To Gay Duers: Someone Who Has Been Been A Fierce Supporter Of Your Rights Now Needs Your Support

[sabrina 1]

As you probably noticed, there has been no shortage of material on Du regarding Rep. Anthony Weiner over the past several days. Most of it sadly, focused on his sex life.

Not so much has been said, however, about his record in Congress. Most of us who know him, know he is a fierce fighter against narrow-minded Republican ideology and if you ever needed a champion to defend your rights against that ideology there was no better champion than Anthony Weiner.

Your rights were one of the causes he chose to fight for and I am including his record here as I am not sure how many people on DU are aware of what a great Liberal fighter he was. When it came to Civil Liberties, his is among the best in Congress.

Weiner scores 100% by the HRC on gay rights


On AIDS Walk Day, Weiner, Gottfried & Advocacy Groups Call on FDA to Permit Sales of Over-the-Counter Rapid HIV Tests

Rep. Anthony Weiner on Civil Rights

Anthony Weiner on Civil Rights

Democrat/Liberal Representative (NY-9)


Voted NO on prohibiting job discrimination based on sexual orientation.

HR3685: Employment Non-Discrimination Act: Makes it an unlawful employment practice to discriminate against an individual on the basis of actual or perceived sexual orientation, including actions based on the actual or perceived sexual orientation of a person with whom the individual associates or has associated. Prohibits preferential treatment or quotas. Allows only disparate treatment claims. Inapplicable to associations that are exempt from religious discrimination provisions.
Proponents support voting YES because:

Rep. CASTOR: The march towards equality under the law for all of our citizens has sometimes been slow, but it has been steady. Over time, Congress has outlawed discrimination in the workplace, based upon a person's race, gender, age, national origin, religion and disability, because when it comes to employment, these decisions are rightly based upon a person's qualifications and job performance. This legislation that outlaws job discrimination based upon sexual orientation was first introduced over 30 years ago. A broad coalition of businesses and community organizations strongly support this landmark civil rights legislation, including the Human Rights Campaign; the Anti-Defamation League; and the NAACP.

Opponents recommend voting NO because:

Rep. HASTINGS: Federal law bans job discrimination based on race, color, national origin, or gender. In addition, 19 States have passed laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. I strongly oppose discrimination in the workplace. However, I do not think it is the place of the Federal Government to legislate how each and every workplace operates. A number of States have enacted State laws in this area. That is their right. Many businesses have chosen to adopt their own policies. That is appropriate as well. This bill as written would expand Federal law into a realm where PERCEPTION would be a measure under discrimination law .
Reference: Employment Non-Discrimination Act; Bill HR3685 ; vote number 2007-1057 on Nov 13, 2007
Voted NO on Constitutionally defining marriage as one-man-one-woman.

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution stating: "Marriage in the US shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman. Neither this Constitution, nor the constitution of any State, shall be construed to require that marriage or the legal incidents thereof be conferred upon any union other than the union of a man and a woman."

Proponents support voting YES because:

The overwhelming majority of the American people support traditional marriage, marriage between a man and a woman. The people have a right to know whether their elected Representatives agree with them about protecting traditional marriage.

Every child deserves both a father and a mother. Studies demonstrate the utmost importance of the presence of a child's biological parents in a child's happiness, health and future achievements. If we chip away at the institution which binds these parents and the family together, the institution of marriage, you begin to chip away at the future success of that child.
Opponents support voting NO because:

This amendment does not belong in our Constitution. It is unworthy of our great Nation. We have amended the Constitution only 27 times. Constitutional amendments have always been used to enhance and expand the rights of citizens, not to restrict them. Now we are being asked to amend the Constitution again, to single out a single group and to say to them for all time, you cannot even attempt to win the right to marry.

From what precisely would this amendment protect marriage? From divorce? From adultery? No. Evidently, the threat to marriage is the fact that there are millions of people in this country who very much believe in marriage, who very much want to marry but who are not permitted to marry. I believe firmly that in the not-too-distant future people will look back on these debates with the incredulity with which we now view the segregationist debates of years past.

Reference: Marriage Protection Amendment; Bill H J RES 88 ; vote number 2006-378 on Jul 18, 2006

Voted NO on making the PATRIOT Act permanent.

To extend and modify authorities needed to combat terrorism, and for other purposes, including:
Assigning three judges to hear individuals' petitions concerning improper requests by the FBI for library circulation records, library patron lists, book sales records, book customer lists, and other records

Reporting every year the number of library records orders that are granted, modified, or denied
Allows Internet service providers to disclose their subscribers information and the contents of their communications to a government entity, if they believe there is “immediate danger of death or serious physical injury”

Requires that any court that allows a “roving wiretap” under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) must describe in great detail the intended target whose identity is not known
Allows individuals and businesses to seek legal counsel if they have received a National Security Letter from the FBI requiring them to disclose financial information and records
Reference: USA PATRIOT and Terrorism Prevention Reauthorization Act; Bill HR 3199 ; vote number 2005-627 on Dec 14, 2005

Voted NO on Constitutional Amendment banning same-sex marriage.

Marriage Protection Amendment - Declares that marriage in the United States shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman. Prohibits the Constitution or any State constitution from being construed to require that marital status or its legal incidents be conferred upon any union other than that of a man and a woman.

Reference: Constitutional Amendment sponsored by Rep Musgrave ; Bill H.J.RES.106 ; vote number 2004-484 on Sep 30, 2004

Voted NO on protecting the Pledge of Allegiance.

Pledge Protection Act: Amends the Federal judicial code to deny jurisdiction to any Federal court, and appellate jurisdiction to the Supreme Court, to hear or decide any question pertaining to the interpretation of the Pledge of Allegiance or its validity under the Constitution.
Reference: Bill sponsored by Rep Todd Akin ; Bill H.R.2028 ; vote number 2004-467 on Sep 23, 2004

Voted NO on constitutional amendment prohibiting flag desecration.

Desecration of Flag resolution: Vote to pass the joint resolution to put forward a Constitutional amendment to state that Congress shall have the power to prohibit the physical desecration of the flag of the United States. Note: A two-thirds majority vote of those present and voting (284 in this case) is required to pass a joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution.
Reference: Resolution sponsored by Thomas, R-CA; Bill HJRes.4 ; vote number 2003-234 on Jun 3, 2003

Voted NO on banning gay adoptions in DC.

Vote on an amendment banning adoptions in District of Columbia by gays or other individuals who are not related by blood or marriage.

Reference: Amendment introduced by Largent, R-OK; Bill HR 2587 ; vote number 1999-346 on Jul 29, 1999
Constitutional Amendment for equal rights by gender.

Weiner co-sponsored a Constitutional Amendment:

Title: Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relative to equal rights for men and women. Summary: States that equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.
Source: House Resolution Sponsorship 01-HJR40 on Mar 22, 2001
Rated 87% by the ACLU, indicating a pro-civil rights voting record.

Weiner scores 87% by the ACLU on civil rights issues

The mission of the ACLU is to preserve protections and guarantees America’s original civic values - the Constitution and the Bill of Rights:

Your First Amendment rights-freedom of speech, association and assembly. Freedom of the press, and freedom of religion supported by the strict separation of church and state.

Your right to equal protection under the law - equal treatment regardless of race, sex, religion or national origin.

Your right to due process - fair treatment by the government whenever the loss of your liberty or property is at stake. Your right to privacy - freedom from unwarranted government intrusion into your personal and private affairs.

We work also to extend rights to segments of our population that have traditionally been denied their rights, including Native Americans and other people of color; lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgendered people; women; mental-health patients; prisoners; people with disabilities; and the poor. If the rights of society’s most vulnerable members are denied, everybody’s rights are imperiled.

Our ratings are based on the votes the organization considered most important; the numbers reflect the percentage of time the representative voted the organization's preferred position.
Source: ACLU website 02n-ACLU on Dec 31, 2002

Issue a commemorative postage stamp of Rosa Parks.

