Making the Case for Anthony Weiner

New York. The greatest city in the world. It deserves a mayor with spunk, moxie, chutzpah, balls (pun intended)....who might even be a bit of a dick (intended pun #2). A colorful character in the tradition of Wagner, La Guardia, Koch, Giuliani and Bloomberg. Someone not afraid to speak his mind and stand up for what he believes in, regardless of popularity or political expediency  And that's why Anthony Weiner should be the city's next mayor.

Ok, so there's that little Twitter problem. We get it. The man did something incredibly stupid and texted photos of his e-shlong to young women. But ya know what? Show me a married New Yorker who hasn't flirted in some fashion or another with a member of the opposite sex. If we're to trust Weiner (I still marvel at the symbiosis of his name and scandal) and believe that he never actually had sex with any of these women, then his crimes are not as onerous as, say, those of former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, who resigned in 2009 after he went AWOL in Argentina chasing his mistress while his aides claimed he was hiking the Appalachian Trail. And how did that state's deeply religious voters ultimately punish him for his lying and cheating? They handed him a Republican primary run-off victory earlier this month in his bid to win election to Congress. I suspect New York's less-than-perfect, non-judgemental voters will forgive and forget Weiner's virtual indiscretions as well. And it appears Weiner believes so too. He's been out there polling to gauge his chances, which he's intimated are strong.  

The other Democrats in the race, including front runner and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, are respectable, decent, well-credentialed people. But are they the bright lights of the big city? In many ways, New York city is like a circus, and its mayor the ringmaster. Weiner would wear that costume well. With his big brash personality, dogged persistence, congressional resume and millions in the bank, he could easily leap to the front of the pack should he make his announcement by the June 10 deadline. If he does, I suggest the following campaign slogan: Anthony Weiner: He ain't dickin' around...