NBC has reported that, despite the response on Friday by Democratic House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of Anthony Weiner's scandalous behavior and the initial efforts of DNC Chairwoman Rep. Debbie Wasserman Shultz to downplay the significance of Weiner, Wasserman Shultz, Pelosi and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chair Steve Israel released statements within minutes of each other today calling for the disgraced congressman's resignation.
Where Democratic leaders had previously ridden the Weiner fence, revelations that a 17-year old girl was among the many females who have been receiving personal communications from the congressman has officially inspired enough panic to motivate a hasty, unified decision.
According to an exclusive report by Fox News, police in New Castle, Del., are investigating their discovery of direct online communications between Weiner and a 17-year-old girl.
According to the report by Jana Winter, two New Castle County police officers arrived at the high school junior's home on Friday while foxnews.com was speaking with a family member. After being asked to step outside, the 17-year old was seen walking up the driveway. Because she is a minor, her name is being withheld. However, when fox.com inquired, the 17-year old said, "I'm doing OK."
According to Jennifer Preston of the New York Times, Weiner's spokeswoman, Risa Heller said, "According to Congressman Weiner, his communications with this person were neither explicit nor indecent." However, Heller did not provide copies of the messages.
Of course, that Weiner first denied the "bulging underwear" photo was him then lied to say his Twitter account was hacked, any denials from Weiner or those in his camp would understandably be considered suspect.
Preston also reported that a family member, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, characterized the messages as "harmless" but did express concern. While the family was aware of the exchanges between Weiner and the girl before the scandal erupted, they assumed all of their conversations had taken place on a public Twitter feed.
However, according to the New York Times, Weiner started following the girl's personal profile page two days after she signed up for his Twitter feed. After seeing her profile message that she hopes to be president someday, "How hip am I talking to a future president?" Weiner responded directly.
A group of conservatives who had been following Weiner's Twitter feed became concerned, firing off public Twitter warnings and even contacting the 17-year-old girl directly. Only after the minor told Weiner she was being bothered did he apologize and stopped following her on Twitter. But a month later, after an online shout-out by Weiner for more followers, the girl reminded him she used to follow him. On May 16, fully aware that the girl was a minor, he started following her again and a relative told the Times that Weiner exchanged messages with the girl for almost two weeks after that.
After being caught sending shirtless photos to a woman he met on Craigslist, Republican Rep. Chris Lee stepped down. Democrat, Kathy Hochul won a special election in New York's 26th congressional district to replace Lee. In the wake of the historic drubbing in the 2010 midterm elections, Democrats like Wasserman Schultz hailed the victory as a turning point for their party.
As quoted by ABC, "The reason that we believe that this is an indicator that we will continue to make progress and retake majority of the House and re-elect the president is that the voters got a glimpse of what it would be like under Republican control," Schultz said last month . "And they don't like it."
Today's frenzied response by Democrat leaders reveals their final grasp that, on top of President Barack Obama's tanking poll numbers, the sexcapades of Weiner may have given their "hailed turning point" a seriously official 180.
