Whether it's because of my Brooklyn bias, sense of historical perspective or political views, I have to say that the calls for Rep. Anthony Weiner's resignation seem premature.Yes, I know what he did. It was juvenile. Men, especially under the age of 50, do a lot of juvenile things. But put into context with Sen. Ted Kennedy driving off a bridge and causing the death of a woman, or President Clinton's real-life shenanigans in the Oval Office with an intern, Weiner's cyberspace exploits with a handful of strangers seems pretty tame to me. Unsavory, yes, but not the end of the world. Both Kennedy and Clinton went on to serve the country well. I don't see why Weiner can't do the same.
Yeah, Weiner lied. But since when is a politician lying such a crime or surprise? It's what some politicians do to make a living. Frankly, I rather Weiner lie about his personal Twitter romps than mislead the American people about tax cuts for the wealthy somehow creating jobs for you and me. I rather he lie about his inappropriate photos than lie to us about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. That lie cost a lot of lives.
We are all flawed. Some of our flaws and quirks can ruin lives. But to say that Weiner's lies about tweeting women mean that he must not have any credibility related to trying to get help for 9-11 emergency workers, well, that is simply absurd.
Weiner, like Kennedy, is often on the correct side of fairness. He speaks for the underdogs, the working class. He was born in Brooklyn and had to earn his way in life. This New Yorker is not like Donald Trump. While the congressman appears to have a Big Apple ego, it doesn't seem to prevent him from showing empathy for those in need.
According to some polls, Weiner's constituents in New York still support him despite the Twitter scandal. That does not surprise me at all. If you're in a middle or lower class neighborhood in his district that lies in Brooklyn and Queens, you probably aren't too concerned about Weiner's personal life. He hasn't committed any crimes, unlike a few Republican politicians who have been in the headlines recently. What you are concerned about living in those places, however, is whether or not someone is fighting for you in Washington, trying to get you a fair shake in the workplace and bring a better health-care system to people on the fringe.
To me, the real immoral leaders in Washington aren't the ones who occasionally get tripped up by simply being human. The immoral politicians are the ones who don't care about the elderly, the environment or the jobless. They vote to end unemployment benefits and put the economy in further peril by playing political games with the debt ceiling. The politicians who should resign are the ones voting to end Medicare while cutting teaching jobs and lining the pockets of their most wealthy contributors. These are the real creeps. Even if all creepiness were equal, I would always prefer the creep who is doing more good than harm.
Weiner can text and tweet all he wants as far as I am concerned. I'm not married to him, nor do I seek his spiritual advice. As long as his votes are in line with creating a better, more humane society, and he does not break any laws, I don't really care what he does in his personal life. Unlike a lot of right-wing hypocrites who flaunt their own holier-than-thou claims of virtue, Weiner pretty much sticks to the issues of governing when conducting public business. He does it in a flamboyant style, which is in part why this has gotten so much attention. But sometimes it takes a loud voice to drown out the real bullies in Congress. Weiner, like very few others, has that ability and personality to standup to the powerful. He's forceful and articulate. Like many New Yorkers, he's quick on his feet. He's not an intellectual train wreck like Sarah Palin, at least not in public view. He's smart enough to know when he's made a major blunder. Palin, and her army of airhead followers, wear stupidity like a badge of honor. She's a money-making machine whose central focus is herself, not her country or fellow citizens. Everything about her is as phony as her eyelashes. But I digress...
Do I wish Weiner would not have done what he did? Of course. I also wish Mickey Mantle wasn't an alcoholic. But Weiner's tweeting, like Mantle's flaws off the baseball field, is not a deal-breaker in my mind. Mantle did not cheat in hitting all those home runs. And Weiner, at least as far as we know as of this writing, did not neglect his duty to protect and represent his constituents. Can others in Congress truly make the same claim?
Just because someone doesn't get caught behaving badly doesn't mean they aren't doing something personally offensive to someone. And even if they are as pure as the driven snow, that alone doesn't make them fit for representing me, you or anyone else. We have to start judging political leaders by their votes, legislation they introduce and intelligence. We have too many problems and too few visionaries willing to stand up for common decency and logic. Weeding out people because of some trivial and personal matter isn't good for the political process.
