Evidence That Weiner Was Talking Dirty to Underage Girls? Part 3
Early this morning I posted Evidence That Weiner Was Talking Dirty to Underage Girls? Part 2. In that post, I provided evidence that Weiner had discussions with an underage girl (“Ethel”) regarding fighting for his country in a cape and tights. I also noted that he had also discussed fighting for his country in a cape and tights with a grown woman, with whom he had discussions of a explicit nature that read like something out of a Penthouse Forum letter (“needless to say, I was at the ready in my cape and tights!”).
This is the followup to that post. I will now explore further the question of whether Weiner might have talked dirty to young Ethel as well.
Ethel (who rendered her Twitter account private after I published part 2) has been on Twitter since 2009. She looks like a high school girl, and her profile says she loves LeBron James, marching band, and sleeping. She frequently talks about her high school on her feed.
She also has quite a mouth at times. Here is one tweet she sent on May 26, before the scandal came out:
The rest of the post is a timeline of tweets from Ethel. Here is what I believe the tweets show:
Ethel publicly expresses her love for Rep. Weiner, who then follows her. She is ecstatic. PatriotUSA76 and his crew note that she is talking to Weiner, and Weiner unfollows her.
Then, on May 13, she reminds Weiner that he used to follow her, and exhorts him not to forget her. Then, he apparently re-follows her. A screenshot taken 10 days later shows that he was indeed following her again:
Now Ethel declares her happiness, and says: “SERIOUSLY LOVING LIFE AGAIN BUT I GOTTA KEEP MY MOUTH SHUT OR ELSE……….” She has learned that openly declaring her love for Weiner by name got her unfollowed before, but she won’t make that mistake again. She’ll just come really, really close.
When another admirer (whom we have called Betty) asks Weiner to her prom, Ethel mocks Betty for openly declaring her love for a married politician. Weiner ends up unfollowing Betty, which upsets Betty greatly.
Ironically, Ethel continues to write things like “I love married men” . . . but does not name Weiner by name as she did before. Instead, she proceeds in what she evidently thought was a more subtle manner, writing “my one true love” while linking a video of Weiner. Ethel continues to talk about how she loves married men, in tweets interspersed with others praising Weiner.
On May 23, she tweets the obscene tweet about about 69ing and using honey mustard as a lube . . . adding: “Ohh yeahh baby I love bdh weiner.” (bdh likely means big damn hero.)
Three days later, Ethel is quoting Weiner talking about “cape and tights shit” — a quote that does not appear to be anything he ever said publicly, according to Google. The conclusion is irresistable that she is quoting a private message he had sent to her.
As I explained this morning, “tights and cape shit” is the same kind of talk Congressman Weiner used with Lisa Weiss:
[WEISS:] hi honey! computer’s back up…what’s up with you? busy saving my country rom this f***in tea baggers?
[WEINER:] Yep. Cape. Tights. Looking for my sidekick.
With Lisa Weiss, the talk eventually turned very explicit. With Ethel? We don’t know. At this point, we just have to make an educated guess about how they would talk in private, based upon things they said (or repeated!) in public.
Judge for yourself. Here is the timeline of Ethel tweets that are relevant to the story, in my judgment.
Ethel: HE IS MINE ALL MINE HE LOVES ME AND NO ONE ELSE ILY ILY ILY!!!
11 AprEthel: @RepWeiner I’m in love with you
13 AprEthel: Watchin @RepWeiner on cnn <3 13 Apr Ethel: Seriously talking to Representative Weiner from New York right now! Like is my life real? 13 Apr patriotusa76: "@repweiner talking to high-school girls now. Freak." Ethel: @sclancy cause representative weiner followed me back today and some sickos are trying to make a thing of it. 04/13/2011 Ethel: Seriously depressed that @RepWeiner doesn't follow me anymore. Yesterday was a great day! 15 Apr Ethel: #turnon: married men. 05/02/2011 RT @RepWeiner: No politics on Mothers Day #JustDontMentionWomenEarn1/3LessThanMenForSameWork 05/08/2011 Ethel: @RepWeiner you used to follow me 🙁 don't forget me!!! #weineryes 13 May Ethel: SERIOUSLY LOVING LIFE AGAIN BUT I GOTTA KEEP MY MOUTH SHUT OR ELSE………. 15 May Betty: Tweeps my progressive idol @RepWeiner is following me! Today is the best day ever! May 16 from Twitter Betty: Today also marks day one of my campaign to get @RepWeiner to be my prom date. Will you be my prom date @RepWeiner? May 16 from Twitter Betty: Everyone please please follow @RepWeiner and tell him to be my prom date! May 16 from Twitter Betty: Tweeps please tweet and follow @RepWeiner and tell him to be my prom date and use#RepWeinerBe[Betty]sDate May 16 from Twitter Betty: Follow the best progressive Congressman @RepWeiner he is a democrat who fights for us & against Republican trolls! #RepWeinerBe[Betty]sDate May 16 from Twitter patriotusa76: RT [Betty] Please tweet and follow @RepWeiner & tell him to be my prom date>>Poor girl. We should warn her. @goatsred @tamale102280
Betty: It really sucks when one of your idols doesn’t live up to expectations.
May 17 from TwitterEthel: I love today. I really do.
17 MayEthel: I’m in love with married men, #thatswhyimsingle
17 MayBetty: Well @RepWeiner unfollowed me. That was a short time. I defended him from people. Some thanks he gives to his loyal followers.
May 18 from TwitterBetty: RT @[Ethel]: Funny that you said you had a crush on a married politician. Are you forreal?
May 18 from TwitterEthel: I DIDN’T SAY ANYTHING PSYCHO GIRL. stop tweeting about me.
Ethel: I’m in love with you.
19 MayRepWeiner Anthony Weiner
On CNN at 5 talking peace. #UsingFacts
19 MayRepWeiner Anthony Weiner
Oops, not 5. #UnlessYouAreInCali. 8 in east.
19 MayEthel: Links YouTube video
Anthony Weiner Rips Apart Republicans on 9/11 Health Bill
19 MayEthel: [Redacted] High School is a disgrace today
20 MayEthel: Sitting in the chair where I first talked to my favorite Congressman :))))))
21 MayEthel: I’m in love with you. I hope you know this.
May 22Ethel on Tumblr: My true love.
May 22Ethel: I love 69ing big hunt + like to use honey mustard as lube. Ohh yeahh baby I love bdh weiner
May 22Ethel on Tumblr, quoting Weiner: “I came back strong. Large. In charge. Tights and cape shit…” My favorite congressman<3 May 26
You can choose to believe that Ethel, who publicly declared her love for Weiner repeatedly, and who had no compunction about dirty talk in public, turned prim and proper when Weiner talked to her in private . . . about his cape and tights. You can choose to believe that he didn’t know Ethel was underage, despite her youthful appearance, mentions of high school, and profile talking about marching band.
