The Weiner resignation

I have been wondering about the difference in reaction to Anthony Weiner's venial sins compared to Bill Clinton's transgressions in the Lewinski affair.  Clinton perjured himself at least twice (in deposition in the Paula Jones case and before the Grand Jury) and he famously said on television "I did not have sex with that woman".  Although `having sex' commonly refers to intercourse his denial was correctly understood to be much broader than that.

Yet nobody on the Democratic side of the spectrum thought he should resign - or be removed from office.  His approval numbers stayed high.

What's the difference? I think it is that Weiner's behaviour would be seen as that of a jerk in high school. Very few people think they were jerks in high school - and certainly not at 46. Clinton lied about sex. Lots of people have lied about sex. It's somehow less damaging than being a jerk.

What about Spitzer vs. Clinton - maybe the difference is the prostitution vs consensual sex with an adult. But David Vitter got re-elected in Louisiana despite using prostitutes. Maybe Spitzer's big mistake was having his wife stand with him at the press conference. I wonder if a confession and apology would have kept him in office.  

Ethics case for Weiner? Maybe a psychiatrist is needed. - Jim Dwyer - NY Times

Let's try to think this through. Just what did Anthony Weiner do that is wrong - besides acting like an awkward adolescent? Has he broken any laws? Should he quit because he has embarrassed himself and his Party? Seems to me Jim Dwyer has got it right. And now so has Weiner who has checked himself into some sort of Tiger-Wodds type psycho- sexual fat farm. - GWC

Ethics Case for Weiner? Maybe One of Psychiatry - NYTimes.com:

by Jim Dwyer

"The matter of Anthony D. Weiner, unclothed congressman, is being lodged by Democratic Party elders with the House ethics committee, a holding room where it will remain until either it, or he, goes away.
Those elders must be hoping to heaven that Mr. Weiner departs before the machinery of investigation is gassed up and rumbles toward the Internet Protocol addresses where he composed his epistles.

By some schools of thought, if he wrote these personal messages on government equipment, this could be seen as unethical behavior.

Still, ethics hardly seems the right discipline for this affair.

Psychiatry might help."