Bobby Jindal

Bobby Jindal's Values Voter Summit Joke: Anthony Weiner Is Kinda Like A Pedophile!

Ryan J. Reilly | October 7, 2011, 9:45PM

Gov. Bobby Jindal (R-LA)

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) knows just how to crack up the audience at the Values Voter Summit: just make a joke about former Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) being a pedophile.

After a long winded speech about all his accomplishments protecting children from sex offenders, Jindal brought it home.

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Medicare

Ryan: Republicans Should Double Down On My Budget

Brian Beutler | September 27, 2011, 2:06PM

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) wants Congress to retain control of the fees that the United States Patent and Trademark Office collects and divert them to other government programs.

In a speech at Stanford University's conservative Hoover Institution, House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) offered a recitation of his controversial, alternative vision for the country's social safety net.

But despite the backlash Republicans have faced taken since they voted overwhelmingly in the spring to adopt his approach, Ryan says now's the time for conservatives and GOP candidates to renew their support for that vision, not to walk away from it.

[W]e took a few dings at first, we survived," Ryan admitted. "The Democrats' tried the same old scare tactics for a few months, and in the first special election that took place after our budget passed, we learned a costly lesson. We learned that unless we back up our ideas with courage, and defend them in the face of attacks, we will lose. But once we learned that lesson and started to get our message out... well, a funny thing happened: People listened. They learned that our plan did not affect those in or near retirement; that it guaranteed coverage options like the ones members of Congress enjoy; and that choice and competition would drive costs down and quality up. They also learned more about the Democrats' plans for Medicare, and they didn't like what they heard."

Ryan went on.

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special election

Upset Brewing? Poll Shows NY-9 Special Election Is Currently Tied

Benjy Sarlin | September 1, 2011, 6:17PM

NY-09 candidates Bob Turner (R) and David Weprin (D)

It's not looking good for Democrats in New York's 9th district, where voters will determine Anthony Weiner's successor on September 13th. A Republican-commissioned poll shows the race tied after a week in which Democratic nominee David Weprin fluffed a question on the size of the national debt.

The poll, by McLaughlin & Associates, found a 42-42 tie between Weprin and Republican Bob Turner among 300 likely voters surveyed. A poll last month by Siena University showed Weprin with a 46-40 lead, and even that was enough to raise alarm bells in the Democratic-leaning district.

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David Weprin

Gaffes Could Cost Democrats Anthony Weiner's Seat

Benjy Sarlin | August 31, 2011, 6:15AM

NY-09 candidates Bob Turner (R) and David Weprin (D)

Anthony Weiner's seat, which includes parts of Queens and Brooklyn, should be safe for Democrats, but the September 13 special election to replace him is proving surprisingly competitive. Democrat David Weprin is losing ground to Republican Bob Turner. Making matters worse for Democrats, Weprin has turned into a gaffe machine right as voters are tuning in for the final stretch.

The influential New York Daily News savaged Weprin over the weekend after he belly flopped on a simple question from their editors: what is the national debt? With a reported "deer in headlights" look, he twice guessed $4 trillion, about $10 trillion off from the correct answer. As cringe-worthy a moment as it was on its own, its impact is much worse in Weprin's case: he's been selling himself as a fiscal Mr. Fix-it, touting his eight years as chair of the City Council's finance committee as his top qualification.

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NY-09

It's Baaaack: 'Ground Zero Mosque' Becomes Campaign Issue In Race For Weiner's Seat

Jillian Rayfield | August 12, 2011, 6:00AM

NY-09 candidates Bob Turner (R) and David Weprin (D)

If you thought the controversy over New York City's Cordoba House Islamic Center was long over, Republican NY-09 candidate Bob Turner wants you to think again.

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Barack Obama

Is Tweeting Unpresidential? Obama Will Hold Twitter Town Hall But Will Not Tweet

Susan Crabtree | July 6, 2011, 5:45AM

President Barack Obama

President Obama will hold his first ever Twitter town hall Wednesday at 2 p.m., but there is little if any chance the tweeting of this presidency will result in the same sort of online mishaps that make the new social medium such a tempting but dangerous place for many pols.

The White House and Twitter, which is co-hosting the Tweet-up, is taking measures to ensure there's no chance Obama will fall prey to some of the Twitter mishaps that have ensnared the likes of Sarah Palin (who memorably and quite unintentionally coined the new word "refudiate" in one tweet) and former Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) who showed just how easily Twitter can get you into trouble by a simple slip of the mouse or misdirected twitpic.

