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On this week’s Slate Political Gabfest, John Dickerson, Emily Bazelon, and David Plotz discuss New York mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner’s sexting problem, again. They also talk about the early moves toward another budget and debt ceiling showdown and a New Republic piece about challenges confronting large corporate law firms.

This week’s Audible recommendation is Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. Try Audible free for 30 days and get a free audiobook by visiting AudiblePodcast.com/Gabfest.

Here are some of the links and references mentioned during this week's show:

• Emily mentions Hanna Rosin’s support for Huma Abedin’s role at Anthony Weiner’s Tuesday press conference: “[Abedin] just explained herself and did it without shame, apology, or all that much regret.” Meanwhile, Dave Weigel has the opposite take.
• David introduces the second segment by summarizing a New York Times report on the latest GOP efforts to undermine the president’s spending priorities.
• Jonathan Chait argues that the Republican Congress has embraced a new strategy of “procedural extremism.”
• Noam Scheiber’s New Republic piece, “The Last Days of Big Law.”
• In Slate, Mark Obie says that Big Law’s obituary has been written before.

John chatters about one of the largest shifts of public opinion in Gallup’s polling history.

Emily chatters about John Ferguson’s new execution date.

David chatters about Real Escape Game.

Topic ideas for next week? You can tweet suggestions, links, and questions to @SlateGabfest. The email address for the Political Gabfest is gabfest@slate.com. (Email may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Mike Vuolo. Links compiled by Jeff Friedrich.