Posted on 06/08/2011 12:32:18 PM PDT by nickcarraway
The dam is beginning to break for Rep. Anthony Weiner as he battles to save his career from a sex-scandal made for the Internet age.
Rep. Allyson Schwartz, a leading official at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, called for the New York Democrat to resign on Wednesday after a picture of a man’s genitals — purportedly a Weiner self-portrait — began circulating on the Internet. Contacted by POLITICO, a Weiner spokesman neither confirmed nor denied that the picture was of Weiner. “Having the respect of your constituents is fundamental for a member of Congress. In light of Anthony Weiner’s offensive behavior online, he should resign,” the Pennsylvania congresswoman, who serves as chairwoman of recruiting and candidate services for the DCCC, told POLITICO.
In softer tones, Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) made clear to an Arkansas radio station that Weiner ought to leave Congress.
“Ultimately that’s up to him, and his constituents and his family but I think at this point it would probably be a good thing if he would go ahead and resign,” Pryor said on KUAR in Little Rock.
Rep. Michael Michaud (D-Maine) told a local television station on Tuesday that it would be best if Weiner walked away.
Taken together, Schwartz, Pryor and Michaud appear to be the vanguard of what could become a much stronger push from Weiner’s Democratic colleagues. Two lawmakers, Reps. Betty Sutton of Ohio and Tim Walz of Minnesota, have heeded GOP calls to give up campaign cash they received from Weiner — though neither has said he should resign. Former Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine, who is running for an open Senate seat in Virginia, said Tuesday that Weiner should resign because he lied about the scandal. And Democratic sources told POLITICO that members of Weiner’s staff are looking for other jobs.
Even one of Weiner’s closest Republican friends says it’s time for him to go.
Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) said he is “sad” for Weiner because he’s “lost the trust and faith” of people around him. “Since he made the admission, I think he has no choice but to step down,” Chaffetz told POLITICO Wednesday afternoon. “It’s more than just once or twice, this is a huge pattern of bad judgment,” Chaffetz said.
Earlier Wednesday, radio shock jocks “Opie & Anthony” — Gregg Hughes and Anthony Cumia — posted a photograph of a man’s genitals that they say was from an image from Andrew Breitbart’s phone of a picture originally taken by Weiner of himself. Breitbart, whose conservative Web site BigGovernment.com broke the Weiner story, was a guest on the program Wednesday.
Late last month, Breitbart brought attention to a photograph of Weiner in gray boxer-briefs that the congressman had inadvertently posted to a public Web platform while trying to share it with a female college student in Washington state. Weiner originally said that his account had been hacked and that he was the victim of a prank. He did a tour of cable television talk shows, attempting to throw cold water on the idea that he was engaged in sexually charged online relationships.
Continue Reading But as Weiner’s account proved to have holes — and interactions with other women began to be reported — Weiner admitted at a wild Monday press conference that he had sent sexually explicit photographs and text messages to six women over the course of the past three years. Less than a year ago, he married Huma Abedin, a top aide to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. He said Monday that he and Abedin would remain together.
Before Weiner took the podium, Breitbart, who attended the press conference, told reporters that he had a more graphic image of Weiner in reserve but said that he didn’t intend to make it public if Weiner copped to his online relationships. But by Wednesday, Breitbart let radio hosts take a picture of the image on his cell phone, and it was quickly uploaded into cyberspace via Cumia’s Twitter account.
On Tuesday, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) is the highest-ranking Republican to say Weiner should give up his seat. House Democratic leaders have urged the ethics committee to initiate an investigation into whether Weiner broke any House rules — one of which is behaving in a manner that reflects well on the institution.
Weiner, who became a hero to progressives in fighting for a “public option” in last year’s health care overhaul, is not without some fresh support. The Website ActBlue, which collects contributions for Democratic candidates, reported an uptick of $40 in donations to Weiner over the course of a couple of hours on Wednesday. One vehicle for giving to the embattled New Yorker is headlined “Breitbart Has Won NOTHING: Donations for Weiner.” The account had received one contribution for $25.
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Democratic sources told POLITICO that members of Weiner’s staff are looking for other jobs.
Headline: Wiener’s staff seeks new openings!
Coming down to the wire...will he do one more presser (with some real bawling and blubbering this time), or just cash in his chips before the weekend? Weiner (Big Tony, that is) could still have an MSNBC gig before the start of the fall season...
They should make it clear why he resigns, if he resigns: He lied and misdirected others.
If he had admitted it, he would be just another runofthemill democrat who kept it in his pants....and he has the photo to prove it.
He should stay.
We need him to be the poster child of Democrat Family Values................
Has Politico’s enthusiasm for Weiner, their favorite congressional member, now gone flaccid?
He’s sure not the man he pretended to be.
It’s obvious the guy sat in his office and masturbated all day. And I believe his staff had to have known about it. Maybe I should have said “his aides had to have known about it”.
this party is heading for SUCH a crackup. Just watch ‘em in the fall if Obama’s numbers are still in the toilet.
In fact, our side should just shut up and eat the popcorn..............
Sounds like Weiner’s support is petering out.
I'm sure his staff was the first to know...........;^)
You know, Weiner was not stupid enough to think he could get away with this stuff, he was ARROGANT enough to think he could get away with it, which is the same disease most of the Democrats have, and way too many Republicans, too.
other wise the democrats could make this into another 'stay out of the bedroom' issue and backfire in their face.
remember the swing voters really don't pay attention to politics at all many vote on Image.
I read somewhere where its not what he did or that he lied or that he’s a $hit stain on humanity, the root cause of the other Dem’s ire is the timing issue.
It is the opinion of some that the Dem’s as a whole were beginning to gain some traction in the public dialog characterizing Ryan’s plan as the death knell for medicare, as a way to characterize all Republicans. This, they must’ve thought was the to be the rosetta stone that would pave the way for a total Dem recapture of the house, increase their numbers in the senate and retain the WH for his Douchebagness in 2012.
It is the disruption and distraction the Weiner Roast has caused to the Dem talking points ‘Du Jour’ that has them all collectively ‘Wee Wee’d’ up over the Weewee.
This thought process is of course validated by the Dem’s total lack of a collective moral compass, so it makes sense in that light.
If the republicans do anything to remove him they will look bad if the democrats don't remove him them they look even worse.
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