Dear Representative Weiner:

Were you so busy taking photos of your yourself shirtless and of you in your underpants, and then sending them to women via Twitter, that you failed to notice some of the stories that have been making headlines the past few weeks? Did you miss that former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger fathered a child with an employee? Or that former vice-presidential candidate, John Edwards, was indicted on charges of violating federal election laws for illegally using campaign contributions to cover-up his affair? Surely, you must have known that Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the now former head of the International Monetary Fund, was arrested for sexual assault – after all, this happened in New York City where you represent the people of the 9th congressional district. Now, I know that I can't compare any of these behaviors with your conduct. The Schwarzenegger affair is tawdry; the Edwards case disgusting; and the Strauss-Kahn charges, if found to be true, horrific. But did it not occur to you, Congressman, that as a member of an august body you are held to a higher standard than others? Your activities, sir, were stupid. Oh, and adolescent and embarrassing – not just for you, but for the people you represent, the U.S. House of Representatives and let's not forget your wife of less than one year. In your public mea culpa you said what you did was "regrettable." Regrettable is not paying a traffic fine. A colossal, and repeated, error in judgment (let's not forget that there were numerous photos, to numerous women) and then lying about it is more than regrettable. It should cost you your job. Had it just been the photos and had you come clean about it immediately, it would be one thing. The public humiliation and skewering by late-night comedians would have been penance enough. But you lied. Only 435 Americans at any given time have the honor of serving in the U.S. House. Do the right thing, Congressman, and resign so that someone else has the opportunity bring dignity back to your office. It may seem harsh that a promising political career, positioned for a run for the mayor of New York City, should end over a raunchy photo; but cheer up, Representative Weiner. If former governor Eliot Spitzer (aka "Client 9" in the world of prostitution) can get his own show on CNN, there's certainly another career out there for you. And as a private citizen, you can send all of the photos you want over the Internet, because as you said, there is nothing "illegal" about that. Just regrettable.