Rep. McCarthy: Weiner could resign this week

One of Rep. Anthony Weiner’s New York colleagues indicated Tuesday that the beleaguered Democrat may resign this week.

Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-N.Y.) said she’s “hopeful” the Democrats can stay focused on their economic and healthcare agenda despite the distraction Weiner has posed in recent weeks. But she also hinted that the distraction might soon be gone.

“We’re hearing that he might resign in a couple of days,” McCarthy told reporters as she was walking into the Democrats’ weekly caucus meeting in the Capitol.

{mosads}McCarthy didn’t cite the basis for her remark, and of the dozens of other Democrats filtering in and out of the caucus meeting, none gave any indication that Weiner’s resignation could be imminent. Most declined to comment at all.

Weiner was not present during Tuesday’s gathering, having been granted a two-week sabbatical from Congress to seek treatment in hopes that the scandal surrounding his virtual trysts will pass.

McCarthy was quick to note that Weiner’s fate remains in his own hands.

“It’s gonna be up to him – we can’t do anything about it, to be honest with you,” McCarthy said.

She also rejected the idea that Democratic leaders could strip Weiner of his seat on the powerful Energy and Commerce Committee, as some have hinted. McCarthy described such a move as “not fair to his constituents.”

“He has to take care of his constituents,” she said. “That’s not up to me.”

The remarks are starkly different from those offered a day earlier by Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who is pushing for Weiner to resign.

“This is beyond committee assignments; this is we are asking him to leave,” Pelosi said. “If we are asking him to leave, we are certainly not going to welcome him here with committee assignments.”

Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) on Tuesday also joined the chorus of those urging Weiner to step down.