Sure, you can believe that if you want.
It would still be inappropriate for him to be talking to her under the circumstances I have described.
But in any event, I’m content to let the evidence speak for itself.
UPDATE: Evidence that the “honey mustard” tweet may have referred to Ethel’s boyfriend, together with more damning details about Weiner’s behavior, discussed here.
i might have to swear off honey mustard for a while. shiver.
Aaron Worthing (73a7ea) — 6/9/2011 @ 10:17 pmand um, i have to wonder if the d in bdh refers to, um, d–k.
Aaron Worthing (73a7ea) — 6/9/2011 @ 10:20 pmand i hate to be gross like that, but that might be relevant. Weiner has been making a big deal about his size too.
Aaron Worthing (73a7ea) — 6/9/2011 @ 10:22 pmIs [redacted] High School in California, by chance?
Pitty D. Foo (7bd993) — 6/9/2011 @ 10:25 pmAn amazing, and damning piece of work.
Sean (ff2f3b) — 6/9/2011 @ 10:25 pmPitty D. Foo: it is not.
But that doesn’t mean that other girls’ high schools aren’t.
Patterico (135ea8) — 6/9/2011 @ 10:26 pmJust what the U.S. needs, a true blue (or should that be blowen?) action hero in “Cape. Tights.“.
Captain Putz..
JP (508ef3) — 6/9/2011 @ 10:27 pmBeen waiting all day for this to drop…. It didn’t disappoint. Sick stuff. But reads like a novel and very persuasive. Ockham’s razor…….. He was privately tweeting with at least one underage girl that had openly expressed affection for him……
He’s looking more and more like an online predator with every detail that comes out.
Mavs (e9a20f) — 6/9/2011 @ 10:32 pmHer parents… I just give up.
You laid it out very well. It actually really helps explain some of the Betty issues better. I hope her name can stay secret as much as possible.
Anyone who isn’t pretty well convinced Weiner and ‘ethel’ were sexting is unreasonable.
Ethel is just a kid, and kids often handle sexuality poorly for a while. They also have very little power. That’s why we call older powerful men who pursue them ‘predators.’
I apologize to those I bashed for leaping to salacious details I wasn’t privy to. I still think some of the leaping on this issue was unfair and could have a chilling effect, but I don’t think I was correct to say this was a minor story.
This seems very serious.
Dustin (c16eca) — 6/9/2011 @ 10:34 pmWeiner is dickish.
DohBiden (15aa57) — 6/9/2011 @ 10:36 pmjust a reminder. from the weiner’s own congressional page:
http://www.weiner.house.gov/issue_display.aspx?id=844
i think ian pointed that out to me.
Aaron Worthing (73a7ea) — 6/9/2011 @ 10:36 pmDustin
i’ll say this.
there should be a criminal investigation, now.
Aaron Worthing (73a7ea) — 6/9/2011 @ 10:37 pmSo where does it go from here? If there’s an ethics investigation, are their exchanges made public?
That ought to be something. Good heavens.
corrcomm (382560) — 6/9/2011 @ 10:40 pmper http://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/BDH
BDH Big Damn Hero (characters in TV show Firefly/Serenity)
Molon Labe (dc676c) — 6/9/2011 @ 10:42 pmCorr
f— ethics investigation. i want to see a criminal investigation.
(No disrespect, just feel very strongly here.)
Aaron
Aaron Worthing (73a7ea) — 6/9/2011 @ 10:42 pmI would also just like to say that regardless of whether this is as bad as it looks, Representative Weiner is a real pig.
If he had a shred of decency, he’d have stepped down based on what is already known. If your suspicion is correct here, I suspect he is really going to wish he had.
corrcomm (382560) — 6/9/2011 @ 10:45 pmCheck out this again it seems to confirm Patterico!
I think the little birdy has sung:
[Link to thieves at Smoking Gun deleted. — P]
Joe
Joe Smith (54c0c1) — 6/9/2011 @ 10:46 pmAaron, I imagine that could be coming eventually. Just wondering what happens now.
corrcomm (382560) — 6/9/2011 @ 10:47 pmJoe Smith,
That is a rip-off of my part two, which is linked in this post.
Bill Bastone’s thieves stole my work without attribution. There is nothing new there. Look at my part 2!
Patterico (135ea8) — 6/9/2011 @ 10:47 pmIn other words when you see “confirm Patterico,” read: “rip off Patterico.”
Patterico (135ea8) — 6/9/2011 @ 10:48 pmoh yeah, TSG is being a great buncha guys recently. i’ll never visit the site again.
Aaron Worthing (73a7ea) — 6/9/2011 @ 10:48 pmNow we’re finally moving into the area I think he was really trying to keep everyone away from. He tried to brush by this topic with the vague reply of not any minors that he was aware of. So he’s aware that he doesn’t know all the sexting partners ages? That by it self is a huge admission.
Didn’t the parents of these girls talk about how they knew about every tweet these girls sent out? Can you really trust a parent who let’s their kid talk about 69 and some probably not safe honey mustard usage?
I think you hit it out of the park. Do you think the teenager threatened Weiner, refollow or else? Or do you think he realized that he’s already shot himself in the foot so he refollowed them to try and draw less attention to the situation and hopefully keep them quiet?
Either way he should get a nice set of polished shiny cuffs. Can’t wait for the perp walk.
Johnny 5 is alive (5ccc5e) — 6/9/2011 @ 10:55 pmOpps sorry that you did not want the link to tsg.
Yes they ripped off your work along with the smear against Mike.
You missed a very interesting tweet by Ethel about 5 days ago: wish i was in dc and not xx ( her state ).
Joe
Joe Smith (54c0c1) — 6/9/2011 @ 10:56 pmNo ethics investigation can handle this. The democrats will want that, because it gives them control and lets Weiner be above the law.
Look at Maxine Waters, skating by, instead of in prison.
No, Weiner crossed the line on this one. Someone needs to swear out a warrant and get a transcript. Weiner deserves to have his day in court.
I cannot say with certitude that Anthony Weiner is not a piece of human garbage.
Dustin (c16eca) — 6/9/2011 @ 10:57 pmMy recollection is that this refers to Betty’s and Veronica’s statement, rather than Ethel’s.
And while the Betty statement was clearly BS from Weiner’s damage control operation, that doesn’t mean they were hiding something horrible so much as they were desperately trying to control everything with lies.
I doubt we’ll ever hear from Ethel’s parents, because she’s a minor and is entitled to some privacy. But I’d like to hear Weiner explain himself. And not with his ‘oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t know, I already said I was sorry, sob sob sob’
Dustin (c16eca) — 6/9/2011 @ 11:02 pmGood job…
Kudos To You
Representative Weiner, nice to see yout…
soren (303eda) — 6/9/2011 @ 11:03 pmThis is not evidence, but the same sort of wild speculation loosely cobbled together that convinced the dimwits at the DailyKook that a christian inforwar militia hacked Weiner’s gibson.