Weiner co-sponsored issuing a commemorative postage stamp of Rosa Parks
EXCERPTS OF RESOLUTION:

Whereas in 1955, Rosa Parks's quiet, courageous act changed the United States and its view of African Americans, and redirected the course of history;
Whereas at that time, in Montgomery, Alabama, as in other cities in the Deep South, the treatment of African Americans on public buses had long been a source of resentment within the African American community;

Whereas White busdrivers, who were invested with police powers, frequently harassed African Americans;
Whereas on December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks took her seat in the front of the 'Colored' section of a Montgomery bus, but was asked, along with 3 other African Americans, to relinquish her seat to a White passenger;

Whereas although the 3 other African American passengers relinquished their seats, Rosa Parks refused to do so, and was arrested for that refusal;
Whereas because Rosa Parks's act of disobedience launched the Montgomery bus boycott, which lasted for 381 days and propelled the civil rights movement into the national consciousness, she is widely known as the mother of the civil rights movement; and

Now, therefore, be it Resolved that it is the sense of Congress that the United States Postal Service should issue a commemorative postage stamp honoring the late Rosa Parks.
LEGISLATIVE OUTCOME:Referred to Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs; never came to a vote.

Source: Rosa Parks Stamp (S.2154/H.R.4343) 05-S2154 on Dec 20, 2005
Rated 100% by the HRC, indicating a pro-gay-rights stance.

Weiner scores 100% by the HRC on gay rights

OnTheIssues.org interprets the 2005-2006 HRC scores as follows:

0% - 20%: opposes gay rights (approx. 207 members)
20% - 70%: mixed record on gay rights (approx. 84 members)
70%-100%: supports gay rights (approx. 177 members)

About the HRC (from their website, www.hrc.org):

The Human Rights Campaign represents a grassroots force of more than 700,000 members and supporters nationwide. As the largest national gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization, HRC envisions an America where GLBT people are ensured of their basic equal rights, and can be open, honest and safe at home, at work and in the community.
Ever since its founding in 1980, HRC has led the way in promoting fairness for GLBT Americans. HRC is a bipartisan organization that works to advance equality based on sexual orientation and gender expression and identity.

Source: HRC website 06n-HRC on Dec 31, 2006

Rated 94% by the NAACP, indicating a pro-affirmative-action stance.

Weiner scores 94% by the NAACP on affirmative action
OnTheIssues.org interprets the 2005-2006 NAACP scores as follows:
0% - 33%: anti-affirmative-action stance (approx. 177 members)
34% - 84%: mixed record on affirmative-action (approx. 96 members)
85%-100%: pro-affirmative-action stance (approx. 190 members)

About the NAACP (from their website, www.naacp.org):

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) has worked over the years to support and promote our country's civil rights agenda. Since its founding in 1909, the NAACP has worked tirelessly to end racial discrimination while also ensuring the political, social, and economic equality of all people. The Association will continue this mission through its policy initiatives and advocacy programs at the local, state, and national levels. From the ballot box to the classroom, the dedicated workers, organizers, and leaders who forged this great organization and maintain its status as a champion of social justice, fought long and hard to ensure that the voices of African Americans would be heard. For nearly one hundred years, it has been the talent and tenacity of NAACP members that has saved lives and changed many negative aspects of American society.
Source: NAACP website 06n-NAACP on Dec 31, 2006
ENDA: prohibit employment discrimination for gays.

Weiner signed H.R.3017&S.1584

Prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity by covered entities (employers, employment agencies, labor organizations, or joint labor-management committees). Prohibits preferential treatment or quotas. Allows only disparate treatment claims. Prohibits related retaliation.

Makes this Act inapplicable to:
religious organizations; and
the relationship between the United States and members of the Armed Forces.
Source: Employment Non-Discrimination Act 09-HR3017 on Jun 24, 2009
Re-introduce the Equal Rights Amendment.

Weiner co-sponsored re-introducing the Equal Rights Amendment

A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relative to equal rights for men and women, which shall be part of the Constitution when ratified by the legislatures of 3/4 of the States:

Section 1.Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.

Section 2.The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.

Section 3.This article shall take effect 2 years after the date of ratification.
Sen. KENNEDY. "It's a privilege to join my colleagues in reintroducing the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution. The ERA is essential to guarantee that the freedoms protected by our Constitution apply equally to men and women. From the beginning of our history as a Nation, women have had to wage a constant, long and difficult battle to win the same basic rights granted to men. That battle goes on today, since discrimination still continues in many ways.

"Despite passage of the Equal Pay Act & the Civil Rights Act in the 1960s, discrimination against women continues to permeate the workforce and many areas of the economy. Today, women earn about 77 cents for each dollar earned by men, and the gap is even greater for women of color. More than 60% of working women are still clustered in a narrow range of traditionally female, traditionally low-paying occupations, and female-headed households continue to dominate the bottom rungs of the economic ladder.
"A stronger effort is clearly needed to finally live up to our commitment of full equality. The ERA alone cannot remedy all discrimination, but it will clearly strengthen the ongoing efforts of women across the country to obtain equal treatment.

"We know from the failed ratification experiences of the past that amending the Constitution to include the ERA will not be easy to achieve. But the women of America deserve no less."
Source: Equal Rights Amendment (S.J.RES.10/H.J.RES.40) 2007-SJR10 on Mar 29, 2007
Give domestic partnership benefits to Federal employees.

Weiner signed Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act

A federal employee who has a same-sex domestic partner and the domestic partner of the employee shall be entitled to benefits available to, and shall be subject to obligations imposed upon, a married employee and the spouse of the employee. In order to obtain benefits and assume obligations under this Act, an employee shall file an affidavit of eligibility certifying that the employee and the domestic partner of the employee:

are each other's sole domestic partner and intend to remain so indefinitely;
have a common residence, and intend to continue the arrangement;
are at least 18 years of age and mentally competent to consent to contract;
share responsibility for a significant measure of each other's common welfare and financial obligations
are not married to or domestic partners with anyone else;
are same sex domestic partners, and not related in a way that, if the two were of opposite sex, would prohibit legal marriage in the State in which they reside; and
understand that willful falsification of information within the affidavit may lead to disciplinary action and the recovery of the cost of benefits received related to such falsification and may constitute a criminal violation.

An employee or domestic partner of an employee who obtains benefits under this Act shall file a statement of dissolution of the domestic partnership not later than 30 days after the death of the employee or the domestic partner or the date of dissolution of the domestic partnership.
Source: H.R.2517 2009-H2517 on May 20, 2009
Recognize the 40th anniversary of Stonewall.

Weiner signed Recognizing the 40th anniversary of Stonewall

Whereas the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village, New York City, was a bar primarily patronized by a diverse cross-section of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community;
Whereas at around 1:20 a.m. on June 28, 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn, closing the bar and forcing patrons outside;

Whereas such raids were among the many ways in which government harassed and discriminated against members of the LGBT community during this period, which included, for example, prohibiting dancing with a person of the same sex, terminating one's employment, and using entrapment to arrest people;
Whereas thousands returned to the Stonewall Inn on the nights of June 28 and July 2, 1969, to express their support of basic freedoms, equality, and fair treatment for LGBT Americans, chanting such slogans as 'Gay Power', and 'Equality For Homosexuals';

Whereas the series of protests, often referred to as 'Stonewall', marked a watershed event in which LGBT Americans dramatically showed a growing determination to publicly resist government discrimination and harassment;
Whereas Stonewall sparked a remarkable increase in activism and action by LGBT Americans across the country to advocate for equal rights;

Whereas inspired by Stonewall, LGBT pride parades and festivals occur in cities across the country and the world every June;

Whereas a great deal of progress has been made in achieving equal rights for LGBT Americans since Stonewall occurred 40 years ago, but much work remains to be done:

Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
recognizes the 40th anniversary of Stonewall;
honors those who participated during Stonewall and since that time in the civil rights struggle of LGBT Americans; and
recommits itself to protecting and providing equal rights for all Americans, including those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender.
Source: H. RES. 433 2009-HR433 on May 13, 2009
Honor the 100th anniversary of the NAACP.

