Is CNN Trying to Rehabilitate Weiner’s Career?
From listening to CNN's pre- and post-Weiner press conference commentary, one could be forgiven for thinking they were already attempting to jumpstart the congressman's political career. Already one former politician caught in a sex scandal is using his prime-time position at CNN to rehabilitate his image. “Sad” and “tragic” were words used by CNN's political team to describe Weiner's resignation given that he was a “rising star” in the Democrat Party. CNN's Wolf Blitzer told colleague John King, “It's almost tragic, John, because as you've been pointing out, [Weiner] was really the front-runner to become the next mayor of New York City after Michael Bloomberg.” [Video below the break.] Before and after the press conference, the CNN hosts and correspondents repeatedly threw around the possibility of a political comeback for Weiner. Wolf Blitzer claimed that “just reading the body language, hearing what he had to say, I would by no means rule out at some point down the road, maybe a year from now, five years from now, Anthony Weiner, it's in his blood, he might seek political office once again.” He remarked earlier that “New Yorkers are very forgiving.” Blitzer posed the question to CNN's legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin, who was surprisingly more even-keeled in his assessment of a comeback. “Well, I think like most politicians, he was keeping his options open,” he said of Weiner, before adding that “you know, I think that is really off in the future, if at all.” Dana Bash hyped that “everybody in this country loves a comeback story” as she agreed with Blitzer. Anchor John King called the possible comeback an “open question,” but did seem to agree with Blitzer's opinion of New Yorkers as “forgiving.” “They are scrappy people. They like somebody who stands up and fights for themselves and fights for the district and fights for the city,” he said. The next hour, anchor Brooke Baldwin continued the narrative in her one question of New York Democrat congressman Steve Israel. “Look, New Yorkers are a forgiving bunch. And he has represented this district in New York for seven terms. Do you think there is any kind of possibility down the road that he could return to Capitol Hill?” Ironically, the Democratic congressman played down the idea. “Well, I can tell you absolutely firsthand that the only kind of recovery that Anthony Weiner is concerned about, based on the conversations that I have had with him is not a political recovery. It is his personal recovery,” he told Baldwin. “So I don't believe that politics is anywhere near the – in the equation right now for Congressman Weiner.” A partial transcript of the commentary, which aired on June 16 at 2:06 p.m. EDT, is as follows: [2:06] WOLF BLITZER: Yes, I wouldn't rule out a second chance. Dana, I don't know what you're hearing up about there about any political ambitions he might have. Right now, he's got a lot of other serious issues he's got to deal with, with his family, his friends, his constituency, and himself — he says he's been in treatment. He's trying to fix the problems obviously, that he's had. But what almost $5 million in campaign cash that if he wants to someday will be available and he will continue. He will obviously get that congressional pension, assuming he announces his resignation in the next few minutes. DANA BASH, CNN Capitol Hill correspondent: That's right. And, you know, everybody in this country loves a comeback story. So – and his colleagues are also saying, Wolf, even as we speak, they are telling our colleagues, like Deirdre Walsh, right off the House floor, don't count him out in the future. Right now, he's got to take time. He's got to go get himself help. He's got to go deal with his family, with his wife and everything else. But they're saying, you know, don't rule him out. (…) [2:14] BLITZER: This is a very, very dramatic moment indeed. It's almost tragic, John, because as you've been pointing out, he was really the front-runner to become the next mayor of New York City after Michael Bloomberg. JOHN KING: And you look at the scene, Wolf, there are 435 members of the House of Representatives, none of them can draw a media crowd like this unless – unless –
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on June 16, 2011. Filed under