Image via Wikipedia“Congressman Weiner has the love of his family, the confidence of his constituents, and the recognition that he needs help,” said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.). “I urge Congressman Weiner to seek that help without the pressures of being a Member of Congress.”
The leave of absence, which is not an official designation and means that Weiner will not only remain a member of the House but continue to receive his congressional salary, seems designed to buy the New York Democrat some time as he ponders his political future.
It’s also not without precedent. In 2002, then Nevada Sen. John Ensign (R) took an unexplained two-week leave of absence; in 2009, Oklahoma Rep. John Sullivan (R) took a month-long leave of absence to enter the Betty Ford clinic for treatment of alcoholism.
Weiner’s decision to stay in office despite the urgings of his party leadership was not greeted warmly.
Of Weiner, Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz (Fla.) said “the behavior he has exhibited is indefensible and Representative Weiner’s continued service in Congress is untenable.”
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