Weiner Takes Leave of Absence to Seek Treatment

[SeattleGirl]

New York Representative Anthony Weiner sought a leave of absence from congressional duties to seek treatment after top Democrats called for his resignation for sending suggestive photos of himself and messages to women he met online.

Weiner’s publicist, Risa Heller, said in an e-mailed statement that the congressman “departed this morning to seek professional treatment to focus on becoming a better husband and healthier person.’’

The married New York Democrat “will request a short leave of absence” from the House “so that he can get evaluated and map out a course of treatment to make himself well,” Heller said in the statement.

The statement came after Democratic leaders including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi called for his resignation, capping escalating pressure from fellow Democrats for him to step aside. Pelosi had called for an ethics investigation the day Weiner, 46, apologized for sending the photos and messages.

Link: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-06-11...tment.html

[janedrake]

This may make some heads here explode, but how Republican of him. (Look, if he can hold on, more power to him).

[firedupdem]

(06-11-2011 09:29 PM)janedrake Wrote:  This may make some heads here explode, but how Republican of him. (Look, if he can hold on, more power to him).

I know right! I'm so torn on this issue!

[SeattleGirl]

(06-11-2011 09:29 PM)janedrake Wrote:  This may make some heads here explode, but how Republican of him. (Look, if he can hold on, more power to him).

I know what you mean, Jane. That was my first thought when I saw the story:

[Robconoclast]

(06-11-2011 09:29 PM)janedrake Wrote:  This may make some heads here explode, but how Republican of him. (Look, if he can hold on, more power to him).

Indecency knows no political party

[sandnsea]

Sex addiction? Could be. If that's the case, he deserves the same consideration an alcoholic would get. Give him a 3 month leave of absence and then see where we're at.

[suzie]

I'm sorry, but when Weiner started tweeting with 17 year olds, he crossed a line of impropriety--whether he's an addict or not.

He needs to do as Pelosi and Wasserman-Schultz request and walk away now.

[There Is No Spoon]

(06-12-2011 06:41 AM)suzie Wrote:  I'm sorry, but when Weiner started tweeting with 17 year olds, he crossed a line of impropriety--whether he's an addict or not.

He needs to do as Pelosi and Wasserman-Schultz request and walk away now.

That's been dismissed as "no big deal" and I've already pointed you to a link stating such - she was merely a fan who wants to be in politcs.

Please stop the rumor mongering.

[suzie]

(06-12-2011 11:29 AM)There Is No Spoon Wrote:  

(06-12-2011 06:41 AM)suzie Wrote:  I'm sorry, but when Weiner started tweeting with 17 year olds, he crossed a line of impropriety--whether he's an addict or not.

He needs to do as Pelosi and Wasserman-Schultz request and walk away now.

That's been dismissed as "no big deal" and I've already pointed you to a link stating such - she was merely a fan who wants to be in politcs.

Please stop the rumor mongering.

Please stop telling me what to do. We all view this from the point of view of our own experience.

Mine is that I spent a whole bunch of years of my life dealing with sexual abuse victims and sexual predators. Stories often--no usually--come out in pieces. As we know from Weiner himself, who lied about this several times.

Now, you want to tell me to believe that since his staff says nothing untoward was said to the 17 year old, that's the truth?

I'm pretty disturbed with Democrats. People are calling Nancy Pelosi and Debbie Wasserman-Schultz "cowards". That just shocks me. The Congressional types who've been the loudest at calling for Weiner's resignation have been women, various Congresswomen.

The Congress is a small place, where everyone knows everyone else and their staffs know each other. For some reason, I would be shocked if someone so arrogant and reckless as Weiner hadn't made comments to Congresswomen and their staffs that lead them to believe that there are more stories out there, even if you don't want to believe that.

Personally, I find Nancy Pelosi, Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, Allyson Schwartz to be women courageous enough to run for high office. And Weiner to be the coward, who has shown such a lack of judgment that one wonders why any Democrat would want him to remain in office, who has now done what seems usual in these cases--run off to treatment to hope the publicity dies down and he can still retain his job .

Sorry, but I'll stand with the ladies.

[There Is No Spoon]

(06-13-2011 06:08 AM)suzie Wrote:  

(06-12-2011 11:29 AM)There Is No Spoon Wrote:  

(06-12-2011 06:41 AM)suzie Wrote:  I'm sorry, but when Weiner started tweeting with 17 year olds, he crossed a line of impropriety--whether he's an addict or not.

He needs to do as Pelosi and Wasserman-Schultz request and walk away now.

That's been dismissed as "no big deal" and I've already pointed you to a link stating such - she was merely a fan who wants to be in politcs.

Please stop the rumor mongering.

Please stop telling me what to do. We all view this from the point of view of our own experience.

Mine is that I spent a whole bunch of years of my life dealing with sexual abuse victims and sexual predators. Stories often--no usually--come out in pieces. As we know from Weiner himself, who lied about this several times.

