What did New York ever do to deserve Anthony Weiner?
In a dreary, teary puff piece in the New York Times, Weiner reveals what readers of The Post have known for months: The disgraced former congressman hopes to join the mayoral race this year.
One question: Why why why why why?
Weiner, the city’s least-loved amateur photographer, has been eyeing a comeback since the day he resigned from office two years ago.
You recall the story: Weiner tweeted a photo of his crotch and was soon found to have sent dirty pictures of himself to many women. He then lied about it to the public, the press and his wife.
That should be enough shame to last a lifetime. And in a sane universe, he’d disappear for good. But he’s got more than $4 million left in his campaign account and wants voters to “give me a second chance.”
Redemption requires more than jamming the airwaves with ads and plastering his face all over town. We’ve already seen enough photos of Weiner to last a lifetime.
Yet atonement doesn’t come naturally to politicians — just look at Republican Mark Sanford, the former South Carolina governor who fled his wife and the statehouse for an Argentinian romance.
Sanford, a paragon of shamelessness, appears to be lighting the way for Weiner: He’s now running for Congress — and even asked his ex-wife to manage his campaign.
It’s sad that no one seems to think disgrace and betrayal are a bar to holding public office. All Weiner sees are selfish opportunities: “It’s now or maybe never for me.”
But we believe in New York. Weiner’s pollster asked potential voters about the scandal and found “there’s a healthy number of people who will never get over it.”
All we’re asking of you, Gotham, is to hold a grudge.