If anyone needs one more item for the already massive Missing the Point file, the ladies of The View were happy to provide their insights into the Anthony Weiner resignation. "In a way it's a tragedy." said Barbara Walters. "He's never had another job. What does he do after this?"
That's right Barbara: the real tragedy is not that Weiner has damaged his reputation and humiliated his family, but that the poor little congressman might have trouble finding a new job. "He's got a whole life ahead and he has to worry also because we don't know what Huma, who is three months pregnant, is going to do." added Walters.
Walters isn't quite accurate on the no-other-job front: Weiner worked for then-Congressman Charles Schumer from 1985 to 1991, then was elected the New York City Council and served from 1991 to 1998. (It's true he doesn't have a private-sector resume at all.)
Walters's unending sympathy for the disgraced liberal firebrand then took yet another sickening turn. "I don't like to kick a guy when he's down." she added. Again, Elisabeth Hasselbeck was the only panelist who seemed to have any sense of perspective. "I didn't put him there. He has to take care of what's going on in his family. I think it is sad, but I don't think we can forget that he started off lying as a public figure to the public." Walters's view is, of course, perfectly reasonable, as any observer will immediately recognize how the media immediately dropped the stories of Mark Foley, Larry Craig and Mark Sanford as soon as these Republicans experienced their falls from grace.
But the Anthony Weiner sympathy train did not end here. "I have to say, the 'Post' has been crucifying the guy. He's not Charles Manson. He didn't kill anybody." If the "at least he didn't kill anybody" defense is now to be considered valid, we can expect that Behar will never be fazed by another sex scandal ever again.
Barbara Walters's dream of Anthony Weiner becoming the next Bill Clinton has now been smashed. It is at least good to know that she can keep the truly important issues in the proper perspective.
A transcript of the conversation, which took place at 11:02 am EDT, follows below.
WHOOPI GOLDBERG: There's a lot of big news. But that was pretty big. Now, the other big news this morning are multiple reports that Congressman Anthony Weiner will resign today. I just have to ask, what do you think was the last straw?
JOY BEHAR: He wants to spend more time with his blackberry. But I think the last straw was Huma coming home-a. That was what it was, the wife came home and she's like "get out now before they crucify you."
BARBARA WALTERS: We don't know what she said. But she did come home on Tuesday and he did consult with her Tuesday night, and had he stayed, there would have been investigations by the House Ethics Committee. The Democratic leaders had already been planning to strip him of whatever committee assignments he had.
ELISABETH HASSELBECK: Which he was fine with.
WALTERS: This puts a stop to it. 2:00 today, he's supposed to announce. You know, we can make fun of him, but in a way it's a tragedy. George Stephanopoulos is with us coming up and he knows a good deal about it. He's never had another job. What does he do after this?
HASSELBECK: He's got to figure it out. He's got to basically figure it out like the rest of everybody.
WALTERS: I understand that. But many people have had a job before or they were lawyers.
GOLDBERG: He's got to get some help, barbara.
WALTERS: I don't think so he was Chuck Schumer's - excuse me, I'm sorry. He was Chuck Schumer's -- nobody is going to go to him to consult. He was Chuck Schumer's consultant once, Schumer's assistant and I think he was a city councilman. His crying is from an earlier interview, a press conference. So, I mean, he's got a whole life ahead and he has to worry also because we don't know what Huma, who is three months pregnant, is going to do.
HASSELBECK: Go ahead, Whoopi..
GOLDBERG: I also think that the other worry is -- and I have to say, I'm glad he's getting out because that crazy press conference yesterday with the former porn star, I mean, if you were still active, you'd have to sit through god knows how many more people, whether it's true or not. Everybody and their mama coming out.
HASSELBECK: This has been a journey, and I understand that this is a sad story and I think that he and his wife and their new family that's about to begin in months. You know, he's got to be able to take care of his own backyard first before continuing anywhere professionally, but let's not forget where it began. I mean, can I just throw a clip to like how he began telling us his version of this story so we don't forget it in this tragic moment?
REPORTER: That's not a picture of you?
ANTHONY WEINER: I can't say with certitude. My system was hacked. Pictures can be manipulated. Pictures can be dropped in and inserted. I have photographs. I don't know what photographs are out there in the world of me. I don't know what things have been manipulated and doctored. It was someone sending a picture of a wiener on Weiner's account. It's a joke I've been getting since I was 5 years old.
HASSELBECK: I just want to remind us because -
WALTERS: I don't like to kick a guy when he's down.
HASSELBECK: I didn't put him there. He has to take care of what's going on in his family. I think it is sad, but I don't think we can forget that he started off lying as a public figure to the public.
BEHAR: But I have to say, the "Post" has been crucifying the guy. He's not Charles Manson. He didn't kill anybody.
HASSELBECK: I never said that he is, I never said that he killed anybody.
SHERRI SHEPHERD:When you say what kind of job can he get, Eliot Spitzer got a tv show. He left in disgrace as well. But there are also other figures that didn't leave and they started out the same way. Who is the guy that went to Argentina and found his soul mate? He's still in office.
BARBARA WALTERS: He's not in office. Mark Sanford you're talking about. He is not in office.
SHEPHERD What is he doing? Did he have to resign?
[CROSSTALK]
WALTERS: No. He got divorced. He finished his term.
SHEPHERD: David Vitter? What's he doing?
WALTERS: Can I just finish the one you broke up? Mark Sanford is probably in the real estate business. He disappointed his wife, that was the scandal. But he hadn't done anything --
WALTERS: He disappeared and they were investigating him as far as public funds, Barbara, he went to Argentina.
WALTERS: He didn't go to Argentina on public funds. He went down because he had a girlfriend there.
BEHAR: To see his soul mate.
WALTERS: That's a different case.
GOLDBERG: I think we'll be talking about this some more.