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Anthony Weiner

Anthony Weiner Replacement Election Set For Sept. 13

Evan McMorris-Santoro | July 1, 2011, 2:25PM

Voters in New York's 9th Congressional District will head to the polls to choose disgraced Democratic Rep. Anthony Weiner's replacement on Sept. 13, Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) announced today.

That makes the second Tuesday in September a kind of mini-Super Tuesday for special election fans and sex scandal observers: voters in Nevada's 2nd Congressional District will also go to the polls to fill the seat vacated by Sen. Dean Heller (R) when he was appointed following disgraced Sen. John Ensign's (R) resignation earlier this year.

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Anthony Weiner

Anthony Weiner Sends Formal Resignation Letter

Benjy Sarlin | June 20, 2011, 4:25PM

Anthony Weiner

It's official: after declaring his intention to step down from Congress last week, Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) will officially resign his office Tuesday on midnight.

He announced his intentions on Monday in a brief letter to Governor Andrew Cuomo, Speaker John Boehner, and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi:

I hereby resign as the Member of the House of Representatives for New York's Ninth Congressional District effective at midnight, Tuesday, June 21, 2011. It has been an honor to serve the people of Queens and Brooklyn

Sincerely,

Anthony. D. Weiner
Member of Congress

The future of Weiner's district is unclear. While the governor is likely to call a special election to find a replacement, it's possible the seat will be lost entirely to redistricting, leaving whoever wins as a brief caretaker.

Andrew Breitbart

Andrew Breitbart: I Saved Anthony Weiner From Blackmail (VIDEO)

Evan McMorris-Santoro | June 20, 2011, 1:05PM

Conservative Blogger Andrew Breitbart

Andrew Breitbart says he saved Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) from an inevitable extortion scandal when he helped publicize the graphic tweet that led to Weiner's downfall.

Breitbart gleefully took partial credit for Weiner's resignation in his speech at the RightOnline conference in Minneapolis this weekend. In an impromptu interview, Breitbart says that he holds all sex scandal-plagued politicians in the same negative light, regardless of party.

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Anthony Weiner

Breitbart: 'I Loved Every Second Of It, Congressman Weiner'

Evan McMorris-Santoro | June 17, 2011, 10:42PM

Andrew Breitbart

MINNEAPOLIS -- Andrew Breitbart didn't talk much about Rep. Anthony Weiner at his RightOnline keynote here Friday night, but the disgraced New York Democrat was never far from his mind.

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Anthony Weiner

Markos On Weiner: 'The Guy's An Idiot. No Sympathy.'

Evan McMorris-Santoro | June 16, 2011, 4:30PM

Markos Moulitsas, Founder of the Daily Kos

MINNEAPOLIS -- If Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-Resigned) thought his progressive allies would stand by him through his resignation, he must not have talked to Markos Moulitsas recently.

Asked about Weiner's resignation after a panel at the Netroots Nation conference here, Moulitsas was blunt. Weiner didn't need to resign, he said, but the Democratic firebrand doesn't need to be defended either.

"The guy's an idiot," Moulitsas said. "No sympathy."

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Anthony Weiner

Anthony Weiner Resigns Over Twitter Scandal

Benjy Sarlin & Eric Lach | June 16, 2011, 2:30PM

Anthony Weiner

Congressman Anthony Weiner announced his resignation from Congress on Thursday, over a series of lewd photos he sent to women online.

"I had hoped to be able to continue the work that the citizens of my district elected me to do, to fight for the middle class and those struggling to make it," he said. "Unfortunately the distraction I have created has made that impossible, so today I am announcing my resignation from Congress so my colleagues can get back to work."

The last few weeks were an embarrassing circus for the Congressman as more and more salacious details about his personal life emerged, from purported naked photos to alleged racy chat logs, and the lawmaker was besieged by reporters. His final press conference at a senior center in Brooklyn, was no different, featuring a mix of boos and cheers as he announced his decision and a prankster from the Howard Stern show screaming questions about his sexual prowess throughout.

Weiner's decision followed an intense and highly public campaign among Democratic officials -- from the White House down -- to force his departure in the wake of the scandal. House caucus members had planned to discuss stripping of his committee assignments on Thursday before word of his resignation broke in the morning. Republicans, including Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), had also called on him to leave office and pressured Democrats to return his campaign donations.

