Weiner Resigns From Congress Over Sexting Scandal

               Scandal-scarred Rep. Anthony Weiner resigned his seat from the U.S. House on Thursday, but in a departing speech that centered on his years of service rather than his sexually-charged online affairs, the outgoing congressman struck a down-but-not-out tone that suggested he could already be eyeing a comeback.

       

"I have never forgotten my neighbors because they represent the same middle class story as mine," Weiner said in opening remarks that sounded more like a candidate on the campaign trail than a defeated ex-lawmaker. 

  "I went to public schools my whole life. My mother was a school teacher for 32 years. My father went to law school on a GI bill. The middle class story of New York is my story and I'm very proud of that."

Weiner's announcement at a Brooklyn senior center was met by cheers as well as heckling by some in the packed room. The seven-term Democrat said he was taking time out to redirect his energy offline.

"Today I am announcing my resignation from Congress, so my colleagues can get back to work, my neighbors can choose a new representative and most importantly that my wife and I can continue to deal with the damage I have caused," said Weiner, who announced over the weekend that he was going to take two weeks of leave from Congress so he could get "treatment" for an unnamed ailment evidently associated with his repetitive sexting practices.

As ugly as the last three weeks have been for Weiner, who at first denied he had anything to do with the wide distribution on Twitter of a photo of his private parts, his departure announcement was also ugly. Weiner was repeatedly interrupted during his remarks by a heckler who made it difficult for the outgoing congressman to finish all of his sentences. 

Nonetheless, Weiner said he hadn't given up on the motives that got him into public service.

"I got into politics to help give voice to the many who simply didn't have one," he said. "Now I'll be looking for other ways to contribute my talents to make sure that we live up to that most New York and American of ideals. The idea that leaving a family, a community and ultimately a country is the one thing that all unites us. The one thing that we're all focused on."

Weiner now joins a long list of U.S. lawmakers who have resigned over sex scandals in recent years, including New York Reps. Chris Lee, a Republican; Eric Massa, a Democrat; and Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev. 

If Weiner doesn't try to revive his political career, he could try to follow in the footsteps of New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer who reinvented himself as a media commentator after he resigned in 2007 over a prostitution scandal. Spitzer is now the host of a CNN prime time show.

For nearly three weeks, Weiner has been embroiled in a scandal over lewd pictures and messages that he sent to at least six women on Twitter and Facebook over a three-year period. Weiner spent the first week falsely and boldly claiming that a photo of his bulging crotch that he accidentally made public was sent by a prankster who hacked his Twitter account.

But Weiner finally came clean last week as some of his online buddies began to emerge with  salacious details, prompting calls for his resignation that grew into a roar.

Weiner tried to quell the furor by taking a two-week leave from the House on Monday to seek treatment at an undisclosed location. But a revolt from Democratic leaders only grew stronger as they had planned to meet Thursday to consider whether to strip Weiner of his role on the Energy and Commerce Committee before he resigned.

Weiner's resignation letter still hadn't arrived in the House Thursday afternoon, which means he's still an official member. But once it is submitted, the letter could be read on the House floor. The resignation will initiate a special election in New York -- a scenario that would favor Democrats. 

House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said in a statement that Weiner "made the right judgment in resigning."

"Congressman Weiner exercised poor judgment in his actions and poor judgment in his reaction to the revelations," she said.

House Democratic Caucus Chairman John Larson said, "It's difficult to watch the self destruction of a friend, and to witness the breaking of hearts over what can only be categorized as reprehensible behavior and bad judgment."

Before Weiner's press conference, Rep. Nita Lowey, D-New York, offered Weiner words of encouragement.

"There is life after Congress for Anthony Weiner and I hope he devotes himself to repairing the damage he caused to his personal life," she said.

Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., said it's unfortunate that Weiner has chosen to resign as he was a dedicated member, even though the two lawmakers had their policy differences.

He added though it would have been impossible for Weiner to continue on the Hill.

"He would have been a dead man walking," King said.

The House Ethics Committee on Monday began a preliminary inquiry that could have bloomed into a full investigation if Weiner had continued to ignore calls to resign.

Weiner has told friends he wanted to speak with his pregnant wife, Huma Abedin, before deciding whether to resign. She returned to Washington early Wednesday from a trip to Africa with her boss, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Weiner's resignation came after the scandal grew even stranger when former porn actress Ginger Lee who exchanged emails and messages with the congressman said Wednesday he asked her to lie about their interactions. Lee called for Weiner to resign.

Her attorney, Gloria Allred, said in a statement Thursday that the scandal "should serve as a clear message to those in public office that there is a standard of conduct which is expected and demanded of them and if they fail to meet that standard then they will be forced to suffer the consequences."