without limbs, and hundreds of thousands dead, injured and millions displaced based on a "pack of lies"
Pelosi took "impeachment off the table" for those who lied about WMDs in Iraq accountable. I find this far more immoral than Weiners stupid decisions.
The point for me is that these people are our REPRESENTAaTIVES. That makes their behavior more reprehensible. They represent US!
.
It isn't the fact that Mr. Weiner's poor behavior was sexual. His sex life is none of my business.
The pertinent issues are:
His poor judgement in conducting a clandestine relationship (or six) on the internet with women he didn't know without considering that the likelihood of the relationships remaining secret is zero and that sexual misconduct right now is seen as totally unacceptable by most of the public.
His dishonesty in lying about the situation originally and continuing to lie by minimizing his behavior now.
Personally, I don't want a member of Congress who has demonstrated such poor judgement and such willingness to lie to the public.
He should resign. The issue then is between his wife and himself and none of our business.
David Vitter
Congress represents their constituents.
Our congress is exactly that a representation of this country.
Because Weiner's constituents elected someone who sells papers his constituents should not lose their vote.
This is about taking a D/democratic vote.
Let his constituents vote him out.
Have some respect for his poor pregnant wife.
Listen to what these so called journalist refer to as bringing "ridicule" or "disrepute" on congress. Congress is drowning in the blood of the Iraqi people and American soldiers who have been killed and injured based on the Bush administrations "pack of lies" and our congress's unwillingness to hold anyone accountable for those deadly lies is what is spiritually and morally bankrupt.
Look at our congress, our media's the majority of the Americans peoples moral accountability standards? Hold congressional members accountable for extra marital indiscretions. But allow those responsible for lying about WMD's in Iraq to walk.
Hey they are letting more women through today. Notice it
I don't know if the Senator should resign but as far as bringing shame to the institution, the amount of lies and deliberate misinformation that comes out of this body at times is shameful.