Weiner had few prominent defenders by the end. President Obama told NBC that he would resign were he in Weiner's shoes. Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) repeatedly demanded he step down, dismissing attempts by Weiner to buy time with a leave of absence in which to seek treatment. Members frequently expressed frustration that Weiner's ongoing scandal distracted from their policy agenda. The timing was particularly unfortunate as Democrats were finally gaining significant traction on their Medicare message, winning an upset race in New York's 26th district with a campaign focused on the issue. In an illustration of how the issue dominated coverage, several TV networks cut away from a Nancy Pelosi press conference on jobs Thursday immediately after she said she would not address Weiner's reported departure.

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CNN

ALL Major Cable Nets Cut Away When Pelosi Talks Jobs Over Weiner (VIDEO)

Brian Beutler | June 16, 2011, 12:29PM

The DC media's jaw-dropping obsession with the Anthony Weiner sexting scandal will peter out when the New York congressman officially resigns this afternoon. But there's no better illustration of how this story came to consume the press than the video below.

Democrats had been prepared to up the pressure on Weiner to resign Thursday, but not before House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi held her weekly press availability in a large studio in the basement of the Capitol Visitors Center.

Her conference began minutes after the news of Weiner's impending resignation leaked, and so reporters and cameras scrambled to what otherwise would have been a fairly routine press event. Indeed, because Dems are in the minority, it's not uncommon for Pelosi events to be under-attended by members the media. Not this time.

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NY-09

Weiner's District: An Established Dem Advantage, But Growing GOP Strength

Eric Kleefeld | June 16, 2011, 10:18AM

Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY)

With Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) resigning from Congress, it is worth looking at the statistics from his district for the upcoming special election.

Roll Call has rated the seat, based 70% in Queens plus parts of Brooklyn as "Safe Democratic." The Dems certainly do have the advantage, but underneath there have been some shifts in the Republicans' direction in recent cycles.

The district voted 55%-44% for Barack Obama in 2008 -- but a decade ago it was even more Democratic, having voted in 2000 for Al Gore by 68%-30%, but then shifted to only 56%-44% for John Kerry in 2004. This actually puts the district among the few in the country where Obama under-performed Kerry's percentage, though only by a slight margin.

On the Congressional level, Weiner never faced serious opposition. For example, he won 61% of the vote in 2010, 93% in 2008, was unopposed in 2006. Thus, Democrats begin with a hefty advantage here, especially in the wake of the Dems' pickup of the upstate NY-26 based on Republican proposals to privatize Medicare. But nevertheless, this one bears keeping an eye on.

Anthony Weiner

Anthony Weiner Resigning

June 16, 2011, 9:58AM

Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY)

By Benjy Sarlin

TPM has confirmed that after weeks of increasingly embarrassing revelations and building pressure from within his own party, Congressman Anthony Weiner (D-NY) will on Thursday resign his seat in Congress. He told Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) of his decision on Wednesday evening.

On Thursday morning, TPM witnessed staffers leaving his Capitol Hill office, turning out the lights with boxes of belongings in hand.

Weiner will hold a press conference in New York at 2 PM, according to multiple reports. Pelosi told reporters on Thursday morning that she would not have any comment until after the New York lawmaker speaks.

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Anthony Weiner

DNC Chair Explains Why Clinton Got To Stay But Weiner Has To Go

Evan McMorris-Santoro | June 15, 2011, 10:07AM

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL)

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), the newly-crowned chair of the DNC, explained to a Washington audience Wednesday why she's called for embattled Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) to resign after he lied about sex while Bill Clinton and other politicians have been allowed to keep their jobs for doing the same thing.

The answer, Wasserman Schultz said, comes down to effectiveness.

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Anthony Weiner

Nancy Pelosi Explains To Caucus Why Weiner Has To Go

Benjy Sarlin | June 14, 2011, 11:34AM

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)

Emerging from her first meeting with the Democratic caucus since calling for Rep. Anthony Weiner's (D-NY) resignation, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) told reporters that she used the gathering to explain her decision to cut him off.

"Because we have been on break this past weekend, Members have been in their districts. ... I wanted to be sure that they knew why I came to the conclusion that with the love of his family, the confidence of his constituents, and the need for help, that Congressman Weiner should resign from the Congress," Pelosi said. "I'm never prouder of my colleagues than in times of challenge like this, that our caucus understands our concern for the rights of the individual member but our higher responsibility to our country to uphold a high ethical standard in the Congress of the United States."

Pelosi declined to take follow up questions, including on whether Weiner would be stripped of his committee assignments if he failed to resign. Earlier in the day, Speaker Boehner called on Weiner to step down as well.

