What makes the Anthony Weiner story somewhat unique and thus worth discussing for a moment is that, as Hendrick Hertzberg points out, the pretense of substantive relevance (which, lame though it was in prior scandals, was at least maintained) has been more or less brazenly dispensed with here. This isn't a case of illegal sex activity or gross hypocrisy (i.e., David Vitter, Larry Craig, Mark Foley (who built their careers on Family Values) or Eliot Spitzer (who viciously prosecuted trivial prostitution cases)). There's no lying under oath (Clinton) or allegedly illegal payments (Ensign, Edwards). From what is known, none of the women claim harassment and Weiner didn't even have actual sex with any of them. This is just pure mucking around in the private, consensual, unquestionably legal private sexual affairs of someone for partisan gain, voyeuristic fun and the soothing fulfillment of judgmental condemnation. And in that regard, it sets a new standard: the private sexual activities of public figures -- down to the most intimate details -- are now inherently newsworthy, without the need for any pretense of other relevance.It might be different if, as Greenwald goes on to say, the same journalistic culture that gleefully rips into a spectacle like this were just as vicious when taking apart government officials who lie about torture or wiretapping or the size of an oil spill, maybe. But in such matters, for some reason, the standard approach calls for deference and discretion.
Update: Maitri also says this quite well.
Upperdate: This is interesting. The dirty trick that launched Anthony Weiner's career
Uppestdate: Obviously the title of this post is completely off-base by the third update but anyway here's Matt Taibbi's take. Again, Anthony Weiner looks to be one serious asshole as a person. But that's what anyone should expect of these people who presume that they deserve leadership positions.
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