This day in history - June 5, 1963: John Profumo resigns

By Richard K. Barry

The Profumo Affair was a 1963 British political scandal named after John Profumo, Secretary or State for War. Profumo had an affair with Christine Keeler (pictured above), who was also reputed to have been involved with a Russian spy.

Not only was Profumo married but Keeler was a "London call girl" (a quaint term of the time). And an affair that close to a Russian spy was surely bad form in the middle of the Cold War.

Revelation of the whole sordid entanglement was, as one would imagine, devastating, as was the fact that Profumo lied about it in the House of Commons when questioned.

He was forced to resign, which badly damaged the reputation of Prime Minister Harold Macmillian's government. Macmillan himself resigned a few months later due to ill health.

(Cross-posted at Lippmann's Ghost.)

My views on Weinergate

By Michael J.W. Stickings

Reluctantly, I wade in...

First, if Rep. Weiner really did tweet a photo of his penis, or rather of his underwear with a prominent bulge, he's an idiot (among other things). Have we not learned that social networking, like much of the Internet (e.g., Craigslist), isn't private?

Second, he's not handling the crisis well. Even if he didn't do it, even if he finds the media's obsession ridiculous, he should know that treating the media poorly will only hurt him more (and make it seem as if he's done something wrong that he's trying to cover up. Given the absence of facts, what matters is image, and his image is suffering.

Third, this may very well have been (yet another) conservative dirty trick, with someone hacking into Weiner's Twitter account. Breitbart? Someone operating with Breitbart's backing? Maybe. It would fit the profile.

Fourth, Weiner's lawyer is looking into "what civil or criminal actions should be taken, but why hasn't a formal investigation been launched yet, by Capitol Police or the FBI? Shouldn't Weiner want there to be an investigation?

Fifth, is it Weiner? (Whether it is or isn't, how ridiculously stupid is this? A poll asking if it's him? How would anyone know? What bothers me as much as anything about "Weinergate" (because, of course, it has to be a "-gate," is how lascivious the media are, not to mention much of the public.) 

Sixth, who cares?