Rep. McCarthy: Weiner could resign this week

[brooklynite]

Source: The Hill

One of Rep. Anthony Weiner's New York colleagues indicated Tuesday that the beleaguered Democrat might resign this week.

Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-N.Y.) said she's "hopeful" the Democrats can stay focused on their economic and healthcare agenda despite the distraction Weiner has posed in recent weeks. But she also hinted that the distraction might soon be gone.

"We're hearing that he might resign in a couple of days," McCarthy told reporters as she was walking into the Democrats' weekly caucus meeting in the Capitol.

McCarthy didn't cite the basis for her remark, and of the dozens of other Democrats filtering in and out of the caucus meeting, none gave any indication that Weiner's resignation could be imminent. Most declined to comment at all.

Read more: http://thehill.com/homenews/house/166365-rep-mccarthy-weiner-could-resign-this-week

---

I get regular emails from Alan Grayson, despite the fact that he's been out of office for six months. No reason Weiner can't continue to weigh in on policy after leaving the House.

[aquart]

1. No reason?

The whole point was to silence him.

If he speaks, how many other photos do you think will show up? Do you really believe the Breitbart machine isn't holding something in reserve?

And even if NOTHING more is out there, the idea has been planted that there could be...and anyone who goes near him will be tainted with it.

You need to stop thinking that this was anything but an elegantly well-orchestrated political assassination.

[brooklynite]

3. Bull...

After what's been circulated already (by Anthony Weiner's monumentally stupid behavior), could he possible be embarrassed (and therefore threatened)any further once he's out of office?

You need to stop thinking of this as a political conspiracy, when Weiner was responsible for all of it.

[bluecoat_fan]

8. I agree

I really, really, really like Weiner politically, but he did screw up big time.

[JDPriestly]

13. So, where do you draw the line? brooklynite?

What behavior will you approve?

Personally, I would not send pictures of myself naked, but if someone else does it, it does not hurt me.

When we start going into disapproving people's choices about the sexual content of what they tweet, when do we also start censoring who people should marry?

I just think that as long as the sex texting is between two consenting adults, it is their business. When touching is involved then questions may be in order.

How do you feel about same sex marriage?

[TheWraith]

17. When you're sending unwanted and unsolicited lewd photos to young women, it is NOT

"Consenting adults." That excuse doesn't hold water.

[JDPriestly]

27. I hadn't heard anything about that lewd pictures sent to minors.

I understood that accusation had been proved untrue.

What is your source?

[TheWraith]

41. So it's okay to randomly send penis photographs to women you don't know, who don't want to see them

So long as they're 18? :eyes:

[pnwmom]

21. It's about the lying -- repeatedly, deliberately, over an extended period of days --

combined with monumental stupidity in thinking he wouldn't be caught in the lies -- combined with urging other(s) to lie and offering up the services of his "team" to foster a lie.

The sex is just what keeps this in the front of the media, but it's not why he should resign.

[JDPriestly]

28. I grew up in the 1950s and 60s. Many of the gay people I knew lied and covered

up their sexual preference. According to your theory, they would have been disqualified from serving in Congress. Or, do I misunderstand you?

Believe me, even in my university music school, lesbian women hid their sexual preferences. Some of the men were more open about it. But they were socially limited because of it.

[frylock]

45. did those women book time on the political talk shows..

to tell everyone that they were not lesbians?

[JDPriestly]

48. No, but some got married to men.

[chervilant]

47. OMG!

Weiner is among MILLIONS of us pathetic humans who are completely salacious and obsessive about our sex parts! SO WHAT?!?!?!?!

AND, I think Weiner should resign on the very DAY and at the very MINUTE that David Vitter resigns, and not a NANOSECOND before!

If everyone will just STOP discussing Weiner's weiner (oooooh, look, it's a sparkly!) and focus on what's REALLY important (Clarence Thomas lying for decades about his wife's income), maybe we can get an actual criminal impeached and removed from office.

[brooklynite]

25. I could care less about Weiner's sexual peccadillo's...

...or anybody else's for that matter (and I fully support Marriage Equality).

And if Anthony Weiner felt as comfortable with his behavior, he wouldn't have lied about it when he got caught, and he might be able to hold onto his seat.

But he did lie about it...for a week...and for all I can tell would have continued to lie about it as long as other evidence didn't trip him up.

That's what I object to.

[blackspade]

18. But it is a political conspiracy

Just given a healthy assist by Weiner himself.
They were out to get him one way or the other.
Unfortunately he, like many others, deluded himself into thinking that crap he posted in the interwebs wouldn't be used against him in todays surveillance society.

