When disgraced former Congressman Anthony Weiner resigned from his position in the House of Representatives, he vowed he would never send young women lewd pictures or messages again. He cried, apologized to his wife, family, constituents and even Andrew Breitbart for his behavior. That was in 2011.
Last week, we learned Weiner carried on sexual online relationships with multiple women well after his resignation under the name "Carlos Danger." At that point, Weiner said there weren't "dozens and dozens of women" but probably 6... or 8... or something. Now, Weiner can't say whether he's still engaged in this type of behavior as his poll numbers in New York's mayoral race plummet and as calls for him to drop out get louder.
During an interview with the New York Daily News, Weiner was asked directly by Denis Hamill:
Huh, that isn't a definitive "no."Q. There is no one you are sexting now?
A. You can quibble about beginnings, middles and ends but what we're talking about is over a year ago.
Weiner's non-answer to that question came after a series of questions from Hamil about his relationship with his wife Huma, who Weiner said he has dishonored in the wake of new information, women and photos but that things are "behind them."
Q. The second wave of sexting headlines has affected you in the polls. How has it affected you at home, your marriage?So which one is it, Weiner? Are things "behind him" or is he still engaged in online activity with other women? It can't be both, but like a good politician, Weiner is trying have it both ways.
A. It's hard, because remember that what's at the foundation of all this is something that I did to my wife. So it's very hard to have it come back no matter how much we might have expected it. It’s hard to be reminded how much dishonor I brought upon not just myself but especially my wife. A. You must remember this isn't something that happened yesterday. For us, this is an issue that's over a year old. And we'd gotten to this really great place with each other and we'd put it behind us to a place where we felt comfortable enough to move ahead to run for mayor. For us, this was a distant event. That doesn't change the fact that it's very hard to have it come up again.
A number of prominent New Yorkers, Democrats and Republicans have called for Weiner to leave the race for NYC mayor. Weiner is refusing to do so.