They say that every problem presents an opportunity, and so it has proved with the travails of US congressman Anthony Weiner, who was caught sending lewd photographs to fans on the internet. But unfortunately for Weiner, while he is the one with the problem, someone else has spotted the opportunity.
An action figure company from Connecticut has decided to try and milk the affair for all its worth and has released a doll of the politician, who comes wearing a pair of gym shorts with the slogan "Tweet This" written on it.
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The doll has proved so popular that it crashed the website of the company behind the idea, HeroBuilders.com, which also produces action figures of other politicians including Sarah Palin, George W Bush and Dick Cheney.
It also provides evidence that the entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in America, just weeks after another quick-thinking businessman made $100,000 in 48 hours by selling T-shirts celebrating the death of Osama bin Laden.
The popularity of the doll is an added humiliation for Weiner, who has refused to resign over the scandal, despite being urged to do so by president Barack Obama.
Weiner admitted exchanging lewd messages and photos with women on Twitter and other social networking sites after accidentally posting a picture of his crotch on his Twitter account. At first he claimed he had been hacked but later came clean. He subsequently took a temporary leave of absence from Congress and went into rehab.
His pregnant wife Huma Abedin, an aide to Hillary Clinton, returned to the family home in Washington last night after a visit to Africa with the Secretary of State.
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