Anthony Weiner

John Boehner: Time For Anthony Weiner To Step Down

Evan McMorris-Santoro | June 14, 2011, 11:22AM

Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH)

It was inevitable: after virtually all the Democratic leaders in Washington -- including President Obama -- called on Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) to step down, House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) wasn't going to argue.

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Anthony Weiner

No Win: GOP Tell Dems To Return Weiner Donations, Slams Them When They Do

Benjy Sarlin | June 14, 2011, 9:56AM

Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY)

If you're a Democrat hoping to get Republicans off your back by returning a donation from Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY), it's best not to get your hopes up. After demanding a number of Democratic members wash their hands of the "tainted" cash, the NRCC is slamming those who actually take their advice for being spineless flip floppers.

The NRCC has made a big deal of pressuring Democrats to cough up the Weiner cash. Or, more precisely, emailing the press to demand the contributions be returned. For example, last week the NRCC put out a release calling on Rep. Betty Sutton (D-OH) and a number of other lawmakers to give up the money, saying they must choose between "returning the scandal-tainted donations [they] received from Congressman Weiner or silently condoning his colleague's lewd and bizarre behavior that could lead to a potential ethics violation."

The very same day, Sutton announced she was doing just that. Not good enough, NRCC spokesman Tory Mazzola said.

"It's clear that Rep. Sutton is only ridding her campaign coffers of this tainted cash because she's worried about her reelection," Mazzola wrote in e-mail to reporters. "She may have caved to GOP pressure as it relates to Rep. Weiner's scandal, but voters shouldn't count on her to do the right thing and oppose Nancy Pelosi's partisan, tax-and-spend agenda that amounts to more government and debt, instead of real job creation."

On Monday, the NRCC went after Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT), saying he hesitated too long before giving back the money.

"After waiting a week, it's clear that he's not doing this because it's the right thing to do but instead because he's feeling the political pressures of the reelection fight ahead of him, especially when combined with his out-of-touch record of tax hikes and reckless spending," Mazzola said in a statement.

It wasn't the first time Democrats had been trapped in a no-win situation by the NRCC. Last month, Republicans blasted out emails slamming House Democrats who voted for a bill that would raise the debt ceiling -- and another batch targeting the Democrats who sided with the GOP and voted against it.

Asked about its practice of criticizing Democrats for following through on the GOP's own requests, NRCC communications director Paul Lindsay told TPM: "Democrats make a lot of bad decisions, and we hold them accountable for all of them."

Anthony Weiner

Pelosi: I Hope Obama's Words Push Weiner To Resign

Evan McMorris-Santoro | June 13, 2011, 7:51PM

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) reiterated her calls for embattled Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) to step down after President Obama jumped on the resignation bandwagon Monday.

Speaking to reporters outside her office on Capitol Hill, Pelosi said that "none of us, not anybody here has the power to force somebody out of office." But she said that she thinks Weiner should heed the suggestion from his party's leaders, including Obama, that it's time to go.

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Anthony Weiner

President Obama: If I Were In Weiner's Shoes 'I Would Resign'

Benjy Sarlin | June 13, 2011, 6:29PM

Barack Obama

Escalating his involvement in the ongoing Anthony Weiner (D-NY) scandal, President Obama said on Monday that he would step down if he were in the Congressman's shoes.

"I can tell you that if it was me, I would resign,'' Obama told NBC's Ann Curry. Obama, who called Weiner's actions "highly inappropriate," added: "When you get to the point where, because of various personal distractions, you can't serve as effectively as you need to, at the time when people are worrying about jobs, and their mortgages, and paying the bills -- then you should probably step back."

The interview, while falling short of a direct call for Weiner's resignation, represents the first time Obama has directly addressed the issue. Earlier in the day White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters aboard Air Force One that Weiner had become a "distraction" and decried Weiner's "dishonesty" in lying about a lewd photo he sent from his Twitter account to a female college student.

A number of top Democratic officials, including Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), have demanded Weiner resign. He has resisted their calls so far, electing instead to take a leave of absence to seek professional treatment.

Anthony Weiner

Crazytown: Washington Times Yanks Post Suggesting Anthony Weiner Is A Secret Muslim

Benjy Sarlin | June 13, 2011, 2:55PM

No, that headline is not a joke: There really was a post in the "Communities" section of Washington Times website today suggesting that Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) converted to Islam. Even by the ever-increasing standards of right-wing conspiracy theories, this one is truly out there, and the paper appears to have already taken it down.

