The latest revelations appear to have finally tipped the balance against the cybersexing New York congressman:
Three weighty Democratic voices – including Nancy Pelosi – on Saturday called for the resignation of embattled U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner, who has been under fire after admitting to inappropriate communications with women online.
The House Minority Leader, and the chairmen of the Democratic National Committee and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in separate statements called for Weiner to step down.
Just 24 hours ago, Pelosi had refused to speak out. But after police began investigating Weiner’s communications with a 17-year-old Delaware girl, Weiner announced he would “seek treatment” — effectively admitting that he is psychologically disturbed — and then the Democrat leadership said, “Hey, Anthony, you see this bus here?”
Democratic leaders had hoped Weiner would resign on his own, but he refused.
A senior Democratic aide said party leaders have been talking with him throughout the week, and that the coordinated effort to push him out began when he told the Democratic leadership he had decided to seek treatment. The aide said Weiner was informed that the leaders would be issuing a public call for his resignation.
The aide said the statements were released on Saturday to get ahead of the Sunday shows and the return of lawmakers on Monday.
Yeah: In their colleague’s hour of need, his liberal friends were chiefly concerned about . . . working the news cycle.
As Darleen Click says, they’re all “moral fascists” now.
UPDATE: New York Times:
Representative Anthony D. Weiner planned to check himself into a treatment center on Saturday after House Democratic leaders, including Nancy Pelosi, called on him to resign and suggested he needed psychiatric counseling. . . .
“Congressman Weiner departed this morning to seek professional treatment to focus on becoming a better husband and healthier person,” said the spokeswoman, Risa Heller. “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.”
Want a textbook definition of “hubris”? Politician admits he is mentally ill, yet doesn’t see mental illness as a disqualification for public office.
Democrats always think themselves fit to govern, even when they’re nuts, zany, daft, bonkers and cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs.
UPDATE II: “Ah, the old ‘sex addiction’ excuse.” Beyond the “moral fascist” outrage — which Lisa Graas examines — aren’t we entitled to ask whether a man who succumbs to a dangerous sexual compulsion is fit for high public office? One may be entirely sympathetic to people suffering from mental disorders without believing that we should be governed by them.
Meanwhile, look at the top of the latest Memeorandum aggregation:
The New York Times, CNN, Politico, Wall Street Journal, ABC News, National Review and, further down the page, we find the Associated Press, the Washington Post, etc.
Now, go back and look at the Memeorandum aggregation at 6:35 p.m. on Saturday, May 28. Notice something?
When this story was first broken by Andrew Breitbart’s BigGovernment.com, all these major media organizations weren’t exactly chomping at the bit to be first with the exclusive scoop. In fact, you might say, they seemed rather determined to ignore the story.
And two weeks later, they don’t even make mention of the insignificant right-wing bloggers who beat them to the story.
UPDATE III: Linked by POH Diaries and by Bob Belvedere at The Camp of the Saints — thanks!
