Covering up an affair for like ten years is telling the truth?

Yes. They shouldn't lie. I agree. I'm not saying what they have done is OK. I'm saying I don't care. It isn't important enough to worry about. No crime, no foul. No professional ethical breach, no foul. No screwing over the constituents, no foul. No abuse of power, no foul.

Wiener betrayed his wife. I don't respect him for that. But it's none of my business.

Lance Armstrong cheated on his wife, but I don't see anyone asking him to return his medals for that. Tiger Woods too.

I just read a transcript of Weiner's dirty sext-ing (to a Lisa Weiss in Vegas; a blackjack dealer, of course) and I'm underwhelmed.

This is what passes for sexy talk?

Yawn.

My cock, your tight pussy, I'm hard, I'm horny, wanna fuck you....blah blah blah. I had better material in high school ffs.

My sentiments as well.

These kind of affairs are of no particular interest to me, whether its Weiner, Christopher Lee, who resigned last year after his pic on craigs list, Mark Sourder, who had an affair with a staffer with whom he made an abstinence video, or Senator David Vitter, who was involved in a DC escort service scandal. If their constituents want to re-elect them, as in the case of Vitter, it is their choice.

Cases like John Edwards and former Nevada Senator John Ensign, who paid hush money and got a lobbying job for the husband of the staffer he messed around with, are different. These involve criminal violations of campaign finance laws.

In the end, I recall a famous quote from Huey Long -- "the only way I can be brought down is to be caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."

Yea, I generally agree. In fact I would go so far as to say that he should not step down. Wait for the next election and let the chips fall. He did lie directly to his peeps over the event, I would see that as a breech of trust, but I don't have to vote for him.

As for Arnold, yea he kept is a secret. Not giving him a pass, only that when the time came to own up he did so, certainly because it was going to make the press one way or another. Not different circumstances, just a different form, an IMHO, a more honest and direct way to damage control.

I come to this ignorant of the politics, but I certainly believe what Arnie did was more reprehensible. To father a child and hide it is of greater magnitude than just taking a picture of your clothed cock.

And the only reason either matters is the possibility of blackmail, which does make it of interest to the electorate. That both were forced into revealing their secrets means both gave opportunities to others to coerce them.

Tiger Woods, Ryan Giggs? Not bothered. They both traded on "family guy" images, but as someone not interested in what they had to sell I am not personally affected.

The hypocrisy of politicians affects me much more. If they have affairs while promoting family values, vote against gay issues while banging rent boys, go to war on "benefit cheats" while claimed £11k "by mistake" etc.

So my bottom line is what each of them said politically whilst fucking around.
Or just taking reasonably innocent photos.
I don't know and I'm not all that bothered to know in detail. But Arnie strikes me as the kind of guy who is pretty much into the nuclear family and status quo.
And therefore a coward - for all his muscles - for not changing his mind once his own cock showed him the other side of the situation.

Arnold had an affair and hid it for a decade all the while paying her off.
The two are not even close.

No, but he cheated on his sport too and should have to return his medals for doping. That man's a well-rounded cheater. :mad:

Hey.

What is the crime here. Literally. What crime has been committed? None that I see.

I will expand in glatt's earlier remark. "He betrayed his wife" Really? How are we to know? Maybe, probably even. But that is not for me to judge. It is really none of my fucking business. JUST AS IT IS NONE OF (fill in the blank)'S FUCKING BUSINESS who I'm sexting. I like Sundae's comments as well. Unless this represents a public contradiction of his public statements on marital fidelity, I don't see the connection.

Also, though it is an axiom that it isn't the deed but the coverup that brings the pain, I understand the motivation. A private matter like this spread across the front pages of the nation is very embarrassing. I don't condone lying, but I don't see how the more appropriate answer of "None of your business" could have carried the day.

Who the fuck are you 'hey'ing? :eyebrow:

No, but he cheated on his sport too and should have to return his medals for doping. That man's a well-rounded cheater. :mad:

I repeat. The issue people have with politicians is almost always hypocrisy.
Not a crime you can go to gaol for, just a "crime" against the electorate that support you. And the danger that if you hide something that you publicly oppose, you are open to blackmail. And if people have political powers, not only is it hypocrisy, but it can divert the course of justice and lead to actual crime.

Once you are in political office, you do not have to commit a literal crime in order for your post to be untenable. A single person, an openly gay person, a person who acknowledges and supports a child born out of wedlock, a person with a sibling with a drug habit... Good luck to them all. But if you're hiding something AND denying it AND voting against issues that relate to your own persoal circumstances... that's when my pity dissolves.

not you.

I'm "Hey"ing the spittle-flecked microphones broadcasting this "story". Not you. The posts fell that way because I took such a long time composing my post. The order here is just a coincidence. ok?

Sundae, I agree with you in general. But Wiener was not, as far as I know, one of those Bible thumping bigots like Santorum who invite themselves into other people's bedrooms. If Santorum was found in a similar compromising situation, then I think that would be news worthy. Only because of the hypocrisy.

It's true that the traditional take on this kind of thing is that it opens one up to blackmail. That's something for the voters to consider next time around for this guy. Without evidence that he was blackmailed, I can't hold that against him.

You mean like former Congressman Mark Souder promoting abstinence education in a video with his staff member/mistress?

Who the hey are you fucking? ;-)