While interesting and salacious, one should be wary of making the same mistakes of journalistic integrity that the likes of markos and lizadoid exhibit on a daily basis.
The left blogosphere currently look like a bunch of idiots with tin foil hats possessing a high level of partisanship and a low level of veracity.
I’d hate to see the right head down that same path.
SpiritOfMadison (fe3dd6) — 6/9/2011 @ 11:10 pmspirit
don’t you think this at least merits an investigation? cybersex with a minor is a crime in most states.
Aaron Worthing (73a7ea) — 6/9/2011 @ 11:15 pmThat is not at all fair. I also complained when I thought the story was being too salacious and making assumptions on this exact topic, but now I’ve been forced by evidence to change my mind. Open your mind.
Oh, you’re a concerned conservative, I see.
Why in the hell was Weiner talking to a child who spoke to him like this? Why did he choose this person as one of the .2% of his twitter followers, to follow and discuss things with?
You are not being fair if you think this is wild speculation.
Dustin (c16eca) — 6/9/2011 @ 11:18 pmOn the bright side, Ethel appears to have a bright future ahead of her as a left-wing journalist, or at least as a White House intern when John Edwards makes his comeback.
JVW (24ee9a) — 6/9/2011 @ 11:20 pmHow the hell do you expect to “concern troll” with the handle of “SpiritOfMadison”… shouldn’t you be protesting the Special Olympics or something.
Is this evidence? Well, if this is taken to court it wouldn’t have to be the evidence because the messages could be subpoenaed. Patterico has provided enough to give reason for someone with authority to get those records to take a look.
soren (303eda) — 6/9/2011 @ 11:22 pmIt looks like Tommy Christopher missed out on the story of the decade and maybe the century.
Patterico, you might be the most loved and hated person in America this time tomorrow!!!!
It looks like Ethel is trying to cover her tracks now but she left more then the tumbler data behind.
Joe
Joe Smith (54c0c1) — 6/9/2011 @ 11:30 pmI’m suddenly a left wing troll who should be protesting the Special Olympics? I just spit coffee all over my keyboard.
I should point out that your reactions are exactly the same as those on the DailyKook when someone raised a red flag about the veracity of their story.
I’m simply warning you, that if you’re wrong you will look like fools undoing all the progress made in the past 10 days, will have given the left red meat and destroyed a girl’s life in the process.
SpiritOfMadison (fe3dd6) — 6/9/2011 @ 11:32 pmI gotta say…she sounds no less immature or vulgar than the vapid, foul mouthed proggies twice her age who wind up being government employees.
Her folks must be so proud….
Fenway_Nation (4ef9c0) — 6/9/2011 @ 11:36 pmNo we won’t.
That comment is real. Check for yourself. Weiner only followed .2% of his flock. Many attractive and young. This one, a minor. Who was extremely sexual. And we know what Weiner was texting to these women. It’s not subtle if you just consider the evidence.
You say ‘if we’re wrong’. What constitutes wrong? This is enough at least to justify reporting on it and demanding a serious investigation.
It’s not wild speculation. YOU’RE wrong about that. And you’re right that it seems foolish at some point to be wrong. If you’ve got an open mind, consider the evidence more fairly.
Dustin (c16eca) — 6/9/2011 @ 11:38 pmLooks your reporting is spreading. At least in this from Joe, you get credit!!!
http://wireupdate.com/joereport/news/weiner-allegedly-discussed-wearing-superhero-tights-to-underage-girl/
Joe ( no not that Joe )
Joe Smith (54c0c1) — 6/9/2011 @ 11:50 pm“I should point out that your reactions are exactly the same as those on the DailyKook when someone raised a red flag about the veracity of their story.”
The difference between us and Kos is that we want to see the records. The work done in this blog post will help towards that goal.
Do you honestly dispute that the evidence presented thus far points to there being at least flirting going on between Weiner and an underage girl?
“I’m simply warning you, that if you’re wrong you will look like fools undoing all the progress made in the past 10 day”
Who cares? Do you honestly dispute that Weiner’s interactions with these high school girls should be looked at? If so, GTFO.
soren (303eda) — 6/10/2011 @ 12:03 amIs this sufficient evidence for an LEO to claim “probable cause” and obtain a search warrant vs Twitter for the private messages?
Daryl Herbert (6d8a47) — 6/10/2011 @ 12:11 amWow, politics is in for a shock!
Quoting Ethel: Politics is my one true love, and I will be president.
Joe
Joe Smith (54c0c1) — 6/10/2011 @ 12:17 am“I’m simply warning you, that if you’re wrong you will look like fools undoing all the progress made in the past 10 day”
How is that supposed to work? I mean operationally.
Can we unring the dinner bell?
Stick the genie back in the bottle?
Rep Weiner to ethics committee: “Sure I sent out pictures of my giggle stick to the entire country, but you must dismiss these scurilous charges because I never shared condiments with that underaged girl”
papertiger (e55ba0) — 6/10/2011 @ 12:26 amEven assuming Weiner did not send inappropriate messages to this girl, by “following” her he enabled her to send DMs to him, which means he was soliciting her to send inappropriate messages to him, including child pornography (i.e. self-portraits)
Daryl Herbert (ae55d7) — 6/10/2011 @ 12:29 amWeiner’s decision to follow her again after un-following her shows that he was seeking out access to her after he knewhe shouldn’t. It shows consciousness of guilt.
Daryl Herbert (ae55d7) — 6/10/2011 @ 12:31 amWhat does the “big hunt +” part mean?
Damn kids and their lingo…
ElSuerte (d17760) — 6/10/2011 @ 12:36 amI think you make a good point.
I hadn’t even considered the child pornography potential here. Seems really obvious now that it’s considered. weiner likes to send extremely graphic pictures out on twitter. Given the transcripts we’ve seen, he doesn’t sound restrained about it.
So if he sent that to a high school girl, it’s not hard to imagine she did the same.
Now, this is pure speculation about damn serious stuff, so it’s probably best to just insist on a legitimate investigation.
Dustin (c16eca) — 6/10/2011 @ 12:37 amWhy is this deviant still in Congress? If his constituents want him, let them have him, just not in Congress.
JP (508ef3) — 6/10/2011 @ 12:38 amIt looks like Rep. Weiner has a problem on the Ginger Lee front. She is the Stripper / Porn Star.
