Oops, he did it again

When disgraced former Congressman Anthony Weiner announced this past May he would run for Mayor of New York City, he emphasized that news of past online dalliances may crop up. The insinuation was some of the "sexting" relationships Weiner had prior to resigning from Congress were not brought to light two years ago but would likely be dredged up once he decided to seek elected office.

On Tuesday, Weiner was forced to admit that this lewd behavior had continued even after his June 2011 resignation from the U.S. House.

Mr. Weiner, appearing solemn and a bit worn as he faced more than 100 journalists amid the cubicles in a vacant Chelsea office, acknowledged that his habit of sending sexual images and texts to female fans had continued for more than a year after he left Congress vowing to seek treatment and change his behavior.

“It’s in our rearview mirror, but it’s not far,” he said.

The revelation collides with the narrative Mr. Weiner has offered throughout the campaign, in which he has repeatedly suggested that he has spent his time since leaving Congress rehabilitating himself and repairing his family relationships. After a late entry into the race, he had rapidly risen in the polls, and performed strongly in fund-raising, as his relentless focus on ideas and his omnipresence helped ease the concerns of many voters.

On Tuesday, he pleaded with the public to trust his assertions that he is now a changed man, despite the news that his online adventures had continued through last summer.

The depths of Weiner's arrogance knows no bounds. After his tearful apology two years ago to his wife, family, friends and constituents, Weiner continued this disgusting activity for another year. Only after revelations of those habits resurfacing was he willing to show contrition, all in hopes of saving a possibly resurrected political career.

Some of the immediate reaction included sympathy for Weiner's wife, Huma Abedin. While I understand that to a degree, that fact is she made the choice to stay with her husband after the initial incidents two years ago. And after what she emphasized as "a lot of work, and a whole lot of therapy" to get to a place to forgive her husband, she apparently supported his reentry into the political arena. Given that Weiner is no-holds-barred type of politician, any kind of high profile faux pas would result in overwhelming scrutiny of his private life (the couple now has an 18-month old son to take in to account).

Another angle to this saga is Abedin being a longtime aide to Hillary Clinton. Many folks speculated that she turned to Clinton for crisis management in dealing with a sleazy husband. Who knows if that's the case, since Clinton seemed to stick with her husband more out of political opportunism. I highly doubt Abedin has any such aspirations.

Given Weiner's last name makes for unintentionally hilarious double entendres, the sad fact is he seemed to have some sort of sexual addiction. Despite losing his job as a highly respected (at least by the left wing) Congressman and having to fight to save his marriage, Weiner still swayed into that seedy life of online "sexting." While I sincerely hope the citizens of New York City reject his extreme left wing agenda (primary elections are in seven weeks), it's perfectly understandable why Abedin continues to back her husband's candidacy. The guy just needs to get out of the house and get a job that will keep him consumed the majority of every day. Once Weiner resigned from Congress and was just sitting around the house with too much time on his hands, his old nasty habits beckoned.

I never like to see any family torn apart for any reason. Let's just hope Weiner's issue truly are, as he says, in the proverbial rearview mirror. I remain skeptical.

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