I Want Smarter Politicians

So just before lunch, I saw something at the NY Times about suggestive video of poor Congressman Weiner, so I clicked it, and the usual suspects in this game came up.

Now as you've no doubt by now guessed, I am not totally gullible in these matters.  But Mr. Breitbart has lied, fabricated, selectively edited, and tried to set up people so often that frankly his credibility with me is considerably less than (uh-oh, obscure reference to 20-year-old-advertising!) Joe Isuzu, and the first thing that leaped to mind was body double.

Because, unless one uses high-definition video, those images besides being shaky are blurry, and one could (as an example) record, say, Nelson Mandela, and claim to have digital footage of Steve Jobs.  I would not recognize my own family on video.  Seriously.  Any dark-haired white male of about the right age would fit.

And I would not put it past a political operative to fake a video for a story.  Particularly not this one.  Y'know, it would require maybe the acting level in a parody sketch.

And I said to myself, "Self, it would be irresponsible not to at least float the possibility of a body double.  I mean it's whacko and off the wall, but it's just barely plausible if you're in a really bad conspiracy theory movie."  (I have seen Pirates of the Caribbean:  On Stranger Tides.  Save your money.)

But after lunch, I brought up nytimes.com, and apparently Mr. Weiner ... confessed.

I am so tired of not knowing whether I'm reading The Onion.

ETA:  Mr. Scalzi administers the codfish to Mr. Weiner.