[pnwmom]

23. He might have been in a battle with them, but this was entirely

a self-inflicted wound.

They got lucky.

[blackspade]

35. Agree about the self-inflicted wound.

I wouldn't say they got lucky though. They would have created something out of whole cloth and the M$M would have eaten it up just like they are now.
I saw Luke Russert yesterday, and found myself totally disgusted with his sanctimonious blathering about this whole affair.
And I could see him doing the same thing if this was a fiction as well.

Shakes head.....

[pnwmom]

36. This has given them some measure of credibility that they didn't have before.

If they had made something up out of whole cloth, and it had been disproven, that would be different. But everyone said they were lying -- and it turned out everyone was wrong. They had the goods on Weiner and they knew it.

[blackspade]

38. They would have run with it anyway (like ACORN), but

you are right on about getting their streat cred built back up.

Tragic all around.
I just wish Weiner had said "Yes, I sent naughty pictures to other adults. Now fuck off."

[pnwmom]

42. Me, too. I think if he had said that at the first presser,

this would have ended quickly.

[TheWraith]

16. Right. Breitbart FORCED Weiner to send those dick pictures to random young women!

:eyes:

You need to stop thinking that Weiner isn't responsible for destroying himself. Anybody in politics is going to have someone slavering to get a hold of something to do you damage. But it takes a real idiot to volunteer yourself that way.

[stockholmer]

19. +1000

[demwing]

51. Stop it with the "young women" bullshit

its obvious you're trying to make this sound like something it isn't

[Springer9]

22. ? More like a well executed political suicide if you ask me

And quite frankly I really wasn't all that aware of him before all this and he can decide whatever he wants to do.

He's just not that important in the grand scheme of things.

[Freddie Stubbs]

31. It's not an assassination when you hand them the gun and bullets. That's a suicide

[loyalsister]

39. There's a difference

between speaking as a congressman (especially with a high profile) whose outspoken stances represent people who may not have voted for him, and speaking out as a private citizen representing people who choose to affiliate with him.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

2. I hope not

I'm sure that the Republicans (led by Breitbart) have several more "distractions" waiting for us in their queue. If we throw everybody overboard at the faintest whiff of a scandal, then we just help the Republicans whittle down our own numbers even further FOR NO GOOD REASON. These kind of smear jobs certainly didn't start with Weiner and won't end with him either.
:banghead:

Here's hoping that Weiner stays in and submits himself to the voters next year for judgement. If they decide to toss him out then (or before then, fine. At least he will be honoring his constituents' wishes. However, I don't think that it's fair for other people, including members of his own party, to tell HIS constituents that they have to simply accept the judgement of his fellow party members and punditocracy even if they themselves don't want him gone. The pressure on Weiner must be overwhelming right now and I really wouldn't be surprised if he does resign over this eventually- but it wouldn't be the right thing to happen and in a few weeks or months (or even days) thereafter, the Republicans will undoubtedly manufacture another "distraction" to throw the Democratic Party into a tizzy over. Mark.my.words. :puke:

[brooklynite]

32. If he stays in, the voters won't have to...

...since apparently every Democrat besides Weiner is a sellout to the Republicsns, they'll be happy to throw him over the side in the redistricting agreement, won't they?

(and if they're not sellouts, they'll probably want to eliminate the one Democratic Congressman enmeshed in a scandal in this election cycle, as opposed to the other 21)

[florida08]

4. just like the teabaggers are getting rid of moderate conservatives

the DLC is getting rid of progressives. What's the future to hold :(

[fascisthunter]

5. YUP! They are Cleansing the Democratic Party of Real Democrats

and replacing them with corporate shills.

[frylock]

46. the DLC is getting rid of progressives by making them post pics of their cranks!!1

the humanity!!! i hate the fucking DLC, but this is ridiculous.

[guruoo]

6. It is only a distraction to those Democrats that voluntarily allow it to be. nt

'Most declined to comment at all.'

[and-justice-for-all]

7. Weiner should not resgin...nt

[Corruption Winz]

9. I don't see this being a problem, really. However, I doubt it happens. He still has his support. n/t

[Iliyah]

11. Chris Mathews

mentioned that he could resign and run again which I think he would win. His replacement will be another progressive. The corporate business have no won yet as long as there are progressives and we all know that majoirty of Americans favor progressive government.

The GOP are a "me society" which is completely against the Constitution.

The Dems are a "we society".

[Corruption Winz]

44. Yes. Essentially, it would be a hiatus and nothing more...

I just don't see him losing his support over this.

