VIDEO: Wasserman-Schultz Discusses Weiner Scandal on ‘Meet the Press’
Posted on | June 12, 2011 | 68 Comments
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
MR. GREGORY: Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, let me start with you.
REP. SCHULTZ: Sure.
MR. GREGORY: What, what led to the change? Why now call for him to resign?
REP. SCHULTZ: Well, I think that since this story broke we were giving Congressman Weiner some breathing room to be able to be, be circumspect, do the right thing, make a — you know, reach the conclusion that, that he needed to step back and step down on his own. And as of yesterday, when that didn’t happen, it was important to, to weigh in.
MR. GREGORY: But before his actual admission, you spoke about this during an interview, and this is what you said.(Videotape, June 2, 2011)
REP. SCHULTZ: Anthony Weiner is dealing with a personal matter, and it should be left as a personal matter.
(End videotape)MR. GREGORY: When did it become less a personal matter and more an issue of public trust?
REP. SCHULTZ: Well, I made that statement before it had been revealed that Anthony had not been truthful, and that, that, that he was engaged in the conduct that he had been denying at the time. And once he crossed that threshold, acknowledged that, that he’d been lying, had engaged in conduct that is, you know, completely unacceptable and indefensible…
MR. PRIEBUS: Well, here’s the problem, David.
REP. SCHULTZ: …that’s where I thought that the — that’s where I thought the line was crossed.
MR. GREGORY: Well, I’ll come to you in just a second.
But is this enough that he seeks treatment, or would you still like him to straight out resign?
REP. SCHULTZ: The statement I made speaks for itself yesterday. I think Anthony Weiner needs to resign so he can focus on his family, focus on his own well-being, and make sure that…
MR. GREGORY: So there’s going to be more pressure from top Democrats to say this is not quite enough, leave of absence is not enough, he should step down completely.
REP. SCHULTZ: I think Leader Pelosi, Steve Israel, myself, we all came together yesterday…
MR. GREGORY: Well, what, what is it you can do? I mean, he’s obviously not listening to the admonitions of his colleagues.
REP. SCHULTZ: Well, at, at the end of the day, you know, a member of Congress makes their own decision, and that, that’s certainly going to be up to Anthony Weiner. But we have made clear that he needs to resign, he needs to focus on, on getting his, his own personal issues in order…
MR. GREGORY: Mm-hmm.
REP. SCHULTZ: …focus on his family and, and do the right thing…
MR. GREGORY: From your, from your…
REP. SCHULTZ: …by his constituents.
Under House rules, a vote to expel Weiner could only come after a full Ethics Committee investigation, which would take months, and thus probably extend the scandal into 2012.
UPDATE: Linked by Donald Douglas at American Power — thanks!
UPDATE II: Linked by Don Surber — thanks!
PREVIOUSLY:
- June 12: Report: Weiner Sent Woman Photos of Himself Posing in Congressional Gym
- June 12: VIDEO: ‘Tipping Point’ for Weiner?
- June 11: That There’s Funny …
- June 11: VIDEO: ‘Neither Explicit Nor Indecent’ Also, How Not to Get Banned at AOSHQ
- June 11: Weiner’s Liberal Support Collapses as Three Top Dems Call for Resignation
- June 11: America’s Cultural Elite
- June 11: ‘Moral Fascists’?
- June 10: CNN’s Toobin on May 31: ‘What Andrew Breitbart Was Insinuating About [Weiner] With Young Girls Is Outrageous’
- June 10: URGENT: Police Visit Delaware Teen in Connection With Weiner Twitter Scandal
- June 10: A Special Kind of Stupid: Only ‘Culturally Backward’ People Find Weiner’s Conduct Objectionable, Chris Matthews Says
- June 10: Did Anthony Weiner Send Obscene Messages to Teenage Girls Online?
- June 10: Impossible to Parody
- June 9: When Will Weiner Quit?
- June 8: Feminism and the ‘Friendly Stranger’
- June 8: Weiner’s Secret Desire UPDATED: ‘X-Rated’ Photo Emerges; Weiner’s Wife Is Pregnant; More Democrats Now Calling for Resignation
- June 8: Wrong, Wrong, Wrong: Belated Notice of Charles Johnson’s Total Beclownment
- June 8: Joan Walsh: ‘I Look Kind of Stupid’
- June 8: Weiner’s Race-Mongering Past
- June 7: WeinerGate Götterdämmerung
- June 7: Beware of ‘Feminist’ Men
- June 7: Breitbart’s Vindication
- June 7: Yub Nub!
- June 6: Anthony Weiner Press Conference UPDATE: Admits Trying to Send DM UPDATE: Weiner Will Not Resign UPDATE: VIDEO ADDED
UPDATE: Dems Call for Ethics Probe - June 6: #WeinerGate: It Gets WORSE UPDATE: Press Conference 4 p.m. ET UPDATE: ABC News Interviews Woman
- June 6: #WeinerGate Fallout: Democrats Criticize Weiner for Missing Israel Day Parade UPDATE: Breitbart Releases 2nd Photo
- June 6: New #WeinerGate Allegations? UPDATE: Weiner’s Photo: ‘It’s Me’
- June 4: ‘Is He the New Tiger Woods?’
- June 4: ‘You Can’t Lawyer the Media’
- June 4: ‘UR SO HOT! C MY WANG?’ (Or, #WeinerGate Explained)
- June 4: GUILTY! GUILTY! GUILTY!
- June 3: Because I Know What’s News
- June 3: Wow! Strange Plot Twists in #WeinerGate’s Third Act
- June 3: Brutal. Simply Brutal.
- June 2: Finally, Weiner Calls the Police!
- June 2: #WeinerGate: Who Is @PatriotUSA76? @AndrewBreitbart Wants to Know
- June 2: VIDEO: @DaTechGuyBlog Talks #Weinergate in Boston TV Interview
- June 2: Who’s Winning #WeinerGate? (Video)
- June 1: All the Weiner You Can Handle: Why MSM Can’t Ignore This Scandal Now
- June 1: Oh, My: In NBC Interview, Weiner Won’t Deny Authenticity of Lewd Photo
- June 1: #WeinerGate: Where the Story Goes Next
- June 1: Official #WeinerGate Theme Song
- May 31: #WeinerGate OMFG! @RepWeiner Gives Worst Press Conference EVAH! (Video)
- May 31: The Power of Simple Sentences
- May 31: Da Tech Guy, Da Columnist
- May 31: The AOSHQ Legal Department: Now Offering Advice to Victims of ‘Pranks’
- May 31: BREAKING: Weiner Lawyers Up! UPDATE: In CNN Interview, Weiner Dismisses Hacking as ‘Prank’
- May 30: Ace Is Suffering Weiner Overload
- May 30: The Curious Case of the Weiner-Following (And Weiner-Followed) Teenage Girl
- May 30: @JoanWalsh Blames @AndrewBreitbart and #tcot Bloggers for #WeinerGate Story
- May 29: #WeinerGate Victim Gennette Cordova Issues Statement: ‘I Cannot Answer the Questions That I Do Not Have the Answers To’; Describes Her Reaction
- May 29: MSM Starting to Cover ‘WeinerGate’
- May 28: Weiner’s Wiener? UPDATE: Who Is ‘Gennette Nicole’? UPDATE: Questions Piling Up