The end of Rep. Anthony Weiner

Shocking revelations yesterday of lewd texts sent via Twitter by New
York Rep. Anthony Weiner (D) can only point to one outcome — he must
resign.

It’s the best move for him, but more importantly, it’s the best thing
for his family, notably his young bride and his nascent marriage.

I felt Weiner did a fairly nice job at his press conference confronting
his sins head on. But what undercut his entire effort was the part in
his statement where he indicated he would not resign his post. It was as
if he was saying, “I did something wrong, but it doesn’t rise to the
level of my ending my political career.”

If revealed body parts alone were indications of degrees of the offense, then Weiner loses his seat as well. Just look at his upstate colleague, former Rep. Chris Lee (R). He merely sent shirtless photos of himself, and immediately stepped down.

Weiner has been sexting and/or texting girls other than his wife for years now, and he thinks he can sidestep or outlast this revelation through one press conference?

This whole episode suggests the story is not yet fully written. I suspect Weiner did more than just text these women. Or if that was all he did, then there is somewhere else he crossed the line, physically. Perhaps time will tell. Why else would he decide, at the moment when it appeared he was escaping this brouhaha, that it was time to come clean, if he had nothing else to hide?

The fact that House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) has called for a congressional ethics investigation should tip us off that she’s first and foremost protecting the party. Good for her. It’s not worth forfeiting the principles of her caucus for a pol who has been all about himself. For not only has Weiner alienated himself with his pompous ways, but he also attacked the national press corps vehemently, essentially calling them all liars, scoffing at their questions.

This entire episode is bad for representative government. Ensign, Vitter, Lee, Schwarzenegger, Edwards … what’s next? Both parties must realize the personal peccadilloes of their members must move to the back of the room. When these members arrive in Washington, they need to have their game faces on. The quickest way to restore some of the MAJOR credibility this institution has lost is to actually move legislation and achieve something on behalf of the true owners of government — the people.

Armstrong Williams is on Sirius/XM Power 169, 7-8 p.m. and 4-5 a.m., Monday through Friday. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/arightside, and follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/arightside.