Gloria Allred is now repping Lee, and tells TMZ, “Ms. Lee has asked me to issue this statement, because an individual has threatened her with a release of another statement which purports to be from her, but which she has not authorized.”
http://www.tmz.com/2011/06/09/ginger-lee-congressman-anthony-weiner-gloria-allred-sexting-emails-texts-authorized-threats-threatening/print
Joe
Joe Smith (54c0c1) — 6/10/2011 @ 12:42 amThese other parents, such as Betty’s… did they have a moral obligation to look into this stuff before they covered for Weiner?
Did they really read everything Betty twittered online? They would have noticed Ethel when Betty talked to her, and thus known enough to be concerned about Weiner following someone who says the things we’re now reading.
What kind of parent covers that up with a comment that ‘anyone suspicious is the real deviant’? Were they paid for that? They were worshipful of Weiner in their statement.
It really ticks me off.
Consider how nasty this Ethel is in public. Is she less graphic in private? No, probably she was more graphic, and her “keep my mouth shut” comments were meant to indicate cooperation in concealing it.
What kind of congressman strings along a doting high school kid like that? She was obsessed, which is predictable given he’s a popular congressman/celebrity. He was an amazing liar in that ABC interview. I guess he’s totally unconcerned with the long term impact of this stuff. This was bound to come back and haunt him. Please may it turn out he didn’t receive any pictures.
Dustin (c16eca) — 6/10/2011 @ 1:36 amWe knew Allred would be involved eventually.
How perfect. Keeps the marble rolling for another news cycle.
And here’s the reason why Ginger Lee lawyered up.
papertiger (e55ba0) — 6/10/2011 @ 2:01 amTZM quoting Ginger Lee discussing Weiner’s online sex life
This needs to be investigated now.
That honey mustard tweet is terrible. oh lordie.
sarainitaly (daf506) — 6/10/2011 @ 2:37 amWow. How does the lamestream media and his own party ignore this?
Dirty Old Man (2e2a43) — 6/10/2011 @ 2:58 amDid she delete the “honey mustard” tweet? Verum Serum didn’t remember it and neither do I… though quite honestly I may have missed it or don’t remember it because there was a lot that was weird about her tweets.
http://www.verumserum.com/?p=25550
I did find the “honey mustard” tweet on topsy and took a screenshot…
There’s another tweet of her’s that’s important to point out.
“Unblocking my tweets and changing my name back. I didn’t do shit and I’m in no way involved in your political bullshit.” ~ May 29th
The people who brought this to my attention the day she tweeted it thought the “your” was referring to Weiner. I was skeptical. I thought the “your” was referring to PatriotUSA76 and the “harassers”(#bornfreecrew)… but after seeing how Weiner was interacting with Ginger Lee and a few other things, I lean towards the “your” referring to Weiner.
The release of Weiner’s May 12 email exchange with Ginger Lee is extremely important. I’ve thought for a while that #WeinerYes was a ploy to mask what he was doing following certain people and that email exchange pretty much firmly establishes that.
#WeinerYes Tweets
http://twitter.com/RepWeiner/status/69020628388290560
soren (303eda) — 6/10/2011 @ 3:22 amhttp://twitter.com/RepWeiner/status/69763496878948353
http://twitter.com/RepWeiner/status/76075448005705728
Actually, I’m completely not sure about that May 29th tweet…
soren (303eda) — 6/10/2011 @ 3:40 amI understand that the girl is/was 17 years old which is really, really creepy…
But…let me play Devil’s advocate on the legality of such creepy chattiness.
What is the age of consent in the state where Ethel lives?
That, in a legal sense, will make all the difference in the world when it comes to whether any actual physical contact [shudder] is legal/prosecutable or not.
It may also determine whether the sending/receiving of explicit photographs is indeed a prosecutable issue.
Now, I’m to trying to excuse Weiner’s behavior at all so don’t pounce on me. 🙂
Assuming all of the dots can be connected and assuming that there was indeed the exchange of icky pics then was there indeed a law broken?
Aye (89b924) — 6/10/2011 @ 4:18 amUhhh…. that should be “…not trying to excuse…”
Shouldn’t have posted before second cup of coffee.
Aye (89b924) — 6/10/2011 @ 4:29 amAnybody else disturbed by the weird photo that Weiner chose for his Twitter profile? He does look like Dustin Diamond in that shot. Jeez.
Simon Jester (843b0c) — 6/10/2011 @ 4:34 am47 My contention is their statements were heavily shaped – not that they expressed none of the sentiments in them, but they were overdone enough to reveal a helping hand. I expect the negatives of exposure explained to them or understood to be very high, and they were offered sanctuary.
SarahW (af7312) — 6/10/2011 @ 4:47 amTC missed out on the story of the century because he was looking to kill the messengers, not to expose Perp Zero.
goatsred (b20383) — 6/10/2011 @ 4:48 amI was going to say I read this with relish and almost thought better of it.
SarahW (af7312) — 6/10/2011 @ 4:49 amTommy was ready to push the story, indeed, that Dan Wolfe et al. were villians of the piece.
He wasn’t particularly interested in digging for things that would cast a different light on things he was told or had seen – certainly never addressed them.
A desire to have the story “come out right” must have interfered with his reporting; there’s no evidence he was actively colluding with the crisis management people but I want to know who referred these people to him, or him to them.
SarahW (af7312) — 6/10/2011 @ 4:55 amhey guys, don’t quote the girl when she curses. if you do, then the site’s filters won’t let it post.
but if that happens, email me and tell me about it, and i will fix it.
Aaron Worthing (e7d72e) — 6/10/2011 @ 5:05 amUg, I will never look at honey mustard the same again! That is one majorly creepy 17 year old, and if Weiner was actually thinking, he might notice that one is pretty psycho. I mean there is only two types of person you add back into your life after you cut them out. Family, and people you get your jolly off on. He may have been just flirting with her. But he is a male, he has probably “thought” about every attractive woman he has ever met. So damn creepy.
MikeB (cb21a7) — 6/10/2011 @ 5:11 amRep. Weiner……..have a seat……what’s in the bag?
Chris Hansen (4251ee) — 6/10/2011 @ 5:22 amFrom my outsider perspective (but what do I know, I never even visited the USA), Weiner’s lying alone should be enough to send him packing. That was not just plain lying, it was lying in an arrogant and bullying manner, with false accusations to boot. The NBC interview alone should be enough to send him away!
I can’t understand why 40% of voters in his district think he ought to stay. What’s that, “right or wrong, our lying pervert”?
I love this blog, by the way. You have at least one Dutch fan.
