Now that Anthony Weiner has resigned from Congress, the inevitable next question arises: what cable news network will he sign with?
No, it's not certain. But politicians often turn to a second act as a cable news commentator when they leave public office, and Weiner has cut a high-profile media figure for himself, appearing frequently on television and engaging in feisty conversations with anybody willing to take him on. It's quite possible that any of the three major cable news channels would want to snap Weiner up, especially since his public notoriety has only increased in the wake of his Twitter scandal. Even as they waited for him to announce his resignation, several cable news anchors and reporters were speculating about whether Weiner would wind up on one of their networks.
So, if he signs with a network, which would it be? Below, a case for all three.
CNN: The network has a history of embracing scandal-scarred public officials, so why not? Weiner would bring a loud liberal voice to a network that doesn't really have one quite like him. (And yes, we know about James Carville and Paul Begala.)
Fox News: While it would seem to be the last place Weiner would want to go, he has a history of getting into combative interviews on the network and providing the kind of fireworks that cable news loves. In particular, his running battles with Megyn Kelly became must-see TV. Fox News could put him on panel after panel and stack him up against all of its biggest hitters--in essence making him the Michael Steele of the network.
MSNBC: Speaking of Michael Steele, what about the channel that Anthony Weiner actually signed with? Before his downfall, Weiner was a frequent guest on shows like Rachel Maddow's and Lawrence O'Donnell's, and he would slide easily into MSNBC's team. How easy is it to envision a recurring feature pitting him against Michael Steele or Pat Buchanan?
It's also possible that Weiner could do a deal with another network, like Keith Olbermann's Current TV.
Which network do you think Weiner would sign with? Tell us in our poll below.