WHOA: Rep. Joe Barton contemplating retirement after graphic photo circulates online

Raise your hand if you had “Joe Barton” as the next politician to get in trouble for a d*ck pic:

.@RepJoeBarton apologizes for graphic online photo https://t.co/4pQNMdAC85

— Abby Livingston (@TexasTribAbby) November 22, 2017

According to Barton, the pic happened after he separated from his second wife:

U.S. Rep. Joe Barton has apologized for a graphic nude photo of him that circulated online. https://t.co/6JuABqgUEA pic.twitter.com/mWIOYQJ7S6

— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) November 22, 2017

And he’s contemplating retirement because of it:

The photo, which appeared on an anonymous Twitter account, set off speculation within Texas GOP circles about his political future.

In a phone interview with The Texas Tribune on Tuesday, Barton said he was deliberating that.

“You’re as aware of what was posted as I am,” he said. “I am talking to a number of people, all of whom I have faith in and am deciding how to respond, quite frankly.”

We won’t post the photo for obvious reasons (you can see a somewhat blurred out version of it here at TMZ):

…and "Joe Barton nude photo” is when I stopped looking at the internet in 2017.

— Philip Bump (@pbump) November 22, 2017

Oooh. I try to run a clean timeline here so I would appreciate it if people would stop sending me the really nasty screen shots of @RepJoeBarton that are washing around the internet’s nether regions. If you take my meaning.

— Claude Taylor (@TrueFactsStated) November 22, 2017

Any bets until he calls it quits?

I called his published number 202 225 2002. “This mailbox is full…”. Anyone want to start a pool on @RepJoeBarton resignation? https://t.co/k52RRB7Y5Y

— Claude Taylor (@TrueFactsStated) November 22, 2017

Barton won his last election 58.3% to 39%, so this is some wishful thinking:

Bring on the popcorn gifs. @RepJoeBarton is going down and having TX06 as an open seat is big news. https://t.co/IiN9y1w47p

— Claude Taylor (@TrueFactsStated) November 22, 2017

What an amazing time to be alive.

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Editor’s note: Tweets included in an update to this post have been removed for inclusion in a separate post. You can find them here:

D*ck pics be DAMNED! Spox says Rep. Joe Barton is NOT resigning over nude photo