Democratic Rep. Allyson Schwartz called on Anthony Weiner to quit Congress Wednesday, saying "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." Schwartz has an important recruitment position with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, so her statement "is widely regarded as a sign that the party leadership has decided it's time for Weiner to leave the House," The Washington Post's Chris Cillizza writes. Two other Democratic lawmakers, Sen. Mark Pryor and Rep. Mike Michaud, have said Weiner should go, as has former Democratic National Committee chair Tim Kaine. Weiner says he's staying put because he hasn't broken any laws.
Democrats want the story to go away, but it will be difficult to get rid of him with out a full House vote to expel him. Yet even as Weiner is refusing to walk away from his seat, some of his staffers are looking for other jobs, Politico's Jonathan Allen reports. Some liberal websites are coming to the New Yorker's defense, like ActBlue, which says it's seen an increase in $40 donations for Weiner. But one pro-Weiner page on the site, titled "Breitbart Has Won NOTHING: Donations for Weiner," has pulled in a single $25 contribution.
One more reason Weiner is struggling is that he hasn't made many allies. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg told the New York Post's Cindy Adams, "Notice, nobody's defended Anthony. Like Spitzer, he had no friends."
