The Spewker Celebrity Politics Blog

Tweet Your Meat Lose Your Seat Congressman Anthony Weiner

2011-06-16T13:28:00.000-04:00

I can't take credit for the title of this article. I read it in the comments of another article. That person couldn't take credit for it either.

So after weeks of denials, outright lies, and porn stars clamoring for his resignation, the embattled Congressman is turning off the lights and heading home. How many times have I been told not to start a sentence with "so?" So what? Wait a minute. I lost my train of thought.

But then again, so has much of America. The Anthony Weiner sexting scandal seems to be all anyone wants to talk about. I called WBAL radio this morning to comment on the lawsuit filed against President Obama for violation of the Constitution and War Powers Resolution (whereupon the host summarily hang up on me after I offered an opinion about the lawsuit's merits), only to find not more than ten minutes later that the topic had abruptly shifted to Weinergate. How anyone can segue from a discussion about possible constitutional violations to a roundtable on meat tweets, I don't know. I guess the bombing of Libya wasn't sexy enough for radio ratings when weiner water cooler gossip dangled nearby.

Goodbye and good riddance, former Congressman Weiner. Hear that giant sucking sound in the distance? That's the sound of incessant penis jokes (hopefully) making way for a news cycle focusing on matters of national import.

It's about time. Press conference at 2 p.m. EST.

Mainstream Media Sat on Weinergate Until Anthony Weiner Admitted Posting Photo

2011-06-07T12:02:00.003-04:00

Weinergate is in full thrust and poised to ejaculate a member of Congress. Too "pun on words" for the latest scandal rippling its way out of Washington? I'll say. What, exactly, is Weinergate?

The weiner jokes have been coming fast and furous since Congressman Anthony Weiner tweeted a picture of his underweared nether regions for benefit of his adoring followers. Last Wednesday, Conservative talk show hosts got wind of blogger Andrew Breitbart's take on the picture and have been spanking the story ever since.

At first, in an underreported news conference, Congressman Weiner denied posting the picture, claiming someone must have hacked into his Twitter account to embarrass him. However, when pressed on the issue, he also admitted not reporting the incident to the police. Sort of strange, given that he's a member of Congress and may have been the victim of identity theft. He also refused to admit or deny whether his nether regions were the ones in the picture, saying that when your last name is Weiner, you're the victim of a lot of penis jokes.

And yet, the national news media barely touched the story. As far as I could tell, there was very little mention of it over the weekend, and if mentioned, it was mostly to portray the incident as a non-story. As recently as yesterday, when I mentioned the controversy to one of my dyed-in-the-wool Democrat friends, she had no idea what I was talking about. Therein lies the true controversy.

Forget about Congressman Weiner doing something so incredibly stupid as to make himself vulnerable to possible blackmail, ruining the lives of his incredibly trusting wife and family, and preying on Twitter groupies who think he's someone special because he wears a government identification badge and works in the Capitol. Forget about whether he should resign (he should), or whether his party should clean house by pressuring him to resign (they should), and forget about whether every single American should be up in arms knowing that a member of Congress is using his time to post penis pictures rather than try to resolve the budget crisis or bring down the price of oil (they should).

Right now, each and every American should be furious at the national news media for burying the story until Weiner decided to come clean in a second news conference. Last week, a Politico blogger characterized the story as an "ambiguous online mini-scandal." Well, if not for the pressure of one relentless blogger, independent web sites, and one very out-spoken woman from Texas, Americans might still be in the dark about the incident, or under the mistaken impression that the story isn't news.

Yesterday, to the chagrin of Nancy Pelosi, who vowed to clean up Washington and keep a tight reign on her party, Congressman Weiner, Democrat New York, finally admitted to posting a picture of himself in his underwear for all the world to see. He also apologized ad nauseum to everyone and their brother, sickeningly so, if you ask me. Too little too late and fuel for the fire to run him out of office, but at least now the national news media is reporting the story.

Not that they had a choice. Now, even late night talk show hosts are taking pot shots at Weiner. By the time that happens, you can stick a fork in the story and roast it for breakfast.

Memorial Day Tribute to American Culture

2011-05-30T02:58:00.003-04:00

In observance of Memorial Day I decided to take a whole week off. Why limit my BBQing, flag waving, and lawn sprucing to a single weekend?

We Americans sometimes assume everyone is working on our wavelength. Yesterday, one of our relatives living abroad called the house and was surprised when not one, but three people answered the phone. "Well it is a holiday weekend, Memorial Day," I reminded. Truly, he had forgotten. Living abroad can do that to a person. After a while, it's only natural to adopt the rhythms of a foreign country.

I've had the good fortune to travel abroad and sample other cultures. Love the change of pace, can't tolerate the adjustment. As a tourist, I can't wait to explore, experience, and sample. As a prospective immigrant, I doubt I could ever assimilate. I'm just too American.

"What does that mean?" I was once asked. "What culture is there in America? America is nothing more than shopping malls, McDonalds, and Hollywood." Boy did that person ever get it wrong.

Sure. There's all the regular cliches. Purple mountains majesty, Mom, and apple pie. Baseball, football, professional golf, bowling, and poker. Girls and boys next door, first proms, homecoming, and drive-in movies. But then there's the pulse of America, the little nuances I hold dear. It's wide open spaces, neighbors helping neighbors, charitable outreach, 4th of July, Thanksgiving, the Tournament of Roses and Macy's Thanksgiving Day parades, patriotic soldiers who fought and died for our right to be free, and so much more.

Today we honor those brave men and women, people who made the ultimate sacrifice so that their fellow Americans could continue this experiment in democracy. We may be slogging through tough economic times, but Americans are resilient. We bounce back. We always have.

My personal tribute to Memorial Day is a short list of cultural identifiers that make America great:

The Constitution

The Bill of Rights

Abraham Lincoln

Film, Music, and Ethnic Festivals

The Great White Way

National Parks

Well-Paved Interstates

Grassroots Activism

George Washington

Martin Luther King

Capitalism

Volunteerism

Majestic Monuments

Neighborhood Block Parties

Fully Stocked Supermarkets

Overnight Delivery

Uncle Sam

Brown v. Board of Education

Checks and Balances

Bald Eagles and Buffalo

Animal Shelters and Refuges

Natural Wonders

503(c) Corporations

Stars and Stripes

The Star Spangled Banner

Olympic Super Heroes

Land from Sea to Shining Sea

Arlington National Cemetery

Happy Memorial Day, to everyone, everywhere.