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| Anthony Weiner hints at run for New York mayor in comeback bid | Anthony Weiner hints at run for New York mayor in comeback bid |
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| The disgraced former New York congressman Anthony Weiner has signalled that he may attempt what would be a remarkable political comeback, by entering the race to become the next mayor of New York City. | The disgraced former New York congressman Anthony Weiner has signalled that he may attempt what would be a remarkable political comeback, by entering the race to become the next mayor of New York City. |
| Wiener fell from grace in 2011 after he accidentally sent an explicit photograph of his genitals to all of his Twitter followers. Amid the following media furore, Weiner confessed to numerous online extra-marital relationships with women and resigned his seat. But now, in an extensive interview with the New York Times magazine, Wiener has revealed that he is mulling a run to succeed Michael Bloomberg by entering the Democratic race to pick a mayoral candidate. | Wiener fell from grace in 2011 after he accidentally sent an explicit photograph of his genitals to all of his Twitter followers. Amid the following media furore, Weiner confessed to numerous online extra-marital relationships with women and resigned his seat. But now, in an extensive interview with the New York Times magazine, Wiener has revealed that he is mulling a run to succeed Michael Bloomberg by entering the Democratic race to pick a mayoral candidate. |
| "I want to ask people to give me a second chance. I do want to have that conversation with people whom I let down and with people who put their faith in me and who wanted to support me. I think to some degree I do want to say to them: 'Give me another chance'," he told the magazine. | "I want to ask people to give me a second chance. I do want to have that conversation with people whom I let down and with people who put their faith in me and who wanted to support me. I think to some degree I do want to say to them: 'Give me another chance'," he told the magazine. |
| The piece, which also featured an interview with his wife, Huma Abedin, who stood by her husband through the scandal, will be seen by many observers as a clear "trial balloon" for Weiner to enter the race. Before the incident Weiner was one of the top names being discussed as a likely next mayor of New York and Weiner revealed that his political operation has already spent $100,000 on polling about a comeback. | The piece, which also featured an interview with his wife, Huma Abedin, who stood by her husband through the scandal, will be seen by many observers as a clear "trial balloon" for Weiner to enter the race. Before the incident Weiner was one of the top names being discussed as a likely next mayor of New York and Weiner revealed that his political operation has already spent $100,000 on polling about a comeback. |
| It will be no easy task. Weiner – in part because of his joke-ready last name – became a punch bag for America's late-night comedians as details of the scandal unfolded two years ago. He also suffered a media roasting for initially lying about what had happened and saying that his Twitter account had been hacked. | It will be no easy task. Weiner – in part because of his joke-ready last name – became a punch bag for America's late-night comedians as details of the scandal unfolded two years ago. He also suffered a media roasting for initially lying about what had happened and saying that his Twitter account had been hacked. |
| In the New York Times interview, Weiner offers a brutally candid analysis of his actions. "There was the crime, there was the cover-up, there was harm I had done to her [Abedin] and there is no one who deserved this less than Huma. That's really the bottom line. No one deserved to have a dope like me do that less than she did," he said. | In the New York Times interview, Weiner offers a brutally candid analysis of his actions. "There was the crime, there was the cover-up, there was harm I had done to her [Abedin] and there is no one who deserved this less than Huma. That's really the bottom line. No one deserved to have a dope like me do that less than she did," he said. |
| However, Weiner is likely to take some comfort from the recent experience of the former South Carolina governor Mark Sanford, whose political career seemed destroyed when he was discovered having an extra-marital affair. Sanford, who is now divorced and engaged to his former lover, has recently stunned American politics by winning the Republican primary for a South Carolina congressional seat. If he wins against his Democratic opponent, Elizabeth Colbert Busch, it will complete one of the most remarkable comebacks from a sex scandal in recent history. | However, Weiner is likely to take some comfort from the recent experience of the former South Carolina governor Mark Sanford, whose political career seemed destroyed when he was discovered having an extra-marital affair. Sanford, who is now divorced and engaged to his former lover, has recently stunned American politics by winning the Republican primary for a South Carolina congressional seat. If he wins against his Democratic opponent, Elizabeth Colbert Busch, it will complete one of the most remarkable comebacks from a sex scandal in recent history. |
| Weiner is also likely to be encouraged by a recent poll on the mayor's race. It showed that frontrunner Christine Quinn's support had slipped to its lowest level in five months, with 32% of Democrats backing her. That puts her way ahead of her nearest rival – public advocate Bill de Blasio, on 14% – but also suggests that she might be vulnerable to a high profile, late entrant to the contest. | Weiner is also likely to be encouraged by a recent poll on the mayor's race. It showed that frontrunner Christine Quinn's support had slipped to its lowest level in five months, with 32% of Democrats backing her. That puts her way ahead of her nearest rival – public advocate Bill de Blasio, on 14% – but also suggests that she might be vulnerable to a high profile, late entrant to the contest. |
| In the Times piece, Weiner took a small swipe at Quinn for supporting Bloomberg's efforts to extend term limits, calling it a "deal breaker". But he also appeared to acknowledge that his mind was not yet been made up about jumping back into politics. | In the Times piece, Weiner took a small swipe at Quinn for supporting Bloomberg's efforts to extend term limits, calling it a "deal breaker". But he also appeared to acknowledge that his mind was not yet been made up about jumping back into politics. |
| "I don't have this burning, overriding desire to go out and run for office. It's not the single animating force in my life as it was for quite some time. But I recognise, to some degree, it's now or maybe never for me," he said. | "I don't have this burning, overriding desire to go out and run for office. It's not the single animating force in my life as it was for quite some time. But I recognise, to some degree, it's now or maybe never for me," he said. |
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