Weiner Draws No Defense From Democrats

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The problem for Weiner, from the point of view of Democrats, is two-fold. The first is the sheer frivolity and carnivalesque nature of Weiner’s activities, which don’t send a good message at a time of high public anxiety about the economy. The second and more serious problem is the lying. By not telling the truth about this whole mess at the outset, Weiner put Dems in a terrible spot.

Indeed, Weiner privately assured Dem leaders that his Twitter account had indeed been hacked, and according to a source, they now feel personally betrayed. Today Nancy Pelosi sent a letter to the House Ethics Committee, formally requesting an investigation “to determine whether the Rules of the House of Representatives have been violated.”

I’m told that Dem leaders feel that Weiner’s presser yesterday raised more questions than it answered. As best as I can determine, no one in the leadership is taking any steps to pressure him to step down. But these things can change very quickly, and indeed, Dems don’t have to insist that he resign in order to make their ongoing displeasure known.

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