by Rich LaRocco
Skinnyreporter.com

June 6, 2011 — One of the most enjoyable parts of writing political satire is that sometimes reality turns out to be just as unbelievable as any imagined absurdity. So it was today when Congressman Anthony Weiner of New York confessed that he indeed did send inappropriate pictures of himself to females with whom he was flirting on the Internet.

He did not blame his actions on a multiple personality disorder, as Skinnyreporter had "reported," but SR correctly guessed that if anybody had used his Twitter and Facebook accounts, he himself was the culprit.

After Weiner's supporters accused Internet video guru Andrew Breitbart of hacking Weiner's Twitter account, Breitbart announced that he had additional pictures and proof that Weiner was at fault. That's when Weiner came to his senses and admitted to his indiscretions. He should be congratulated on finally confessing and apologizing, including a specific apology to Breitbart. Belated confessions, even if forced by undeniable facts, are something we have witnessed in the cases of Bill Clinton, John Edwards, Jesse Jackson and other politicians who have been caught in inappropriate behavior.

The question that is now being asked by some political observers is this, "If a politician lies to himself, his family and to the public about his personal behavior, can he be trusted with the public trust?"

"No," said syndicated talk show host Louis Crue. Not until the politician really changes and becomes honest with himself.

"Changing from dishonesty to honesty is not an easy thing to do. That is why politicians should be judged first by character and then by their positions. Even if you agree with a politician's positions, if he is of poor character, you cannot be sure that he actually believes what he says he believes or that he will vote accordingly.

Another SR article last week had an appeals court affirm a judge's ruling regarding the mention of God and prayer at a Texas school graduation ceremony. In this case, the court actually overturned the judge's ruling. Did logic win out in this case?

Fans of Skinnyreporter.com are skilled at telling the difference between satire and reality, sarcasm and honest opinion, specious news and genuine journalism. But the funny thing about making fun of the news and jabbing at the newsmakers is that sometimes the lines between what is real and what is make-believe become blurred.

That blurriness is particularly true when it comes to Skinnyreporter political satire because the objects of SR sarcasm are often extremists who are ruled by emotion and feelings rather than cold, hard facts. They tend, therefore, to explain their views in ways that strain logic and to hold stubbornly to positions that demand a devotion to ideology and dogma and a suspension of science, history, facts or logic. Real life politicians and their hangers-on are sometimes just as illogical and wacky as any imagined character. Political correctness is always political but seldom correct, and even those who insist upon it sometimes realize that.

When Skinnyreporter logically follows illogic to its most absurd and implausible end, the result sometimes manifests itself in reality.

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