NPR's Nina Totenberg: 'If His Name Weren't Weiner, Would We Still Be Talking About This?'
NPR's Nina Totenberg on Friday may have asked one of the silliest questions raised since the Weinergate sex scandal began about two weeks ago.
Appearing on PBS's "Inside Washington," Totenberg actually said, "If his name weren’t Weiner, would we still be talking about this?" (video follows with transcript and commentary):
NINA TOTENBERG, NPR: I have a question. If his name weren’t Weiner, would we still be talking about this?
MARK SHIELDS, PBS: I think we would because of the factor you raised and that is the ickiness. I mean, everywhere you turn there’s further evidence of just how debased the conversation was, and that this was with strangers, and the images that he sent over.
TOTENBERG: But his name makes him a subject of public ridicule and bad jokes every single day. Every comic in America is dining out on him.
And this is how the liberal mind works.
This scandal isn't about a Congressman sending lewd pictures to young women over the Internet.
It's all about the name of the guilty party and its comic association to male genitalia.
You think she'd feel that way if Weiner was Republican?
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Comments
Stupid Nina
Submitted by Cool Arrow on Fri, 06/10/2011 - 6:27pm.
Are we still talking about Bill Clinton? Do Democrats still talk about Thomas Jefferson?
Yes because its easier to
Submitted by Dan The Man 2 on Fri, 06/10/2011 - 6:32pm.
Yes because its easier to talk about Weiner than the economy and the poor job President Obama is doing. I heard on the news that it was good the NASDC was closing because it was dropping like a rock.
Nina...
Submitted by Forbus on Fri, 06/10/2011 - 6:56pm.
If he were a Republican.....yes.
If he were a republican, they
Submitted by PeskyDane on Sun, 06/12/2011 - 7:49am.
If he were a republican, they would lead with it at the guy's funeral.
If His Name Wasn't Weiner
Submitted by Bourbeau on Fri, 06/10/2011 - 7:08pm.
Here's a flash for you Nina: if his name was Boehner, Cantor, Romney, or Pawlenty, you'd be on 24/7 coverage, and you know it. It's amazing how understanding liberals become when it's one of their hatchemen getting his just due. Suck it up Nina, the story isn't over so get yourself some popcorn and let's see what pops up next.
→ Good point
Submitted by Cool Arrow on Fri, 06/10/2011 - 7:22pm.
If his name was Boehner, the name would undergo a transformation fitting of the act.
Typical Dip
Submitted by grammajane on Fri, 06/10/2011 - 8:17pm.
He has his name for life and been in politics for years. This pathetic man's name has hardly ever been mentioned until he went on a tweeting binge. On Druge tonight it says he is now possibly in trouble with a 17 yr.old girl. Does his name exclude him from that also?? What the hel does a name have to do with perverted behavior, Nina?
If his name wasn't Weiner, it
Submitted by mostlymoderate on Fri, 06/10/2011 - 8:19pm.
If his name wasn't Weiner, it is most likely that he wouldn't have won a seat in New York. Schumer, Bloomberg, Weiner, Berenberg, Allen...
Yeah.
Let him stay... He's a 'Get out of Jail Free' card
Submitted by MidAmerica on Fri, 06/10/2011 - 8:20pm.
Weiner can be the symbol for the democrat party.
Besides if the Weiner stays then any Republican caught in an embarrassing situation can just point to Weiner and that ends the matter.
Set up the guillotine. Bring
Submitted by Van Halen on Fri, 06/10/2011 - 8:37pm.
Set up the guillotine.
Bring up the NPR elite.
OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!
Nina's is sure that the
Submitted by sherlock1 on Fri, 06/10/2011 - 8:43pm.
Nina is confident that the correct answer is:
"Of course you people wouldn't be talking about it! Doesn't everyone in America get their opinions from comedians, and talking heads like me? And we get bored with stuff easily, especially stuff that makes a Democrat look like a poopy-head. Hell, if we had our druthers, we would never have uttered a word about it at all!"
If she condones it then she is also guilty
Submitted by MidAmerica on Fri, 06/10/2011 - 8:49pm.
Wonder how Ms Totenberg would feel if the Weiner was found to be sending lewd pictures to an underage females in her immediate family.
If the president were white....
Submitted by GregE on Fri, 06/10/2011 - 8:49pm.
.....would my disagreement with his policies and mindset still be considered racist?
YA KNOW
Submitted by KornKing on Fri, 06/10/2011 - 8:50pm.
Idiots like Nina drawing a paycheck is reason enough to defund NPR, guessing she couldn't figure out how to put pickles on a burger
She has something of a point...
Submitted by ThatDude on Fri, 06/10/2011 - 9:07pm.
If the joke didn't write itself, the media hardly would have covered it. If the public wasn't so inclined to giggle about the fact that Weiner got caught showing off his namesake, the whole story would be buried like any other Dem. misconduct. The fact that he's a Democrat attack dog lowlife would have helped him keep down the media and professional reaction. If his name weren't Weiner, I really do think that the dems and journos would have gladly made this whole affair short and silent.
