Late Night Comics Pounce on Weiner's Mayoral Run

Late night comics may be reticent to mock the President of the United States, but they can’t help pouncing on disgraced politician Anthony Weiner.

USA Today offers a round-up of the best Weiner jokes, all coinciding with the former Congressman’s announcement that he’ll be running for Mayor of New York.

It hearkens back to the Age of Clinton, a time when comedians couldn’t help but riff on the president’s sexual misbehavior. It also reminds us how lazy many late nighters have gotten in recent years. They segued from “Clinton is randy” gags to “President George W. Bush is dumb” punchlines.

Yawn.

Today, late night talkers not named Jay Leno do their best to avoid mocking President Barack Obama. He’s a Democrat, the Hollywood community helped get him elected (twice) and they understand the power that comedy has to hurt a public official even if the facts don’t line up accordingly.

Just ask Tina (“you betcha”) Fey.

It’s still fair game to mock a Democrat running for the Big Apple’s biggest gig. There won’t be a Republican challenger of note in the contest, and the gags won’t weigh down the Democrat party in a way that will hurt it. So it’s game on with every Weiner gag, pun and double entendre.