The post's author is "Goodwill Ambassador Eliana Benador," who works for an organization that represents West Bank settlers in Israel. Longtime readers of TPM may recall her from her days as a PR rep for anti-Iran neoconservatives: in 2006 one of her clients spread a phony story about the Iranian government requiring Jews to wear yellow stars on their clothing.

In her post, Benador claims that because an imam in New York offered unsolicited advice in a newspaper article to Weiner's wife Huma Abedin, whose father was an Islamic scholar from Pakistan, there must be an understanding between Islamic leaders and Weiner that the congressman has secretly converted to Islam. That's literally the entirety of her evidence: a wildly misconstrued quote in a fluff piece that appeared in a tabloid daily. From her post:

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Anthony Weiner

Eric Cantor To Dems: Strip Anthony Weiner Of His Committee Posts

Benjy Sarlin | June 13, 2011, 1:53PM

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) and Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY)

Majority Leader Eric Cantor escalated the GOP's war of words over Rep. Anthony Weiner's (D-NY) online indiscretions on Monday, calling on Democrats to remove him of his committee assignments if they can't push him out of office.

"I called on him to resign early, because I think that this kind of behavior is unacceptable, the way that his leaders now have called on him to resign." Cantor said at a pen and pad briefing. "I'm hoping that they will begin to move, if he does not resign, toward perhaps stripping him of his committees."

Cantor was among the first Republicans to wade into the Weiner scandal, which other members of his party largely avoided until after the New York Democrat confessed to lying about a lewd photo he sent to a Seattle college student.

As Cantor referenced in his remarks, top Democrats have already made abundantly clear that it's time for Weiner to go. Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi joined with a legion of Democratic officials over the weekend in publicly demanding his resignation, including DNC chair Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, DCCC chair Steve Israel, and Minority Whip Steny Hoyer. Weiner has announced he will take a leave of absence instead to seek professional treatment, a move that Pelosi has made clear falls short of her call for him to step down.

"I think he should resign, I think his leaders should do everything they can to bring him to that point if he's not already," Cantor said on Monday.

Update: A senior Democratic aide e-mails TPM: "The bottom line is that Rep. Weiner should resign and the GOP is engaged in a pathetic attempt to grab headlines in order to distract from their no jobs agenda. It's been 160 days since the GOP took control of the House, and Americans are still asking: Where are the jobs, House Republicans?"

Anthony Weiner

Et Tu, Obama? White House Labels Anthony Weiner A 'Distraction'

Benjy Sarlin | June 13, 2011, 11:58AM

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney

Rep. Anthony Weiner's (D-NY) ongoing scandal has finally drawn the White House into the fray, with President Obama's press secretary Jay Carney decrying the lawmaker's "dishonesty" on Monday.

The presidential spokesman told reporters on Air Force One that Weiner's antics had become a "distraction from important business."

"The President feels, we feel at the White House, this is a distraction," Carney said. "As Congressman Weiner has said himself, his behavior was inappropriate, dishonesty was inappropriate. But the President is focused on his job which is getting this economy continuing to grow, creating jobs and ensuring the safety and security of the American people."

An array of top Democratic officials called for Weiner's resignation in recent days, including Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), DNC chair Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-FL), and DCCC chair Steve Israel (D-NY). Carney declined to offer a response either way on the question of whether the embattled lawmaker should step down in light of the ongoing sexting scandal.

"I answered that question," he said in response to a query on what Weiner should do. "We think it's a distraction from the important business that this President needs to conduct and Congress needs to conduct. Beyond that I don't have any comment."

Weiner announced over the weekend that he will seek professional treatment while taking a leave of absence from the House. But the White House's biting comments on his "dishonesty" and "inappropriate" behavior is a clear sign that they're growing concerned about his impact on the party's image and messaging.

Anthony Weiner

Anthony Weiner Taking Leave Of Absence To Seek Treatment

Benjy Sarlin | June 11, 2011, 3:48PM

Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY)

Rep Anthony Weiner (D-NY) will leave Congress temporarily to tend to his personal life, a spokeswoman for the Congressman, Risa Heller told TPM on Saturday. The move falls short of a resignation, which Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and a group of top Democratic officials publicly demanded earlier the same day.

"Congressman Weiner departed this morning to seek professional treatment to focus on becoming a better husband and healthier person," the statement reads. "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."

If his goal was to head off the calls for his resignation from Democratic leadership, he did not succeed. "At the time of her statement this afternoon, Leader Pelosi was already aware of Congressman Weiner's intention to take a leave of absence in order to seek treatment," an aide to Pelosi told TPM in an e-mail.