Mokum (20a906) — 6/10/2011 @ 5:26 amMuch as I want this jerk to have to resign in disgrace and as much as I believe this story proves he lied at his presser there are holes here you could drive a truck through. If a law enforcement agency with subpoena powers got involved and the weener hasn’t trashed all his hard drives you might get somewhere. No sitting pol in either party is going there. But ya gotta have the evidence from something that belongs to him. Otherwise he’ll wiggle off the hook and the folks in the mainstream press will hold their noses and help him do it. Solidarity trumps all you know.
f1guyus (2a84e9) — 6/10/2011 @ 5:30 amAnd Dutch fan has it exactly right “He’s a pervert but he’s our pervert” is operative here. Along with some distaste for and smug dismissivness of those “squares” out there.
f1guyus (2a84e9) — 6/10/2011 @ 5:34 amBut…let me play Devil’s advocate on the legality of such creepy chattiness.
What is the age of consent in the state where Ethel lives?
Are we only allowed to be disgusted if this violates some legal precept? Or is it okay if people are concerned with the general notion that Weiner may have been sexting a minor? Social mores are not all reduced to legislation.
This isn’t a sexual contact incident; it has more to do with the corruption of a minor, so age of consent laws aren’t the issue. If the expected (by me, anyway) lewd content was exchanged, I’d be examining it for child porn and determining whether any sort of transmission statutes or regs were violated, too.
Jazz (2dc671) — 6/10/2011 @ 5:39 amaye
while i agree with jazz that i wouldn’t feel better about it if it was legal, you are still asking a relevant question since i advocate reporting him to the police.
i won’t reveal her home state, but in her home state 18 is the age of consent.
and there is a law that… basically says even “cybersex” is unlawful if you intentionally cause the minor to pleasure him or herself.
sorry to get gross, but its necessary to the story.
Aaron Worthing (e7d72e) — 6/10/2011 @ 5:57 amIsn’t cybersexing a teen illegal in most states, I think that was the main point of To Catch a Predator ?
Or is it cybersexing and then showing up in person?
John DiFool (4251ee) — 6/10/2011 @ 6:01 amOr more specifically an underaged teen.
John DiFool (4251ee) — 6/10/2011 @ 6:01 amjohn
in her state, it depends on what you mean by “cybersex.” if they just keep saying how much they want to have sex with each other, and that is all, that is apparently legal.
otoh, if he tells her he would like her to… i’ll use the clinical term… masturbate that that is illegal.
and it is illegal to basically try to meet with a girl for the purpose of sex, too, obviously.
One possible problem in the law is that it appears to include in the definition of a child a person who is over 18 who is meant to appear younger than 18. i would have to look it up, but i believe the SC has said that if no real child is involved than the law can only ban the display if it is obscene. which wouldn’t seem to apply here, but since this is a first amendment concern, weiner might be able to challenge it on first amendment overbreadth grounds–that is by saying that although his expression could be banned the law bans other conduct that can’t be and is thus unconstitutional. i would have to read more about that first, though.
Aaron Worthing (e7d72e) — 6/10/2011 @ 6:08 amThanks Aaron for answering that question.
I can just see the defense that Weiner didn’t know what state she was in, so it’s just so unfaaaiiir.
Of course, Weiner can pass laws that apply to you and me, but these people seem to find ways to avoid being subject to the law.
Alvin Greene was busted for something far milder than this. This blog has people busted for sexting minors all the time.
I hope law enforcement gets involved, but I can already hear the arguments excusing him.
Dustin (c16eca) — 6/10/2011 @ 6:12 amdustin
well, i haven’t even looked into federal law yet. i mean he did pass that kids act. i wonder what it says.
Aaron Worthing (e7d72e) — 6/10/2011 @ 6:14 amDidn’t say or imply that. In fact, if you re-read what I wrote you will find that I clearly stated that this whole thing is “creepy”.
Jazz, you didn’t address the point that I raised.
What is the “age of consent” within the jurisdictions involved?
While we both agree that the activity in question is creepy…what I’m asking is whether it’s legal or illegal.
There are lots of things which go on that are legal and creepy simultaneously.
Well, we don’t really know that for sure [shudder].
Neither do we know for sure that such contact would have been illegal because we don’t know which jurisdictions are involved and what their respective laws/statues are regarding age of consent.
We know that Weiner, who is old enough to know better, had smokin’ hot conversations with a very, very young person.
Yes, that’s creepy.
What we don’t know is whether those conversations etc violated the law.
Aye (581f82) — 6/10/2011 @ 6:15 am#72 age of consent in “Ethel’s” state is 18.
SarahW (af7312) — 6/10/2011 @ 6:16 amI looked it up.
SarahW (af7312) — 6/10/2011 @ 6:17 amThis state was recently considering a bill that would soften penalties for her if she sent pictures of herself, and I’m not sure of the exact statutes that would apply in the reverse, if he is carrying on lewd conversation or sending pictures to her.
SarahW (af7312) — 6/10/2011 @ 6:19 amActually, I think Aaron specifically addressed this, didn’t he?
Dustin (c16eca) — 6/10/2011 @ 6:19 amThanks Aaron.
That’s the answer that I was looking for.
Aye (581f82) — 6/10/2011 @ 6:19 amOften speculation centers around Weiner’s exposure to potential blackmail. However, in this case blackmail can be a two-way street.
Weiner’s high profile position as an extremely energetic and partisan defender of Obama’s agenda, plus his personal connection to Hillary Clinton’s long serving majordomo, gave him access to insider information at the highest levels.
Weiner knows where the bodies are buried, and if push comes to shove, he’s got more than a few golden somethings to barter in exchange for keeping his mouth shut and his sorry rear end on the pay roll.
ropelight (5a3652) — 6/10/2011 @ 6:20 amYes, he addressed it while I was typing my response.
Aye (581f82) — 6/10/2011 @ 6:21 amYeah, that happens to me all the time. You asked a very pertinent question.
Dustin (c16eca) — 6/10/2011 @ 6:23 amIsn’t “sending obscene material to a minor” a crime in many jurisdictions?
What constitutes obscene? If Weiner said the sort of things he loves to say, such as hoping a woman (girl, I guess, in this case) gags and chokes on his penis, that text is obscene to me. But does this kind of law refer to things more like his photos?
Dustin (c16eca) — 6/10/2011 @ 6:27 amExplicit prurient images of his genitals would qualify
SarahW (af7312) — 6/10/2011 @ 6:35 amAlso Sorry Aaron I did not seen you address the age question.
SarahW (af7312) — 6/10/2011 @ 6:36 amAt #55, Simon Jester drew attention to the picture of himself Weiner used on Twitter, it’s from a time when he appeared significantly more youthful.
While it doesn’t necessarily prove anything, it certainly lends credence to the charge he was encouraging contact from young girls.
ropelight (5a3652) — 6/10/2011 @ 6:39 amon the federal laws, these statutes might apply
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/718/usc_sec_18_00002251—-000-.html
and this has important definitions.
