“Lying is unforgivable. Lying publicly about something like this is unforgivable, and he should resign,” Kaine declared on Wednesday.
Kaine’s assertions came after Congressman Weiner admitted on Monday during a press conference that he lied about his Twitter account being hacked in order to cover up his indiscretions and inappropriate relationships with a number of women via phone and online communications.
Revelations about Weiner’s affairs surfaced when Weiner accidently tweeted a photo of himself in his underwear to his followers, a picture that was solely intended for a female college student.
Immediately following Kaine’s declaration, a number of Democrats came forward and made similar demands of their colleague, including Pennsylvania Representative Allyson Schwartz of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Schwartz said that Weiner’s “offensive behavior online” prompts the necessity for his resignation.
Likewise, Representative Mike Michaud of Maine announced that offering a resignation would be the best move Weiner could make for his own sake and his family’s. Massachusetts Representative Niki Tsongas announced through a spokesperson that “it would be appropriate for Congressman Weiner to step down,” while Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy called for Weiner’s resignation “in the best interest of the constituents and the U.S. House.”
Mike Ross, the only Democratic Congressman in Arkansas, as well as Arkansas’ only Democratic Senator Mark Pryor made similar statements, joining North Carolina Rep. Larry Kissell and Indiana Rep. Joe Donnelly.
Weiner is finding himself with fewer and fewer allies. Fox News writes:
Others in the party are, for the most part, either distancing themselves from Weiner or keeping their heads down. Republicans already had been calling for Weiner to resign. The reactions do not bode well for the seven-term congressman as he tries to convince his colleagues that he should remain in office.
Meanwhile, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi has already called for an ethics investigation into the matter and declared herself to be “deeply disappointed” by Weiner’s behavior.
Additionally, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid finally weighed in on the situation. “I know Congressman Weiner. I wish I could defend, but I cannot,” said Reid. When asked how he would react if he were to receive a call from the Congressman asking for advice, Reid said that he would instruct the Congressman, “Call somebody else.”
Thus far, the White House has not commented on the situation, nor has current DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz.
Strangely, Congressman Weiner has issued a formal apology to former President Bill Clinton for his behavior, as Clinton officiated at Weiner’s wedding last year to Huma Abedin, aide to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
As details of Weiner’s affairs became public, Abedin was traveling in Africa with the Secretary of State, and arrived in the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday.
Fox News contends that the controversy is not likely to die down anytime soon, particularly as an ethics investigation is in the works and more details of the affairs continue to leak.
This morning, the identity of the fifth woman with whom Weiner was involved was revealed. Thirty-four-year-old Traci Nobles of Atlanta, Georgia, was apparently “outed” by her unidentified roommate, who snuck into Nobles’ Facebook account and discovered messages between Nobles and Weiner. According to the roommate, Weiner had a number of pet names for Nobles, including “sexy” and “sugar.”
Despite Nobles’ hopes to keep her relationship with Weiner a secret, she now joins the ranks of Weiner’s other females: Gennette Nicole Cordova, Lisa Weiss, Meagan Broussard, and Gina Lee. And perhaps there are more.
Sadly, despite Weiner’s apparent lack of morals, New York voters continue to assert that Weiner would be their choice in the next election. According to The New American’s Selwyn Duke, a recent poll shows that 51 percent of New York City residents wish to see Weiner stay in Congress, while a mere 30 percent believes he should resign.
Duke observes, “This was taken right after the congressman’s admission that he not only created and sent the sexual material, but also lied about it. In a year’s time, the story will be just another in the liberals-will-be-liberals file.”
Related articles from The New American:
NY Cong. Weiner’s Scandal: Online Lewd Photos, Illicit Relationships
He May be a Dog, but Weiner Will be a Winner in 2012
Photo of Huma Abedin: AP Images