Another factor that has driven the coverage to go this far is his denial and blaming other people for it. Had he fessed up and apologized, it would have been a short, non-issue with the media barely covering any political fallout from it.
OK, Nina. Let's change his name.
Submitted by Newsbubba on Fri, 06/10/2011 - 9:19pm.
How about Peter Johnson?
Wood that help?
Didn't we
Submitted by gailannr on Fri, 06/10/2011 - 9:29pm.
shut this broad up last week! Shut up already Nina Totenburg! Hmmmm I'm thinking how I could use her name????????
Hey Token In the Burbs
Submitted by hbnolikeee on Fri, 06/10/2011 - 9:55pm.
what you smokin'?
If Totenberg married Anthony...
Submitted by bigdaddy on Fri, 06/10/2011 - 10:18pm.
...would she be "Nina Weiner"?
Maybe she has a point...but this sure is fun.
Nina
Submitted by batcat on Fri, 06/10/2011 - 10:34pm.
Yeah Nina, and if your aunt had balls, she'd be your uncle.
Or ...
Submitted by Newsbubba on Sat, 06/11/2011 - 9:36am.
... Rachel Maddow?
Good one....
Submitted by almostacowboy on Sat, 06/11/2011 - 12:21pm.
Bubba! LOL! :-D
Stating the obvious
Submitted by nkviking75 on Fri, 06/10/2011 - 10:38pm.
Totenberg actually said, "If his name weren’t Weiner, would we still be talking about this?"
Yes, Nina. It just wouldn't be as much fun.
“Always love your country — but never trust your government!" -- Bob Novak (1931-2009)
When you put the clowns in charge, don't be surprised when a circus breaks out.
Yep
Submitted by GregE on Fri, 06/10/2011 - 11:15pm.
This is the stuff of legend.
100 years from now, legendary story about a Congressman who posted his jank online, and his last name was Weiner.
Failing to Cut Funding For this POS Network
Submitted by JustAl on Fri, 06/10/2011 - 11:09pm.
Proves the GOP does not deserve more power.
The house alone could never do it.
Submitted by apf2 on Sun, 06/12/2011 - 8:39am.
We need to pull the rug out from under the Affirmative Action President and the radical Liberal left in control of the Senate.
Then if they can't cut these socialist agenda tools (EPA, NPR, etc.) Then start looking to boost a third party to a competitive stance.
2012: The Republican's last chance to get it RIGHT!
Totenberg and NPR are the
Submitted by big.league.slider on Sat, 06/11/2011 - 1:19am.
Totenberg and NPR are the same people that tried to destroy Justice Clarence Thomas for simply allegedly making an inappropriate remark in the presence of Anita Hill. So yes Nina, if his name was Rep. Anthony Weiner (R-NY), you'd still be talking about his recent disgusting behavior. And also demanding an immediate criminal indictment, based on the "seriousness of the charge" and regardless of the evidence. Here's how Totenberg made her MSM bones in the Thomas hearings:
"Two days before the Senate Judiciary Committee vote, Totenberg broke the story on Morning Edition that Anita Hill had told the committee that she had been sexually harassed
while working for Thomas in two federal agencies.......She remains the focus of a congressional investigation to determine how the information on Hill was leaked, as well as a national debate on journalistic ethics.
don't complain, it could be worse like, Harry Poz
Submitted by Less1leg on Sat, 06/11/2011 - 1:58am.
Glad to see the NPR still runting around the sewers trying to find clean sewage to crawl through. Ah, it has been a great name to stroke, er, hold on too, er, waggle, ah you know.
Our liberal friends had one of their future darlings defrocked as a backdoor man, scamming around behind his lovely spouse's back whilst he was sending real-time photo's of his shmengie boinking our. Aren't those darn 12 megapixal camera's do send life like photo's don't they.
But do you notice how irreverant liberals actually hold marrige vows or even relationship expectations between a couple. You know, nobody was hurt, hey we were consenting adults. Even the young ones knew what they were getting into. Heck. With a few good progressive liberals we can get rid of those nasty juvenile laws between to people. Let's say, drop the consenting adult age restriction to maybe twelve.
I think conserative talk radio should open a discussion about consenting adult laws. Obviously if the wonder child of progressive liberalism is sending out questionable photos of himself to under 17 year olds. How long can you go? I'm thinking that our liberals really want little to no restrictions on age of sexual interaction. But don't be surprise in the next few years age limits get dropped to thirteen. That way, NAMBLA can come out of the closet.
Nina Still Employed?
Submitted by tomaspain on Sat, 06/11/2011 - 9:22am.
The only reason I can think of that allows Nina to stay with NPR is that she has something on the management. Does anyone know what that might be? She certainly is not an objective reporter.
Totenberg never gets it
Submitted by Galvanic on Sat, 06/11/2011 - 1:14pm.
