Weiner resigns from Congress

NEW YORK – Over howls from hecklers and cheers from die-hard fans, Rep. Anthony Weiner resigned from Congress in a brief and raucous news conference that raised more questions than it answered, from the future prospects for the fallen Democratic star and his district to the whereabouts of his wife, who was a no-show as her husband’s sexting scandal cost him his job.

Ten days after confessing that he had sent sexually provocative online messages to several women, Weiner bowed to pressure that peaked this week when President Barack Obama said that if he were in the congressman’s position, he would quit. Weiner, who had vowed to stay in office, acknowledged Thursday that the scandal was hampering his, and all of Congress’, ability to work.

“I had hoped to be able to continue the work that the citizens of my district had elected me to do: to fight for the middle class and those struggling to make it,” Weiner said. “Unfortunately, the distraction I have created has made that impossible.”

He spoke for less than five minutes and chose a site heavy in symbolism and nostalgia for his exit: a senior citizens home in Brooklyn where he launched his political career in the early 1990s by announcing his run for City Council. Several elderly residents, many leaning on canes or in wheelchairs, crowded the sides of the room, which is normally used for meals or social events.

If Weiner thought the location would guarantee a dignified or somber parting, he was wrong. Cheers from supporters competed with shouts from at least two hecklers from the moment he entered the room. One heckler was from Howard Stern’s radio show; another screamed, “Bye bye, pervert!”

Speaking without emotion, Weiner apologized again to constituents and to his wife, Huma Abedin, an aide to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. He did not mention future political goals, but said, “Now I’ll be looking for other ways to contribute my talents” to bolstering the middle class.

Weiner’s future is far from certain.

If he decided to try a political comeback he would have the means: He has nearly $5 million in campaign money, nearly all of it in a committee formed for his mayoral bid. The seven-term congressman had made clear he planned to run for mayor of New York in 2013.

Members of the New York congressional delegation expressed sadness about their disgraced colleague’s fall, but optimism about his future. “There’s no doubt in my mind this is not the end of Mr. Weiner,” said Rep. Edolphus Towns, D-N.Y., who has known Weiner since he served on the City Council. “He’s a very talented individual and he’s done a lot of good things.”