Is this what we are reduced to? As long as something is not a crime it is ok?

[AngryAmish]

The Weiner did not commit a crime. So stipulated.

However just because something is not a crime it is not ok.

For example I don't think possessing marijuana should be a crime. Yet I would not want a mayor who smokes dope all day, every day.

It is not a crime to look at porn. But if one looks at porn all day, every day....and yada, yada.

There are ethics violations and there are crimes. While there is some overlap between the two things do not get the idea that as long as one is merely unethical but not criminal one should hold public office.

And if his wife is ok with that? I don't care. After seeing that weird press conference yesterday one can safely assume that they are two turds in the same bowl.

[Arctic Dave]

1. I seen this post before, I know where it is going,

[dionysus]

2. there's a double standard: vitter is sleazy and should resign, yet weiner is the sweet bebe jesus...

[peace13]

32. To be clear Vitter did not resign.

To this day he presents laws that he would like you to follow. He is still in power. Making money hand over fist. Go figure.

The point here is that the standard has been set. A low pants pooping bar that pretty much anybody can crawl over.

I don't think many people here agree that Vitter and Craig should still be in office. The point is that politics in the US will not reject the low life dog style of many of our politicians. My guess is that we are a country of pants filling, porn eating, wife swappers and we just don't care that much about the sexual conduct of our leaders anymore.

To be clear, I care that my representatives conduct themselves in a manner that does not entice blackmail. That is about it. What people do behind closed doors is their business but if they are in a position to be blackmailed that is a horse of a different color!

[Trajan]

3. Personally ...

It is not ok ... As a Liberal Atheist. all I have is my own set of values and mores .... While it might be legal to do such things, I in no way would support a candidate who would be so tone deaf about issues like this ...

It is not ok ... but you know there would be some of those who would allow for it ... Are you really this surprised? ... why? ... are you a teenager? ... Have you not the earthly experience to recognize that human beings are like this? ...

Your shock is dramatic. and out of place ...

[matthews]

28. Even if you can get past his penchant for exhibitionist behavior

the lying should really tell you something about the man.

[peace13]

33. Lying is not a differentiating quality among most politicians...

Just saying.

[matthews]

36. But it is among honest, reputable human beings.

Politicians only get away with it because we allow them to.

Just saying.

[hobbit709]

4. I'd rather have a mayor that smokes dope all day than one that drinks all day.

[loli phabay]

8. yup its subjective, id rather have someone who engages in online affairs

Than a drinker or dope smoker, our mileages all vary.

[stevenleser]

9. Or who engages in unnecessary wars, or works to xfer wealth to the 1% at the expense of the 99%

etc.

[matthews]

37. And I'll take a drinker or a toker over someone who thinks that

he has the right to go tiptoeing through my privacy and rights.

[Marrah_G]

21. I'd rather have one that does his job all day.

[loli phabay]

5. stuff like this is subjective, for some the thought of online affairs is wrong

For others its no big thing. Sexuality and everything that comes with it covers the wholr gamit. The only reason why people lie about their sexual preferences is that as a society we are close minded and everyone thinks that their moral boundries are correct.

[stevenleser]

6. If we are going to have this conversation, which mistakes and pecadillos are OK and which aren't?

Who gets to choose?

I think the law is a good starting point and should be very close to the endpoint for those conversations.

[lumberjack_jeff]

24. +1 n/t

[HughBeaumont]

7. Just ask Corporate America. What they do daily might suck and be immoral, but it's also . . .

[abelenkpe]

29. +1000

[whttevrr]

10. OMG! Men have a Penis and Women have a Vulva

And sometimes...

yea... sometimes...


OMG! Men and Women show each other their naked bodies!

WTF!?

This has to stop!

Sex is sin!!!

Repent now you Hypocrites, Harlots and Whore-Mongering non-believers!

The END IS NIGH!

Repent now or Suffer the Eternal Flames of Hell!

[bunnies]

12. Hide the children!

[whttevrr]

14. OH NOES!!!

There was children involved!?

Oh GOD... the humanity... Woe is bestowed upon all!

Wait!

We can fix this!!!

We need Burkas for both men and women.

Just... think how nice it will be?

Once we clothe ourselves in ignorance...
We can go back to the Garden of Eden!

Praise Burkas!

[fadedrose]

13. Not to worry...

Nature has the perfect remedy for all this nudity. When you get to a certain age, different but close for individual nudists, you become old.

On men, their beautiful muscular legs turn into toothpicks attached to a watermelon, and their gorgeous muscular arms start to look as tho the man is not eating enough, were it not for that watermelon the chest is sitting on.

On women, it's more tragic, because they would never stop indulging in nudity without nature pulling out all the stops - sagging breasts, several chins (should be covered), rippled thighs, purple veins that look like fishnet stockings, wobbly arms, structural changes caused by injuries that occurred when the woman was two years old...

Yes, not to worry. Nudity stops not because of modesty, but embarrassment.

[bunnies]

17. I take it youve never visited a nudist colony.

Good luck finding anyone under 60.

[fadedrose]

19. Thanks for the warning

I will not be going to any in the near future....have enough trouble looking in the mirror without seeing mirror-like images all over the place

[bunnies]

22. Theres one pretty close to me.

A camp-ground type thing. We visited once on a whim. It was very eye opening. I did admire their self-confidence though. I sure as hell wouldnt do it!

[fadedrose]

11. The other turd?

I think I saw her on the teevee.....she looked okay.

Is she still employed by Hillary Clinton? Difficult situation since she was pregnant when all this went down. Hope the kid is okay...

[whttevrr]

16. The other turd?

Why attack her?