Weiner's announcement came shortly after his office confirmed that the Congressman exchanged messages online with a 17-year old female high school student in Delaware, although he and the family of the girl in question both say that nothing inappropriate occurred.

According to House rules, members can request a formal "leave of absence," but the term has no actual legal or constitutional significance. The Congressional Record often notes leaves of absence on individual votes with explanations like illness, official business, or family matters, with their inclusion approved by unanimous consent, but a substantial leave may fall under a separate procedure. A Democratic aide told TPM that members' requests for a leave of absence over an extended period are approved automatically, but Speaker Boehner's office is reportedly still consulting the rules to determine whether that's correct.

Update 6/12/11: Leaves of absence do not require approval from Speaker Boehner and are handled within Weiner's caucus, according to a Republican aide.

Anthony Weiner

Pelosi, Wasserman Schultz And Israel Call On Weiner To Resign

Eric Kleefeld | June 11, 2011, 2:19PM

The House Democratic leadership went public today with their unequivocal desire for Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) to resign his office as a result of a scandal involving sexual conversations and explicit photos sent over the Internet. Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), DNC Chair and Florida Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, and DCCC Chair and fellow New York Congressman Steve Israel simultaneously released statements calling on Weiner to resign.

Pelosi and Israel had both previously called for an Ethics Committee investigation.

This new move comes in the wake of Weiner's refusal to resign, after multiple Democratic representatives had called for his resignation, with Weiner having been buoyed by polling data showing that his constituents back home did not think he should resign.

These statements also come on the heels of reports which emerged Friday night about a teenaged girl in Delaware who was questioned by police over a past online exchange with Weiner. There is as yet no evidence that the communications were of a sexual nature. The girl's lawyer has said there were no inappropriate conversations, and Weiner's office has also denied that any sexual discussions took place.

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Anthony Weiner

Weiner To Dems: Nope, Not Resigning, Sorry

Benjy Sarlin | June 10, 2011, 1:11PM

Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY)

If the last week didn't convince Anthony Weiner (D-NY) to resign, it's hard to see what will.

Democrats in Washington couldn't have made it clearer that they want Weiner gone fast. Within minutes of his nationally televised confession on Monday, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) called for an ethics investigation and was seconded immediately by DCCC chair Steve Israel (D-NY). By the end of the week an array of Democrats, including DCCC official Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D-PA), were openly demanding he step down. On the Senate side, Harry Reid more or less told Weiner to drop dead, acidly saying his advice to the lawmaker would be to "Call somebody else." On the other side of the ledger, virtually no Democratic officials have moved to defend him.

But Weiner has stuck to his guns, emerging from 24-hour deathwatch unbroken after an onslaught of humiliating stories ranging from a reported X-rated photo to dozens of pages of alleged raunchy chats to a New York Times story on his wife Huma Abedin's pregnancy.

"I betrayed a lot of people and I know it and I'm trying to get back to work now and try to make amends to my constituents, and of course to my family of course," he told the New York Post on Thursday. "I'm going to go back to my community office and try to get some work done."

While the shouts for his resignation may be intense in DC, take the Amtrak to New York and the scene looks very different. Local politicos say they aren't surprised to see Weiner digging in.

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Anthony Weiner

Progressives Call On Democrats To Show Some Spine After Weiner Scandal

Evan McMorris-Santoro | June 10, 2011, 6:45AM

Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY)

A growing chorus of progressives is calling on Democrats to keep their mouths shut when it comes to Rep. Anthony Weiner's (D-NY) future -- and are dismissing the Democratic calls for Weiner to step down as another sign of the timidity of the party.

It's not so much that Weiner didn't screw up royally, they say. It's that they say it's just not that big a deal, and making it into one falls into a Republican trap. And, besides, they say, as long as Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) is still walking the halls of the Capitol, why should the left be forced to lose one of its most ardent supporters?

It's not clear how far this will develop. Defending Weiner is not something many are willing to do. But for some progressives, the response to Weiner is another sign of the Democratic party letting its left wing down.

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Anthony Weiner

Poll: Majority Of Weiner's Constituents Think He Should Stay In Office

Jon Terbush | June 9, 2011, 6:00PM

Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY)

While lawmakers from Rep. Anthony Weiner's (D-NY) own party have now begun to call for his resignation, a Marist poll released Thursday night finds that his constituents think he should stay.

