The resignation ends nearly three weeks of tumultuous political controversy. Weiner resigns from Congress

BROOKLYN, N.Y. — In the same room where he launched his first campaign for City Council two decades ago in the Gravesend neighborhood of Brooklyn, Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) announced his resignation from Congress on Thursday.

“Today I’m announcing my resignation from Congress so my colleagues can get back to work, my neighbors can choose a new representative and more importantly that my wife and I can continue to heal from the damage I have caused,” he saaid.


Weiner said he had hoped to be able to get back to work after getting embroiled in a scandal stemming from his tweeting of a photo of his crotch nearly three weeks ago and then lying about it, but “unfortunately, the distraction that I have created has made that impossible.”

Seeming much more at peace than at his teary press conference 10 days ago, Weiner entered the room to applause from seniors. A few seniors did jeer at him as he read his four-minute statement — which he wrote himself — but most of the jeering came from a “Howard Stern Show” staffer who yelled out questions about Weiner’s genitals.

Weiner did offer a note of contrition to the 40 cameras and more than 100 reporters and camera crews here — “I’m here today to again apologize for the personal mistakes I have made and the embarrassment I have caused,” he said — but also touched on old campaign themes of middle class values, including growing up as the son of a man who went to law school on the GI bill and a public school teacher.

Weiner did not take questions from reporters at the event, and when the press tried to follow him out the side door he entered from, the catch on the door got flattened by the crowd.

The resignation comes after President Barack Obama, House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and dozens of other congressional Democrats called for him to step down, and ends nearly three weeks of tumultuous controversy that began on the Friday of Memorial Day weekend.

Weiner’s wife, Huma Abedin, did not appear with him.

Weiner had repeatedly told people that Abedin, a top aide to Hillary Clinton who returned early Wednesday from a week-long State Department trip to Africa, wanted him to fight back and was involved in his poitical comeback.

But multiple sources described a very different perspective on the part of Abedin, who’s pregnant with their first child. Abedin spent extensive time consulting with Doug Band, Bill Clinton’s top adviser and her best friend, and Band’s wife, sources said, as she tried to make sense of the circumstances her husband had thrust her into. Other sources used one word to described Band and his wife: “Disgusted.”

Abedin reportedly was with Band when she watched Weiner’s press conference admitting his lewd messaging and lying last Monday.

The Clintons, the sources said, and their extended world, are furious and want no contact with Weiner. But they are deeply supportive and protective of Abedin, whom Clinton called a “second” daughter when he officiated her wedding.

“They are livid,” said one source affiliated with Hillary Clinton.

Several sources with ties to the couple said the immediate problem for Weiner is a lack of income, especially with his first child on the way. He started working in politics right out of college, and has never worked as anything but a staffer or elected official, lacking private sector experience on his resume that will let him do much beyond being an elected official. Part of what Weiner has been focused on for the last several days, according to sources, was exploring possible places where he could land.

But according to two sources, Weiner made up his mind to resign Wednesday night, and shortly after began making calls to inform them of his decision.

Weiner and DCCC chair Steve Israel — who had also called for his resignation — were in touch by phone and e-mail throughout the day on Wednesday. It was during a phone conversation toward the tail end of the White House picnic on Wednesday night when Weiner told Israel he would resign, according to a Democratic aide. Israel gave Pelosi his phone so she could get word from Weiner directly.

Speaking on CNN after Weiner’s announcement, Israel deflated immediate talk of a political future for Weiner.

“I can tell you absolutely firsthand that the only kind of recovery that Anthony Weiner is concerned about based on the conversations that I’ve had with him is not a political recovery, it is his personal recovery. It is his recovery with his wife and it is the baby that they are expecting,” Israel said. “I don’t believe that politics is… in the equation right now for Congressman Weiner.”

In a statement released shortly after the announcement, Pelosi — who had led the round of top Democrats calling for Weiner to resign on Saturday — said that he had made “poor judgment in his actions and poor judgment in his reaction to the revelations,” but had made “the right judgment in resigning.”

Weiner’s political mentor, Sen. Chuck Schumer, struck a more remorseful tone.

“On this sad day, we should not forget that Anthony Weiner was an effective and passionate advocate for the people he represented in Brooklyn and Queens. He has served his community, city, and country well for over two decades. I wish him, Huma, and his family only the best,” Schumer said, in a statement released by his office.

As word spread of Weiner’s announcement Thursday morning, Rep. Jerry Nadler, a fellow New York City Democrat, told POLITICO “It’s very sad, the whole thing is very sad. It’s a tragedy and I wish him well, what else can I say?”

