Eric Cantor: Dems Should Push Harder For Anthony Weiner Resignation

WASHINGTON -- House Majority Leader Eric Cantor called on Monday for Democrats to strip Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) of his committee assignments if he does not step down from the House of Representatives.

The Virginia Republican has said repeatedly that Weiner should resign in light of his tweeting indiscretions, which were exposed on the Internet in the past two weeks. Weiner announced this weekend that he will request a leave of absence to seek psychological treatment, but said he will not resign from his seat.

Democratic leaders such as Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-Fla.) called for Weiner to resign. Rep. Pelosi also asked the Ethics Committee to investigate whether the congressman broke House rules in his online dalliances.

But Cantor argued the Democrats should go one step further to ensure Weiner leaves the House. "I called on him to resign early," the majority leader told reporters. "I think this kind of behavior is unacceptable."

"I'm hoping that they will begin to move, if he does not resign, toward things like perhaps stripping him of his committees," Cantor added.

House Speaker John Boehner's (R-Ohio) spokesman, Michael Steel, questioned in an email to reporters on Monday why Weiner had not yet put in a formal request for a leave of absence.

"The Leaders of each representative conference/caucus sign formal requests for a leave of absence," he wrote. "Will Leader Pelosi sign Rep. Weiner's formal request for a leave of absence? If Rep. Weiner fails to ask for a formal leave of absence (rather than simply saying he intends to take one via press release), then he will officially be AWOL while still being paid by taxpayers."

"What will Leader Pelosi do if he fails to ask for a formal leave of absence?," Steel asked.

Boehner, like other Republicans who called for Weiner to step down, has donated to Republican David Vitter despite the Louisiana senator's prostitution scandal.

Cantor said he wants the issue to no longer serve as a distraction.

"I don't think that we have time for this," he said referring to Weiner. "We obviously have a lot of other things to be concerned with."

Comments

[buster85]

06:12 AM on 07/21/2011

Strange. I said the same thing about the Republicans. They should push harder for your resignation.

[olitenup]

04:17 PM on 06/15/2011

Can we push harder to get this whiner gone?

[sonofsonoflars]

04:34 PM on 06/14/2011

On a purely self indulgent note, every time i see this smarmy hypocritical pr!ck I want to kick him in his stupid head. Ahh thank you. That feels better. LOL

[dax49]

04:34 PM on 06/14/2011

Shouldn't cantor be in his office writing love notes to netanyehu- he seems more concerned with Israel than he is with the U.S..

[mikies2u]

02:05 PM on 06/14/2011

Obama is a weiner and he should resign.

[dax49]

04:35 PM on 06/14/2011

And YOU are a mindless drone for fox - you never uttered a peep at the constitutional abuses of your pal bush did you?

[magginkat]

06:36 PM on 06/14/2011

Weiner took a few pictures..... Dick Cheney, George Bush, Condi Rice,Donald Rumsfeld, etc committed war crimes, lied us into an illegal war, gave tax breaks to themselves, and spent money like there was no tomorrow. David Vitter, diaper loving prostitute using family values man.....still squatting in the Senate. I will support the Weiner as he has supported We the People. It's a no brainer even for a hate monger like you.

[imfedup]

12:08 PM on 06/14/2011

I think it's hilarious that their argument is that it's causing a distraction. They keep talking about it. That's why it's a distraction.!

[Alan D Kardoff]

11:52 AM on 06/14/2011

The GOP has had many members engaged in foul play who go ignored.
Vittter, Sanford, Craig. Edwards, though no longer in the
limelight is being prosecuted. Weiner's indiscretions are more
like Bart Starr; photos but no action. He has now taken
leave. Why has Vitters been allowed to serve without penalty

[imfedup]

12:10 PM on 06/14/2011

Mark Sanford didn't resign, right? Didn't he complete his term after his adultrous frolics on the "Appalacian Trail"? If memory serves, he actually had SEXUAL CONTACT with his lover.

[perl4mortgage]

02:42 PM on 06/14/2011

Maybe you people should get your facts straight!! EDWARDS is a DEMOCRAT for starters, Sanford, Craig, and Lee have all resigned. Vitter may not have resigned for being the client of a prostitute but neither has Barney Frank who solicited a gay prostitute? Maybe learning the facts before spewing misinformation in retaliation would be wise. We have far bigger issues than Weiner's weiner obsession. You also seem to lose sight of the fact he came out swinging and BLAMING a 'hacker". The 10 day lie...get a grip

[SigonellaPC3]

10:40 AM on 06/14/2011

It's funny when a bomb like this drops on the Democratic Party, the Republicans can only come up with hypocrisy because-guess what-as usual, there's an ongoing political sex scandal going on in their ranks.

Now, on to the debt ceiling, pending mortgage crisis, giving money to the rich while cutting subsidies for the poor, etc.

Substance please. I really don't care about those things which contribute nothing to our collective consciousness. We have real work to do. Time to get out of the hallways and into the chamber.

[centsable]

09:48 AM on 06/14/2011

Where was Cantor when Vitter was paying for sex, oh yeah, he's a republicant, different rules.

[wall1969]

08:50 AM on 06/14/2011

Does Cantor mean the same way he pushed for the resignation of Vitter or the toe tapper?

[dzadzey]

08:06 AM on 06/14/2011

In case he hadn't noticed, Democrats ARE pushing Weiner to resign. Unlike the GOP with Senator David "Hooker" Vitter (R-LA) or Senator John Ensign (R-NV)

[Den Dennis]

07:57 AM on 06/14/2011

Does Cantor think David Vitter should resign? Of course not.

[goodnana]

07:40 AM on 06/14/2011

Cantor always makes me think he is wearing lace panties.

[dzadzey]

08:08 AM on 06/14/2011

He probably is. As well as looking for a good top.

[centsable]

09:49 AM on 06/14/2011

LOL....

[BillForObama]

06:22 AM on 06/14/2011

Republicans SHOULD STAY out of this debate. Talking about the kettle and the pot.

[sjj734]

05:08 AM on 06/14/2011

"Boehner, like other Republicans who called for Weiner to step down, has donated to Republican David Vitter despite the Louisiana senator's prostitution scandal."

The GOP has no credibility on this issue until they hold their own to the same standard. In the end, nobody can force him out unless he broke the law or an ethics investigation finds his violations rise to that level. Personally, since redistricting will mean NYC loses a seat anyway, he should just finish the term and not run for re-election. Otherwise a special ellection will have to be held for someone to only serve a year. Waste of money.