Oh Congressman Weiner.  Why, oh why did you post pictures of your underpants tent online?  Why are you starting to look like former Congressman Chris Lee now?  Yes, Rep. Anthony Weiner from New York finally came clean and admitted that he has been doing some “icky” things.

Dominating the news cycle and all of cable news on Monday was Anthony Weiner’s press conference.  A tearful Weiner admitted that he has had a number of inappropriate relationships with women online. “I’m deeply regretting what I have done and I’m not resigning,” Weiner said during the conference.

“I tweeted a photograph of myself that I intended as a direct message as part of a joke to a woman in Seattle,” he said of an image sent over Twitter of a man in his underpants, which sparked the scandal more than a week ago.  “Once I realized I had posted it to Twitter, I panicked. I took it down and said that I had been hacked. I then continued to stick to that story, which was a hugely regrettable mistake,” he said. “The picture was of me, and I sent it.”

Calling his actions “very dumb” and “destructive,” he stressed he did not have sex with any of the women.  Weiner married Huma Abedin, a longtime aide to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, last summer. The couple was married in a ceremony officiated by former President Bill Clinton.  “I love my wife very much and we have no intention of splitting up over this,” he said.

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi called for an ethics probe “to determine whether any official resources were used or any other violation of House rules occurred.”

Weiner denied that any of his actions were illegal and said in a statement, “I welcome and will fully cooperate with an investigation by the House Ethics Committee.”

New York State Republican Party Chairman Ed Cox called for his resignation, saying, “His actions are at best despicable and at worst illegal.”

“To further a cover-up he stood by while encouraging others, including Congressional employees, to lie, slander and discredit the professional reputations of those who were telling the truth,” Cox said. “His inappropriate behavior has irreparably damaged his ability to serve.”

Weiner was not evasive during the press conference and answered personal questions for nearly 30 minutes. He characterized his relationships with the women as “a frivolous thing” and admitted that the affairs were conducted both before and since he was married.  Weiner stated he always used his home computer and never used his congressional mobile device.

Unfortunately, as this soap opera dominated the news channels, plenty of other more relevant stories were missed.  Weiner acted in poor taste and I feel bad for his wife, but come on.  Let’s get to some real news now.

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About the author

Erin Chavez
Erin Whitney-Chavez has been writing professionally since 2009. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts from St. Bonaventure University and received a Master of Arts in mental-health counseling from Argosy University. Erin Whitney-Chavez is a licensed mental health counselor and has worked in the mental-health field for more than 10 years.