Roughly 60 percent of Weiner’s constituents didn’t want him to resign, the author writes. Run, Weiner, run!

Though some folks hope never to hear the name Anthony Weiner again, I bet if he ran for his old House seat in the Special Election later this year, he could win. There are few things Americans like more than a comeback – and Weiner returning to the halls of Congress would be a political comeback for the ages.

While Weiner’s tweets and online messages shocked the country and were indefensible, he has the good fortune of being from Brooklyn and Queens, where his old constituents have a higher tolerance for such shenanigans. (New York, it’s a hell of a town.)


People in Kansas City might forgive his indiscretions, but they probably wouldn’t vote him back into Congress a few months later.

Even after the scandal broke, polls showed that roughly 60 percent of Weiner’s constituencies didn’t want him to resign. His brash personality meshes well with his district.

But for Weiner to be a credible candidate, he must run as a changed man. He must pledge to voters that he is not going to be the same type of politician he was before. If they give him another chance in Congress, he must forgo the outsized ego, give up the name calling and cease being a man whose ultimate goal is face time on TV.

A change would be good for Weiner as well. Many people in Washington have felt for a long time that if Weiner acted more seriously, he could be a real asset to the Democratic Party. After all, no one has ever questioned his work ethic, his ambition or his intelligence.

But long before he was involved in the scandal which forced him to resign from Congress, he had a reputation for mistreating his staff and being ill-tempered. Can you imagine if Weiner spent as much time focusing on crafting smart legislation as he did getting on MSNBC? He could be a real mover and shaker on Capitol Hill, and not just someone cable news producers can count on to lob pointed jabs at Republicans.

His hyper-partisanship and rhetoric have caused problems before. Many progressives praised Weiner for his impassioned speech on the House floor to secure funding for 9/11 workers last October. Many of my liberal friends posted the video of his speech on their Facebook profiles as proof of how Republicans are bad people. But in reality, many Republicans did understand the need to secure funding to help 9/11 workers but nearly balked at doing so because they didn’t want to be perceived as bending to the will of the New York congressman.

Weiner would not have to look far for a good example to follow. He would simply need to lean on his political mentor, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who is as effective as anyone in Washington at getting on TV.

But unlike Weiner, New York’s senior senator is a serious legislator — who does not resort to name-calling or shouting. He gets on television because he is smart, feisty and incredibly hard working. This is not as easy as Weiner’s old tactics. But it also means that Schumer can work with colleagues on both parties to achieve his legislative goals for New York.

Even if Weiner gets his old seat back, he isn’t out of the woods. New York is slated to lose two congressional seats in redistricting. When Weiner resigned his seat, many House members around his old district breathed a sigh of relief. After all, the seat now won’t have an experienced and connected congressman to defend it when the lines get redrawn in Albany.

It wasn’t my idea for the former congressman to run for his old seat. I heard it from one of the smartest guys I know on Capitol Hill. But as soon as he said it, I knew. It’s got drama, redemption, suspense and all the elements for a great political comeback.

And if Weiner pledged to be a serious legislator — and backed-up those promises with hard work and diligence on Capitol Hill — this country and his constituents would all be better off.

Gary Meltz formerly worked as a press secretary for Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.). He is now a senior vice president at Dezenhall Resources public relations firm.