Weiner signed bill honoring the 100th anniversary of the NAACP

Whereas the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, NAACP, originally known as the National Negro Committee, was founded in New York City on February 12, 1909, the centennial of Abraham Lincoln's birth, by a multiracial group of activists who met in a national conference to discuss the civil and political rights of African-Americans;

Whereas the NAACP is the oldest and largest civil rights organization in the United States;
Whereas the mission of the NAACP is to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination;
Whereas the NAACP is committed to achieving its goals through nonviolence;
Whereas the NAACP advances its mission through reliance upon the press, the petition, the ballot, and the courts, and has been persistent in the use of legal and moral persuasion, even in the face of overt and violent racial hostility;

Whereas the NAACP has used political pressure, marches, demonstrations, and effective lobbying to serve as the voice, as well as the shield, for minority Americans;

Now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Congress
Recognizes the 100th anniversary of the historic founding of the NAACP.
Honors and praises the NAACP on the occasion of its anniversary for its work to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of all persons.
Source: SCR.3&HCR.35 2009-SCR3 on Jan 28, 2009

His Constituents are standing by him as are many Americans who have stated they do not believe his personal sex life should determine whether he stays or goes and so far two of his fellow Liberal Democrats have spoken out in support of him.

But other Democrats in Congress are calling for him to resign over a sex scandal. I am of the opinion that no one should be forced to quit because of their sex lives and if they are asked about it, since it is no one else's business, I believe they may answer those inappropriate questions in whatever way they choose. Sex lies are perfectly justified when they are in response to questions that never should have been asked in the first place imho. And the public appears to agree.

But the pressure from DC politicians, often so out of touch with the American people, will be fierce. Sources close to him say he is very moved by the outpouring of support he has received. However he will need a lot more as the pressure increases so I thought those he has supported so loyally, Gays, Minorities and Liberals in general, might want to add their support for him at this difficult time.

One way would be to call Congressmembers including Nancy Pelosi to tell them you do not want them pressuring Rep. Weiner to leave Congress over a silly sex 'scandal'. Here is a link where you can find the contact numbers of all members of Congress:



FIND YOUR CONGRESS MEMBER

Rep. Weiner is a Liberal Democrat. There are not many of them left in Congress.

CALL NANCY PELOSI @ 202-225-4965

[KG]

1. i'm curious. what if he resigns, a special election follows, i suppose? and a puke get his seat?

what then?

[sabrina 1]

4. I don't know. Maybe someone else might.

I don't know eg, if the party can put someone in his place temporarily until there is a special election.

[DeadEyeDyck]

129. Doesn't the governor appoint a stand in? NT

[KharmaTrain]

10. A Touch Of Reality...

I don't want to see Rep. Weiner resign...and appears neither do 56% of his constituents but since you asked...

Firstly...he's from a heavily Democratic district where the only way a rushpublican can win is if there's a massive split in the Democratic vote or low turn out that enables the GOOPer to slip by, but I really don't see this a likely scenario.

If he were to resign and a special election held, it would only be until the end of Weiner's current term at the end of next year. Since the rushpublicans have a solid majority in the House, a flip of one seat or another won't make a difference at this point. On the scheme of things it would mean very little as to what goes on in the House. It's more a blow to the ego and the taking of a political scalp that is involved here.

Again, I hope that Rep. Weiner is able to get out from under this cloud with no more damage incured. I'll let the voters in his district hold the final judgement as to if he should stay or go...

[Hoopla Phil]

125. "rushpublican" LMAO!!! First time I've seen that. LOVE it! n/t

[JVS]

11. I don't think that's so much a danger. The district saw its last repulican in 1920

The real political conflict here is within the party. Weiner holds a district that is considered a safe seat for Democrats. The left of the party views the safe seat as an opportunity to have a real liberal. The right wing of the party looks at it as a place where they could put one of their people and not have to worry about the attrition they suffered in 2010.

[KG]

13. well, i'm pretty sure nobody expected a puke to get Ted Kennedy's seat....

[Book Lover]

42. I was born and raised in a neighborhood he represents

The democratic machine is simply too entrenched. I assure you that no republican will fill that seat, *especially* if a special election is held (which would, as has been noted elsewhere, not sit well at all with his constituents. That's money we don't have to replace someone we don't want to see go.)

[JAnthony]

98. Not even Martha Coakley, who took a few weeks off, and didn't

learn how to campaign for office of Senator.

[Chan790]

86. The bigger danger is the redistricting.

NY is losing two seats in the House and the state legislature is divided. Any redistricting plan has to be bipartisan; further the city shrank quite a bit and up state grew a little so it's likely that both seats will be coming from Westchester, NYC and LI.

The current rumor is that the two seats most-likely cut in the compromise are Weiner's and Peter King's; sort of a quid pro quo, we make your national gadfly run against an incumbent and you do the same. The situation is murkier though, because King's seat is gerrymandered to basically give him a safe district and insure the rest of LI is represented by Democrats, but none are a overwhelmingly safe seat. Weiner may or not win a race against an incumbent Democrat, King almost certainly wins against either of the incumbents in bordering districts.

Or that's what I got out of it, there have been a few articles about in the NYC news-dailies.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

119. Republicans now control both chambers of the NC state legislature...

first time in 100 years.

[nomb]

169. Nothing more than a label change. Deep South OR Alternate Universe, whose to know? n/t

[Smarmie Doofus]

2. He's the real deal. I remember back in the mid 90's...

... i was doing work for Empire State Pride and was surprised to find him on a list of $$ supporters.

At the time he was a pretty obscure councilman from a notoriously unsympathetic part of BKLYN.

Point: nothing much in it politically for him..... yet there he was.

[sabrina 1]

3. Thanks for that story. I believe he really is the real deal.

When you read how he works in his dist. and the love his constituents have for him, you have to know that they know he does really care about them and that is why they keep sending him back to DC.

I am going to call Nancy Pelosi tomorrow and tell her what I think of the spinelessness of Democrats and to leave Weiner alone and let his constituents decide whether he stays or not.

[Smarmie Doofus]

8. Went to my inbox to see if anyone was organizing support for him...

.... (answer: no). And noticed the "treatment" story.

I don't quite get it....treatment for *what*, exactly..... unless there's stuff that we don't know about yet.

[sabrina 1]

68. I know, I don't get that either.

But, it seems to be what they are supposed to do when they are caught having sex outside of marriage. He was probably advised by the Clintons who also got 'counseling'. So did Vitter et al. I don't know who this is meant to impress, but if it works for them politically, so be it.

Otoh, not being Dr. Frist, as so many appeared to try to be in the media and on internet boards, I don't know if he has problems or not, if so getting help is a good thing.

But liking sex should not be an indication of mental illness, unless you are Republican!

Attention: Nancy Pelosi: :eyes:

[MikeMc]

171. Sex+Mental Illness+Repugs = Diapers. NT.

[JTFrog]

5. K&R!

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Fumesucker]

7. Yes, all the *other* Congresscritters are _sooo_ honest..

:eyes: :eyes: :eyes: :eyes: :eyes: :eyes: :eyes: :eyes: :eyes: :eyes: :eyes: :eyes: :eyes: :eyes: :eyes: :eyes:

[Warrior Dash]

9. Mommy...he did it too...

That has always been a pitiful excuse.

[Fumesucker]

22. Then every official who knowingly states an untruth should be hounded from office?

Or is there a certain genre of lies that are unacceptable and other lies that are acceptable?

I'd really like to know where the line lies, so to speak.

[Warrior Dash]

31. They shouldn't have to be hounded from office, but if they refuse to go with dignity, so be it.

If it can be demonstrated that a politician knowingly lied, they are not fit to represent the People.

Clearly, you do not expect as much as I do from the People's representatives. Rather than making excuses for the unfit, you should try raising your standards.

[Fumesucker]

33. I have my own problems with Weiner..

Lying about personal behavior that doesn't even rise to the level of consensual adult sex isn't one of them.

