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06/16/2011 10:21 PM by Danielle Lerner
Anthony Weiner is now just the latest former politician to find himself at the center of a sex scandal. Arnold Schwarzenegger and John Edwards both fathered children out of wedlock, and Edwards no… Click to Read More and see additional updates
06/16/2011 10:21 PM by Danielle Lerner
Anthony Weiner is now just the latest former politician to find himself at the center of a sex scandal. Arnold Schwarzenegger and John Edwards both fathered children out of wedlock, and Edwards now faces criminal charges of violating campaign finance laws.
A local addiction specialist, who did not treat any of those men, says the reasons behind that kind of behavior vary depending on the person. Often times the stress and power of politics do play a big part, but other times the problems go much deeper, issues like childhood trauma or even addiction.
The embarrassment continued for Anthony Weiner Thursday as he resigned from Congress after 12 years, and while he has never said what "problems" he hopes to seek treatment for, Addiction Specialist Stanley Heddleson at the Community Counseling Center in San Luis Obispo says Weiner does show signs of sex addiction.
"He put his family at risk, he put his position in Congress at risk, so that's how you can really tell an addict, just to do the kinds of things he was doing," said Heddleson.
Heddleson says most addicts use their addictions to solve problems in other areas of their lives, and he says the internet makes it easier for high-profile people like Weiner to lead a double life.
"They push it aside, it's like out of sight, out of mind," said Heddleson.
Americans have their own opinions. A recent Pew Research Center study shows 57 percent of those polled believe politicians just get caught more often because they are under greater scrutiny, while 19 percent say they have lower moral standards than ordinary Americans.
Still, Heddleson is quick to point out that while politicians like Anthony Weiner may behave badly it doesn't mean he is a bad person.
"He seems to be a decent person who's got a pretty big problem, but he can be helped," said Heddleson.
06/16/2011 05:36 PM by Jimena Martinez
Local Congresswoman Lois Capps, who served with Anthony Weiner on the House and Energy and Commerce Committee, has released a statement about the scandal.
"I hope Congressman Weiner can repair the damage he has done to his family, and that the nation's attention can once again be more properly focused on meeting the challenges we face like creating jobs and bringing down the deficit."
06/16/2011 04:33 PM by Jeanette Trompeter
A counselor with Community Counseling Center in San Luis Obispo offered some interesting insight into the Anthony Weiner scandal today.
Executive Director Michael Shaffran, LCSW points out he's made no kind of formal diagnostic assessment of Weiner, but it is his position that Weiner is "fraught with arrogance, hubris, and grandiosity."
Shaffran adds that individuals in "manic or hypomanic states are prone to impulsivity and are not in a place to use their cognitive abilities. Addicted to adrenaline, they pursue experiences that go beyond exuberance and push them into mania. An excessive pride could also be at work."
Shaffran referred to the work of Patrick Carnes, whose theory of "the shadow" guides much of the sexual addiction field. Shaffran says Carnes "would suggest that behind the hubris lies a man who feels unworthy of his position, and thus acts in manners to undo the levels of success he never thought he would achieve. From a technology perspective, the medium of Internet and social networking has removed a sense of anonymity that previously sheltered many sex addicts from detection. For someone like Weiner, who is accustomed to having a team of enablers that foster an environment where sex addiction and philandering can be hidden, the Internet has created a landscape of public record that a politician's handlers cannot control."
Tune into more on Weiner's resignation on KSBY tonight at 5, 6, 10 and 11.
06/13/2011 09:42 AM by Associated Press (JM)
ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (AP) - The White House says President Barack Obama believes Rep. Anthony Weiner's actions have been "inappropriate" and a "distraction." But spokesman Jay Carney wouldn't say whether the president thinks the New York Democrat should resign - something other Democratic leaders have called for but which Weiner is resisting.
Carney was asked about Weiner and his sex scandal by reporters traveling with Obama to North Carolina on Monday. Carney, who'd previously declined comment, said Obama feels Weiner's actions and dishonesty have been inappropriate and are a distraction. But Carney said the president is focused on his jobs agenda. Carney said Congress is addressing the issue. Weiner is on a temporary leave of absence, in treatment for an undisclosed disorder. He has acknowledged exchanging messages and photos with several women online.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
06/11/2011 12:37 PM by Associated Press (CM)
WASHINGTON (AP) - Rep. Anthony Weiner is asking for a temporary leave of absence from the House while he seeks professional treatment in the wake of his Twitter scandal.
A spokeswoman for the New York Democrat says he has left for -professional treatment and will focus on "becoming a better husband and healthier person."
Spokeswoman Risa Heller says Weiner wants the leave of absence so he can be evaluated and work out a course of treatment.
The statement doesn't say what Weiner would be treated for.
Just before the statement, leading Democrats demanded that Weiner step down.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
06/11/2011 12:00 PM by Associated Press (CM)
WASHINGTON (AP) - Democratic leaders are now calling on Rep. Anthony Weiner to resign after the New York lawmaker embroiled in a Twitter scandal admitted he had online contact with a Delaware teenager.
National party chairman Debbie Wasserman Schultz says Weiner's behavior is "indefensible" and his role in Congress is "untenable."
The Florida congresswoman says "this sordid affair has become an unacceptable distraction" for everyone.
House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California says Weiner "needs help" and he should get some "without the pressures of being a member of Congress."
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
06/08/2011 03:53 PM by Associated Press (CM)
WASHINGTON (AP) - New York Rep. Anthony Weiner says in a statement that he sent
explicit photos of himself. He made the statement Wednesday as an X-rated photo that he purportedly took of himself turned up on the Internet.
The photo, which shows a man's genitals, was published by a website after conservative blogger Andrew Breitbart showed it to the hosts of Sirius XM radio's Opie & Anthony Show.
Separately, officials say Weiner's wife, Huma Abedin, is pregnant. A spokesman at the State Department, where she is a top aide to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, had no comment, but several Democrats said the couple had told their friends.
Weiner is facing calls for the first time for his resignation from Democrats, led by Rep. Allyson Schwartz of Pennsylvania.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
06/08/2011 01:30 PM by Caroline Lowe
U. S. Congresswoman Lois Capps said she supports an ethics investigation of her colleague, Rep. Anthony Weiner. Capps serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee with the embattled New York Congressman. House leaders have called for the investigation to see if Weiner violated any Congressional rules with his online relationships. Capps responded to questions about Weiner from the media when she was in Santa Maria today for a business tour.
"He has been a very nice, wonderful asset to the Congress and it is really unfortunate now, the situation that he is in, unfortunate that he made mistakes, serious ones, that he has acknowledged." said Rep. Capps.
06/06/2011 01:39 PM by Associated Press (JM)
NEW YORK (AP) - New York Democratic Rep. Anthony Weiner says racy, shirtless pictures that appeared on a website are him and he's apologizing for what he calls making terrible mistakes.
During a teary-eyed press conference, he says he won't resign. The conservative website that last week started a furor over a lewd photo sent from Weiner's Twitter account posted new photos Monday purportedly from a second woman who said she received shirtless shots of the congressman.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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