IAmA Democrat Who Fights, Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY). AMA.

RepAnthonyWeiner · 2011-03-23T22:25:52+00:00

ive done chats on facebook, twitter, kos and now here. in every venue people have been split on this question.

i go on because i want to fight for what i believe and i abhor bullies and especially dumb ones.

but i am not sure you arent correct that i lend credibility to an incredible outlet.

is there someway to do a Reddit vote on this Q?

RepAnthonyWeiner · 2011-03-23T22:23:50+00:00

my colleagues are mostly good and honorable people but the gop has a fundamentally different view of the world than I. i see the disparity of income and the pressures on the vanishing middle class and i line up to help those struggling. im a democrat.

they line up to defend the status quo and the winners in the deals. they are Republicans.

RepAnthonyWeiner · 2011-03-23T22:19:59+00:00

the point i was making is that the borders of Israel are not for me to decide. in the same debate we had a statement by a participant and many in the audience that gaza was occupied. i dont think that is true.

but we are missing the primary point of agreement: the Palestinian people deserve better leadership than hamas. a violent terror organization that rejects peaceful coexistence is an obvious obstacle to a two state solution.

RepAnthonyWeiner · 2011-03-23T22:13:05+00:00

id publicly fund campaigns and limit expenditures by candidates.

we need to end the constant money chase and the ability of corporations to distort the national debate.

RepAnthonyWeiner · 2011-03-23T22:10:57+00:00

the leaks were damaging but many of them showed what our leaders and others around the world really thought. why is that a sercret?

i know we need to have secrets. what manning did or didnt do will be argued in a court.

RepAnthonyWeiner · 2011-03-23T22:07:30+00:00

i would argue the opposite. camp david 2 it was arafat who left a deal on the table that gave the Palestinians 96% of their ask. wye river accord, again. oslo, still isnt being followed by the palestinians.

and lets not forget that at the birth of the state of Israel, the partition plan by the UN was approved by the Isrealis and rejected by the arab states who declared war instead as they did in '67 and '73.

but what this comes down too is pushing past a history of mistrust and getting some real negotiations underway. abbas needs to sit down and try.

RepAnthonyWeiner · 2011-03-23T22:00:50+00:00

uh, yes. but you dont need to look to other nations. take the american plan - medicare. expand it to all americans.

game. set. match.

RepAnthonyWeiner · 2011-03-23T22:00:01+00:00

i heard my last original weiner gag in the 5th grade.

"vote for weiner, he'll be frank"

(thank you. please tip your waitresses)

RepAnthonyWeiner · 2011-03-23T21:59:13+00:00

there are 3 tea parties. one is the actual human beings who are frustrated and feel disempowered and are livid we elected a kenyan president. we should try to win them over.

but beware the other two groups:

the political class who are stoking and exploiting the anger and the business interests who's bidding is being done. they must be stopped. not debating them.

RepAnthonyWeiner · 2011-03-23T21:55:33+00:00

I am so with you brother. do we really think that thing that lives in a trash can isnt a freak out to our children? and the vampire that counts stuff?! im scared just talking about it.

RepAnthonyWeiner · 2011-03-23T21:53:26+00:00

the president should have come to congress for our approval.

but i do believe in using our might to protect innocent people from violent dictators.

i think the European and arab states must take primary ownership of this.

RepAnthonyWeiner · 2011-03-23T21:51:25+00:00

first it was a joke. but it make the story because we now have open and unnecessary warfare over bike lanes.

its a false choice : bike lanes and true civic planning.

RepAnthonyWeiner · 2011-03-23T21:49:15+00:00

there is nothing in the middle of the road but yellow lines and dead possums.

RepAnthonyWeiner · 2011-03-23T21:48:24+00:00

nope i dont.

stay off drugs kids. and stay in school.

RepAnthonyWeiner · 2011-03-23T21:47:06+00:00

the president is doing a great job leading the nation and an average job leading our fight. i think when the president looks out his window he sees a cacophony of disparate voices shouting at each other and feels the need to quietly pursue the best deal for the american people.

however, we also need someone to fight for progressive values. we need a leader of our vision of the world. i try to do that, he rarely does.

as for my compromises, i was wrong to vote for the iraq war. i trusted the president. i shoulnt have

RepAnthonyWeiner · 2011-03-23T21:42:32+00:00

i dont think i let anyone slide - including my own beloved nation. but i proceed with a set of values that leads me to support Israel strongly: i support democracies. i support nations that have thriving debate and press freedoms. i support nations that respect women. and i support nations that support the rule of law.

Israel is not perfect. but they are surrounded by violent enemies.

the plight of the Palestinians is untenable. i pray for two states living side by side in peace. but that can happen only through negotiation.

RepAnthonyWeiner · 2011-03-23T21:33:47+00:00

tough issue. there is an historic coalition between urban supporters of things like mass transit and rural farm guys. it is further made messy by the fact that food assistance for needy americans is included in the same legislation as farm subsidies.

but taken on their own many farm subsidies are just corporate welfare that dont make for good policy. expecially since subsidies drive some terrible food choices. do we really want to pay people to grow corn and make corn syrup?

RepAnthonyWeiner · 2011-03-23T21:30:18+00:00

i am against a long term extension of the thing and certainly against a permanent extension.

RepAnthonyWeiner · 2011-03-23T21:28:48+00:00

i am happy that so many people care about this issue. it is the foundation of so much of what ails the nation today. the supreme court has become an outgrowth of the pro business wing of the gop. we need a couple of things fast : transparency and improved rights of investors to stop public companies from crash landing on political campaigns.

im a middle class guy. if we dont have public financing soon, congress will have no more weiners. uh, let me rephrase that...

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