[Warrior Dash]

46. So, do you think that Weiner (46) was really interested in the "thoughts" of these young women?

[Fumesucker]

47. Was there any actual, you know, sex?

Clinton got a blow job, "lied" about it and stayed in office.

Strangely enough his polls were highest while all that furor was going down, so to speak.

[Maraya1969]

51. Yes. There are plenty of 17 year olds heading out to top colleges

in the fall. There are even some that aced their SAT'S this spring. Age does not necessarily make you any smarter. I'd rather talk to a smart 17 year old than a stupid 50 year old.

[sabrina 1]

55. Do you think those women were really interested in the 'thoughts'

of Rep. Weiner?? Do you really think women don't engage in sex sometimes, just because they like it? I've got news for you! :rofl:

[EFerrari]

41. That's for his district to decide, not you. n/t

[Warrior Dash]

43. We will see...

Very soon.

[sabrina 1]

52. Is it the lies that bother you?

Or the sex?

[Warrior Dash]

158. Well, since there was no sex...

Seriously, don't you think some jobs require a higher standard of behavior than others?

[me b zola]

80. He didn't lie about policy, or any other matter that effects his constituents lives

he lied because he was being hounded about something that is no ones business but those personally involved. When the fuck did witch hunts become so popular on DU?

[DissedByBush]

102. True, he never said "I'm not a middle-aged perv"

And he he actually refrained from saying that wasn't him.

But he did claim an illegal act had happened, the hacking of his account, when none had.

If he'd named a name, that person would be wide open to owning all that belongs to Wiener in the civil suit.

As it is, you have a bunch of his supporters defending him based on a lie.

Remember here last week, "Wiener's account was hacked! Here's the proof!"

Nope, no hack, just a middle-aged perv married to a beautiful woman he doesn't deserve.

[me b zola]

140. Thats the thing about witch hunts

People snoop, dig, and poke till the target mis-steps then-- blam--a little nugget for soap opera fans to grab onto and say what a horrible person the target is.

[DissedByBush]

155. It's about the lies

"Yes I did it, sorry about that" = a person with a problem, but honest with his constituents

"I didn't do it, someone hacked my account" = he has no problem lying to his constituents for his own benefit

[Life Long Dem]

101. You don't have any right to know the truth.

Because it's none of your business - what Weiner does in his own private life. So whether he lied or not is irrelevant, because you had no right to know the truth in first place.

What you do have is the right to privacy, which you should be fighting for as a dem here on DU.

[fascisthunter]

164. thank you

I call bs on those wanting him to step down. Their reasons are facetious at best, naive at worst.

[Name removed]

32. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[sabrina 1]

48. I think you miss the point.

The question is, what is the standard in Congress regarding sex lies, sex outside of marriage etc.?

It appears to be arbitrary. Why don't they set a standard? Right now, it seems to be 'it's okay if you're a corporate shill'.

[Doctor_J]

100. David Vitter admitted to a string of felonies

I don't remember you demanding his ouster.

[Name removed]

20. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Warrior Dash]

23. Do not publicly accuse another member of this message board of being a disruptor,

conservative, Republican, FReeper, or troll, or do not otherwise imply they are not welcome on Democratic Underground. If you think someone is a disruptor, click the "Alert" link below their post to let the moderators know.

[Occulus]

27. .

:rofl:

One day? ONE DAY and you're already a mod?

:rofl:

[Warrior Dash]

30. I learn from my experiences....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1275787

[Name removed]

34. Deleted message

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[Name removed]

38. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[xchrom]

12. done & glad to do it. nt

[William769]

14. I have supported Anthony Weiner from day one & I will continue to do so

Also have already made the phone calls.

Anthony Weiner is trying to be run out of Dodge & I will do anything in my power to help stop that.

[sabrina 1]

82. I'm with you on that. I dislike the witch hunt far more than

what he did. I was disappointed at first, but now what he did pales compared to the viciousness and meanness of those who are after him.

[Smarmie Doofus]

15. Pelosi's mailbox is filled-up.

I'll try again later or tomorrow.

[inna]

17. you mean, her voice mail? interesting, very interesting. i bet most of those messages

are pro-Weiner, anti-hypocrisy.

[Smarmie Doofus]

18. Voice mail. Let's hope so. n/t

[sabrina 1]

56. I bet they are too. Nearly every single person I know

is more disgusted with the witch hunt, than with anything Rep. Weiner did.

Even my Repub family members are disgusted by the waste of time on this.

I don't know why, Democrats especially, think this is deal-breaker for voters.

Deal-breakers for me and most of those I know, are lies about war, violating the Constitutional rights of anyone and for a lot of people I know, it is bailing out crooked bankers, and leaving ordinary people to suffer the consequences of their corruption with very little help.

No one I know has ever mention sex or lies about sex, as a reason for not voting for someon.

Nancy needs to wake up, or maybe they just want to get rid of him.

[inna]

16. K&R and thank you! nt

[inna]

19. just a thought - I suggest to send a message to Debbie Wasserman Schultz, as well

(Not a good start, Debbie. No need to go after good Democrats, GOP does not need your help in that.)

[sabrina 1]

49. Yes, I'm going to call Debbie tomorrow.

[juxtaposed]

83. well put, she's doing their work

[bigwillq]

21. Wow. I thought you were going to say Obama.

:P :rofl:

[msongs]

24. don't ask don't tell lol nt

[sabrina 1]

109. Now that was funny!

:rofl:

[Zorra]

25. This is my first post on one of these threads.

Clinton lied about his little episode.

Obama made all kinds of promises that he never had any intention of keeping so that he could get elected. He lied.

I didn't like what either of them did as far as the dishonesty goes, but I did (do) not want them to resign.

Neither of the aforementioned politicians were (are) very progressive.

Rep. Weiner is extremely progressive, and supports the causes and policies that I support.

Nice post, Sabrina 1. Your post, (along with the constant, annoying hypocritical whining of "centrists"), has convinced me.

I'm standing with Rep. Weiner 100%.

[sabrina 1]

Nice post from you also, Zorra

Thank you ~ That's pretty much how I feel.

[QC]

26. K&R

[Fearless]

28. And the rethugs would be happy to get rid of him.

[QC]

40. It looks like the Pragmatic Sensibles feel the same way. n/t

[sabrina 1]

143. Lol, 'Pragmatic Sensibles'

I like that ~

[closeupready]

29. K&R. Hang in there, Anthony. This will blow over eventually.

And you will go on as a valuable member of Congress.

[RiverStone]

36. It will not blow over, sadly - the MSM & pukes will never let it go

Nor an increasing number of Dems...

I agree that he is a fierce fighter, but he also has made a fool of himself with his arrogant lying. I care not about his sexual impulses - that's his business.

On the flip side, we will never forget George "Macaca" Allen and David "Diaper" Vitter.

I believe Weiner could have gotten out of this if he immediately told the truth, now there is no way. You can't function in a House where your colleagues are put on the defensive for your stupid behavior. His ship has sailed.

[Maraya1969]

57. Vitter is till in office and Allen just didn't get elected. None of them

were thrown anywhere. And of course Mr. WideStance is still there also. Clarence Thomas has not been formally investigated yet as far I know! If you stop saying he will not weather this you are only encouraging the people who want a rethug in that office. Repeating something over and over just makes it seem like it true.

[MikeMc]

172. "hiking the Appalachain Trail" and 'mom and dad pay off the mistress'

are two more repug oldies-but-goodies.

[Scottybeamer70]

90. Heh.........

You might be the one on the sinking ship. I believe Mr. Weiner has many, many supporters,
including quite a few on this site. We don't all condemn someone for things they do.
We are not all prudes living in the 12th century. I support him 100%.....Thank you, Sabrina for the OP.

[lightningandsnow]

35. Impressive, but since the HRC threw the trans community under the bus,

I'm not really inclined to think that they represent the LGBTQ community.