In the poll, 56% of registered voters in Weiner's NY-9 district think he should remain in office, while only a third (33%) think he should resign. That result comes as further salacious details about the Twitter scandal have come to light.

However, voters are as yet undecided on whether they'll support Weiner when he's up for reeleciton in 2012. Thirty percent of respondents said they'd definitely vote for him next year, compared to 31% who said they would definitely not. A 38% plurality said it was too early to say for sure who they'll vote for in the next election cycle.

It's the first poll to survey voters solely in Weiner's home district, and the first conducted several days out from Weiner's Monday press conference when he first admitted to sending lewd photos and flirting with multiple women on the Internet.

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Anthony Weiner

Anthony Weiner: I'm Not Resigning (VIDEO)

Evan McMorris-Santoro | June 9, 2011, 1:57PM

A growing number of voices in his own party may be telling him to leave Congress, but embattled Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) says he's not going anywhere.

Weiner told the New York Post today that stepping down is not an option.

"I'm not," Weiner said when asked if he planned to resign.

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Anthony Weiner

Another Democratic Rep. Calls On Weiner To Get Out

Evan McMorris-Santoro | June 8, 2011, 6:06PM

Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY)

Rep. Nikki Tsongas (D-MA) called on Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) to resign from Congress, joining a growing public call for Weiner to step down from his Democratic colleagues.

The AP reports Tsongas said through an aide that "it would be appropriate" for Weiner to resign following revelations that he had multiple virtual relationships with women across the country over the past three years.

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Anthony Weiner

Weiner Gave $2K For Rangel's Legal Defense, But Didn't Pony Up For Party

Susan Crabtree | June 8, 2011, 5:59PM

Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY)

Even though Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) couldn't find it in his heart to do his full part in ponying up to help his party in elections, he managed to donate to Rep. Charlie Rangel's legal defense fund, according to a TPM search of his campaign finance records.

Weiner cut a check for $2,000 to Rangel's defense fund in January to help defray the roughly $2 million in legal fees Rangel amassed after a nearly three-year investigation into a string of financial irregularities, which resulted in a House censure last year.

But the embarrassed and embattled Weiner has yet to donate any money to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee so far this cycle. The stinginess has been duly noted, party insiders say, and has contributed to his reputation as a shameless self-promoter who was only using his Congressional post as a stepping stone to the New York mayor's office.

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Anthony Weiner

Top Democratic Rep Calls For Anthony Weiner's Resignation

Evan McMorris-Santoro | June 8, 2011, 3:32PM

Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D-PA)

Updated 6:36

The Democratic dominoes are starting to fall for embattled Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY). Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D-PA), who serves among the leadership of the DCCC, told Politico Wednesday afternoon that it's time for Weiner to go. Schwartz' office confirmed the news to TPM.

As Wednesday evening went on, more Democrats joined the Weiner resignation bandwagon. Sen. Patrick Leahy (VT) and Reps. Nikki Tsongas (MA) and Joe Donnelly (IN) called on Weiner to step down from Congress, as did Reps. Mike Michaud (ME), Mike Ross (AR) and Larry Kissell (NC).

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Anthony Weiner

Early Polls Of NYC Find No Consensus On Whether Weiner Should Resign

Jon Terbush | June 8, 2011, 6:45AM

Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY)

Two polls conducted immediately following Rep. Anthony Weiner's (D-NY) apologetic press conference -- in which he admitted to sending a lewd photo of himself to a Seattle woman as well as a string of past virtual trysts -- produced contrasting results about whether New York City residents think the congressman should resign.

In a Marist poll conducted just hours after Weiner's admission on Monday afternoon, a 51% majority of New Yorkers said the congressman should not resign from office, while 30% said he should. However, a Survey USA poll conducted at the same time found that a 46% plurality of New Yorkers do want Weiner to resign, compared to 41% who said he should remain in office.

Neither pollster phrased their question in way that indicated Weiner had admitted any culpability in the scandal. In his press conference, Weiner acknowledged that he had exhibited "terrible judgement," but said that he would remain in office.

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Harry Reid

Reid On Weiner: 'I Wish I Could Defend Him But I Can't'

Evan McMorris-Santoro | June 7, 2011, 2:51PM

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV)

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid declined to say today whether embattled Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) should step down following the revelations about his extracurricular social media adventures.

But Reid made it clear he was not going to stand up for Weiner, who was until very recently one of the most popular Democrats among the party faithful.

"I know Congressman Weiner," Reid said. "I wish there was someway I could defend him but I can't."

