Politics
More PoliticsAnthony Weiner's Playboy Past
David Graham is a reporter for Newsweek covering politics, national affairs, and business. His writing has also appeared in The Wall Street Journal and The National in Abu Dhabi.
Before the New York Democrat, now embroiled in a scandal over a crotch shot posted on his Twitter feed, got married in 2010, his love life fed the rumor mill for years, reports David A. Graham.
Over the weekend, someone tweeted a crotch shot from Rep. Anthony Weiner’s Twitter account at a 21-year-old Washington state college student. Whether Weiner was hacked, as he says, or committed a costly gaffe, as his opponents suggest, remains unclear. But either way, there’s no denying Weiner’s reputation.
Before his 2010 marriage to Huma Abedin, an aide to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Weiner was known as one of Washington’s most eligible bachelors, with a long and glamorous list of exes. But perhaps no incident is as infamous as his encounter with a young staffer two days after Sept. 11, 2001, recounted in a Vanity Fair article that year.
Vicky Ward, a reporter for the magazine, was tracking Diana Davis, a young congressional staffer who bragged, “Maybe I’ll bag me a senator” after snagging her Hill gig. Davis and intern Carolina Chatterton were at the D.C. restaurant Capital Grille when they met a group of suited men. One, a goateed young man, introduced himself as “Anthony,” and said he was an auto-parts salesman. The next day, Weiner sent Davis an email—although she initially didn’t know he was a congressman. “He writes that he hopes they might meet again,” Ward wrote. “Diana is overwhelmed that he’s managed to think of her on a day that must be heavy with import and emotional intensity. Last night he mentioned that he’d be going to Manhattan to inspect the World Trade Center wreckage with the president.”
Davis said Weiner had emailed that she could visit him in his office “in person,” a suggestion she found “cheesy.” Weiner denied offering any such invitation and explained that he didn’t like to identify himself as a congressman when socializing. “I feel it’s a way to protect myself,” he told The Washington Post’s Lloyd Grove, now a Daily Beast editor at large. “I think people are less likely to overhear what an auto-parts salesman would say. I was shocked to learn that two days after September 11, Vanity Fair was pursuing a sting operation down in Washington.”
As a young, single member of Congress—he’s only 46 now, and looks younger—he dated a string of high-profile young women.
Rep. Anthony Weiner and his wife, Huma Abedin. (Charles Dharapak, File / AP Photo)
Even if nothing happened with Davis, Weiner’s love life was a topic of conversation. As a young, single member of Congress—he’s only 46 now, and looks younger—he dated a string of high-profile young women. He was romantically linked to Rebecca Mead, a New Yorker writer; television personality and “cybermodel” Alli Joseph; and TV reporter Gigi Stone. (The New York Daily News once published a gallery of “Weiner’s Women.”)
In 2008, Weiner sponsored a bill to increase the number of visas available to models by 1,000. The representative’s spokesman said it was just economics to bring jobs to New York City, but the New York Post was skeptical. “Seems Anthony Weiner is working hard to increase his dating pool,” the tabloid quipped.
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periscope
What a crock! Is David Graham on the payroll of Andrew (the proven fraud) Breitbart?
Weiner is not "embroiled in any scandal." He's been victimized by Breitbart's "character assassination" operation.
And Graham actually reports that Weiner "dated a string of high profile women!"
Holy crap! What single heterosexual man wouldn't like to date "high profile women," especially when they are beautiful???
Graham probably can't get a date with a low-profile woman or any woman for that matter.
Why does TDB print such drivel??
johnnynyc
"Even if nothing happened with Davis, Weiner's love life was a topic of conversation."
So vanity fair launches a sting and weiner avoids it.
Am I missing something here?
tarryh
Three stories on Weiner in the Beast. Must be nothing else going on in the world! Talk about majoring on the minor.....but it does "sell soap," I guess. David, aren't you just a wee bit ashamed to be writing about such crap?
AzaniaMindset
Your Breitbart statements are nonsensical- he posted a factual statement saying that Weiner had twittered a lewd picture to a girl in Seattle. Which he had.
I would agree that his dating life in Washington in irrelevant. It doesnt make him any more or less likely to have been the one who sent out the dick pic.
Unless most of his known women are half his age, there is nothing in the first page that helps the reader at all with this story.
FauxHunter
there is nothing factually proved in your statements
want to hear A REAL FACT
Weiner is legally perusing a pal of you friend Breitbart
Clarence Thomas...
and just this past friday there appears to have been a big reveal on the judges finances and possibly "conflicts of interest" possible "abuses of power"
but instead we're here talking about a possibly forged crotch shot...
texdem
This story is idiotic and of course sensational. One is not connected with the other unless we find out more information. Only a horse's ass would turn this story in as news or commentary. Idiot.
rogueright
Weiner Roast!
Will Weinergate be big enough to warrant an investigation?