It's great that Weiner is a supporter of human rights. But show me someone endorsed by Queers for Economic Justice or the Sylvia Rivera Law Project, and then I'll be really impressed.

[Robb]

44. +1. (nt)

[fascisthunter]

165. post #114

[sabrina 1]

104. Sorry to hear that, but Weiner does support the trans community

himself. If he survives this, maybe it is something to talk to him about, however, he definitely has supported the trans communit. He is pretty consistent across the board about supporting every single American's right to the rights guaranteed to everyone in the Constitution.

[Jim Lane]

114. Here's Weiner addressing transgender rights

is to a C-SPAN video of Weiner speaking on the floor of the House on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). He begins by extolling non-discrimination in general. At about 3:00 of the clip he turns to the specific issue of including transgendered people in ENDA. He notes the argument made by some proponents about getting "half a loaf" but then he rejects that argument. He unequivocally supports prohibiting discrimination against people based on gender identity.

You'll note from the OP that Weiner ultimately voted against ENDA. Most of the opposition, of course, was from the troglodytes who didn't want any protection for LGB people, with or without the T at the end. Weiner was one of a handful of progressive Democrats who voted against ENDA because it didn't go far enough -- specifically, because it did not protect trans people against discrimination.

[sabrina 1]

144. Thank you for that. Are there any other Trans supporters in

in Congress? I have not heard anyone else address the issue.

[Jim Lane]

145. It depends on your criteria for "trans supporter"

I know that Weiner wasn't the only one to vote against ENDA because it didn't protect trans people. Off the top of my head I remember that Jerry Nadler, another liberal Congressmember from NYC, took the same position.

There were certainly Congressmembers who favored prohibiting this form of discrimination but who voted for the final version of ENDA anyway. Barney Frank was the most prominent example, and he certainly addressed the issue, making no bones about the pragmatic nature of his decision. He argued the tactical considerations -- his belief that ENDA couldn't pass with trans protection included, but that passing the weaker version would help pave the way for expansion later. If a Congressmember thinks that a particular legislative strategy is the method that's most likely to result in protection for the trans community, do you count that person as a "trans supporter" even if you disagree with the tactical judgment?

[sabrina 1]

149. Thanks, Jerry Nadler is a great, Liberal Congressman.

Barnie Frank often frustrates me with his 'pragmatism'. Still, I would count him as a supporter of edqual rights for all, he's just, searching for a word ... expedient, I guess.

[lightningandsnow]

152. That's amazing!

Thanks for the info...that's super great. :)

[RKP5637]

37. K&R

[Dappleganger]

39. This is what really matters.

[WillyT]

45. K & R !!!

:kick:

[Maraya1969]

50. You just said what I have been trying to say, unsuccessfully, for the past 2 days

on DU. Thank you.

:yourock:

[baldguy]

53. Weiner was targeted precisely because of his advocacy of this and other liberal causes.

And because he is just so effective!

[Maraya1969]

58. Oh yes! And remember this was a witch hunt and a payback for him pointing

at what will be known as a real criminal - Clarence Thomas.

[Logical]

60. LOL.....you cannot be targeted if you do not take pictures of your junk and send them to women! n-t

[baldguy]

61. Yes, you can. The RW does it all the time.

Remember, they tried the slime Obama during the 2008 campaign, and they did it with Alan Grayson too, and were successful.

It's very easy to for the RW to lie about people, especially when there's no body to set the record straight. The MSM should be doing that, but they're too busy chasing Sarah Palin and too lazy to question Breitbart's methods to be bothered with real journalism.

[Logical]

62. Weiner is 100% responsible for this mess. Not the GOP. Give it a rest! n-t

[baldguy]

70. *sigh*! Nothing is sadder than the blind being blind because they refuse to see.

Weiner. Hasn't. Done. Anything. Wrong.

No matter how much phony outrage the RW corporate media can gin up, that fact remains. If he had been anyone else, in any other position - other than an elected Democrat - there would be no mess. There would have been a few chuckles at his expense, period. There entire "mess" is a product of the RW propaganda machine.

[sabrina 1]

63. Really? Tell that to Shirley Sherrod or Van Jones.

When the people doing the targeting are Breitbart & Crew if they can't something to use, they will make it up and by the time you manage to prove you are innocent, the media will have helped do such a good job on you it will take a long time before you can get your life back.

Ask Juan Carlos Vera or any of the ACORN workers. And then try to find ten people who know that ACORN was exonerated of all the false charges made by O'Keefe and his gang of criminal thugs.

Mary Landreu lucked out. They messed up and got caught before accomplishing their goal there, but she WAS on their hit list.

And FYI, they are working on Al Franken and Sen. Sanders right now. And I would NOT dismiss how good they are at destroying perfectly decent human beings.

Juan Carlos Vera and Shirley Sherrod are now suing them to try to get some justice for what was done to them.

Weiner became a target when he wrote his letter to Congress regarding Clarence Thomas. He was always a target, but once he did that, he was on the top of their list.

Thanks to the spinelessness of Dems, in every single case I have mentioned, who threw all those people overboard without even taking the time to look into the charges made by the most discredited 'journalist' in the country, they have been much, much stronger.

What will you say when they 'get' their next Dem target? Should we keep tossing people overboard to please Breitbart? To me, NOTHING Rep. Weiner has done so far, even compares to the evil done by these thugs.

[Logical]

64. So you are saying this was the GOPs fault this IDIOT sent pictures of his cock to women??? n-t

[sabrina 1]

67. I didn't say the GOP, I said Breitbart although now that you

mention it, there is evidence that his thugs were working in collusion with Daryl Issa to 'get' a Liberal Democrat.

'So you are saying'. Why do people use that silly phrase when someone has clearly written exaclty what 'what they are saying'?

Do you not understand what I wrote? I will be happy to break it down for you.

[Logical]

71. Quit playing cute.....

you are clearly trying to say that the GOP set up Weiner. I agree they used the pictures to take him down but no one MADE him start these online, idiotic, sexual relationships.

Weiner did this stupid shit on his own, and now that the GOP is using it against us we are trying to blame them for it?

Once again, simple for you, if he had not used his WORK twitter to start sexual relationships outside his marriage with SIX different women then the GOP has nothing to use against him!!!

Get it now???

[sabrina 1]

74. Sorry, I am not a fundie rightwing religious prude.

I don't accept their notion that sex between consenting adults and/or photos of breasts, vaginas, penii or any other body part are something to grab the smelling salts over.

The GOP is merely a tool of the far rightwing network of Corporate funders whose goal is to destroy Liberalism in this country. So, yes, they are a part of that effort. But not the main drivers. And neither is Breitbart, he's merely the clown they pay to do the dirty work.

And the media plays along. His private twitter DM is his to do whatever he wants to do with it. Twitter has no rules regarding how it is used, unless there is something criminal involved.

The GOP Backers who went after Van Jones, eg, did not have 'sexual relationships' to go after him with, did they? But they got him fired anyhow. Another great liberal environmentalist they had in their sights, because he, like Weiner, was going after them, exposing their hypocrisy and they cannot have that.

Help them if you wish, I will not.

[Logical]

84. Once again, slower, one of them was not consenting! I give up on you! n-t

[sabrina 1]

87. It's interesting, you are professing to care so much about women

But where is your outrage at Breitbarts thugs, one of them a wife abuser and ex-con who stalked and harassed Rep. Weiner's hight school supporters so badly their parents complained about them and Rep. Weiner tried to help them out by removing them from his support list to protect them from those pretty frightening men?

Have you seen the mug-shot btw? I would be terrified if I was being pursued online by such people, yet you, who proclaim to care so much about women, have said not a single word about the frightening harassment and stalking of those girls by Breitbart's criminal stalkers. Nor has Daryl Issa's office who knew how frightened those girls were of Breitbart's thugs.

As for the woman who received the Calvin Klein photo, she obviously did consent as she went on to help try to fight the thugs on the right.

[Logical]

91. I never defended Breitbart once. Show me anywhere I did. But he is not...

the reason Weiner is in trouble. Quit trying to blame him for Weiner being an idiot.