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/718/usc_sec_18_00002256—-000-.html
Aaron Worthing (e7d72e) — 6/10/2011 @ 6:44 amplease don’t put the girl’s real name on this blog. yes, if you guys are smart you can figure it out, but i believe patrick is holding it off for now.
Aaron Worthing (e7d72e) — 6/10/2011 @ 6:45 am“61.Ug, I will never look at honey mustard the same again!”
I’m pretty sure that she wasn’t actually using honey mustard in an unorthodox manner. That was a not so veiled reference to his hot dog. (aka weiner)
Oschisms (473d8f) — 6/10/2011 @ 6:48 amI did not seen you? Has my autocorrect gone MAD?
SarahW (af7312) — 6/10/2011 @ 6:50 amre: blackmail
couldn’t Twitter blackmail him? It seems to me they could have access to his account information. What if some employee looked into what he was doing, and used that for leverage in Congress?
MayBee (081489) — 6/10/2011 @ 6:53 amMay I please suggest holding off the name forever. She sounds severely screwed up. A real man who encountered a girl that troubled would seek out her parents rather than sext her behind their backs. Anyway, Weiner was a predator who really knew how to get these girls wrapped around his finger, and for the minors, I don’t think they should ever face the full force of public scrutiny for their mistakes.
It sorta sounds like you’re saying her identity relevant for a part 4. Hopefully I’m just being a bonehead again and reading too much into your comment.
Dustin (c16eca) — 6/10/2011 @ 6:54 amdustin
well, i can’t say (because i really don’t know) if we will hold off on her name forever. but certainly as long as possible.
its like breitbart and the x-rated pic. our intention is not to show it to anyone. and we are not telling opie and anthony, no matter what.
Aaron Worthing (e7d72e) — 6/10/2011 @ 6:58 amA hell of a lot of people could. Yes, Twitter included.
I imagine any of these girls considered what a great connection they had just made. That one who wants to be a journalist? Reminds me of Barbara Walters’ affair with a married politician.
They could easily insist on a job as a congressional staffer, or even become a successful lobbyist. Weiner is not exactly signed on with Porkbusters.
What’s a little scarier is the idea of China or Iran sending people to sext politicians and gain dirt on them. I don’t think that possibility is paranoia. I think it’s practically assured to be attempted. Weiner has a Top Secret security clearance, and he’s betray anyone if it served his purposes.
Sex has always been a main weapon in espionage, and I guess Twitter has actually made it easier.
It’s unbelievably risky that Weiner would behave this way.
Dustin (c16eca) — 6/10/2011 @ 7:01 amAh, I understand.
Sounds good. Of course, like the x rated pic, it’s already out there, so it’s totally out of your control.
Dustin (c16eca) — 6/10/2011 @ 7:01 amdustin
i remember a UN weapon inspector, i think his name was ritter, being busted for this to catch a predator type sh-t.
he went from saying saddam had wmds up the wazu to suddenly he had nothing. i always suspected saddam got to him and that was how.
Aaron Worthing (e7d72e) — 6/10/2011 @ 7:03 am90, I think so. They always had a right, per terms of service, to investigate hacking and announce conclusion of tampering with Twitter service, and release things like times and applications used.
So they could be his discreet friend and hope for a reward.
Their answer would not have been dispositive I guess (since wouldn’t address any password cracking or another individual using a device of Weiner’s but it would have put heat on him.
SarahW (af7312) — 6/10/2011 @ 7:04 amOh yeah, that always was the best explanation for Scott Ritter. And I always thought they provided the kids for him when he was in Iraq, as he did travel there all the time.
Sexual morality is extremely important. We didn’t just come up with this norms to be prudes. They are infinitely helpful to being happy, not ruining lives, and being reliable even at completely unrelated tasks.
Dustin (c16eca) — 6/10/2011 @ 7:04 amhey, is this a picture of weiner and his underage girlfriend?
http://everyonedrawmohammed.blogspot.com/2011/05/another-cartoon_7337.html
Aaron Worthing (e7d72e) — 6/10/2011 @ 7:13 amdustin…
mmm, messed up thought, here.
Uday Hussien used to be into young girls. he had a guy go out and pick them out for him.
i wonder if the same guy helped out ritter.
And uday was a major a–hole. two times he broke into a wedding and raped the bride while everyone listened. the second time he did that the groom killed himself.
Aaron Worthing (e7d72e) — 6/10/2011 @ 7:14 amIt’s true the young woman is outspoken and impulsively so – but she’s young and all the things in your head that stop that, including accumulated wisdom, haven’t necessarily come in yet.
Do I think Weiner encouraged this tendency in her? I think he wanted her discreet in public but he was talking to her this way in private, thereby encouraging her… what they used to call contributing to bad behaviour in a minor.
SarahW (af7312) — 6/10/2011 @ 7:16 amSexual morality is extremely important. We didn’t just come up with this norms to be prudes. They are infinitely helpful to being happy, not ruining lives, and being reliable even at completely unrelated tasks.
Comment by Dustin — 6/10/2011 @ 7:04 am
Really, exceptionally well said. How one handles any strong impulse says quite a bit about one’s character, commitment and whether they will put their own desires first at the expense of the good of others, whoever those “others” may be in the myriad of public and private situations one finds oneself in.
Lying about it of course takes it to a whole separate arena of selfish. But the behavior itself matters too.
no one you know (325a59) — 6/10/2011 @ 7:23 am`Oh! thoughtless, thoughtless Lydia!” cried Elizebeth. What a tweet is this!
I have my premise for an Austen rework!
SarahW (af7312) — 6/10/2011 @ 7:24 amSexual continence used to be a masculine virtue. Not suppression, but good regulation.
SarahW (af7312) — 6/10/2011 @ 7:26 amI had never heard about that, though I’d heard a lot of horrible things about that man.
God Bless America, where our most depraved leaders are like Anthony Weiner. A little perspective doesn’t hurt. We won’t stay this way if we don’t show disgust, though. We will get more and more coarse and sick as a culture if we listen to Weiner’s defenders.
I just read one lefty say she has sexual talk with married guys on twitter all the time and that’s OK because they don’t actually meet. Therefore, she thinks Weiner should be let off the hook by all but his wife.
As if he didn’t demonize Breitbart and his sources with repeated lies about being hacked, or treat reporters like criminals for asking questions.
Sure, it’s not like America will turn into Baathist Iraq if we don’t show outrage over this. But it will get worse.
Dustin (c16eca) — 6/10/2011 @ 7:38 amwhat’s the point of this though? just idle speculation on such a serious charge is kind of reprehensible. Are you going to actually investigate this charge, or are you just throwing it out there? As air-tight as you seem to think it, from an objective point of view, it’s pretty thin. I seriously doubt you’d want to go to court with evidence as weak as this. This seems like a lame attempt to keep the story going while there is no real news. If you can’t really investigate this, why throw it out there at all? This is the kind of crap that gives legit investigations a bad name.
baby giraffes (3914b8) — 6/10/2011 @ 8:22 ambaby giraffes, he was at least flirting with a high school girl… I don’t see how anyone can deny this. So please, STFU with your concern trolling.
soren (303eda) — 6/10/2011 @ 8:31 amIt’s not ifle speculation.
