1of10Stains on blue dresses. "I did not have sex with that woman..." The Starr Report. Former Bill Clinton's affair with a White House intern - IN THE WHITE HOUSE -- seems like a million years ago. The internationally revered head of the Clinton Global Initiative deserves credit for helping save President Obama's 2012 re-election bid for being what Obama called "The Secretary of Explaining Stuff."Associated PressShow MoreShow Less2of10Few may ever forgive -- or understand -- why Hollywood star/former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger had an affair and fathered a child with his family's live-in maid. His career in elected office may be done, but he's re-emerged with a position at USC and is speaking out on climate change. It hasn't affected his Hollywood career. As long as your movies make money, nobody cares what you do off-screen. Ask Lindsay Lohan.AFP/Getty ImagesShow MoreShow Less3of10"Hiking the Appalachian Trail" was possibly the worst-ever lie/alibi for stepping out on a partner, but Mark Sanford tried when he disappeared for a few days as governor of South Carolina. Cultural joke? Sure. But say that to newly-elected Rep. Mark Sanford. The public -- or at least enough of the voting public -- forgave him.Associated PressShow MoreShow Less4of10CA Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom had an affair with the wife of his friend and campaign manager when he was mayor of San Francisco. Violation of the Man Code? Sure. But hardly a speed bump for his political career. He was re-elected as mayor in 2007 and handily won statewide office in 2010.BloombergShow MoreShow Less5of10When you talk scandals, perhaps nobody rebounded better than President Thomas Jefferson. Dude had sex and a child with a 17-year-old slave. You might know Jefferson from his spot on Mount Rushmore. Imagine what that scandal would have been like if TMZ were around in the 1800s.Courtesy to The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less6of10Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa broke up his marriage with a 2007 affair with a TV reporter. But not his political career. Angelenos -- not surprisingly -- didn't care. The man TMZ calls "Mayor Suave" was re-elected in 2009 and served in 2012 as the public face of the Democratic National Convention.Getty ImagesShow MoreShow Less7of10Sen. David Vitter, R-La. made mandatory school prayer and abstinence education pillars of his legislative career. But not his personal career -- in 2007 he showed up as client in a prostitution ring bust. Hasn't hurt his career -- he was handily re-elected in 2010. Hypocrisy? In politics? Noooooooo!!!APShow MoreShow Less8of10In 1985, Rep. Barney Frank paid a male prostitute for sex . They became friends and Frank allowed the man to live with him for two more years. The voters of Massachusetts were shocked. So shocked they kept re-electing Frank until he retired in 2012.Associated PressShow MoreShow Less9of10Rep. Gerry Studds, D-MA was the first openly gay person elected to Congress. His constituents didn't mind that he admitted in 1983 to having a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old male House page. They re-elected him six times.APShow MoreShow Less10of10When he was NY's Attorney General, Eliot Spitzer cracked down hard on high-end prostitution rings. And then, as governor, he became a customer. The man known as Client No. 9 resigned after getting busted in a ring. Yeah, his political career may be toast, but not his ideas. He's had national talk shows on CNN and San Francisco's own Current TV.The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less
As he launches his run for Mayor of New York, former Rep. Anthony Weiner should have no problem overcoming public loathing. This is America. We are a forgiving nation. For the most part.
Should history be our guide, Weiner will rise again. (Oh, you knew that hackery was coming sooner or later.)
For contemporary inspiration on these matters, Weiner should look no further than the man who officiated at his wedding: Former President Bill Clinton.
Stains on a blue dress? “I did not have sexual relations with that woman…” Cigars. Clinton’s affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky — IN THE WHITE HOUSE — seems like a million years ago culturally. Clinton has rehabbed to the point where the internationally-revered Clinton Global Initiative gets props for saving President Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign by being what Obama called The Secretary of Explaining Stuff (that, uh, Obama couldn’t.)
Another factor helping Weiner: His sex scandal didn’t — as far as we know — involve ACTUAL SEX. As we wrote way back when, it was 21st century scandal. The sexless sex scandal.
Check our slideshow above for some other politicians who were caught in sex scandals and managed to remain either in office or as prominent national voices.
Of course, there are many who didn’t survive their sex scandals. Sen. Larry Craig is at the top of the list. Even though he was arrested for allegedly trying to pick up an undercover cop in a Minneapolis airport bathroom — he later pled guilty to disorderly conduct — he never really owned the matter. Of note: Craig had a history of anti-gay political stances.
And John Edwards? Puh-leeze. Dude cheated on his wife while she had/was recovering from cancer. Even America doesn’t forgive everybody. Then again, maybe there’s a show for him on CNN….
But don’t feel too bad for Edwards. He’s now working on Wall Street.
Here’s Weiner’s re-entry into the political world:
