Salon.com > Anthony Weiner

Anthony Weiner makes jokes about his name at NYC pride

Mon, 01 Jul 2013 12:59:00 +0000

New York City mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner cracked jokes about his name at New York City's gay pride parade on Sunday, amid cries of "Weiner" "Weiner" during his march down Christopher Street in Manhattan.

Politicker NY reports:

“We love Weiner and you can quote me on that!” shouted 25-year-old Justin Curtis after Mr. Weiner passed, flanked by a slew of supporters who followed in his footsteps, holding a “Weiner!” sign that stretched the length of the street itself.

“You guys know that’s my name right?” Mr. Weiner offered at one point. “We’re not just saying that.”

Anthony Weiner takes the lead in a new poll

Wed, 26 Jun 2013 13:02:00 +0000

A new poll by NBC 4 New York/Wall Street Journal finds that Anthony Weiner is now ahead among Democratic voters in the primary for the New York City mayoral race, passing right by Christine Quinn.

From NBC New York:

Weiner, who entered the race two years after resigning his congressional seat amid a sexting scandal, now leads City Council Speaker Christine Quinn 25 percent to 20 percent among registered Democrats, the poll by Marist found. That's a flip-flop from the last survey in May, when Quinn, the longtime front-runner, led Weiner 24 percent to 19 percent.

But, according to the poll, there's a big possibility that the race will end with a runoff, since no candidate has yet captured the 40 percent of the vote needed to avoid one.

The endless slut-shaming of Weiner’s women

Tue, 25 Jun 2013 15:02:00 +0000

The guardians of morality have a lengthy and remarkably selective memory. And what has long been excused in a man can be an enduring badge of shame for a woman. It's been two years since Anthony Weiner's penis went viral and his career took an abrupt detour in light of revelations regarding his explicit online communications with at least six women. His resignation from Congress prompted a gold mine of tabloid headlines and a deluge of moral outrage from the punditsphere, all of which briefly kicked up again when he last month announced his intention to run for mayor of New York City. Yet despite the jokey New York Post headlines and the muttering accusations of sleaziness that he will always bear, Weiner is doing pretty well today. He still has his wife and the son she bore him just months after the scandal broke. He has a viable political career. But as a New York Times story this week has revealed, the women who were on the receiving end of Weiner's attentions have fared differently.

How much did Anthony Weiner get done in Congress?

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 13:16:00 +0000

In a new profile of Anthony Weiner, who is running in New York City's mayoral race this year, the New York Times took a look at the former Congressman's legislative record and found that it was mostly about "intensity, publicity and limited results." According to the Times' analysis, in Weiner's 12.5 years as a Congressman, he only sponsored one bill, which was being pushed by a friend of his family, who also happened to be a big donor to Weiner's campaign.

From the Times:

When President Obama needed every Democrat in Congress to back his health care plan in 2009, Representative Anthony D. Weiner threatened behind the scenes to torpedo the package in favor of a more sweeping measure. He backed off after he was promised a bigger share of the spotlight during the highly watched debate.

Can Anthony Weiner win?

Sat, 01 Jun 2013 16:30:00 +0000

When Anthony Weiner resigned from his post as congressman due to an embarrassing Twitpic scandal in 2011, the media expected that any serious political career was over. But Weiner has recently returned to politics, entering the Democratic primary as a mayoral candidate; not only is the media taking his bid seriously -- but it's possible that thanks to deep pockets and a vibrant persona he could win it.

Discussing a mayoral bid with a panelist on "Up with Steve Kornacki," Kornacki said of Weiner: "He's a showman."

"To me, the most important thing to know is in college he thought about being a TV weatherman," said Kornacki. "We talk about Christine Quinn, Bill Thompson, they haven't really inspired anybody. There's an opening for somebody who can be a performer."

Poll shows Weiner making gains in NYC mayoral race

Tue, 28 May 2013 17:14:00 +0000

A new Marist poll finds that Anthony Weiner had made gains in the potential Democratic primary matchup in the New York City mayoral race, since his official campaign launched last week. According to the poll, Weiner is only trailing front-runner Christine Quinn by 5 points, 24-19 percent. After Weiner, Bill de Blasio polls at 12 percent.

From the poll:

In April, amid speculation Weiner would enter the race for mayor, he garnered the support of 15% of registered Democrats. Quinn at that time received 26%, a lead of eleven points. 12%, last month, indicated they would vote for John Liu. Bill de Blasio and Bill Thompson each received 11%. Sal Albanese had 2%, and 1% mentioned another candidate. 22% were undecided.

As Salon's Blake Zeff wrote Tuesday, though a Weiner win is improbable, he does have a few things going for him -- even aside from his $5 million in campaign cash:

Anthony Weiner can actually win the NYC mayor race

Tue, 28 May 2013 12:21:00 +0000

Anthony Weiner can "shake up" the campaign for New York City mayor, the conventional wisdom tells us, but he definitely cannot win it. That may be the consensus among those following the race, but the fact is Weiner’s chances are better than many realize. The reason: his challenges are not as great as they’re being portrayed. And his strengths are more important than people think.

Let’s start with what he has going for him. Most critically, Weiner begins this race possessing a prerequisite for an upset: the field of candidates he faces has failed to catch the attention of voters. The current frontrunner, City Council speaker Christine Quinn, leads early polls but none show her approaching the 40 percent mark needed to avoid a runoff, and she inspires intense opposition among many New York voters. Add to that the fact that other leading candidates like Bill de Blasio and Bill Thompson have failed to consolidate their bases of support, and you’ve got an unsettled race -- just the kind of backdrop essential for Weiner to have a prayer of winning.

Cuomo: “Shame on us” if New York City elects Weiner

Thu, 23 May 2013 16:18:00 +0000

Update - May 23, 4:16 p.m.: An unnamed official in the Cuomo administration told Capital New York that's the governor's remark was a joke: "The comment was made in jest - as the governor has said many times he has no plans to endorse in this year's mayoral election," the official told Azi Paybarah.

From Capital New York:

When I told her of the Cuomo administration official's remark, Marie Morelli, the "Editorial / Opinion Leader" of Syracuse Media wrote in an email, "You have the comment in context. You can judge for yourself."

She also said the paper's policy "is not to release the audio of editorial board meetings."

From earlier:

Gov. Andrew Cuomo gave a not-so-enthusiastic answer to questions about Anthony Weiner's recently announced run for New York City mayor this year.

Anthony Weiner announces run for NYC mayor

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:58:00 +0000

Former Rep. Anthony Weiner officially announced his run for New York City mayor on Wednesday, posting a video on his new campaign site. “Look, I’ve made some big mistakes and I know I’ve let a lot of people down,” he says in the video. “But I’ve also learned some tough lessons. I’m running for mayor because I’ve been fighting for the middle class and those struggling to make it for my entire life. And I hope I get a second chance to work for you.”

Weiner's wife Huma Abedin also makes an appearance in the video, saying: “We love this city, and no one will work harder to make it better than Anthony."

Weiner, who resigned from Congress after his lewd photo tweeting scandal, recently polled at second place in the New York City Democratic primary, behind Christine Quinn. But he would need 40 percent to avoid a runoff with Quinn, and the same poll showed 50 percent of Democrats saying that they would not vote for him.

Watch:

Report: Anthony Weiner could announce mayoral run next week

Wed, 15 May 2013 13:34:00 +0000

The New York Daily News is reporting that Anthony Weiner is getting ready to jump into the New York City mayoral race, according to two anonymous sources, and even reportedly has a campaign manager.

From the Daily News:

The former congressman is preparing to jump into the race, possibly as soon as next week, the Daily News has learned. At least two people close to Weiner have been contacting political operatives to gauge if they would go to battle for him.

Politico reported on Wednesday that Weiner has picked a former DCCC adviser to run his campaign:

Danny Kedem, who worked on Mark Murphy’s congressional run in New York’s 11th District last year, has been brought on as Weiner’s campaign manager for a race he is likely to announce next week, according to multiple sources. Kedem’s resume includes a handful of other congressional runs and mayoral races, as well as field organizing work on Hillary Clinton’s presidential run.

Steve Kornacki: Anthony Weiner “made an ugly appeal to voters’ worst nature”

Sun, 05 May 2013 15:32:00 +0000

As former congressman Anthony Weiner talks about returning to politics after an embarrassing Twitter scandal, Salon columnist Steve Kornacki reminded voters that there's another, more compelling to reject Weiner -- a history of race-baiting and slimy politics:

It was at this point that Weiner’s campaign decided to blanket the district with leaflets attacking his opponents. But these were no ordinary campaign attacks: They played the race card, and at a very sensitive time. They were also anonymous.

On his MSNBC show, Kornacki explains further:

"This is the story that reveals something important about what Weiner's been willing to do in his public life. He made an ugly appeal to voters' worst nature. He did it at a very sensitive time. He did it to get ahead and he did it because he figured no one would catch him. Really he did get away with it. If it hadn't been for the Twitter silliness, he'd be well on his way to being mayor right now and maybe more."

Who is the real Anthony Weiner?

Wed, 01 May 2013 11:46:00 +0000

The news that Anthony Weiner raked in serious cash last year as a corporate consultant – an ambiguous job that seems a lot like lobbying -- may seem jarring to national observers who viewed him as a liberal firebrand. But, playing a loud progressive on cable TV doesn’t necessarily make you one. And for Weiner, this stint as not-technically-a-lobbyist signals merely the latest turn for a politician who's craftily straddled the line between outer-borough Ed Koch-style moderation and Alan Grayson-style liberal activism.

The question is how much longer he'll be able to straddle.

Weiner's professional political life began in 1991, when he ran his maiden race for City Council. As Steve Kornacki detailed for Salon, he won a long-shot bid as a 27-year-old, in part by anonymously sending mailers linking his opponent to African-American figures (namely, Mayor David Dinkins and Jesse Jackson) unpopular in his white district. Appealing to the white ethnic constituency, he cultivated an identity in office as an outer-borough moderate, focusing on issues like graffiti, airport regulations and fire alarm boxes.

Anthony Weiner is raking it in as a corporate consultant

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 13:13:00 +0000

Since resigning from office, Anthony Weiner has found a lucrative career as a corporate consultant to more than a dozen companies, including a medical records provider called CureMD, and an international law firm, Covington & Burling.

From the New York Times:

He and his wife, Huma Abedin, a longtime aide to Hillary Rodham Clinton, disclosed last week that they had a combined income of $496,000 in 2012, most of it from Mr. Weiner’s work. The money provided a lifestyle-changing infusion for the couple, who moved from a modest home in Forest Hills, Queens, to a large apartment on Park Avenue South in Manhattan.

Mr. Weiner’s rapid rise from disgraced lawmaker to in-demand strategic consultant demonstrates the enduring power of Washington’s revolving door.

“I am a good capitalist," he told the Times.

Weiner “can’t say” whether there are more pictures out there

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 20:53:00 +0000

Former Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y., who resigned after accidentally tweeting a lewd photo of himself, says that he "can't say" if there are more pictures out there, or more women willing to come forward.

“If reporters want to go try to find more, I can’t say that they’re not going to be able to find another picture, or find another person who may want to come out on their own, but I’m not going to contribute to that. The basics of the story are not gonna change,” Weiner said, speaking to RNN-TV’s Dominic Carter.

Weiner has recently been making the media rounds, possibly in the hopes of running for mayor of New York City this year. A recent poll put him in second place behind Christine Quinn in the primary, though trailing 26-15 percent, with 50 percent of Democrats saying they would not vote for him.

Watch:

Poll: Weiner in second behind Quinn in mayoral race

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 13:21:00 +0000

If he decided to run for Mayor of New York City, Anthony Weiner would be in second place behind Christine Quinn in the Democratic primary, according to a new NBC New York/Marist poll.

The poll puts Quinn in the lead among Democratic voters with 26 percent, followed by Weiner at 15 percent. NBC New York points out that Weiner would need 40 percent to avoid a runoff against Quinn. Additionally, 50 percent of Democrats surveyed still said they would not vote for Weiner.

And, as Nate Silver points out:

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According to the poll, John Liu trails Weiner at 12 percent, with Bill de Blasio and Bill Thompson each getting 11 percent. 22 percent of those surveyed are still undecided.

Weiner continues his post-scandal media tour

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 13:24:00 +0000

In his first TV interview since his scandal broke, Anthony Weiner continued to cautiously edge toward a possible mayoral run, telling NY1's Errol Louis: "I want to be part of the ideas primary. That's for sure. That primary I want to do very well in."

"If I run for mayor and if I become the mayor, I want people looking at me and saying, 'You know what, you are in charge, you did this. You are accountable,'" Weiner said.

Louis also had to push Weiner to answer questions about the lewd photos he tweeted out, asking him how many people received the messages. From NY1's transcript of the exchange:

Must-see morning clip: Anthony Weiner gears for a comeback

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 13:22:00 +0000

Former Rep. Anthony Weiner is considering a mayoral run for New York. Cue the obligatory sex jokes, à la "The Colbert Report":

The Colbert Report
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Would Weiner even be a good mayor?

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 21:11:00 +0000

Long before Anthony Weiner was an unfortunately named joke, he was a national TV presence, high-profile member of Congress and a leading candidate for mayor of New York City. For national progressive activists frustrated with their incrementalist in the White House, and fearing an ascendant and unhinged right, Weiner’s bombastic liberalism was a salve and a rallying point -- and he relished the role of movement leader.

But now that the former congressman is hinting at a comeback, with an emotional tell-all interview in the New York Times Magazine and open talk that he's eyeing a run for mayor of New York City, can he recapture that glory on the left? And critically, was he even a good congressman to begin with? Good enough to run the nation's largest city?

Even among his Democratic compatriots, Weiner was always a bit of a divisive figure: a great communicator and powerful leader, but one who didn’t play well with others. “He operated as a lone ranger, giving a voice to the progressive movement, but not operating as a partner with a larger set of House members or progressives on the outside,” one senior strategist for an outside progressive group said, contrasting him with Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who works closely with partners to advance her agenda.

Anthony Weiner is mulling a run for mayor

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 14:12:00 +0000

The New York Times Magazine has a big profile out Wednesday of former Rep. Anthony Weiner and his wife, Hillary Clinton's deputy chief of staff Huma Abedin, in which Weiner says he is considering a political comeback, possibly as soon as this year for New York City's mayoral race.

Weiner, who resigned from the House in 2011 after he accidentally tweeted a lewd picture of himself and then lied to the press about it, told the Times that he has spent $100,000 in polling and research for a possible run in 2013. “I don’t have this burning, overriding desire to go out and run for office,” he said. “It’s not the single animating force in my life as it was for quite some time. But I do recognize, to some degree, it’s now or maybe never for me, in terms of running for something."

“Also, I want to ask people to give me a second chance," he continued. "I do want to have that conversation with people whom I let down and with people who put their faith in me and who wanted to support me. I think to some degree I do want to say to them, ‘Give me another chance.’”

GOP’s backward sexual politics

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 14:00:00 +0000

Long before Gov. Eliot Spitzer and Sen. David Vitter, Abraham Lincoln paid prostitutes. And he contracted syphilis. Long before -- and here you can supply whichever name comes to mind first -- James A. Garfield was a great womanizer, who told his wife (repeatedly) that it would never happen again. The two presidents did not have to face the press and answer questions about their private conduct –- and it’s not because they were assassinated first. Nineteenth-century voters did not know national politicians in the intimate way we’re getting to know the private predilections of ours. So while it’s true that the media of that time didn’t stalk candidates in the ravenous manner it’s done today, in most other respects, the moral definitions of the 19th century are still very much with us, and we seem oblivious. It’s not just the 1950s the Republicans wish to return to -- they’re actually stuck in the 19th century.

Sexual politics are changing, but we don’t see it happening. Gay marriage acceptance is one -– right now, very noticeable -– part of it. We are at a turning point, with or without a Hillary Clinton presidency. In her new, attention-grabbing book, "Lean In," Sheryl Sandberg points out how backward our country remains insofar as women are still being evaluated by more rigorous standards, and men are still given to commit acts that would not be tolerated from women occupying the same position.