I think it's safe to say that if it wasn't for her long tenure at NPR, Totenberg couldn't hold a job in journalism.
It goes beyond her liberal perspective. It's her totally inane, childlike observations.
In the case of Weiner-gate, one wonders if she's actually read anything beyond the headlines.
She has kneepads
Submitted by Clutch1956 on Sat, 06/11/2011 - 10:22pm.
and she knows how to use 'em. Known around the NPR offices as the ol' girl that can suck a bowling ball thru a 100' garden hose and not breath heavy afterwards.
I am pretty anti-NPR and Big-Gov waste...
Submitted by apf2 on Sun, 06/12/2011 - 8:44am.
But, your comment seems to be over the line. Then again if you have first-hand witnesses that say this is true then I withdraw my complaint.
Remember, we are better than they are. We don't need to create false quotes and tales to denigrate them. Just look at Weiner and Spitzer--they are quite capable of doing it to themselves!!
I agree. Why spend any time
Submitted by fatboy on Sat, 06/11/2011 - 9:34am.
I agree. Why spend any time at all talking about a creepy, perverted, serial sexual predator targeting underage girls...who just happens to be a member of Congress?
NPR
Submitted by jessieH on Sat, 06/11/2011 - 9:35am.
I am really fed up with funding the enemy. They get money from us and they get money from the muslin brotherhood, which is Soros.
Totenberg: affirmative action hire of some kind for NPR...
Submitted by Thalpy on Sat, 06/11/2011 - 10:52am.
Nina is the panel dolt in residence.
we would still be talking about this
Submitted by Vic138 on Sat, 06/11/2011 - 10:57am.
if he was a republican !!!
Nina, It's a matter of judgemnt
Submitted by Hunter12 on Sat, 06/11/2011 - 11:15am.
Weiner is a guy who is going to be making decisions that effect the entire country, not just his district. If he uses the same piss-poor judgement in those decisions as he used in deciding to tweet his meat, we could be in really bad trouble. I heard his confession and apology (and No, Mr Breibart, you didn't get an apology, as you deserved) and I have only one question for any trained psychologist or psychiatrist: Does this behavior really change, or will it just continue in a more controlled or calculated manner?
"An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last." - Sir Winston Churchill
Than you, Nina.
Submitted by almostacowboy on Sat, 06/11/2011 - 12:20pm.
That was soooooo stupid you actually made me laugh.
Nina Shows What She Knows
Submitted by HardRightTurn on Sat, 06/11/2011 - 12:47pm.
We'd still be talking about it even if his name was Arnold Horshak.
_________________________________________________________________________
To more fully comprehend the Left, one must read “Leftism As Psychopathy” by John Ray, M.A., Ph.D. Caution, it might scare you a little bit.
http://jonjayray.tripod.com/psycho.html
→ Or Screech?
Submitted by Cool Arrow on Sat, 06/11/2011 - 12:48pm.
Saved by the Bell
Weiner
Submitted by Nosmo on Sat, 06/11/2011 - 4:57pm.
"If his name weren't Weiner", he'd still be a Prick.
Nina
Submitted by desert3030 on Sat, 06/11/2011 - 5:01pm.
I am sure you would proudly introduce him to your daughter or granddaughter and watch him take her out for the evening? Of course she could be safe, we don't know if Weiner only works with a display screen... had to get it in there for the Libs.
My response
Submitted by Bronco46 on Sat, 06/11/2011 - 9:08pm.
I would hope his name has little to do with how this is being covered by journalists.
It's been rich fodder for comedians and that's OK. But this case needs to be covered
until it's determined he did nothing that should cause him to have to step down from
his office. It's obvious he has some issues with morality and character.
→ Good comment, Bronco
Submitted by Cool Arrow on Sat, 06/11/2011 - 9:28pm.
And given, morality and character have never been required of Democrats, and the House Ethics requirements mean nothing to them either, he'll stay on.
Weiner
Submitted by LarryG on Sat, 06/11/2011 - 10:57pm.
First of all, his name should be pronounced "winer" as in German, not weener. Next youn could change another name to Ninny Totenturd.
Actually...
Submitted by Rukus on Sat, 06/11/2011 - 11:50pm.
In Deutsch, it would be pronounced 'veener", or "viner". Just sayin'...
Nina Iceberg
Submitted by newsmoiker on Sat, 06/11/2011 - 11:02pm.
Nina,
Your large sized mustard colored dress would be a welcome condiment to a big weiner!!!!
Pickle relish and onion available on request!!!!
NM
Would We Still Be Talking About This??
Submitted by Samaritan01 on Sat, 06/11/2011 - 11:28pm.
Of course we would you leftist twit, we just wouldn't have as many weiner related jokes to tell. (LOL)!!!!!!
Please try and remember Nina, Sarah Palin has done absolutely nothing like this and the progs haven't been able to stop talkng about her for years!!!