King: Weiner Should Quit

Republican Rep. Peter King says he thinks fellow New York congressman Anthony Weiner has no choice but to resign, arguing that the besieged Democrat won’t be able to serve his constituents in the aftermath of his sexting scandal.

“This is a personal tragedy for him, for his family,” King, who represents a district on Long Island that isn’t far from Weiner’s in Brooklyn and Queens, said Thursday on “Imus in the Morning.” “He is not going to be effective in Congress. I don’t see how he can represent his constituents.”

Unlike other Republicans – and a growing number of Democrats – King didn’t make an outright plea for Weiner to resign, but said he believes the Democratic lawmaker is on a path toward eventually quitting. “What he does in the next few days is up to him, but I just think it’s gonna spiral so fast, I don’t see how he stays on. But right now, I leave that decision to him.”

King and Weiner have often disagreed on politics and policy, but they’ve nonetheless had a friendly relationship as members of the New York congressional delegation. “We are friends to the extent we know each other. We’ve … had some pretty high-profile fights, but I always got along with Anthony,” he said.

Since the scandal broke, King said he hasn’t spoken to Weiner. “At a time like this, you need your close friends, the people that grew up with you, your family, to sit around and talk to you,” he said. “Me jumping in at a time like this would add absolutely nothing.”

Copyright POLIT - Politico
Contact Us