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.
That’s it, learn how to do bl-wjobs so you can take care of B.Clinton, Monica won’t mind, we won’t tell her anyway.
I know it is a sham marriage, but if he were your husband and you really did care, would you REALLY rush home to be with such a loser???? I wouldn’t. I’d probably only send someone round for my things.
It’s a political marriage. The only “standing by” there is calculated for advantage. If he becomes to big a liability, then the calculus shifts to the point that the negative of a divorce is overridden by the negative of staying. It has nothing to do with any emotional commitment between the two. That’s why the guy was online exposing himself, that’s why she’s yet to object, and that’s why a pregnancy was suddenly announced in the middle of all this. For effect. It’s a dog and pony show. Stagecraft. Like the Clinton sham marriage.
I think I need Therapy
Soon
TT
Good!
Pulling another stunt for sympathy I see.Hey Weiner it won’t save you from child porn charges when the photos are found.
——the ultimate New York bad joke-——
The Big Apple has but a trivial worm
The Big Apple didn’t fall far from the satanic tree
Zero class.
Probably never fought back or stood up for himself either. What a little pansy.
Great points.
Part of the problem though is that a lot of the other leftists are likely malignant narcissists as well- and they are only concerned as to how Weiner’s behavior affects the public’s view of them personally.
Then you have the sad cases of all the inverted narcissists who still view Weiner as their only hero, living out their vicarious fantasies of taking on those eeeevil Republicans through his rants, and defending him no matter how perverted his life is because they have limited abilities and zero confidence in themselves (which is also why they’re dependent on Big Gov to do everything for them).
Weiner should be expelled from congress immediately. If all of the members of congress, ALL of them, do not get on board, then they can spend their time explaining just why they voted to let this pervert remain. This needs to be done when next they meet and it needs to be a roll call vote, nothing anonymous.
Does this mean that Jesse Jackson will minister to him?
Evidently momma Hillary sent him a prepaid one-way ticket.
These recent developments must be hard on Weiner. I hope they stiffen his resolve to firm up his position and does result in his withdrawal; as his recent activities are pregnant with potential issues.
Late to the thread as usual and my question has probably already been asked but I’ll ask it anyway:
Who among us didn’t see this move coming from Li’l wiener?
“Yep....when all else fails the elite run to an addiction center”
I bet he found one which specializes in filling out job protecting ADA applications.
I can fix his little problem him with a cheap pair of garden shears.
Perfect photo of two worthless narcissist do nothings.
And some of the "sad cases" unfortunately, it has to also be said...are the women who respond in kind to men like Weiner. Any woman who does not value herself, and willingly allows a man to "get off" by talking dirty, sending lewd pics and expecting her excited response, or even sending pics of herself, cannot have much confidence in herself as a woman. This IS a sad world we live in and the Internet has promoted this type of behavior because it seems "secret" there. Both men and women have lost the sense of respect for themselves and others - and the beauty of being moral and dignified.
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