Or is it just a small matter?
Why won't Weiner say if the photo is of him or not?
Whay did Weiner and his galpal delete all of the evidence?
Why hwasn't Weiner asked the FBI to investigate?
johnnynyc
Most importantly, will the voters of brooklyn and queens care about this faux scandal or about their jobs, social security and medicare?
rogueright
The voters of Brooklyn and Queens will have nothing to say about it.
If it's Weiner's weiner, he's gone long before the next erection . . . oops, election.
FauxHunter
that Is the point the "values" of NYC are about the man doing his job...he didn't run as the second coming of Christ like the repubs do...
jeffallen
As a native New Yorker, I won't argue against New York "values", but let me say this: Weiner is a poster boy for how Liberalism is a Mental Disorder. Being from New York doesn't have an impact on that.
GinaRN
Oh rougeright, you're so festive!
By festive, I mean Gay.
Not weak/gay.
Gay/Gay!
Phallocentric to a fault. (Look it up. It's fun!)
palmharbor
People in Brooklyn and Queens do not participate in anti-semitic
thought you find on FoxNews.
palmharbor
Why won't Limbaugh deny that his father was in the SS and worked
at a death camp? You know his father died in a Nazi deathcamp
after he fell out of his gun tower. I know, I read it on Twitter and so it MUST be true.....got to go....its a FoxNews Alert on TV now!!!
Wildeye
Innuendo is everything, eh?
johnnynyc
Innuendo is all they've got.
Remember "Would you be more or less inclined to vote for john mccain if you knew he had a black baby?"
That was a good one!!
rogueright
"Reporters covering Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) in the coming weeks could relish the opportunity of asking the congressman any of the following questions. Bonus points if asked while keeping a straight face.
10. Will you rise to the occasion and take questions about Weinergate?
9. Do you think the right-wing media is just trying to inflate your situation?
8. Do you think whoever posted that picture from your account is, pardon the pun, a weenie?
7. How do you think Weinergate will affect the Stimulus package?
6. Do you think reporters are picking on you in part because of your pecker?
5. Does your weiner have a first name like O-s-c-a-r?
4. Congressman, what do you think it will take to deflate this presumably overblown situation?
3. Do you even like hot dogs?
2. Do you fear that people will think you're soft on cyber crime if you don't go after the d-khead who pranked you? After all, you were one of seven original sponsors of Rep. Yvette Clarke's (D-N.Y.) International Cybercrime Reporting and Cooperation Act that dropped in March of 2010.
1. Congressman, what are the cold, hard facts here?"
http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowldc/top-10-potentially-awkward-questio ns-for-rep-weiner_b40551
MikePost
rougeright: sorry, dude, but you sound like a 14 year old boy who just discovered sexual jokes.
It's a distraction that's gone stale.
This comment has been removed by The Daily Beast's editors.
FrontPaws
Anthony Weiner was one of Washington's most eligible bachelors??? Haha! He is repulsive looking and has a horribly grating personality. My friends and I have made jokes about him for years. It doesn't surprise me in the least that this little dweeb would send pictures of his crotch to a college kid. Stay classy, Weiner!
Dinerosdeb
Paints his hair w the same dye as his wife..... Arrgh.....
BlinkyMcChuck
You know what's way easier to report on than Clarence Thomas' tax scandal, the focus of Weiner's energies before this? A fake scandal drummed up by Breitbart.
MikePost
We should launch an investigation based on his past exploits on Breitbart. I smell a rat.
dhfsfc
David Graham--
How old are you? Nineteen? Because this "non-story" is appropriate to about that age, including calling Weiner a "playboy." You're kidding, right?
Why don't you write a story about your cat sneezing. It might be more interesting, and have more facts.
baxter99
Maybe we should address Graham as 'little Weiner'.
designcreature
Who cares what he did? He was single, he didn't pose as a righteous married family values person while screwing someone else, and he does his job.
coachc
ANDREW BREITBART RUMOR SWEEPS THE NET!
Uh oh Andrew ... someone's been monitoring you!
http://waronignorance.net/index.html
Ouch!
Bigbird Littlefeet
I don't know who is Anthony Weiner, what is his past life, and what he is standing for, but he should be good with high profile women.
The shocking to all was that he is a Jew and got Muslim woman Huma Abedin, not only high profile woman, but hot and untouchable Muslim woman in the Washington D. C.
paft58
Soooo, Weiner's "Playboy Past" is...
Before he was married, he dated!
He once sponsored a bill to increase visas for models!
And he once flirted with a congressional aid!
That's it?
Seriously?
speekup
Much, much, much to do about nothing here.
..."staffer who bragged, 'Maybe I'll bag me a senator' after snagging her Hill gig."
...brag, bag, snag. And poetic too! (Would make a good limerick too:
A staffer who bragged,
a senator I'll bag,
and the Hill gig I'll snag
if I do.)
Thank you.
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