Anthony Weiner’s decision to resign from the U.S. House of Representatives following revelations that he had sent lewd photos of himself to women over the Internet lifts a distraction that has muddled the political message of House Democrats.
His departure will help Democrats focus on the Republican proposal to privatize Medicare, the government health-care program for older Americans, and the talks over increasing the government’s borrowing authority, according to one of the party’s House leaders.
“Our ability to communicate on motivational issues” such as the Republican plan for “the end of Medicare has been impaired by Mr. Weiner’s behavior,” Representative Steve Israel, who heads the House Democrats’ campaign effort, told reporters yesterday as word began to circulate of Weiner’s decision.
Israel was referring to the proposal, included in the House-passed budget plan for fiscal year 2012, that would provide subsidies for purchasing private health insurance to people who turn 65 starting in 2022. Democrats say that the plan would short-change future Medicare beneficiaries.
The revelations about Weiner began surfacing just days after voter opposition to the Medicare plan helped a Democrat win a May 24 special election for an open House seat in a reliably Republican district in western New York.
Israel, one of those who had privately urged Weiner to quit, told reporters yesterday that Democrats couldn’t get voters to hear their message above the buzz created over his fellow New Yorker.
Huma Abedin is pregnant with the couple's first child. She was absent as he announced his decision.
The Democrat said he had hoped to remain in Congress but conceded that his predicament had made that impossible. Instead, he said he would resign "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 heal from the damage I have caused."
That conclusion echoed party leaders who had become worried that the intense public focus on Weiner would complicate their campaign efforts in 2012.
"Congressman Weiner exercised poor judgment in his actions and poor judgment in his reaction to the revelations," House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said in a statement released moments after he spoke. "Today, he made the right judgment in resigning."
His problems began May 28 when a Web site run by conservative commentator Andrew Breitbart posted a lewd photo of an underwear-clad crotch and said it had been sent from Weiner's Twitter account to a Seattle woman.
As the scandalous chapter neared its conclusion, Ginger Lee, a former porn actress who exchanged e-mails and messages over Twitter with Weiner, said Wednesday at a news conference that he had asked her to lie about their interactions.
Weiner has been on leave from the House since last weekend. He had not been seen in public since telling reporters Saturday morning that he intended to return to work.
One official said Weiner telephoned Pelosi and Rep. Steve Israel of New York, the head of the party campaign committee, on Wednesday evening to tell them of his plans to quit. They had pressured him to resign.
President Barack Obama added to the pressure two days later, saying if he were in Weiner's situation, he would resign. Once Weiner did so, Obama told ABC's "Good Morning America" that "I wish Rep. Weiner and his lovely wife well. ... I'm confident that they'll ... end up being able to bounce back."
See also: Anthony Weiner scandal
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