White House Press Secretary Jay Carney is weighing in for the first time on Anthony Weiner's mishaps, stopping short of calling for Weiner's resignation:
(CNN) - President Barack Obama feels that the controversy over Rep. Anthony Weiner's conduct is a "distraction," White House spokesman Jay Carney said Monday. Obama also feels that Weiner's behavior and dishonesty were inappropriate, Carney said. The comments are the first from the Obama administration on Weiner since the New York Democrat acknowledged sending a lewd photograph to a woman over Twitter.
Here's Carney's full exchange with a reporter on the issue aboard Air Force One earlier Monday:
Q: Jay, does the President have a position on whether Anthony Weiner’s continued service in the U.S. Congress is in the nation’s best interests?
MR. CARNEY: The President feels - we feel at the White House that this is a distraction. Obviously as Congressman Weiner has said himself, this is - the behavior was inappropriate; the dishonesty was inappropriate. But the President is focused on his job, which is getting this economy continuing to grow, creating jobs, and obviously ensuring the safety and security of the American people.
the president is- a – fool and has no idea what so ever what he's doing when it comes to the economy, if he wants to give the drug dealing and welfare class money he can open his bank book and give it to them because there is no way they will get it from me ill give it away to charities first then he can support me
Obviously can't stay on topic...just another blabbering moron.
Obviously you don't know what your talking about, President Obama was handed an economy in the tank and he pulled it out from their and is trying to defend the working middle class, and yes the bottemfeeders of soceity agaisnt the radical republican agenda to help the rich get richer while they keep sending jobs to china and india!
"As long as he does his job it is a personal matter" – oh wait, the Weiner has pulled out and going to – detox? Detox from what – arrogance? BTW, the latest pictures were taken in the house gym – looks like a crime to me.
Gotta love the Dems (Schultz) on the shows yesterday "ya, but you didn't call on your perverts to resign".
Does everyone realize the Vitter matter was uncovered about 5 years ago – and it happened 7 years before that? The Dems are talking about it like it happened yesterday. I wonder why nobody asked for Wrangle, the tax cheat who writes tax code, to resign?
Yes, one of the gym pictures was of him in a tank top...really! Most people can see that much every day on a construction site. You are a moron, this certainly doesn't rise to the level of Mark Foley, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Newt Gingrich and Larry Craig to mention a few.
The only reason you want Anthony Weiner gone, is not that what he did is basically more a stupid act than a criminal one...it is that it really stings when someone can tell the unvarnished truth about how Rethuglilklan actions will hurt working Americans.
jean, take another look, he is holding his crotch in the gym pictures. He is also naked in one of the pictures. I think that you and Liz are the only ones defending this guys behavior. Didn't you originally blame this on the Republicans. You said that Weiner's account had been hacked.
Jean, The only politician worse than this guy was Grayson from Florida – he was voted out during the last election. BTW, you support this pervert and you call me a moron? LOL..
Any wrongdoing utilizing resources of the House is a crime – he was in the House Gym – get it? He can not longer claim he was at home on his personal computer.
One more thing – I am an independent – all of these loser perverts need to go – Vitter, Weiner and the bunch. We should be able to do much better as a country.
Oh let's compare some of these paragons of virtue on the right, who have done substantially more than flashed a cell phone camera with a hazy photo of themselves. I'm not defending his less than stellar behavior, I'm just stating that in the grand scheme of things it doesn't hold a candle, or rise to the level, of say ...David Vitter, Larry Craig, Newt Gingrich, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mark Foley, Mark Sanford, Bob Barr, Henry Hyde, George HW Bush, and many others you seem to defend who have not only lacked good judgment but have actually acted on it in the flesh.
Yes I agree most of those you listed should be kicked out as well. How about the daddy of them all, Bill Clinton. Sex with his employee while on the job. You would have asked for a public execution if anyone else did it. Liberals = Hypocrites.
Republicans always practice selective outrage. Vitter survives even though he solicited prostitutes ( which is a criminal act). Ensign hung onto his senate seat for months after the revelations about his affair and coverup. The GOP can hardly claim to be the party of moral rectitude.
Mthompson – the people you mentioed should be gone. Along with Charlie Wrangle and a bunch more. As an Independent I am always amazed how Dems point to bad behavior to justifiy why their bad behavioe "isn't as bad". BTW, I think Pelosi was the one who said "the swamp needed to be cleaned". Please quote me a repub who said anything close to that.
So what is your point here? Because someone else did it first, that we should just gloss over this incident? I want all of these guys out, Republican, Democrat, Independent, Communist, Buddhist, whatever. So what is your argument besides someone else did it?
Vitter broke the law, he solicted a hooker, Anthony just sexted and didn't break the law...
I do not care what people do in their personal lives but he is causing too much of a commotion.... do yourself a favor and just leave!!
Weiner should consult his weiner...maybe the big head and the little head can reach a decision?
I'll continue to wonder, how the Repulicans/Teabaggers have the gall to spout out such animosity and disgust against Anthony Wiener and any other Democrat who's personal lifes' behaviors, suggests that they step down! Many Republicans have performed waaay more worse behaviors and remain in Congress! They did Clinton the same way! I'd be willing to bet a dollar that there aren't to many of them that didn't have a covert Monica Lewinski giving them favors! They all just hadn't got caught yet! Leave him ALONE!
The mans' work ethic didn't suffer! He came to work everyday. He certainly is a fighter and a 'truther'! No, he doesn't mind calling a duck, A DUCK! Weiner's not afraid of the threats and persuasions of the business as usual GRAND OLD PARTY! He's not about to baby and hold hands with scared Demopublicans nor flip-flopping Republicrats! He calls them ALL out on their greed, inhumanitarianism to the poor, continued loyalties to the rich and wealthy, phonyisms, lies, and broken promises. 'Let's get him out'!
Jay, you must have plugged your ears up, closed your eyes when you browsed through the threads on this blog, until you spotted Liz Carter in Georgias' and jean2009s' posts, if you think Jean and I are the ONLY ones 'defending' Weiners' behavior! As a matter of fact, I don't see it as 'defending' him! He doesn't need defending. He didn't commit a crime! I'm comparing him to the vast number of other politicians who've gotten passes, and actually committed crimes! OK! Sooooo! CLEAN 'HOUSE' THEN! LITERALLY!
I think if a married man takes a picture of his erect penis, sends it unsolicited to, who he thinks is a, woman, that is wrong. I do not care if they are Republican, Tea Party or the Pope, it is wrong. If this is the kind of person you want representing you then so be it. Go for it girl, just do not complain the next time the government fails. With fools like him in office no wonder our country is having such problems.
The good thing is I found something that Barry and I agree on. Weiner has to go. Too bad you disagree with the president on this issue.
Conservative 'moral standard setters' are the jokes, Jay! I'd even venture to say that even the simple idea that many of us who are 'liberals' is basicly the reason we're able to be more accepting of individuals personal lifes choices, politicians or whomever; and especially when their work performance has not been affected! The man WEINER took bodyshots and pictures of his weiner, which there's no defense, and sent them to some people. He didn't buy nor 'have sex with those women', oral nor intercourse.
I felt the same about Tiger Woods and every other celebrity or dignitary who has been caught by the media. That business is and should be sorted through by them, their families and with their God, not me! Of course the president had to suggest that 'he would resign', you hypocrites would've jumped all over him with a hot heat saying he supports infidelity and that he was a married man himself! Deep down, I know he hoped they'd never come to him with that question; but of course they had to drag him into it!
In reference to your Bill Clinton, (Dem) 'daddy of them all', think again, will ya?!? We can go further back than that; all the way back to the caught HOUSE of Representatives, Dan Crane, Illinois Republican Representative, in 1983, and Gerry Studds, Massachetts Representative, in 1983. I believe at least one got to stay, even though they had SEX with their 17 year old PAGES! So for you conservatives to EVEN try to make a big deal out of democrats getting caught is the hypocracy of it all. Cons=Hypocrites!
Liz, how am I a hypocrite? I am the one saying dump them all.
Bill Clinton, as President of the United States got caught, and I was happy to see he and his wife overcame it as far I know. However, Ken Starr and all of the REPUBLICANS who called for his impeachment simply because of his infidelity to his wife, family and God, I've always felt was wrong! I'm sure they all had 'dry bones' in their closets too! They've just gotten away with it so far! KARMA comes back around! Most in the US have lost the right breathe a word about what's moral and what isn't, period!
Republicans did not impeach him because of his infidelity, it was because the sitting president lied under oath. Why do Liberals always try to rewrite history? You are so full of hate, unwilling to agree with the other side even if they are right. Pathetic.
Oh yeah, The Former President BILL CLINTON and his secret infidelities that were brought to the light, to the world, by the divisive, controversial media can't compare to the presidential sex scandal of whom I think the 'daddy of them all' is! It's more likely to be Former Democratic-Republican President THOMAS JEFFERSON, who certainly was having SEX with his employee, an AFRICAN AMERICAN slave woman, who is said to be the half-sister of his wife, MARTHA! SALLY HEMMING had 5 or 6 children by him too, OK?
Did I say 'Jay you're a hypocrite'! I do believe you are but I said Conservatives=Hypocrites, just as you accused Liberals of being hypocrites as I gave my opinions why. BTW, You said MOST of the ones listed should be kicked out. That in itself is hypocritical. Since you all called for WEINER to step down, ALL of them should've been long gone! You brought up CLINTON, saying he was daddy of them all! You said if it had been anyone else, we would've asked for a public execution. You lie! BTW,I think he was!