The #Weinergate Photos, Patriot and Mediaite
[Guest post by Lee Stranahan]
Have neither + or – take on @patriotusa76. Until ID affirmed (protected) by reputable source (ally) no reason to accept incorroborable data – AndrewBreitbart
I’ve had more time than most people to consider the implications of how more Anthony Weiner photos might effect various aspects of this story – so as the photos drip out over the next week (according to Breitbart) let’s think about what this all means.
With the new bombshells released by Breitbart by morning – as I write this, here and here and here – this gives more reasons that Patriot needs to come forward and explain who they are, not less. The story is no longer about whether one underwear photo sent to one woman was hacked or sent accidentally or something else. It’s now about clear confirmation that there’s a lot more going on here.
Patriot predicted weeks ago that a scandal was coming. Patriot had Mike Stack do the tweet about it, which would throw people off Patriot as the source of the rumor. And since then, Patriot has given various and changing explanations about where they supposedly heard about the ‘rumor’ – a rumor that is actually likely that they themselves started. So – what did Patriot know and when did they know it? And do they know more?
The revelation that there are more photos has implications on the great Patterico piece yesterday. We now know for a fact that Weiner had sent photos to other women – so, it’s time for Mediaite and reporter Tommy Christopher to reexamine their reporting, especially in light of the obvious problems with the timeline they presented.
I don’t know how many pieces critical of Rep. Weiner I need to write before some people stop pretending I want to take the focus off of Weiner’s own conduct. Of course, it goes without saying that Weiner himself has a lot of explaining to do – clearly, the most. Nothing I’ve said takes ANY focus off of Rep. Weiner – quite the opposite.
– Lee Stranahan
some commented that the new “it’s me” pic is dated May 5, that’s when patriot and goatsred started with the rumors right?
so maybe they got wind of this somehow
you seem fixated on patriotusa, who he is, how he got info, but maybe he is just protecting sources he made promise to keep confidential
if this is ok for journalists to do, why can’t patriotusa do it as well
I have seen many comments and tweets by you saying you know something but can’t reveal source or reason
windansea (569f57) — 6/6/2011 @ 7:59 amSo, if it is shown that patriot person is a derange lunatic what buggers sheep and diddles himself while dreaming of Weiner, what difference would that make?
JD (b98cae) — 6/6/2011 @ 8:00 amSo Breitbart can tease via twitter and patriotusa cannot. What in the heck is wrong with you? You seem to be purposefully obtuse in the matter. Note that Breitbart is keeping the source of the photos anonymous. Does he have to come clean as well? You are trying to defend and deflect for Weiner even though you say you are not under the pretense you have to know how it all played out. You are so wrapped up in patriotusa you can’t see the forest for the trees you are trying to look behind. So what if patriotusa is an operative. Either Weiner sent the pics or he didn’t. What else matters? If he got caught in a sting, too bad. Most people aren’t stupid enough to send tweet dicpics. I would guess Weiner is a classic narcissist.
laddy (c56f2a) — 6/6/2011 @ 8:24 amMore to the point, it seems pretty clear, given the treatment that his compatriot has gotten from sites like “The Smoking Gun”, that revealing his true identity will simply expose him to having every detail of his private life strip mined.
I suppose it’s possible to argue that he no longer *has* the right to a private life, but I’m not sure that I would want to make that argument.
Joe the Plumber lost *his* right to a private life too, as you may recall.
Bill Roper (334fb0) — 6/6/2011 @ 8:26 amI understand your concern that Patriot may have more info, but hounding/pressuring him isn’t going to get him to give it to you. I suspect that Patriot will tell more when he feels protected and safe, but given the situation with Stack, that is going to take some more effort on the part of those who want to hear from him. Let the story play out and be open to what comes forward, then analyze it thoroughly.
Sue (24e46b) — 6/6/2011 @ 8:37 amSorry, I’m with most everybody else here. PatriotUSA’s identity is increasingly irrelevant. This was not a hack. It was not some sort of entrapment–it’s obvious that Weiner didn’t need to be hounded to betray his wife.
PatriotUSA is a distraction. Get over it Stranahan.
Hoystory (d0fa8a) — 6/6/2011 @ 8:52 amBut do you think the left cares?
DohBiden (15aa57) — 6/6/2011 @ 8:58 amIt’s possible to establish the story that Weiner has a pathology of personality involving fixation on the “barely legal” fantasy which has and will continue to involve some acting out with real perons… and perhaps escalation of acting out… all without ever knowing who Patriot REALLY is or what his motives REALLY are.
My conclusion is that Weiner does and he will not stop. However tenderly he is embraced in a testudo by his peers and the MSM and whatever PR damage control he can rig NOW, the real problem is that he has a problem, and it will bursting out all over the place at inopportune moments embarrassing anyone and anything he happens to be speaking about or for. The short term protection you’ve seen so far, will be replaced by reluctance to invest in his future now that we’ve all had a peek.
In the short term he’s made himself ridiculous, showed a caddish, ungentlemanly side in his treatment of Miss Seattle, all to a public currently weary with icky users and self-involved types getting cover “for the cause.”
I don’t know that I believe Mike Stack (about the rumor being put out there by Patriot who then attributed “credit” to Stack).
Assuming it to be true, what accounts for the deviousness? Personal interest in the other scandal? Sheer Weiner hate? Political hit?
Weiner has enemies, willing to use his own bad habits against him? SHOCKA. Does Weiner HAVE the habits?
yesyesyesyesyes he does. Don’t need Patriot to establish that.
I confess curiousity. So long as the attention is on Weiner’s bad habits and discussion of Patriot only extends their exposure, I don’t mind you asking. But if he is who he says he is, I don’t expect you will get an answer.
SarahW (af7312) — 6/6/2011 @ 9:00 amPull on both ends of the string. That’s the best way to unravel the whole snarly mess. If you don’t question and expose Patriot’s methods and motives, then the Partisan Press will have a field day with Patriot’s ‘supporters’ should he turn out to be less than an heavenly angel.
starboardhelm (e93080) — 6/6/2011 @ 9:25 amPatriot is on the record as saying he’s the source of the info that Stack posted. There’s no question about that.
Lee Stranahan (708cc3) — 6/6/2011 @ 9:27 amUntil Patriot is credibly accused of wrongdoing, he has every right to anonymity. Who care who he is? What does it matter to the story?
CAL (85d157) — 6/6/2011 @ 11:10 am