[sabrina 1]

96. Regardless, Breitbart's thugs, one of them an ex-con

stalked and harassed young high school students in their attempt to 'get Weiner' to the point where they had to 'hide' in order to escape their stalkers.

They did so NOT because of anything Weiner did, but because they saw that those girls were supporters of a Democratic Congressman.

If sexting with grown women is enough to cause this media frenzy, why is the danger those girls were placed in by Breitbart, and with the knowledge of Daryl Issa's office not causing a similar, or even more outraged reaction from the media, from Nancy Pelosi and others. It is not that no one knows, it has been reported.

Yet, the focus is on someone who did no harm. One of those thugs even gave an interview admitting that he 'might be in trouble with the law' because of what he did to those girls. Being that he has been already, I guess even he knows that he WAS harming those girls.

Yet no one in the Dem Party or anyone else who is hounding Weider has said a single word about these dangerous people and how far they are willing to go to 'get' a Liberal Democratic congressman.

Sorry, pretending to care about grown women, while totally ignoring what could have turned out very badly for those girls simply because they supported a democrat is pure hypocrisy to me.

And Daryl Issa? His office's failure to put a stop to it is far, far worse to me than Weiner's 'sex crimes'.

So who will they go after next? And what tactics will they use? They don't need to stop as no one is holding them responsible.

I'll do what I believe is right and since I see these people are very dangerous, not only to teen-aged girls, but to our democracy, I will continue to try to shine a light on hypocrites who put their own personal agendas ahead of the real crimes taking place right under their noses.

[baldguy]

72. Issa engaged in a conspiracy to blackmail a fellow Representative.

That's the story that really needs to be exposed. Not that Weiner posted some sophomoric tweets.

[sabrina 1]

142. Nice guy and yes, that story does need to be exposed. But

he's a Republican so it probably won't be.

[Liberal Veteran]

54. As a gay DU'er, I've been informed that momentary embarrassment is more important than anything.

Surely you aren't suggesting we stand by those who stand by us?

That would be almost courageous and we can't have that in our party.

[Rhythm]

77. .

:spray:

[sabrina 1]

105. So true. At least as far as politicians go. I know we all

supported them staying in THEIR jobs, but they seem to forget about all of us, except around election time. Then they love us ~ :-)

[Logical]

59. Sorry, he is a pervert. Let him resign and run again once he gets his issues addressed! n-t

[sabrina 1]

65. So sex is perverted? Okay, you are entitled to your opinion.

It's not a very progressive opinion, in MY opinion though.

[Logical]

66. Sex is not, sending erection pictures to women who DID NOT request them is perverted!

Or most progressives think it is!

[sabrina 1]

69. Is it? I know lots of women who enjoy such photos.

Most progressives? I am a progressive woman and I disagree with you completely.

But as a said, BECAUSE I am a progressive I don't impose my views on others. I can say what they are, but you have a right to think sexy photos shared among adults are perverted if you wish. And I have a right to NOT thinks so.

Most of the public though, seems to agree with me.

His poll numbers shot up into the 60s AFTER the penis photo was released.

Come to think of it, that might become part of campaigns in the future. We always knew Rep Weiner the balls to take on Republicans, now that people have seen them, they appear to like him even more.

What's the big deal?

[Logical]

73. You do realize the main women in this scandal was shocked he sent the initial picture??

Does that sound like she wanted it to you? She said she didn't get the "joke" as they had not had ANY sexual conversation before.

He sent her the bulge in his shorts with NO prompting. Do you think that is OK? If so I am a different progressive than you are.

[sabrina 1]

75. And yet she helped him cover it up.

So, I guess she liked even less, the effort to destroy him. And I agree with her on that.

[Logical]

85. Because I guess at one point she respected him and then felt sorry for him! But you never...

address the fact he sent it to her without consent. That is NOT normal!

[sabrina 1]

141. She has stated clearly that nothing improper ever happened

between her and the Congressman. Are you saying she's lying? The part you are ignoring is she also stated that she was harassed fiercely by Breitbart's thugs to the point that she had to take down her account. She was pursued all over the internet and had her personal information posted by these thugs all over the place.

Is that normal? She DM'd her concerns about these thugs to Weiner. The 17 yr old visited by the police this weekend, also was harassed and stalked by Breitbart's thugs and also DM'd Weiner about it. She too had to take down her acct.

But you are not concerned at all about those girls and young women stalked and harassed for months by an ex-con and his freeper buddies. Fine, obsess over something the woman herself is not concerned about and has as I said, stated that nothing improper occurred. I assume that includes the photo even if she was initially surpised by it.

[digitaln3rd]

76. I'm willing to bet that if Weiner was an R instead of a D

Your tune would be different.

Face it - he was an idiot that got caught.

[baldguy]

78. If Weiner had an R after his name, this wouldn't be a story.

[sabrina 1]

79. Wrong, my tune has always been that people's personal

sex lives are their business no matter what party they belong to.

But I have and will continue to point out the hypocrisy of Republicans who preach family values and point fingers at others, when they themselves are engaging in the same, normal, behavior.

I have given this a lot of thougt and imho, I do NOT want Republicans driven out of office when they are caught engaged in sexual activities. Keeping them there is an advantage to those of us who want them to grow up and acknowledge that sex is not a sin, and it should not be used as a political tool.

Once they are caught, like Vitter and Craig it makes it pretty much impossible for them to keep screaming about family values in Congress. So they more of them who are caught AND remain in Congress, the better for us.

Rep. Weiner otoh, has always stood up for people's rights regarding their sexual orientation and has never lectured anyone on their personal sexual proclivities.

So, since no crime that we know of so far was committed by him, he certainly cannot be accused of being a hypocrite, there is absolutely no reason why he should leave Congress, especially since his constituents want him there.

Maybe with so many Repubs now exposed as hypocrites, still in Congress, we will pass through this period and move on to going after elected officials for things that really matter to the people. Maybe even Republicans will learn it's best for them not to scream too loudly about this particular 'sin' anymore. That would be a blessing.

[sabrina 1]

106. Lol, if Weiner was a Republican none of this would be happening

no matter what kind of idiot he was and no matter how he got caught, even if he was caught playing footsie with an undercover police officer in a bathroom stall. In fact, if he was Republican his party would rally around him and they would not override the will of his constituents allowing them to decide whether he should stay or go.

Also, if he was a Republican we would not know what he was up to, UNLESS he got himself arrested, because we on the left do not have a vast, well-funded network of political operatives whose main goal is to seek out and destroy Republicans complete with a goon squad led by someone like Andrew Breitbart and James O'Keefe.

[fascisthunter]

167. vice versa actually

no one would say shit if he weren't a republican or conservative democrat.

[Smarmie Doofus]

116. LOL. This is rapidly becoming my favorite thread of the week.

>>>We always knew Rep Weiner the balls to take on Republicans, now that people have seen them, they appear to like him even more. >>>

[fascisthunter]

166. a pervert? Lol....

then you are very uptight.

[MikeMc]

81. Go, s 1. NT

[Warren DeMontague]

88. Kick

:kick:

[Violet_Crumble]

89. Self-deleted n/t

[TNLib]

92. I wish everyone would just butt out. This is between him and his constituents

If NY wants him to remain then that's that. He represents NY.

[JAnthony]

94. He didn't lie just to his constitutents. Sorry, FAIL! n/t

[inna]

159. so what, other politicians lie non-stop! this one only lies about sex, afaik, and i don't give

a fook! (no pun intended)



this is all about taking out one of the few remaining real Dems (as opposed to "New Democrats" like Obama, etc.) in Congress

[TNLib]

95. He's not your congressman. He doesn't work for you!!!!

[JAnthony]

97. That's just ONLY true when they are Dems who transgress...the rest...

of the time, Democrats consider all 435 of them (R and D) our employees when we want something passed.

Sorry, your argument FAILS!