Rep. Nita Lowey, one of the more senior New York Democrats, told POLITICO. “There’s life after Congress. I hope that he spends his time devoted to his wonderful wife Huma and I wish him good luck.”

Nadler and Lowey both shrugged when asked about his political future in New York.

Rep. Lacy Clay (D-Mo.) called Weiner a “die-hard member of our caucus. And I hope he gets needed help.”

“Sad,” Clay said of his feelings about the situation. “The entire situation is sad.”

Democrats are hoping that Weiner’s departure will help them get back to their message of jobs, the economy and protecting Medicare.

“There’s no question that our ability communicate on motivating issues,” such as Social Security and Medicare, “has been impaired by Mr. Weiner’s behavior,” Israel said earlier Thursday.

White House press secretary Jay Carney said early Thursday afternoon he was not “aware” of a conversation between Weiner and President Barack Obama since the congressman decided to resign.

The whole scandal has been a distraction, Carney said, and the only reason Obama commented on the situation — the president said he himself “would resign” if in Weiner’s shoes — was because “he was asked about it” in an interview Monday with NBC News.

Obama had simply “expressed his opinion” on Weiner, Carney said, stressing that the scandal is “not an issue that [the president] has been focused on.”

Boehner called the Weiner news “a distraction” on Thursday morning, declining further comment.

A handful of TV crews remained outside of Weiner’s office in the Rayburn Building on Thursday, where they have been camped out since the Twitter scandal broke. Staffers locked the office early this morning on their way out. Some passers-by snickered or used their smartphones to photograph themselves in front of Weiner’s hallway name plate before it’s removed.

Weiner was a major presence on cable news in recent years and a growing force in local politics back home in New York. He made a surprisingly strong run for New York City mayor in 2005, was seen as the prohibitive frontrunner going into the 2013 race, with high name recognition and $4 million already in the bank from an aborted 2009 run.

Former New York City Mayor Ed Koch told POLITICO on Thursday morning that he was “shocked” it took Weiner so long to resign but that it was “a good thing” he chose to do so before House Democrats stripped him of his committee assignments.

Still, Koch predicted that Weiner could one day find political redemption.

“The American public is very forgiving — they want the truth, but also contrition,” he said. He suggested serving “in some capacity that is a sacrifice … to find some community, some special social service to be provided to the children, to the elderly — he should decide for himself — to show his penitence.”

But redemption won’t come soon, and could only go so far.

Weiner “is toast for the next 10 or 15 years,” Koch said, and as for Weiner’s mayoral ambitions, “he is total toast on that” or another other citywide office.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Weiner’s onetime rival for that office, said Thursday that a situation like Weiner’s is “always tragic” and a “lost opportunity.” But Bloomberg added that Weiner made the right choice in deciding to resign. “You can’t just let this go on and on,” he said.

In a special election for the seat, which includes parts of Brooklyn and Queens, the Democratic and Republican nominees would be picked in a closed process by party leadership. For the Democrats, this would give most of the power to Rep. Joe Crowley, who heads the Queens Democratic Party. Assemblyman Rory Lancman is seen as one likely choice for the seat, with the names of former City Councilman Eric Gioia, former City Councilwoman Melinda Katz and current City Councilman Mark Weprin also circulating. For the Republicans, speculation has centered on City Councilman Eric Ulrich, though Bob Turner, a self-funded candidate who challenged Weiner in 2010, has also signaled his interest.

The timing of the special election is at the discretion of the governor, Andrew Cuomo, but his spokesman said no decision had yet been made.

“The governor will take the appropriate steps to ensure New Yorkers in the 9th district are fairly represented in Congress,” said a statement from Cuomo press secretary Josh Vlasto.

As for Weiner’s own future, the crowd at the senior center expressed dismay.

“I’m both sad for him personally and very angry that he couldn’t get over this aberration,” said Sally Herman, 86. “A man of his intellect should have been able to control it or get help. I don’t know if that kind of aberration can really be cured.”

“He could have been mayor!” chimed in Shirley Aranowitz. “If only he said at the beginning, ‘I’m sorry. I made a mistake. If he had just said I’m sorry, even. A lot of men make mistakes. If he just said i’m sorry, I would have at least forgiven him. But the lying — the lying, the lying,” she said, shaking her head.

Cohen questioned whether Weiner could eventually return to elected life.

“I’m not sure he’s as good as Eliot Spitzer, who will come back someday, because he is very smart,” Cohen said. “If people liked him, he has a shot at coming back. But he can’t come back in his present state.”

Jonathan Allen, Jake Sherman, Scott Wong and Laura Hautala contributed to this report.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus.

CORRECTION: Corrected by: Vivyan Tran @ 06/16/2011 12:18 PM CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus.