Why Weiner's Respones ARE Important....

[HardWorkingDem]

His responses ARE important and so far, lacking.

HE knows the answer one way or another and his behavior has been disappointing and here's why:

Regular Americans at the coffee machine in break rooms, on the street and in other encounters with Rethuglicans were DEFENDING this guy. On top of it, most likely, many Democratic pundits were defending this guy.

Secondly, if this turns out to be Weiner's photo, then the turd Breitbart only gains credibility. All the work on trying to show this man for what he is could now be harder.

Yes, if his account has been "hacked" then he has been wronged, but at one time there used to be a standard called "beyond the hint of impropriety."

A lot of people put their political, good-works faith in this guy and so far, his back and forth is doing no good.

[woo me with science]

1. The economy is collapsing.

People are losing their homes. Social safety nets are being slashed. Schools and healthcare being taken over by profiteers.

The Middle East is on fire. Japan is melting down.

Wars rage.

And we turn on the TV and see pictures of a weiner.

[ejpoeta]

2. he explained WHY he didn't say one way or the other why it was his or not

on rachel's show last night. his lawyers told him not to say one way or the other because pictures can be manipulated and if any part of the picture is one of the pictures that were in his account (we all have pictures we have forgotten about and might not recognize) then the person that posted it could seize on that and make something else out of it. weiner is saying he thinks it was just a prank, but a couple weeks before the twitter thing someone tried messing with his facebook page too and they have been looking into that. this could just be a prankster, or this could be something more than just a prankster.

[FLyellowdog]

3. Exactly! nt

[HardWorkingDem]

8. Then why didn't he keep his mouth shut?

No, he has to go and try and play the word games. Not only has his actions weakened his voice, but unless something remarkable happens, this will dog him for years and weaken one of our strongest proponents.

And let's be honest - 99.9 percent of the American people would KNOW if they took a picture of their underwear and have them stored somewhere. To claim otherwise is BS.

From the start he should have just stated his attorney was looking into and until it was over he had "no comment."

[ejpoeta]

16. if he wouldn't have said anything then everyone would have bitched he should have said something.

if he had said 'no comment' then somehow that would have been something they were looking for something there and would have made something out of it no matter what. period. he might not have helped himself, but no matter what that is what would have happened.

[TheKentuckian]

4. The issue is an unimportant distraction, true or false.

The responses to an unimportant issue about something stupid are unimportant.

I'm only disappointed he didn't laugh the questions off and tell the questioners to get a job.

Unrec.

[HardWorkingDem]

5. It may have been an unimportant distraction...but...

now, because of his missteps, it has grown beyond that. And I'm sorry if you call empowering that asshole Breitbart or having a person people were willing to defend now stand back and go, "hm"...

All he had to do is say he was considering legal action and until that was complete he had "no comment"....

[vanbean]

10. I think you're working too hard on this. It will fade fast.

[Indykatie]

6. I Agree That Weiner's Response Has Been Lacking

and has only served to cloud the issue. His evasiveness and failure to call in the police only serves to raise flags. We question why the incident is getting so much coverage in the media but given the attention that it has received here at DU (based on Thread count) that attention appears to be warranted. I suspect there is something more to this story that will come out in time. I think we need to be prepared for that outcome. Breitbart is garbage but Weiner may have some level of culpability here.

[Doctor Hurt]

7. There's nothing that needs defending

worst case scenario is he has some naughty pics on his hard drive. Who cares?

[realitythink]

9. Ever been to the gym?

If you go to the gym and change in the locker room someone could take your picture and you'd never even know it. That guy on his iPhone across the isle could easily have his camera on, sound and flash off. He could then go home, manipulate the photo and upload it. It's that easy, Just saying!

[HardWorkingDem]

13. Then SAY that! Or say nothing....

This guy went on a media blitz and now is in a position he may not get out of (believe me, I hope at the end of all this Breitbart's fingers are all over and he goes down, but from watching politics for thirty plus years we are probably more likely to turn on the news to a news conference where Weiner tells everyone he's entering rehab).

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

14. Frankly, I want to believe that it isn't him but from his latest responses, I think it is..but I

have a theory about it. It's very possible with the time he spends apart from his wife that he took it for her. No proof, nada, nothing to substantiate it on my part, but that would be my explanation as to why the photo was created. Then it was hacked.

BTW...those are very upscale briefs.

[realitythink]

15. Don't speculate!

His lawyers probably told him not to speculate on how it could be his photo. Do that and you open up a whole new can of worms. I think he's handling it fine, it's the press that is out of control about it. The whole thing is ridiculous, especially since the "victim" claims she never saw the photo and hasn't had any inappropriate communication with Weiner. End of story, media needs to move on.

[joeybee12]

11. I disagree...if it's a private photo he had, then it's no one's business...

the story is that it got out there by someone hacking his account.

[Odin2005]

12. Did everyone forget Kerry's ignoring of the Swiftboaters?

Look how THAT turned out.