[DeadEyeDyck]

130. that agument quit working once the colonies became a republic

Rep. Weiner casts a vote that DOES affect the people of Florida. In truth, his vote is just as powerful as my representative.If the outcome of his vote only affected his constiuents, I would agree. Bu they don't.

[JAnthony]

93. Let's reverse the question, what if he had sent those pictures to MEN?

Would all you supporters be so on-board?

I tend to doubt it.

There are thousands of liberal New York lawyers who share Mr Weiner's perspective on gay rights.

Some of them are gay, and would love a job with Mr Weiner's pay grade, health care benefits, and in-house gym. Some of them would also like to be married to their partner and wouldn't cheat on that partner on the internet and then lie about it publicly for a week.

Would you straight folks think a gay man or woman in a Congressional seat who sent photos out to other people of the same sex, got caught, and lied about it be worthy of your undying support?

This lying issue of Mr Weiner has NOTHING AT ALL TO DO with his support of gay rights. SORRY!
Please don't use gay people in such a polarizing, ingratiating, yet ignominiously humiliating way.

[sabrina 1]

108. Yes, I would definitely be on board.

Why would think otherwise? Is it polarizing or ingratiating or humiliating when I am asked to support someone who has stood up for my rights as a woman, and is under fire from the far right, because I am woman? It has happened many times and I have gladly done so.

'Use'?? So next time I am asked as a woman to support a person being run out of town by the woman-hating far right idealogues, I should feel 'used'?

Sorry you feel that way, I do not feel used when asked for my support in such instances, I am glad to help anyone who has helped me.

I will try to make it clear again. I do NOT support anyone prying into the personal sex lives of anyone, public figure or otherwise, gay or straight. Sex is not a crime. And you don't know ME if you think I would not be defending him if he was Gay.

I have an uncle by marriage who was gay, who died three years ago in his seventies, never having had the nerve to come out, even in NY, because of the hateful atmosphere he grew up in. Even though things had changed and I wished more than anything he would at least have had a few years to feel free of all that, I guess the oppression he knew he would be subjected to as a young person who would have been denied love, rights and everything else he was entitled to, had he come out, was too strong to overcome.

There were no Anthony Weiners fighting for his rights when he was a young teenager and adult. In fact such a person would have been run out of town by rightwing ideologues and even by Dems back then, as is happening to Weiner right now.

Those who targeted him hate women, they hate gays and I for one will support anyone they go after who had the guts to take a stand for all Americans and I will not hesitate to ask Gays for whose rights he consistently fought, to help him now fight off those hate-filled rightwing loons. If you do not wish to, feel free not to. It was request, that's all.

[LadyHawkAZ]

111. +1,000,000

[JAnthony]

148. Your entire thread was intended to SHAME gay men and lesbians into

continuing to support a man with a major pathological problem or two, exhibitionism and dishonesty.

I'm not buying your guilt trip.

[sabrina 1]

175. Lol, that has to be the most ridiculous comment ever on DU.

Let's take it to its logical conclusion.

When Democrats aske women to vote for them, they are shaming women into coninuing to support a party that doesn't always stand up for their rights, (see the HC debate).

When Democrats ask Gays to vote for them, they are shaming them into continuing to support a party that has not always stood up for their rights (except for people like Anthony Weiner of coures)

When Democrats ask African Americans to vote for them, they are trying to SHAME them into continuing to support a party that often neglects their issues once they get elected.

I guess it's a shame when soemone asks others for help at all.

No, the SHAME is that in this century, a man is being run out of office because of his sexual preferences, called insane, mentally ill, a pervert. Sound familiar?

Sexual McCarthysm as another DUer called it. THAT is the shame.



You insult Gays by assuming they feel as you do about judging people by their sexual preferences.

And you insult Gays by suggesting that they do not have a right to know who is working for them in Congress and many might not have known Weiner's record, if they did not live in NY.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

126. oh please. people like weiner are not caught in sex scandals with men

they are not homophobic and would have come out if they were gay.

weiner is more than a gay rights supporter. he champions lgbt rights in the way other politicans from nyc dont.

and yes, if he had send these pics to adult men, i would still have supported him

[Bluenorthwest]

161. See I can not agree. Weiner did not come out as who he is.

He lived a closeted life, he was not Playboy Tony, he was married, just last year, which slammed that closet shut. To assume that he'd not have done the same with another form of sexuality is quite a leap, really. Why would he be honest about gay sex but dishonest about his straight truth? The closet is the closet, living a lie is the closet, one does not have to be gay to live in a closet. Tony did not come out as Tony. He kept claiming to be other than what he is.
Why do you think that he'd have been openly gay when he could not even be openly heterosexual as heterosexuality expresses itself in him? He was hiding his truth. In a closet.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

162. hiding details of your sex life does not equal closeting

i am very out, but the actual details of my sex life are not.

its insane to think every detail of ones personal life needs to be out, in order for one to be considered not closeted

[Ruby the Liberal]

127. IMO, that would have been a better outcome.

Had he come out as gay, it would be understandable and those of us on the left side of the sphere would have championed him for taking that personal/emotional step. Personally, if I were Huma and put in this position, I would have preferred a coming out to a perv story. The former would be much easier for me to accept - unless you are of the 'gay is a choice' clan.

That isn't what happened.

A married man, elected to the United States Congress had multiple female cyber-buddies (not our business), uploaded/emailed pics of his erect junk to the internet (tacky) and then lied about it, profusely and daily, until it got to the point where he finally realized his past decisions caught up with him and there was no exit door.

Don't make this a gay issue. It is an integrity and/or judgement issue.

BTW - in as much as I love this man for his balls of steel (no pun intended), and am beyond sick about this scandal (especially with Rep Grayson on the sidelines), he needs to step down so that the focus can go back to jobs, the economy and the crooks on Wall Street. This distraction is not working in our favor. It is GOP central 24/7/365 right now.

A person of his temperament we will see again. Hopefully soon and with a platform even larger/louder than as a Congressman giving gutsy soundbytes on cable news.

[Ruby the Liberal]

128. Oh, and before you call me on hypocracy

Larry Craig, Ted Haggard, the Rentboy.com (or whatever the site) dude, Mark Foley - they all share one trait in common and it isn't being closeted. It is being hypocritical.

The differentiating factor in the Weiner saga. Anthony never tried to portray himself as 'anti-gay anti-sex families values' nor would he have EVER supported legislation of that nature, unlike the aforementioned lawmakers and "Evangelical head" did.

[AzDar]

99. K & R

:kick:

[MikeMc]

103. & thanks for all the work. NT.

[sabrina 1]

136. Hi Mike, thank you ~

:hi:

[MikeMc]

173. Alert on Logi. But I'll probably get the 'shaft'. Har har and nt.

[opihimoimoi]

107. There will be a comeback...i jus noes it...l.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

110. there are plenty of decent dems who would do the exact same thing

without the self-absorbed, pathological exhibitionism - which MOST find deviant.

[sabrina 1]

113. And when Breitbart goes after them too, what then?

This is just one more Democrat taken out by those rightwing thugs. And not one of the others were involved in any sexcapades. So for them, it's only one thing re Anthony Weiner, he's a Liberal.

How many are we willing to sacrifice to them? I am losing count of them at this point.

It's not just about this one Congressman. They have taken out people simply because they work for the poor, they work for the NAACP, they are Black, they are poor. So, what do we do about the Andrew Weiners? Keep jumping to their tune? We have hardly any Liberals left in Congress and these rightwing orgs have a lot to do with that. So, when he goes, and they go after the next Democrat, will we continue this pattern of never fighting back? Because frankly I am sick of it, far more sick of THAT, than I am of people like Anthony Weiner whose sex life is none of my business.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

117. sorry..this sounds paranoid, IMHO. Act like a normal human being and

you have nothing to worry about.

[sabrina 1]

120. Tell that to Shirley Sherrod and Juan Carlos Vera

or ACORN workers who did nothing wrong other than help the poor and minorities. Paranoid? Sorry, people's lives have been destroyed by this operation.