What is an objective point of view anyway? What does that mean? Are you saying your opinion is more valid than ours?
Because we need an investigation, silly.
But it’s clear Weiner strung along a minor, and it’s also damn reasonable to assume the person publicly boasting about 69s and honey mustard was damn graphic in private. You say it’s a thin claim, and I say that much is practically guaranteed. There’s no reason for Weiner to follow aside from the DM. She talks about ‘keeping her mouth shut’ and talks about loving Weiner.
If you really think it’s fair to demand silence on this, in the name of preserving the very concept of investigations, you are crazy. But just maybe you wish people would let Weiner off the hook.
Allred (c16eca) — 6/10/2011 @ 8:32 amAbove was me
Dustin (c16eca) — 6/10/2011 @ 8:32 ambaby
what we are trying to do is get the investigation going. like i think we are very likely to report this to the appropriate law enforcement officials. They will be able to learn things we can’t.
Aaron Worthing (e7d72e) — 6/10/2011 @ 8:33 amAnd now I see that Baby Giraffes is not here to get Weiner off the hook, based on the blog.
Anyway, if you consider the three posts on this, baby giraffe, I think you will have to agree it isn’t idle speculation to say something serious appears to have occurred.
Dustin (c16eca) — 6/10/2011 @ 8:37 amChris Hansen just called and he is livid with Patterico for upstaging him! “What the hell am I going to do with the cameras, crew and Perverted Justice people now?” screamed Hansen
Buzz Wire (cb75d9) — 6/10/2011 @ 9:05 amI am sure the media will tell him to get out like they did Mark Foley… um…
Jersey Dave (dadd80) — 6/10/2011 @ 9:21 amLooks like Ethel does all the talking (typical teenage girl) and Dickman, sorry Weiner, is playing along. Now there is a reason for the CPAC people to get their panties in a bunch.
Doc Savage (2301ed) — 6/10/2011 @ 9:25 ambecause someone asked….
koam (d35cd7) — 6/10/2011 @ 10:26 amDelaware
The age of consent in Delaware is 18, but it is legal for teenagers aged 16 and 17 to engage in sexual intercourse as long as the older partner is younger than 30.
Title 11 § 761. Definitions generally applicable to sexual offences. (j) A child who has not yet reached his or her sixteenth birthday is deemed unable to consent to a sexual act with a person more than 4 years older than said child. Children who have not yet reached their twelfth birthday are deemed unable to consent to a sexual act under any circumstances. Crimes and Criminal Procedure, Delaware Criminal Code
§ 770. Rape in the fourth degree; class C felony. (a) A person is guilty of rape in the fourth degree when the person:…2) Intentionally engages in sexual intercourse with another person, and the victim has not yet reached that victim’s eighteenth birthday, and the person is 30 years of age or older, except that such intercourse shall not be unlawful if the victim and person are married at the time of such intercourse.
Jazz, you didn’t address the point that I raised.
What is the “age of consent” within the jurisdictions involved?
While we both agree that the activity in question is creepy…what I’m asking is whether it’s legal or illegal.
Aye, my point is that with the information we have now, “age of consent” laws are irrelevant. “Age of consent” laws apply to sexual contact. In a state where age of consent is 16 and there are applicable corruption of minor statutes, Weiner could very possibly simultaneously have no exposure to prosecution for a sexual relationship with a 17 year-old girl and exposed to prosecution for sexting her.
This isn’t a sexual contact incident
Well, we don’t really know that for sure [shudder].
Unlike the current discussion of whether an inquiry to Weiner’s messages to Ethel are warranted, which Patterico’s argument seems to establish in the affirmative, there has been no suggestion in any of the evidence that any meetings actually took place with any of Weiner’s virtual consorts, despite expressed desires. While it’s a topic I’d like to see addressed, I haven’t seen any evidence yet to support that kind of inquiry. The evidence tends toward sexual communications, not contact, IMHO.
Jazz (0ca4b2) — 6/10/2011 @ 10:47 amPatriotUSA76 tried to turn the hose on Weiner and Ethel long before he went to Brietbart, and for this he was villified by Charles Johnson as a stalker and a liar. This deserves another Newsweek cover like Mark Foley.
inotropic (532099) — 6/10/2011 @ 10:53 amWould Weiner please resign? PLEASE! Just leave the office, leave D.C., and go home to Queens or wherever. Time to sell shoes at Sears or open a hot dog stand outside of a Home Depot. We do not need his sleazy kind in Congress. Go! Now! Goodbye!
Cactus Billy Bob (f747d0) — 6/10/2011 @ 11:03 amI want the ethics committee to impound all of his internet records and all computers he has access to. I want to know what photos he recieved back from the ones he sent out.Child porn is a felony afterall.
cccc (7196f1) — 6/10/2011 @ 11:42 amExcuse my being crude, but I have seen that acronym before in the context of sexting and it meant “back door humping”
Paul Watson (7727b8) — 6/10/2011 @ 12:16 pmSaid slowly
Joe Schmoe (56dbb8) — 6/10/2011 @ 12:22 pmBig Hunt = Big C*nt
I think a problem a lot of people are having with respect to this topic is the cognitive dissonance we are seeing regarding the roles of Ethel, Betty and Veronica. On the one hand these are HS girls who age wise are still legally considered children–below the age of consent–and therefore deserving of special societal protections and anonymity. On the other hand their on-line behavior and the language they use is so raw, so knowing, so cynical, and so beyond childhood that it is impossible to think of them as mere innocents or unwilling pawns and victims to Weiner’s skeezy predilictions.
elissa (f72979) — 6/10/2011 @ 1:28 pmAce is reporting that the police have now visited the home of the 17 year old.
http://minx.cc/?post=317433
My prediction is that the Weiner will be fully roasted by Monday.
Aye (89b924) — 6/10/2011 @ 2:56 pmThe driving route from RAW’s NYC district to Washington DC goes mostly via I-95 through 3 states: NJ, DE, & MD. Ethel lives about 80 miles off of I-95.
Which proves nothing other than that it wouldn’t have been inconvenient to make the stopoff for someone who probably makes that trip dozens of times a year, perhaps by car.
koam (d35cd7) — 6/10/2011 @ 2:58 pmhttp://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/06/10/exclusive-weiners-messages-to-teenage-girl-in-delaware-draw-police-attention/
Joseph (f00357) — 6/10/2011 @ 3:08 pmOMG! I am speechless!!! Someone is reading your blog, Patterico. Someone besides US!! You did the heavy lifting on this. WOW. The power of the “new media.”
