Just after 2:20 p.m. at a Sheepshead Bay senior center, embattled Congressmember Anthony Weiner stoically addressed a throng of reporters to announce that he would be stepping down from Congress
Weiner ended a three-week-long "sexless" sex scandal that embarrassed him, his family, friends, colleagues and most importantly, his constituents in New York’s Ninth Congressional District.
He began his surreal trip to oblivion by Twittering a photo of his crotch to several women including one 17-year-old in Georgia. He lied to cover up the truth, claiming his Twitter account was hacked as more photos of Weiner were published by the media.
He used his home office and the House gym as backdrops for his perverted exhibitionism that he sent via the social media.
Weiner blew his political career as a 12-year member of Congress after serving six years as a City Councilmember. He had made a fiery speech o the House floor over the failed 9/11 health bill and was one of the preeminent candidates for mayor in 2013.
During his time in Congress Weiner sponsored 191 bills, 180 of which never made it out of committee and none were successfully enacted, according to govtrack.us. During that same period he co-sponsored 1,909 bills.
Governor Andrew Cuomo will likely call a Special Election to be held in 70 to 80 days. The state and local GOP leaders are already talking which candidates could run for Weiner’s seat including businessman Bob Turner who garnered 40 percent of the vote against incumbent candidate Weiner in the last election.
Over in Queens Rudy Giuliani is backing City Councilmember Eric Ulrich and has met with him to encourage the first-term lawmaker to run.
Queens Democratic leader Joe Crowley has a few candidates of his own including his cousin Councilmember Elizabeth Crowley, former Councilmember Melinda Katz, Councilmembers James Gennaro, Mark Weprin, Assemblyman Rory Lancman and Jay Otano, legal counsel to Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz.
The political aspirations of all of the above mentioned could be dashed if Weiner’s 9th Congressional District is carved and eliminated though next year’s redistricting. According to the 2010 Census, New York has to lose two districts due to population declines and shifts.
The Queens Courier family of publications extends its deepest sympathies to Mayor Michael Bloomberg on the loss of his mother, Charlotte Bloomberg.
