WHITHER WEINER?

Congressman Anthony Weiner (NY, horny) has been in the news for using his twitter account for sexting, i.e., sending provocative pictures of himself to young (over age 18) women around the country.

We arranged for two well known attorneys, one a prosecutor and one a defense attorney to engage in an email conversation. With very light editing, here is their discourse:

For the Prosecution:

Weiner is a liar. He lied to his constituents and the public in an effort to cover up his stupid mistake of using his twitter account (instead of the direct message feature) to send a woman a picture of his crotch. He has exhibited troubling and morally questionable behavior. He needs to resign.

For the Defense:

The prosecutor is an idiot. Weiner did not break the law. He does not need to resign. He will have a chance to explain his conduct to his constituents in the next election and they can decide if he is fit to represent them. Morally questionable behavior? Weiner didn't cheat on his wife. He flirted, electronically. If we asked every elected official who flirted, or who for that matter cheated on their spouse, Washington would be an empty city.

You know who should resign? Senator David Viiter of Louisiana. Vitter's name was found on two madams' lists. Vitter engaged in prostitution, a violation of the state laws of Louisiana. And yet this criminal was re-elected by his constituents who may be the only idiots dumber than the prosecution in this case.

For the Prosecution:

There is precedent for demanding Weiner's resignation. Before this scandal, another married NY Congressman Christopher Lee (is it something in the water up there) resigned in February, 2011, after it was revealed he sent a topless picture of himself to a woman he met on craigslist.

For the Defense:

There you go again. If flirting by sending a revealing picture of yourself is grounds to disqualify an individual to serve in elective office then you need to be prepared to argue that the following individuals should not have served this country: President Franklin Roosevelt; General Dwight Eisenhower; President Eisenhower; President John Kennedy; President Bill Clinton.

If flirting is the standard of disqualification, therefore cheating must mandate expulsion. You just threw out of office the top two decision makers who guided this country and the free world through world war II: President Roosevelt and Ike. Are you happy now with a country led by mediocre dolts like Sarah Palin or Mitt Romney?

Oh yeah, I almost forgot: Disqualify Newt Gingrich as well.

For the Prosecution:

You miss the point. Like Nixon, it's not the crime (3rd rate burglary, direct messaging, flirting, etc.) It's the coverup. Weiner looked into the camera, held a press conference and lied. How could he ever be trusted again? By the time Rumpole posts this the Weiner scandal will be worse. His sex/texting messages with a Las Vegas blackjack dealer will have hit the media making this scandal grow hotter (excuse the pun).

And there are likely more shoes to drop. All house members are prohibited from engaging in conduct that brings disrespect to the house. Weiner is becoming a poster child for mid-life crisis men acting like fools. He will never be effective again. Even members of his own caucus are disgusted with his behavior and will not work with him. He is a radioactive pariah. Worse- he is a bad joke. And the joke is getting worse and worse. Only his resignation will end this. The press is in a feeding frenzy and there's lots more texts for them to find and report.

For the Defense:

To quote the late, great Neil Rodgers, "You have a point and it's on top of your head." Clinton survived receiving oral sex in the oval office and lying about it. Sure Weiner will have trouble ahead. But he is a talented congressman and he should be given a chance to recover from this. Let he who has not flirted cast the first stone. If in two years his district votes him out, then so be it, the people will have spoken. But until then, lay off the guy and see if something good can come out of this.

Rumpole: We get the final word. Thanks guys/gals for your help in this difficult case. At the request of both of you we will keep your names secret. We may call upon you for help in the future.

See You In Court.