Zandar's Thought Of The Day

I've stayed out of the whole Anthony Weiner's fake underwear picture on Twitter nonsense, mainly because it looks like Andrew Breitbart is behind it.  Daily Kos has a pretty good rundown of the hoax and how it was pulled off, and Gawker notes that all the evidence points to a massive hoax that surprise!  Andrew Breitbart fell for/ran with.

Gennette Cordova, the Seattle-area student who received a picture of an erection covered in underwear from the Twitter account of Rep. Anthony Weiner (D - N.Y.), released a statement on Sunday, categorically denying she is Weiner's "mistress" and cataloging the harassment she received from jeering conservatives on Twitter.

Cordova's account, published in the New York Daily News, would seem to corroborate the theories of DailyKos user Stef, who tracked down the original source of the allegations against Weiner, Twitter user "patriotusa76" (real name Dan Wolfe).

As Stef notes, Wolfe appeared to have "foreknowledge that something was going to go down," and Tweeted obsessively about Weiner and "young girls." Cordova writes that she had been "harassed" by a Twitter user ever since Rep. Weiner had started following her; it seems clear that Wolfe was that Twitter user, and may be the person responsible for the congressman's errant Tweet.

Cordoba identifies this website as "suggesting" that she is the congressman's "mistress"; we believe we treated the claims being made with fairness, and regarded BigGovernment's sources with the proper amount of skepticism. Frankly, given the horrible journalistic track record of Andrew Breitbart and BigGovernment.com (which broke the story), we're inclined to believe her. But her statement doesn't necessarily vindicate Weiner, either — the Tweet still came from his account, and it's unclear how or why.

But the idiots on the right ran with this story all weekend, and Andrew Breitbart was at the head of the pack.  And yet, this assclown is still treated like a legitimate journalist.  At absolute best-case, Breitbart totally dedicated his website and resources to smear Weiner with a fake scandal.  At worst, he created the hoax in the first place.

Somebody explain that to me how he's still employed at CNN.

Oh and ABL makes the very, very good point that Gennette Cordova is the real victim here all because Andrew Breitbart doesn't give a good god damn about who or what ends up destroyed in the collateral damage of his steaming pile of internet bullshit.  Yes, the target was Weiner, but he's a public figure and there are laws and resources that he has to protect himself.  Gennette Cordova?  Innocent.  Happened to be on Twitter.  Now her life is turned upside down, being accused of being Weiner's mistress.  The right wing assholes are circling around her like sharks in the tank, and who's going to stand up for her against this deluge of harassment?

Who is going to put her life back together?  Breitbart?  Why is it okay for him to do this and walk?