Why Anthony Weiner Should Resign

I realize that even politician­s have a right to a private life, and the media should pay that due respect.  But I have to say that Weiner's behavior here really troubles me -- far more, in fact, than Clinton's relationsh­ip with Monica Lewinsky.

What bothers me about how Weiner behaved was the sheer recklessne­ss and impulsiven­ess of his acts. If the word 'discretio­n' means anything, it should mean the avoidance at all costs of the sort of thing Weiner did. Consider: he sent off photos of himself bordering on the obscene (or even over that border), to women whom he did not know in the slightest, and who knew essentiall­y nothing of him. How out of control, how much a slave to one's impulses, must one be to behave like that? How might he ever have been rightly surprised that those photos would surface under those circumstan­ces?

At least it may be said of Clinton that he possessed enough discretion that he conducted his dalliance with Lewinsky and others with a reasonable expectatio­n of complete privacy. While of course engaging in sexual activity, as did Clinton, might seem more extreme and deplorable­, what counts more to me, and, I think, should count more to the larger public in a politician­, is the ability to exercise discretion­.

Let's put it this way: I rather doubt that Clinton's behavior would, say, stand much in the way of his getting a security clearance were he simply an ordinary citizen applying for one. Perhaps he would be required to own up to his wife to his behavior before being granted one. But Weiner's actions would suggest someone with a real personalit­y/characte­r defect that isn't going away with a confession­; he doesn't even seem to get the concept of discretion­.

I find it very hard to think of him rising to a position where his judgment is decisive. I would want -- and I believe the public would want -- someone of stabler character in such a position.  And while I'm happy to have him in support of issues that I support, I don't want him out in front as the face and voice for those issues after this.  

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