Anthony Weiner remains determined to continue his bid for New York City mayor despite growing calls for him to drop out of the race over his latest scandal.
Weiner brushed off such calls and kept up his campaign schedule Wednesday evening. He was greeted with boos as he took the stage with several other mayoral candidates at a public housing meeting at Bronx Community College.
“People have to make their decision,” he said. ”There’s more time in this campaign. I’m going to keep talking about the issues facing the middle class and those struggling to make it.”
By the end of his remarks, however, the crowd was cheering loudly.
“I thought these things would come out by the end of the campaign, and some of them have,” he said afterward. “Look, I am pressing forward, running a campaign about the issues and I’m getting a good response.”
He added his campaign was too important to abandon over “embarrassing personal things” becoming public.
Weiner wrote that even though he is ashamed of his actions, “the bottom line is that the ‘news’ today is about my past life.”
At least three of his mayoral rivals, Public Advocate Bill de Blasio and former City Councilman Sal Albanese, both Democrats, and billionaire businessman John Catsimatidis, a Republican, said he should drop out.
“I think he has to step aside for the good of New York City,” de Blasio said. “We cannot have a serious debate on the issues facing us so long as this sideshow continues.”
“It’s not right for him to seek the leadership of New York,” Catsimatidis said.
“This has become a distraction and a continual distraction, and it is getting worse,” said City Comptroller Bill Thompson. “You say it’s a distraction – should he withdraw? Consensus has emerged that Anthony should not run.”
City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and City Comptroller John Liu criticized him, but didn’t directly call on him to quit.
“I haven’t said he should withdraw. I think anyone can and should run,” Liu said. “But the issue of him taking pictures of himself — I think that’s valid issue for voters to consider.”
(AP)
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One Response
Azay busha for the City of New York. Two candidates for the two most important jobs in city government are degenerates who should be in jail. Weiner for sexting while on duty in congress and Spitzer for abusing Gov’t Travel funds for his own gratification.Lo alenu!