Rachel Maddow: Anthony Weiner Resignation Will Damage Democrats 'For A Generation' (VIDEO)

Rachel Maddow went on a tear Thursday, condemning Democrats for forcing Anthony Weiner to resign and warning them that they have damaged themselves "probably for a generation" because of their actions.

Maddow has repeatedly decried what she views as a double standard: Weiner was forced out because of his sexts and pictures, but Republicans like David Vitter and John Ensign managed to stay in office even though they broke the law.

"Democrats have not only refused to hold Republicans accountable for the double standard, but they have joined with Republicans in piling on with the demands that Anthony Weiner had to resign even as David Vitter stays in the Senate," Maddow said. She then went on a long monologue, listing all the Republicans and Democrats who were not forced out of office even after admitting to more serious ethical violations than Weiner.

"Anthony Weiner, who was not accused of corruption, who does not appear to have done anything illegal, who does not even appear to have had sex with any of the women with any of the people with whom he had scandalous talk and picture-taking, for him a line was drawn," Maddow concluded, her voice bristling with anger. She then turned her focus on the media, saying that the story was actually "the media covering the media ending a man's career."

Maddow ended by addressing Democrats. She issued a dire warning.

"Congratulations, Democrats," she said. "In an era of unhinged, ideological, big money conservative media that is wholly and admittedly divorced from the precepts of journalism, in hounding Anthony Weiner into resigning ... you have just fed and unleashed this beast onto yourselves, probably for a generation."

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Comments

[lovemac]

12:17 PM on 06/23/2011

Ahm, Weiner wasn't "forced out." What the %$^# is she talking about? It doesn't matter what Nancy Pelosi said, or any of them, he still had strong approval ratings from his district and he said he was staying in office. So there's no way anyone could or had forced him out. His wife got home, told the joker to quit cause she's not gonna keep enduring this embarrassment. Maddow is such an idiot!

[sadwitness]

03:06 AM on 07/11/2011

I would think that is what she means by forced. It was not going to end, he could not do his job and he said so. But a week later when R senator McGee drunkenly stole a vehicle and wrecked it...nothing! Crickets. The Dems that harangued him were too tired, I guess- Nothing in the media either, no surprise there. HUNDREDS of mentions of Weiners weiner and TWO stories about the drunk driving car theft by a senator. I get her point...just my opinion.
what ever happened to him anyway? It has been just over a month now....

[Myron B Pitts]

04:29 PM on 06/22/2011

Weiner lied and treated the press like trash in his lying. That gets reporters' fighting blood up. Additionally, he put party leaders in a position where they could not defend him, with little revelations dribbling out every day. He admitted he didn't even know if he had sent some explicit material to underage girl. You simply can't tie yourself to a reckless guy like that; you'll go over the cliff with him. His recklessness, hubris and arrogance sunk him as much as the scandal. I like Maddow but she's maybe a little too close to this one.

[Randy Caran]

03:17 PM on 06/22/2011

This is just another transparent attempt to sensationalize Weiner's resignation. It's only a matter of time before a new story erases Weiner from the collective memory. The only question is what the next big story will be.

[sadwitness]

03:07 AM on 07/11/2011

R Senator McGee???? nah he's untouchable

[Bmart]

12:25 PM on 06/22/2011

rachel just wants weiner

[Aaliyah Miller]

11:51 AM on 06/22/2011

I couldn't agree more. Politics as usual.

[reveal7]

11:23 AM on 06/22/2011

Maddow's manic, teeth gnashing, sooth saying, prognostication of negative consequences for the Democratic party will bring negative consequences to Rachel Maddow for a generation. She just reverse cursed herself. It's all on Maddow.

[LAGUNAN]

03:58 AM on 06/22/2011

The only line missing: I'm not a witch.

[LAGUNAN]

03:45 AM on 06/22/2011

Didn't this have to do with the fact that he lied an covered up?

[TMitch2011]

06:23 PM on 06/21/2011

Putting aside Maddow's often one-sided view (which I accept as who she is, but also seek out varying opinions), she makes some interesting points.
Yes, Weiner's actions were stupid and got stupider the more he lied about it, but this whole thing was never really about what he did. This was more about a media circus being on steroids, meth, and speed.

While there's plenty of media bias to go around from both sides 1) it does seem like Dems get their heads put in vices while Repubs who do similar (or worse) do not, or at least, the vice isn't turned quite as tightly, and 2) when the media blows ANY story way out of proportion (as what happened here), that person will likely be pushed into resigning.

[Bmart]

12:25 PM on 06/22/2011

things dont get stupider, they become more stupid

[TMitch2011]

02:36 PM on 06/22/2011

The truth of the matter is that "stupider" and "more stupid" are both accepted forms of the superlative for the word "stupid." It's a personal preference.

[Seetheforest]

03:49 PM on 06/21/2011

Rachel appears to be frustrated because Democrats don't act like the Republicans and,"Circle the wagons," when one of theirs gets in trouble. So does she want the Democrats to sink to the level of the Republicans and not call out their fellow Democrats when they behave so badly as to bring discredit to the Congress? Should they act like the Republicans when the media focuses on these types of behaviors and scold the media for concentrating on salacious matters? If Democrats start stooping to the low behavior of the Republicans then there would be no reason to be a Democrat. Maybe the Democrats should go on the attack when bad behavior comes to light about Republicans and DEMAND that they resign too! Maybe the Democrats should call out the Republicans when they say ridiculous things; like when they say the media is just concentrating on salacious things. Maybe the Democrats should also DEMAND that the media ALSO cover the important things that the people really want. Maybe the Democrats should consistently hold a high standard and demand that the media and the Republicans do so as well. Also I don't want my representative spending his time emailing pictures of his genitals when there are so many problems on which he should be focusing. Yes Weiner should have resigned and the other Democrats were right to say so. Rachel is upset because Democrats don't behave as badly as the Republicans and she is calling them stupid for not doing so.

[99er2049er]

12:43 PM on 06/21/2011

Weiner probably had to resign for the good of the party. He did some really foolish things, no biggie, but then he lied to the press repeatedly, which was his downfall. If he didn't resign, the republicans would use this against the democrats and help them keep the house. By resigning, the democrats can grab the house back in 2012. Owning the house is critical for our party. If we can get a clear voting majority in the house (likely not in the senate), and the presidency, we can start getting some serious legislation done.

[espo3399]

09:19 AM on 06/21/2011

Does Maddow ever offer a differing opinon or ever have anything good to say about republicans

[Loxinabox]

09:51 AM on 06/21/2011

No

[sjmarin]

10:20 AM on 06/21/2011

She invites Michael Steele on the show. She spend more than 30 days asking for Republicans to come on the show to debate and they all refused until Steele. I'd say that's good.

[RoundPonda]

07:57 AM on 06/21/2011

Right On Rachel...!!!

[lastcallmd]

02:52 AM on 06/21/2011

Rachel,

You are totally wrong here, you've missed the whole point. There is a good reason why Vitter, Ensign (although he hasn't really survived) and Rangel survived and Weiner hasn't. If you can't tell why, you're not the insightful talk show host you think you are.

[Daniel Werst]

03:36 PM on 06/21/2011

i love nonargument arguments. does your emperor have any clothes oh self-important one?

[George Lacy]

01:00 AM on 06/21/2011

Democrats and republican: good cop bad cop

[Loxinabox]

09:51 AM on 06/21/2011

Dumb cop smart cop

[99er2049er]

01:31 PM on 06/21/2011

I guess Bush was a smart cop??? Yikes.

[SurfinSteve]

05:52 PM on 06/22/2011

"smart cop"--oxymoron