Weiner Gets No Pity From His Party

Following U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner’s tearful televised admission Monday that he sent lewd photographs to several women over the Internet, top Democrats in Congress are seeking to put as much daylight as possible between themselves and their colleague from New York.

The political hullabaloo surrounding Weiner’s behavior is unfortunate, as it gives the mainstream media one more opportunity to focus on its favorite topic — the sexual misadventures of public figures — and ignore the more pressing and profound issues that face the republic. –ARK

The New York Times:

Caught in a maelstrom of his own making, Representative Anthony D. Weiner saw his support on Capitol Hill crumble after he admitted having inappropriate online exchanges with women. A brash and talented New York politician with many admirers on the left, but few close allies, he suddenly finds himself alone on a hostile stage.

No sooner had Mr. Weiner delivered a startlingly abject admission and apology — carried live on television Monday from a circuslike news conference in Manhattan — than top Democrats on Capitol Hill began distancing themselves from him and his behavior.

Several, including Representative Nancy Pelosi of California, the House minority leader, called for an ethics inquiry into whether Mr. Weiner had violated House rules or used official resources to carry on his salacious electronic conversations.

Read more