Now, you want to tell me to believe that since his staff says nothing untoward was said to the 17 year old, that's the truth?

I'm pretty disturbed with Democrats. People are calling Nancy Pelosi and Debbie Wasserman-Schultz "cowards". That just shocks me. The Congressional types who've been the loudest at calling for Weiner's resignation have been women, various Congresswomen.

The Congress is a small place, where everyone knows everyone else and their staffs know each other. For some reason, I would be shocked if someone so arrogant and reckless as Weiner hadn't made comments to Congresswomen and their staffs that lead them to believe that there are more stories out there, even if you don't want to believe that.

Personally, I find Nancy Pelosi, Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, Allyson Schwartz to be women courageous enough to run for high office. And Weiner to be the coward, who has shown such a lack of judgment that one wonders why any Democrat would want him to remain in office, who has now done what seems usual in these cases--run off to treatment to hope the publicity dies down and he can still retain his job .

Sorry, but I'll stand with the ladies.

If you hadn't already made up your mind, you'd have gone to the link and read that police investigated and are the one's claiming that there's nothing there.

Facts. Use them. If you're going to lynch the man, at least base it on what is known, not what you believe is true.

[mzmolly]

I hope he will get the help he needs.

[Sugarloaf]

(06-12-2011 11:37 AM)mzmolly Wrote:  I hope he will get the help he needs.

I agree mzmolly.

[atomic]

Rep Weiner has not broken the law and his constituents want him to stay, and I acknowledge that is what counts. However, the drip, drip, drip of this story is excruciating. New pictures have been released by TMZ for crissakes. Perhaps in time he will weather this scandal. Perhaps not. We shall see.

[suzie]

And if you hadn't already made up your mind that it's perfectly fine for the rest of Democratic candidates and officeholders in the country to be bogged down with the ongoing revelations about Anthony Weiner, sexual predator, you might have been concerned about the article also.

FACT: Predators of all kinds, whether they be con men or sexual predators "groom" their victims, testing them with seemingly innocuous statements before they move on to more predatory activity.

FACT: Most elected officials would be terrified of the attentions of a 17 year old of the opposite sex and would avoid personal contact with one.

The point that concerned me was that this girl had been on a class trip to DC. I'm umcomfortable with having to wonder whether Anthony Weiner is one of those Congresspersons who come forward to speak to groups of citizens that visit the Capital. And whether he uses that as an opportunity to troll for young women to then contact via social networking sites.

And I hadn't made up my mind about Weiner when I initially heard about this. I genuinely believed that he might have been hacked.

But the man has been proven to be a liar several times over.

I don't believe that most elected officials engage in this kind of behavior. Which, BTW, is far different than having an affair with someone who works in one's office or campaign. This is predatory behavior and I don't think that most other Democratic elected officials should be be asked to answer for Weiner's behavior.

As they will be as long as he continues in office.

[sandnsea]

(06-13-2011 10:24 AM)suzie Wrote:  And if you hadn't already made up your mind that it's perfectly fine for the rest of Democratic candidates and officeholders in the country to be bogged down with the ongoing revelations about Anthony Weiner, sexual predator, you might have been concerned about the article also.

FACT: Predators of all kinds, whether they be con men or sexual predators "groom" their victims, testing them with seemingly innocuous statements before they move on to more predatory activity.

FACT: Most elected officials would be terrified of the attentions of a 17 year old of the opposite sex and would avoid personal contact with one.

The point that concerned me was that this girl had been on a class trip to DC. I'm umcomfortable with having to wonder whether Anthony Weiner is one of those Congresspersons who come forward to speak to groups of citizens that visit the Capital. And whether he uses that as an opportunity to troll for young women to then contact via social networking sites.

And I hadn't made up my mind about Weiner when I initially heard about this. I genuinely believed that he might have been hacked.

But the man has been proven to be a liar several times over.

I don't believe that most elected officials engage in this kind of behavior. Which, BTW, is far different than having an affair with someone who works in one's office or campaign. This is predatory behavior and I don't think that most other Democratic elected officials should be be asked to answer for Weiner's behavior.

As they will be as long as he continues in office.

Okay now you're just going off the beam. You simply cannot take your personal assaults and apply them to every individual who exhibits any kind of public sexual dalliance. If he'd been sending these pictures, PRIVATELY, to a girlfriend, they'd be just that PRIVATE. There would be absolutely nothing to indicate he is a sex addict or needs treatment or in any way a sexual predator. Just because he went a step further and turned sending these pictures into a game doesn't mean he is suddenly preying on teen girls. I have said all along the choice to use Twitter, and now the choice to take pics in the House Gym, was STUPID. That is why he needs to be the hell out of Congress - He's Stupid. Not a criminal.

Objective. Subjective. Learn the difference.