[closeupready]

10. He completely should not resign, but I'm beginning to think he will.

He exercised poor judgment, and it's sad, because I love him, but this is just the way it goes in that crooked town. :mad:

[Stuckinthebush]

12. I'm so sick of hearing about this idiot

Perhaps if he resigns then we won't hear much more about his monumentally stupid behavior. Oh, and I'm also sick of hearing my hyper-partisan progressive brethren try to change the conversation back to that fool Vitter. Vitter was a GOP idiot. They did what they did with him - which was nothing. Weiner is our idiot.

[JDPriestly]

14. I remember a time when women's conduct was strictly circumscribed.

Men could do what they want.

Each person has to draw the line for themselves when it comes to modesty.

Two sisters in the very same family raised by the same parents can have very different attitudes and feelings about modesty.

Strange, but I have observed that in people I know. It is just a personal thing.

I would not begin to go topless in a swimming pool. But when I lived in Europe, I had a friend who was topless and who sat down right next to me tat the swimming pool, toplessness flopping all over the place. I was so embarrassed. And by the way, she was a countess.

So we are all different.

Vive la difference.

[avebury]

15. I finally left the Democratic Party because they are not

any different then the Republican party. I would love to see a real grass roots campaign to create a new progressive political party. I am tired of accepting second best.

[unionworks]

20. Had It

This will continue as long as the blue dogs can peddle their "you have a choice- us or the rethugs" line. It has finally reached the point where there is absolutely no difference. Too bad it's too late to form a new progressive party for 2012.

[pnwmom]

24. Go peddle your third party views elsewhere, please.

Anyone who watched the debate last night knows there is a vast gulf between the parties.

[groundloop]

29. Agreed !!! For all we know this new 3rd party talk is the work of more trolls.

As far as Anthony Weiner, I liked him a lot politically. However, he chose to do something incredibly stupid and has become a distraction and a drag on the Democratic party.

[unionworks]

49. Sad Laughter

Yeah, I'm a troll. A troll who passed out McGovern leaflets at age 14, who learned his politics from guys and women a few years older who were returning from Vietnam. Who sat with peace protesters in front of Nixons white house while his brother was in the Army. Who watched in horror as the D.C. local news showed live footage of a Buddhist monk immolating himself on the pentagon steps. Who was weaned on Crosby, Stills Nash and Young, Joni Mitchell, Judy collins, the Doors, the Dead, and all the rest. Who watched in disbelief as the helicopters were pushed over the side as we tucked our tail between our legs and got the hell out of Saigon. Who watched the Watergate trial unfold daily on my t.v., and spent my entire childhood with that war looming in my life. Who witnessed in person one of the largest anti war protests in D.C. in 72. No, I'm sorry, I've seen REAL democrats take to the streets, get put under hellish surveillance, get gassed beaten and jailed for standing up for their party and their country. And who sees the current crop that have somehow taken over the party sell out the people for 30 pieces of silver. It is sickening to watch.

[SoDesuKa]

26. What's Next? Peter King Calls on Weiner to Resign?

Just wondering what it takes for a story to be considered "news." This thing has been kicking around for more than a week. I suppose it's news when another of Weiner's political opponents weighs in, but just barely . . .

They still have 532 members of Congress to go. At this rate, this could be a "news" story till Christmas 2012 even if nothing is added to what we already know.

[fascisthunter]

30. all the New Dems

for sure

[JJW]

33. Focus Focus

No not on the penis, on jobs, on the illegal wars, on people without healthcare. No not the penis. Stop. Focus. Come on Dems you can do it.

[slackmaster]

34. Weiner's fate is almost as important as that shoulder thing that goes up

Keep it real, Carolyn.

[SoDesuKa]

37. Does Dem Redistricting Make McCarthy a Competitor to Weiner?

New York Democrats have to give up a seat. If it's shaping up as a choice between McCarthy and Weiner, no wonder she wants him to resign.

[Behind the Aegis]

40. This is STUPID!

The only ones continuing this "distraction" are fucking Democrats! SHUT THE HELL UP and BACK HIM UP!

[LiberalLoner]

43. +1

[cbdo2007]

50. FRIDAY

5:00pm eastern

news dump day

[unionworks]

52. Still The Same

I guess it wasn't that much different back when I was cutting my teeth...basically anyone who was percieved as posing a real threat to the status quo was eliminated by force or by the type of tactics used on Weiner...so you could still vote for Hubert Humphrey or George Wallace... you know, the "real" democrats. The real democrats were, and still are, like those in Wisconsin, the ones willing to take it to the street and risk beatings, jails, and ratf#cking like Weiner got.