The largest news of the past week is, of course, Weinergate.
In all honesty, the number of column inches devoted to this story seems disproportionate to its subject. The story may be big, and it may continue to grow, but I doubt it has the potential to be huge. Even so, there is no doubt that the scandal will be hard on the congressman and his staff.
There is no need to magnify the story or extend it. The facts, laid bare, are straightforward enough. It appears that the congressman pulled a boner and was caught with his pants down. He issued a brief statement, which may have been premature and seems to have been a stretch. It appears he got overly excited and wasn't using his head. As a result, his story is encountering stiff opposition and has prompted penetrating questions from the hardened press corps, who see him as fair game for whacking.
Though the media continue to pump the congressman, his answers have come up short. Even as reporters flog him, he has remained rigid in sticking to his story. Apparently he has decided to run it up the flagpole and see if anyone salutes, while trying to beat off all inquiries. In all of this, I can't escape the feeling that we are being jerked around by Congressman Weiner. It's almost as if he is trying to screw us.
If the congressman persists in dicking around, the situation may come to a head. He risks looking like a tool, even like a bit of a prick, as he tries to make us swallow a story that would choke a chicken.
He needs to master the situation and not be baited into losing self-control. It doesn't help him when he goes off half-cocked. He must stand tall, straighten his spine, and do the hard work of servicing his constituents. The story may be large, but it's nothing he can't handle. He just has to grab hold of it with both hands.
To be frank, Weiner needs to show some balls.
Michael, I know that hard-hitting journalism isn't your usual thing, but I have to say that this first attempt is straightforward, probing, and shows seeds of greatness!
Hilarious! (Once I caught onto what you were doing and decided that the part of me that wanted to be shocked and embarrassed is a pain in the ass.)
Posted by: Bruce Siegel | June 02, 2011 at 04:04 PM
Does anyone know if there's a Guinness Book category for most double-entendres per column inch?
Posted by: Bruce Siegel | June 02, 2011 at 04:14 PM
Hahaha, well done, sir!
I'm on the Left, and I think he's guilty as heck and not very good at hiding it.
His sin does not seem very big, but he is coming off as quite the creepoid.
Cheers,
Matt
Posted by: Matt Rouge | June 02, 2011 at 04:26 PM
In mulling over potential comments, it dawned on me that it is almost impossible to come up to a response to this story, at least one that involves at least two sentences, without some kind of double entendre. However, your post (as always) was an unusually nice piece. ;-)
Posted by: RabbitDawg | June 02, 2011 at 05:10 PM
"The story may be big, and it may continue to grow, but I doubt it has the potential to be huge"
Miohael please tell me this was intentional.
Posted by: Cyrus | June 02, 2011 at 05:52 PM
Cyrus,
Did you read the whole thing? :)
Posted by: Matt Rouge | June 02, 2011 at 06:28 PM
Glorious!
Posted by: BenSix | June 02, 2011 at 06:44 PM
Nothing I do is ever intentional.
Posted by: Michael Prescott | June 02, 2011 at 09:48 PM
So you didn't feel obliged to stick up for the congressman after all his efforts to service his constituents?
Posted by: Sandy | June 02, 2011 at 10:16 PM
Lowbrow humor! I'm so proud of you! ;-)
Posted by: Wax Frog | June 02, 2011 at 11:22 PM
Brilliant, Michael!
I laughed out loud.
Posted by: Zerdini | June 03, 2011 at 02:02 AM
Taking a punch at politics?
I'd say you're the one with the balls!
Posted by: Bryan.A | June 03, 2011 at 07:51 AM
I'm so stupid, I didn't even realize what a "huge" joke it was until I started reading the comments. I have to get my mind back in the gutter. I must be getting old.
Posted by: j9 | June 03, 2011 at 02:15 PM
Off topic, Kevorkian died today.
Posted by: j9 | June 03, 2011 at 02:18 PM
Wow, MP has writen a seminal political commentary post.
Posted by: no one | June 03, 2011 at 03:41 PM
I agree with the thrust of the post; I just think it could have probed deeper; gotten to the meat of the issue, as it were.
Posted by: BenSix | June 04, 2011 at 08:37 AM
Michael,
LOL...
I swore I would not chime in on this stuff anywhere, but after reading your trenchant analysis, I couldn't resist. I even quoted it on my site, prefacing with the following:
"... with respect to the media's Weiner whacking, Michael has pierced straight to the point in a gushing river of rhetorical arousal with powerful strokes from his mighty pen."
I think you bring out the worst in me.
:)
Michael
Posted by: Michael Stuart Kelly | June 05, 2011 at 10:55 PM
Just saw his news conference. Weiner's hardline stance has softened.
Posted by: GregL | June 06, 2011 at 05:03 PM
A movie about it could be nominated for Best Short Subject.
Posted by: Ginny | June 07, 2011 at 01:47 PM
But everything you have written on this subject is based on phallusy.
Posted by: Shrewsbury | June 09, 2011 at 10:29 AM
Good comments, all!
Posted by: Michael Prescott | June 09, 2011 at 07:39 PM
From attack dog to wiener-dog!
Posted by: Roger Knights | June 12, 2011 at 06:02 PM
PS to the above:
The Snake's Progress.
Posted by: Roger Knights | June 13, 2011 at 03:38 PM