Anthony Weiner’s campaign for mayor of New York City was on the verge of imploding this week, after the Democrat acknowledged that he had continued to send sexually explicit messages online for months after resigning from Congress in disgrace. A 23-year-old woman claimed that Weiner had exchanged messages with her between July and November 2012, more than a year after he resigned over lewd photos sent to women online. Weiner used the pseudonym “Carlos Danger” in his exchanges with the woman, sending her graphic sexual messages and pictures of his genitals and inviting her to meet for sex. Weiner did not deny the new claims but said, “This behavior is behind me.” His wife, Huma Abedin, a former aide to Hillary Clinton, appeared at his side to say she had forgiven him.
Weiner must drop out of the race, said The New York Times in an editorial. When this “tawdry saga” began in 2011, the congressman accused his enemies of smearing him before he owned up. Now, we learn his sexual peccadilloes continued even as he gave interviews claiming to be a changed man and prepared to seek redemption via public office. This “familiar but repellent pattern of misleading and evasion” thoroughly disqualifies him from leading the city.
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