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Anthony Weiner

Cantor Calls On Weiner To Resign

Eric Kleefeld | June 7, 2011, 2:47PM

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) and Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY)

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) is now calling on Democratic New York Rep. Anthony Weiner to resign, in the wake of Weiner's admission on Monday that he has engaged in online sexual exchanges with younger women, and that he had lied about the matter for the past week after accidentally posting a public Tweet, intended to have been a direct message to a college student, of a photo of his underwear-clad crotch.

"I don't condone his activity. And I think he should resign," Cantor said after a Chamber of Commerce luncheon in Louisa, Virginia, the Charlottesville Daily Progress reports.

"We've got a lot of serious challenges in this country and a lot of work for Congress to do," Cantor also added. "The last thing we need to do is get enmeshed in a discussion about Congressman Weiner and his Twitter activities."

Anthony Weiner

Anthony Weiner's Brutal Week: The Lowlights (VIDEO)

Benjy Sarlin | June 6, 2011, 7:03PM

Rep. Anthony Weiner's (D-NY) teary press conference Monday put an end to a week of clumsy deception as the Congressman tried to cover up a lewd tweet he had sent a college student in Seattle. Along the way he careened wildly through an dizzying mix of strategies, from stonewalling reporters to offering up dozens of interviews at once, never offering a complete answer to the questions surrounding his behavior.

TPM compiled some of the highlights - or lowlights rather - from Weiner calling a CNN producer a "jackass" while he stonewalled reporters after Memorial Day, to his now-infamous admission that he could not say "with certitude" whether the picture sent from his Twitter handle depicted his own groin, and finally the cringe-inducing press conference revealing his cover-up.

Video after the jump.

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Anthony Weiner

Pelosi Calls For Ethics Investigation Of Weiner In Wake Of Sexting Scandal

Susan Crabtree | June 6, 2011, 6:34PM

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) quickly called for an ethics investigation of Rep. Anthony Weiner's (D-NY) sexting after Weiner held a lengthy press conference admitting to the extramarital online activity and lying to try to cover it up.

"I am deeply disappointed and saddened about this situation; for Anthony's wife, Huma, his family, his staff and his constituents," Pelosi said in an statement. "I am calling for an Ethics Committee investigation to determine whether any official resources were used or any other violation of House rules occurred."

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Anthony Weiner

Republicans Look To Tar Democrats With Weiner Scandal

Benjy Sarlin | June 6, 2011, 5:35PM

Capitalizing off of Rep. Anthony Weiner's (D-NY) shock press conference admitting to sending lewd tweets to a college student, Republican officials are trying to tar Democrats with the lawmaker's scandal.

"It's time for Democratic leadership to explain why Congressman Weiner's actions never aroused any suspicion, and why they rushed to his defense while so many Americans were shocked and confused by his bizarre and disturbing behavior," Paul Lindsay, communications director for the National Republican Congressional Committee, said in a statement.

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Anthony Weiner

Anthony Weiner Admits He Tweeted Lewd Photos, Will Not Resign

Benjy Sarlin & Eric Lach | June 6, 2011, 4:59PM

Anthony Weiner admitted to lying about a lewd photo he sent to a college student in Washington state, telling reporters at a press conference in New York that he concocted a phony hacking story in a panic after deleting the public message.

"Last Friday night I tweeted a photograph of myself that I intended to send as a direct message as part of a joke to a woman in Seattle," he said, fighting back tears. "Once I realized I had posted to Twitter, I panicked, I took it down and said I had been hacked. I then continued to stick to that story which was a hugely regrettable mistake."

He added: "To be clear, the picture was of me and I sent this. I am deeply sorry for the pain this has caused my wife Huma and our family and my constituents, friends, supporters and staff."

As for his own future, Weiner pledged to remain in Congress, saying he had not broken any law to his knowledge. "I am not resigning," Weiner said, telling reporters he would try to convince his constituents this was a "personal failing" and did not alter his record.

Weiner said that he traded inappropriate messages and emails with six women over the last three years, including some exchanges after his marriage last year to Huma Abedin, a longtime aide to Hillary Clinton. Abedin was not present at the press conference. Weiner said he thought the women he exchanged messages with were all of legal age, but he conceded he had no way to know for sure.

"I don't know the exact ages of the women," he said. "And I don't know if you do, I'm going to respect their privacy. But they were all adults -- at least, to the best of my knowledge, they were all adults, and they were engaging in these conversations consensually."

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