[fadedrose]

18. Paranoia

Nobody attacked "her" - the employee was pregnant and "her" stood by her. Admirable if you ask me...and I don't usually praise "her."

The other "turd" needed some support from somewhere and "her" wasn't ashamed to give hers.

Relax.

[fadedrose]

20. I just rethought about your post...

Do you mean why I used the word "turd"?

I was quoting the post I was responding to. I do not see either Hillary or her pregnant employee as a turd... Anthony, now that's another story....

[whttevrr]

26. Oh yeah, that's right...

The OP called her a turd...

My... How progressive.

[Savannahmann]

15. Even if it is a crime, it's OK depending on who does it.

At least, that has been the metric of late around here. Disappointing isn't it?

[lumberjack_jeff]

23. Mostly yes.

We don't know what arrangements exist in their relationship, all we know is that she stays with him.

If they are two turds in the same bowl, it is a bowl of their creation and it's not any of my business.

[frazzled]

25. My question is ...

Why isn't it a crime? At least in the instances where the photos or texts were neither anticipated, consented to, nor welcomed.

It's a crime for some creep to expose himself to you on the subway or in the street. Why isn't it a crime to send someone an unwelcome photo? It's the same thing to me. This kind of behavior has nothing to do with sex, so let's not pretend it does. It's not anything like having an affair (or even engaging the services of a prostitute). In these unsolicited cases it's an act of aggression, sometimes an abuse of power, and obviously something that reveals some "issues" on the part of the offender.

If, for example, I wrote to a Congressman I admired and they sent me back a suggestive photo, I would be shocked and offended, and I'd probably try to prosecute.

Note: I'm not talking about consensual acts of sexting. I'm talking about what appear to have been unsolicited and unwanted messages. Just because it's in cyberspace, it's no different than someone flashing you or engaging in an act of harassment. Those acts in real life have civil penalties. Perhaps it's time to make cyber acts of harassment punishable, too.

This is just one more example of women's rights being dismissed or ignored.

[matthews]

27. Even crimes are permissible. If they're committed by the right people.

The 1% can do anything they want.

[abelenkpe]

30. + 1000

[matthews]

31. He lied and said that he's stopped doing it, was getting counseling

and he was sorry. Then he keeps it up after all that.

Plus this woman says he offered her a job and a condo.

That puts this on a whole different level than 'it's just between Weiner's weiner and his wife'.

[nyquil_man]

35. If the people of New York City want four years of dick jokes, they know who to pick.

As long as Weiner's narcissism and the media's prurience remain in abundant supply, that's the surest thing to come from a Weiner victory.

[hfojvt]

38. is a ridiculous OP OK?

For one thing, probably nobody smokes dope ALL day or looks at porn ALL day.

So where is the line? Are you all right with a mayor who does his job and then goes home and spends an hour looking at porn? What if he doesn't look at porn and just spends an hour watching TV where he is likely to see several unforgettable scenes of Poppy Montgomery in her underwear. Is THAT okay?

Or reads one of the daily stories on Yahoo news, like this one http://movies.yahoo.com/photos/vanessa-hudgens-fashion-1374605166-slideshow/vanessa-hudgens-at-ischia-global-fest-photo-1374605147118.html?cache=clear#crsl=%252Fphotos%252Fvanessa-hudgens-fashion-1374605166-slideshow%252Fvanessa-hudgens-at-ischia-global-fest-photo-1374605147118.html

Personally, I am fine with people being able to do what they want on their own time, and even giving some time to people who are otherwise working, as I say 25/8 (because 24/7 isn't enough, they go the extra mile). As long as what they are doing isn't hurting anybody, then have at it.

Granted there may be activities where I would think "only a jerk (or an idiot) would do that" and then not vote for a person if I found out they did some things. Things like, like 1) owning a pitbull, 2) eating at Olive Garden, 3) smoking, 4) voting for Repuiblicans, 5) watching Big Brother, 6) rooting for the Yankees.

Stuff like that, but those are only my personal preferences, not Kantian absolutes or anything. I understand there are even people who don't like the Jets and I am fine with th -

[markiv]

39. Pee Wee Herman, was ruined for less

and he wasn't running for office, he was a commedian with a schtick portraying an immature man-boy

yet, he was ruined for an incident, that was actually somewhat consistent with his role

[jeff47]

40. When did we elect you arbiter of what's ok?

My position on the matter is as long as everyone involved is legally an adult and is fine with the behavior, it's not my place to say it's OK or not OK. It's their private lives. They get to live them as they want.

[DainBramaged]

41. Since when did we have the right to condemn the sexual peccadilloes of anyone? Republicans do that

Just sayin'.


Olive Garden, AppleBees, Cigarettes, breastfeeding, circumcision, narwhals, pit bulls, smoking bans

Elliot Spritzer, High school bands, soda pop, pornography, toilet paper dust, and Natalie Wood's untimely death

We didn't start the poutrage, if you don't recycle they'll drum you out of the neighborhood, we didn't start the poutrage, if you aren't concerned about the Patriot act you better be

food stamps, kids on planes, drinking caffeine, bombing the moon,

tax fast food, Rapture, PETA, Vaccinations, orange juice, and Jessie James

we didn't start the poutrage, and the penis size is once again on top of GD

Ipads, PayPal, Michael Vicks, and Octomom, unicorns Charlie Sheen, Jesus Christ we had good times

we didn't hate the Weiner, 2 Broke Girls are the new screaming kids in restaurants, we didn't include the spare tire....... and the Dugger mom is popping out another one......

we didn't start the poutrage, if you own a hot car you must be a total dick.........we didn't start the poutrage, ut we'll find something else to complain about next week....

[GreenStormCloud]

42. Whose morals does one go by?

America is composed of many different cultures, that have diferent views on things.