Posted on 06/11/2011 12:44:05 PM PDT by Qbert
A defiant Rep. Anthony Weiner will not resign and will instead seek treatment even as a the top leaders of the Democratic Party abandoned him en masse Saturday after it was revealed that he had communicated online with a 17-year-old Delaware girl.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and the partys top campaign chiefs Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Steve Israel (D-N.Y.) all called on Weiner to resign in statements released within minutes of each other.
But Weiner has ignored those calls and announced Saturday afternoon that hes seeking professional treatment.
Congressman Weiner departed this morning to seek professional treatment to focus on becoming a better husband and healthier person, Weiners office said in a statement provided to POLITICO. In light of that, he will request a short leave of absence from the House of Representatives so that he can get evaluated and map out a course of treatment to make himself well. Congressman Weiner takes the views of his colleagues very seriously and has determined that he needs this time to get healthy and make the best decision possible for himself, his family and his constituents.
Weiner, a New York Democrat, admitted on Monday that he had sent sexually charged text messages and photographs to a series of six women over three years. On Friday, FOX News reported that Wilmington-area police had visited a Delaware teenager to discuss his back-and-forth with her.
Weiner and the girls family have told news outlets that there was no indecent communication, but the evidence that he carried on a discussion of any kind with a 17-year-old girl was clearly the final straw for Democratic leaders.
Pelosi and Israel only issued their statements after asking Weiner privately to call it quits, and when he refused, they issued their coordinated barrage on Saturday afternoon.
They both called him this morning and said you should resign, and he didnt and they issued their statements, a source familiar with the discussions told POLITICO. The White House was engaged.
Patrick Gaspard, the former White House political director, was the point man for the DNC, the source said.
Congressman Weiner has the love of his family, the confidence of his constituents, and the recognition that he needs help, Pelosi said Saturday. I urge Congressman Weiner to seek that help without the pressures of being a Member of Congress.
A day earlier, Pelosi had declined to call for him to resign after inquiries to her office.
Israel and Wasserman Schultz were less generous in their assessment of their colleague.
Anthonys inappropriate behavior has become an insurmountable distraction to the House and our work for the American people. With a heavy heart, I call on Anthony to resign, Israel said.
Calling the scandal a sordid affair, Wasserman Schultz, who is a surrogate for President Barack Obama in her role as DNC chairman, said the behavior he has exhibited is indefensible and Representative Weiners continued service in Congress is untenable.
Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), the Budget Committee Chairman and former DCCC chairman, also joined the calls to resign on Saturday. Anthony Weiners repeated violation of the public trust is unacceptable, Van Hollen said. He can best advance the issues he fought for by resigning immediately.
Weiners spokeswoman did not immediately reply to a request for comment, but its now clear that Weiner has virtually no support in the upper echelons of the Democratic Party.
The Weiner scandal is now going into its third weekend after a picture of a mans crotch was posted on his Twitter account. After spending a week denying that it was him, Weiner held an extraordinary press conference Monday in New York and revealed that he had not only sent that picture, but had conducted sexually charged online relationships with a half dozen women.
And while nobody can force Weiner to resign short of a formal expulsion from the House, which is extremely rare if he does return to the House on Monday after a week-long recess, hell basically be persona non grata in the Democratic Caucus.
Weiner has informed congressional leaders he plans to seek treatment, according to Democratic insiders, and that was a factor in their decision to urge him to resign, first privately and later publicly.
A coordinated effort was kicked off once Weiner decided to seek treatment, a senior Democratic aide told POLITICO. Leaders have been talking to him all week. His decision to seek treatment, on top of pressure of Sunday shows and members coming back on Monday, all equaled the ultimate decision for the leaders to go today.
It was also revealed this week that Weiners wife Huma Abedin is pregnant and shes currently traveling abroad as an aide to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
If Weiner does succumb to pressure and resign, its clear that the contact with the 17-year-old girl was the end game.
The girl, whose name was withheld by Fox but who told the reporter shes doing OK, left with her mother and the police, the network said, although it was unclear if there was a further conversation somewhere else.
A Weiner spokeswoman emailed a statement in response to the reports that confirmed his contact with the girl, but denied anything was amiss.
According to Congressman Weiner, his communications with this person were neither explicit nor indecent, said the statement.
On Saturday morning, the New York Post and the New York Daily News reported that the New Castle cops had not found anything wrong in Weiners exchanges with the teen-ager.
I don’t believe a word that comes out of Pelosi ‘s mouth.
My bet is that Pelosi is in on the plan and that this is all theater to save their pal.
Yes, but it has to be real treatment, not just a slap on the wiener, so to speak, or pay your money like Tiger Woods and get an adult education certificate. It should be more like this:
There’s a media frenzy at a 17 year olds house. This would merit a public beat-down for the perp in my neighborhood.
He should consult with Patrick Kennedy and friends as to where the best place is for treatment.
From just yesterday:
Amid increasing calls for Rep. Anthony Weiner to resign, House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi says the decision should be up to the congressman and his New York constituents. The former speaker said in San Francisco that she believes the decision should be made by "the individual member" and the people in his district.Pelosi declines to call for Weiner's resignation.
If he needs treatment, why isn’t his wife beating a quick path back to New York to be by his side? It’s a sham marriage, that’s why!
It’s a sham to cover his wife’s intimate relationship with Hillary.
Zero ethics, Zero credibility, Zero accountability.
Maybe he will become a metrosexual, be the next South Park star.
Wow! Breath-taking headline! Perhaps the problem of defiant weiner is too much viagra?
Well, since he did major in political science, he can always become a lawyer, which is what a lot of ‘em do anyway. I thought he actually IS a lawyer-he certainly is brazen enough!;)
Fake Dem Outrage. Is there anything for real about this party?
Sham marriage. U got that right.
Why is Huma with Hillary, when she should be with her husband.
His marriage is a sham, just like the Klinton’s marriage.
A power sham.
“Im glad hes not leaving; his presence in DC will, more than likely, help the GOP.”
It probably will; he was the mouthpiece for so many of their pet projects, and he will remain the face of those projects/positions.
I won’t ask “could things get any worse” because each time I do, they get worse.
What’s up this this “getting treatment” cr@p”?
A pervert and a stupid jerk.
I predicted early on that "treatment" would be Weiner's trump card to save his job, after all, only a mean and heartless person would be against a sick man seeking a cure. Why pile on when the man has recognized and admitted his weakness. It's like kicking a dog when he's down.
And he is definitely a dog.
Oh, please, Tony! Please stay!
Fantastic post - thanks for posting. I don’t believe the empowerment of women was supposed to include things like this.
Hmmmm.... “defiant Weiner”??? Brought to mind this Chuck Barry song about his ding-a-ling:
Fantastic post - thanks for posting. I don’t believe the empowerment of women was supposed to include things like this.
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