In what could be the first notes of a growing chorus, at least six House Democrats are now are calling for Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y., to go, while a published report says Weiner and his wife are expecting their first child.
Despite those calls, Weiner said on Thursday that he is now being "completely honest" about the sexual messages he sent and will not resign, according to a recent video posted on the New York Post's website.
Among those calling on Wednesday for the seven-term congressman to resign for his tawdry online antics is Rep. Allyson Schwartz, D-Pa., a party leader by virtue of her role in heading up candidate recruitment for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
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“Having the respect of your constituents is fundamental for a member of Congress. In light of Anthony Weiner’s offensive behavior online, he should resign,” said Schwartz, in a statement.
Published reports in Maine on Wednesday have Rep. Mike Michaud, D-Maine, also saying that stepping down is probably what’s best for Weiner’s family.
Additionally, Reps. Niki Tsongas, D-Mass., Mike Ross, D-Ark., and Larry Kissell, D-N.C., as also calling for Weiner to leave his congressional seat. And Rep. Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., also is urging Weiner to step down, saying in a release that his actions have disgraced Congress.
Those calls on Wednesday came as the New York Times, citing three unnamed people, is reporting that Weiner and his wife, Huma Abedin, are expecting their first child. Abedin, a top aide to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, is in the early stages of pregnancy, according to the article's sources.
Weiner had said during his tearful confessional news conference on Monday that he does not intend on resigning his House seat. But it is becoming clear that some of his own House Democratic colleagues won’t be shy in letting him know that he should, and that pressure is building for him to do so.
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In an interview with National Journal, former Rep. Patricia Schroeder, D-Colo., said she guesses that if there were a secret poll, most of the House members would say that Weiner should resign.
“I think everybody hesitates to push, but I think they would all wish that’s what he would do,” she said.
Schroeder said she suspects that many are likely to be hesitating in calling for him to leave because, “They’re a colleague. It’s the difficulty every profession has, policing their own, whether it’s lawyers or doctors or anyone else. There’s always that hesitation to push them out.”
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