Van Jones? What did HE do anyone that caused them to target him in the same way they are targeting Weiner?

The list is long, but one thing remains constant, they are all Liberals or Liberal Organizations, like the NAACP also a targer, see Shirley Sherrod, and now they are after Planned Parenthood and Al Franken and Sen. Sanders and I could go on.

Keep ignoring them if you wish, but it won't be long, I feel certain of that, before we are here again. So, I'd like to know when Democrats are going to get some spine and do something about them.

Sherrod and Juan Carlos Very were left to fend for themselves. Both were fired based on Breitbart's lies, and now they are both suing. This is not paranoia, this is fact.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

123. normal human beings sext each other, cheat on their partners

and engage in less than perfect behavior

[La Lioness Priyanka]

115. 20 years ago a huge majority found us deviant too

its why we dont jump on the deviant bandwagon as easily as straight people do

[Laura PourMeADrink]

118. yes, understand. but this has NOTHING to do with normal gay

or straight personal sexual behavior - it is solely aberrant, uncontrollable, exhibitionism.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

121. its judging a persons sex life, which is irrelevant to his job

this is why most LGBT people, think its laughable.

who am i to determine what normal sex life should be for someone else, as long as its consenting adults at play. its his wife and his problem. not mine,

also exhibitionism is very common and i would hardly regard it as deviant behavior

[Laura PourMeADrink]

132. well, not much I can say to that...continue supporting him

[sabrina 1]

135. Thank you! Thank you!

The shock to me is how many on the left are so outraged over someone's personal sex life. I've learned a lot from this. I truly believed that at least on the left we knew better. Otoh, most of the polls around here, and the national polls, don't like this witch hunt, so that's encouraging.

[fascisthunter]

168. thank you

[sabrina 1]

133. I am quite sure that married Gays, just like everyone else

will experience their betrayals, cheating spouses and all the rest that goes along with human nature.

Unless you think Gays are different?

[Bluenorthwest]

154. You think we don't already? Will experience?

You do understand that our relationships are not actually defined by the petty laws of the Straight Culture, right? We have marriages and families, just not the legal standing that goes with it. We experience all of that, and always have. My sweet Lord this is a disturbing post and thread. You are sure we 'will experience' these things. But we don't now. I see.

[sabrina 1]

156. You completely misunderstood. The commenter to whom

my post was directed is the one you need to speak to. I was pointing out, maybe not worded very well, that Gays are no different than straights regarding relationships. Since I have several Gay relatives I am hardly likely not to understand that. But apparently others do not and was attempting to point it out. You have taken the post literally, but that is probably my fault as it was not written very clearly.

[Bluenorthwest]

160. No I did not misunderstand. You used the future tense.

We have been together about 20 years, and you claim that only after the Sanctified Straight community extends to us approval will we have emotional ties in our marriages. The President also says Straight Marrieds like Weiner have a 'spiritual element' to their bonds that we lack. Nothing new from the Straight Community. No matter how long we lack equal rights, y'all will be telling us that WE owe YOU. Sorry to not agree with you.

[sabrina 1]

163. Sorry you are determined to believe what you apparently

want to beleive. That's your problem, not mine.

Clearly it makes you feel better, as for me, I don't worry what strangers on the internet think of me, I am confident that those who know me would laugh at your struggle to fit me into your preconceived notion of all 'straights'.

I don't know if you see the irony of your own statement or the prejudices you clearly have yourself. For, me I am for equal rights for all people and maybe you need to check your attitude towards 'straights' who are NOT 'all the same'. It's almost funny to see you do what you made up in your own mind about me. Seriously, prejudice is bad, no matter who it is aimed at, including straights.

[RainDog]

112. k&r n/t

[G_j]

122. another reason they want him gone nt

[WorseBeforeBetter]

124. I'm not gay, but everything on that list is important to me...

and should be to every Democrat on this fucking board.

Thanks, Sabrina, you've been a voice of sanity amid all the hysteria.

[sabrina 1]

137. Yes, but he had sex. There are photos, sexy photos.

I think we are supposed to take that very, very seriously :eyes:

It is such a serious matter, that Nancy and Hoyer and Wasserman et all took time this weekend away from their cocktail parties at their millionaire mansions to say he has to go, even though his constituents want him to stay. A weekend! They worked on a weekend! So, what do we know?

Watching them tonight I got the same sick feeling I used to get watching Republicans do exactly the same thing during the Clinton affair. But at least they were after someone from the opposition party. They were doing it to one of their own.

We now officially belong to the party of Family Values.

Thank you for your kind words.

[mzmolly]

131. Excellent

post Sabrina!

[sabrina 1]

134. Thank you, mz molly.

[Violet_Crumble]

138. My 0.02 cents worth as a non-American...

Let him be judged on his politics, not his personal life. I'm so resistant to the whole Politician As Soap Opera thing that I only have a vague awareness of whatever it was he did, but if it wasn't illegal, why don't the Moral Police fuck off and mind their own business?

[sabrina 1]

174. It was cyber sex and at this point, despite the lies of the right

it appears it was not illegal since all the women were adults. And I agree with you. Let the voters decide. I don't know why politicians feel the need to wag their fingers over people's personal sex lives, instead of at the peeping toms and voyeurs who exposed them.

[Tx4obama]

139. Great OP, but the title should have said: To ALL DUers, not only Gay DUers.

There are a lot of things on the list that concern ALL DUers not only the LGBT community.
And I would even say that all the LGBT issues that are on the list also concern ALL DUers because we all have family/friends that belong to the LGBT community and many of us are part of the LGBT community even if we are not currently in a same-sex relationship.

[sabrina 1]

150. I agree, I too have family in the LGBT community.

But Weiner has been such a strong advocate for Gay Rights when so many others have been hesitant at best, and anyone not in his dist. might not know that, so I wanted to let Gay Duers know how has stood up for their rights.

But you are correct of course regarding the list applying to all of us.

OT ~ I just tried calling Pelosi again and her mailbox is still full. So, I tried Boxer and had a nice conversation with her asst. about how disappointed people are in Democrats for not standing up for their own and pointing out how Repubs have done so for Vitter, Craig et al, leaving it to their constuents.

Told her about DU and how 80% here voted to support him regardless of his personal sex life and asked her why it is any of Pelosi's business so long as nothing illegal happened. She seemed happy to hear that people don't care.

I hope a few of them will get the courage to speak out and maybe say how Weiner should go ONLY when Vitter, Craig et al go, and Thomas ~ but I won't hold my breath.

[babylonsister]

146. Recommend; thanks for putting this together. nt

[midnight]

147. K&R

[MikeMc]

151. Pelosi's office refuses to take personal info, when I call to back Weiner

I want her back in as Speaker. But I will not give the DCCC any more money. I will just give Dem Congress candidates money, individually. Emily's List always has good candidates listed, and several politicians that we like send my wife and myself requests for worthy candidates.

I did like Deb Wasserman Schultz bringing up Maddow's 'Vitter vs. Weiner' point, on nat'l broadcast last Sunday.

I'm a bit fuzzy on whether Ensign is still in office, but my attention tends to wander...

[sabrina 1]

153. Did you get through to Pelosi? I tired this morning and her

inbox was full still. I'll try again though.

[Name removed]

157. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[MikeMc]

170. RE post 157: I guess I just don't understand the DU rules. Har! Har!

I told Speaker Pelosi's office what I think, twice. They like to put callers onto an answering machine, after a real human answers the call, at the number you provided, s. I know she's busy, but between my wife and myself, we have donated enough money to the Congressional Democrats. Enough that we should be able to get the contract to count the votes in Pgh (I mean Pittsburgh), PA, in the next election, with our new start up elections company (It is called "RepugLosersLostIn2012").

I also said in 157 that we won't be giving the D triple C anymore money. We are going to have to canvas the 437 districts for plausible Democrats, and listen to Emily's List, and JStreet.

Gee, I hope robb or mm don't censor me. The Democratic cause will suffer for it, cause I'm on the ball...