Commenting on Democratic U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner’s statement today that his wife ““was not happy” when she learned this morning of his dishonesty, Jennifer Rubin asks, “Did she learn nothing from working for Hillary Clinton about enabling lying men?”

And didn’t Weiner, elected to Congress the year Mrs. Clinton’s husband lied about, then admitted to a sexual relationship with a White House intern, learn anything from his fellow Democrat’s experience?  Maybe, he thought that he too could get away with it, as the former president did.  Maybe he thought Democrats were immune from scandal.

Yet, with the new media, he should have learned that the game has changed.  He should have known the perils to a married public official of seeking out extramarital dalliances, even if such flirtations are never consummated.

To be sure, his statement today was laudatory.  He was forthright, didn’t pass the buck, appeared genuinely contrite, acknowledged the mistake he made and the pain he caused his family, particularly his wife.  Most importantly, he acknowledged that his own dishonesty last week made his mistake “worse.”

One wonders less at his judgment in engaging in on-line flirtation and more at his judgment not just in denying it, but in the manner of his denial.  Instead of merely saying that he had not tweeted the picture, he continued to deceive us in numerous public fora, including press conferences, public statements and media interviews.  It was as if he undertook a press tour entirely to deceive. (more…)

He should have made this statement last week.  It’s strong.  He doesn’t mince words.  He acknowledges his error and doesn’t try to pass the blame onto others.  And admits he hasn’t been telling the truth.

“I haven’t,” the Democrats says, “told the truth and have done things I deeply regret.”  He calls what he did a “terrible mistake”, calls it a “very dumb thing to do.”  Acknowledges it was “destructive” and repeatedly says he accepts responsibility, that he has harmed his wife and family.  Calls it his own “deep weakness.”

Had he offered this statement last week, people might be more disposed to forgive him.  Right now, however, we have the question not whether or not he truly regrets his actions or he regrets that he got caught.

RELATED:  R.S. McCain is also covering the Democrat’s presser.

UPDATE:  He even apologizes to Andrew Breitbart (who comes off today, as Charlie Sheen might put, as the day’s big winner).

UP-UPDATE:  Just a thought.  He might have served himself better had he made his statement and then not taken questions.  Some of these questions are just, well, inappropriate.

UP-UP-UPDATE:  Calls its a “deep personal failure”, but says he never met any of the women in question nor has he had sex outside his relationship.  And says he’s not making any excuses for his behavior, repeats that he did a dumb thing and “lied about it.”

UP-UP-UP-UPDATE: Yes, he’s right, his wife does deserve better than this. And he acknowledges that denying this made it “worse.”

SPECIAL UPDATE at 4:51 PM EST. Get off the stage, Anthony. You’ve said all you need to say. One minute later, he takes my advice.

UP-UP-UP-UP-UPDATE: Lis Wiehl on Cavuto saying that if he admits responsibility, he should resign. Because he lied to his constituents.

Perhaps the most telling means to determine media bias is to compare treatment of the two major parties’ nominees for vice president.  One had a reputation for embellishing his record while making some pretty silly statements, the other had her supposedly silly statements publicized as a signs of her stupidity.  His were brushed aside, as “Well, that’s just Joe.”

Now, another prominent Democrat tapped by Barack Obama for an important job has now joined her fellow partisan from the First State, with her eagerness for exaggeration and her penchant for misrepresentation.  And Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz has not been subject to the same degree of media scrutiny (and mockery) as the more charismatic former Alaska governor received.  Now, Jennifer Rubin reports, she’s telling us that Republican “want to literally drag us all the way back to Jim Crow laws“.

“No,” quips Rubin,

I don’t suppose the media will give her the same treatment that is handed out to Palin. They make allowances for Wasserman Schultz, you see, because her “heart is in the right place,” meaning she mouths liberal platitudes, albeit inartfully.

Well, they do make allowances for Joe Biden.

Questions, comments requests can be sent to sarjex (at) gmail dot com

The great wickedness of Liberalism, I saw, was that those who devise the ever new State Utopias, whether crooks or fools, set out to bankrupt and restrict not themselves, but others.

–David Mamet, The Secret Knowledge: On the Dismantling of American Culture

About ten minutes ago (12:10 AM PST).

UPDATE:  Yup:

Screen capture of google search at 12:24 PST (3:24 GayPatriot blog time).