Janetoo (84c5f6) — 6/10/2011 @ 3:11 pmWell fox is reporting New Castle, DE, rather than Concord, DE. New Castle is right off of I-95
koam (d35cd7) — 6/10/2011 @ 3:29 pmYes, great congratulations are due to Patterico – @wittier
koam (d35cd7) — 6/10/2011 @ 3:31 pmIt’s important to note that there’s a (good) chance he didn’t cross a legal line but crossed a line that should get him kicked out of congress.
soren (303eda) — 6/10/2011 @ 4:02 pm“Ethel: I love 69ing big hunt + like to use honey mustard as lube. Ohh yeahh baby I love bdh weiner”
“big hunt” and bdh are both short forms of “big dog hunt”.
Lymond (4ed4fc) — 6/10/2011 @ 4:02 pmElissa, what they are is not wise, not fully formed. Some are eager to flex their new powers to interest and attract, and all are ready to toe in to the big pool and try on adult things. This is part of their appeal to a skeezix like Weiner, who not only soaks up their adoration, but fancies himself doing them a favor, he’s the great initiator – that spoiling is part of his fantasy.
Girls that age don’t necessarily know how green they are or how vain, and are not ready to believe know fungible an attractive, adoring girl can for be another.
SarahW (af7312) — 6/10/2011 @ 4:22 pmElissa So – just my opinion- they act grown up but they really aren’t. They want admiration, attention, affection, to try on being a temptress or a hard girl all that and more. It takes a particularly low down kind of snake in the grass to prey on that and a Congressman of all people should have enough private virtue not to use his power to feed his fantasies.
SarahW (af7312) — 6/10/2011 @ 4:28 pmGood thing for Weiner he’s not in Ohio, and he’s doubly lucky if the girl didn’t send HIM nude pics.
The sheriff gave a talk to H.S. kids before end of school here and said receiving pics of a naked minor — even unexpectedly or as a prank — constitutes possession of child porn and, lest you’re able to clear yourself, you WILL be prosecuted as such (i.e., do time).
If she sent him any pics, it will come out. Even if she didn’t, this is bad enough to ruin him.
ignurnt (b18bed) — 6/10/2011 @ 6:16 pmAm I the only one who doesn’t see references to capes and tights as sexual? The guy is jokingly referring to himself as a superhero. I mean, sure he’s kind of a scumbag, just don’t see it in this particular imagery.
SonofMog (22b956) — 6/10/2011 @ 11:11 pmSomeone get Chris Hanson on the phone. His services are needed in District 9.
casey (1d467d) — 6/10/2011 @ 11:50 pmBTW, there is another aspect to the Weinergate story as well, having to do with his purportedly pregnant wife, Huma.
1389AD (7361d8) — 6/11/2011 @ 3:01 amThe driving route from RAW’s NYC district to Washington DC goes mostly via I-95 through 3 states: NJ, DE, & MD. Ethel lives about 80 miles off of I-95. Comment by koam — 6/10/2011 @ 2:58 pm
Delaware is 30 miles wide at its widest, and this girl appears to be in New Castle County through which I95 runs for 20 miles. NCC is only about 10 miles wide at its widest. So we’re talking 20 minutes tops from I95. And there’s a rest handy stop on I95. I saw one map spotting New Castle city as her residence, which is five miles from I95. I’m not sayin nothin I’m just sayin.
Akzed (01b08d) — 6/11/2011 @ 7:09 amI didn’t realise that Superman was porn.
überRegenbogen (bddf9f) — 6/12/2011 @ 7:02 amThere is another point I haven’t read anywhere yet.
Two quotes from Betty’s Mother.
“When Rep Weiner followed my daughter the one and only message he sent her was welcoming her to his twitter followers and suggested he go to his website for more information”
“Ultimately, Rep Weiner had to unfollow our daughter as a favor to her so these attacks would stop”
If Weiner NEVER corresponded after the welcome message, then how on earth did Betty’s mother know that Weiner unfollowed Betty to do her a favor?
Also, it is blindingly obvious that Veronica and Betty were in cahoots with each other. Quote Veronica to goatsred “[(Betty)] just wants to know how it will be worded? who will be named as the source ?” is in complete contradiction to Veronica’s statement “(Betty) never gave me permission to speak for her.”
In my view the statements from Betty’s mum, Betty and Veronica lack all credibility. In my view, it’s a big cover-up.
Jeff (c8c5ae) — 6/13/2011 @ 8:09 pmThis was Jennifer Preston’s story
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/11/nyregion/weiner-says-he-sent-private-messages-to-girl-17.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=twitter%20weiner%20delaware&st=cse
…..The girl’s contact with Mr. Weiner started in early April, after her trip to Washington. The congressman spoke to her school group, and she began following him on Twitter, posting a public message saying how much she liked his speech.
Two days later, Mr. Weiner began following her on Twitter. On her profile, she says she aspires to be president. In a private message he sent to her, he said: “How hip am I talking to a future president.”
Delighted that she had heard directly from a congressman, the girl wrote a public post on her Twitter feed: “talking to Rep Weiner from New York right now! is my life real?”
At the time, a group of conservatives was monitoring Mr. Weiner’s Twitter activity, after noticing that he was sending messages to a pornographic star from Tennessee.
When members of the group saw the girl’s post, suggesting she was engaging in a private conversation with Mr. Weiner, they alerted the congressman that they were watching him. “@RepWeiner new pal is a high school girl. First porn actresses now little girls. Weird.”
According to the girl’s family member, people in the group also copied the girl on some of the messages they sent to him, so she sent Mr. Weiner a private message telling him that she felt she was being harassed. He apologized to her in a private message, and removed her from the list of people he followed on Twitter.
About a month later, Mr. Weiner sent out a public message saying he wanted to attract more followers on Twitter and offered to follow people on his account if they wanted him to.
The girl responded to the appeal and posted a public message to him: “Don’t forget me. I used to follow you.” On May 16, he began following the girl again, and over the next 10 days they had three private message exchanges, the family member said.
One was about baseball. In another, he replied to a question she had about legislation by jokingly asking for her advice, the family member said. His third message to her was in response to a link she posted to a YouTube video of his giving a speech, with the message: “My true love.”
In a blog post on Tumblr, she later shared the contents of that private message from him. In it, Mr. Weiner appeared to liken himself to a superhero.
“I came back strong,” he wrote. “Large. Tights and cape …”
On the Tumblr blog post she added, “My favorite Congressman.”
A version of this article appeared in print on June 11, 2011, on page A17 of the New York edition with the headline: Weiner Says He Sent Private Messages to Girl.
Sammy Finkelman (d3daeb) — 6/28/2011 @ 4:39 pm