Why weiner must go

When the news broke that Anthony Weiner had been at it again — sexting with strangers, this time under the sobriquet Carlos Danger — it seemed almost too easy for the comedy writers of America.

Then we learned that one of his online amours went by … Sydney Leathers. No algorithm could do that. And did you know — absolutely not kidding here — that the scandal came to light on National Hot Dog Day? If there is a god of comedy, She must have been presiding over that coincidence. So, yeah, I had some fun tweeting about all this, along with one or two gazillion other people.

Because 'Weiner' wasn't funny enough? Forgiving him when he said, oh yeah, actually he did — three. Failing to laugh hysterically when he announced he was running for mayor of New York — four.

On Saturday, the New York Post ran a story about the video, complete with salacious screengrab. Pretty soon it made international headlines. Why would anyone care about the sex life of an unknown twentysomething running for local office? Well, because a lot of people are pervs, for one thing. But the main reason the story has become so popular is because of how Weiner responded. Instead of going on the defensive, he owned it. While a few loud voices on Twitter might chastise me for the video, most people see the video for what it is: a distraction.

The frank and dignified way in which Weiner handled this episode has, quite rightly, earned him a lot of praise. He wore a blue suit and green tie. His parents were in the courtroom but not his wife, Huma Abedin. They are currently going through divorce proceedings. The former New York congressman faces up to 27 months in prison on Monday after he pleaded guilty to one charge of transferring obscene material to a minor.

It also doomed his campaign for mayor and his marriage to Huma Abedin, a former aide to Hillary Clinton. Sections U. Science Technology Business U. The Latest: Anthony Weiner must report to prison by Nov.