Will Rep. Weiner Stay or Go?
Divide develops within Democratic Party over New York congressman's future
This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," June 13, 2011. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
SEAN HANNITY, HOST: The pressure on scandal-ridden Congressman Anthony Weiner to step down is now coming straight from the top. In an interview set to air tomorrow morning on NBC's "Today" show, President Obama sent a strong hint in Weiner's direction.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "NIGHTLY NEWS"/NBC)
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: Ultimately, there is going to be a decision for him and his constituents. I can tell you that, if it was me, I would resign.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: Well, within the Democratic Party at large, a divide has developed over Weiner's future in the United States Congress. Nancy Pelosi and others have called for him to step down. But friends of Weiner like Chuck Schumer, well, they are apparently too cowardly to take a stance on the issue. Let's look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER, D-N.Y.: For those of us who are longtime friends of Anthony, this is heartbreaking. I issued a statement last night. And I'm not going to say anything else, other than this is just heartbreaking for me and for the many friends of Anthony.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: And here with more on Weiner's future, Democratic strategist Michael Brown, Fox News contributor Joe Trippi.
Guys, welcome back.
Well, let me ask you just straight-up, I start with you Michael, should he step down?
MICHAEL BROWN, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Well, I don't know. The standards should be the same for everyone. And it seems that your friends on the Republican side of the aisle and the senators that had some issues the last couple of years, they were asked to step down, but didn't. So, the standards should be the same. I don't know why the standards should be different for a Democrat.
HANNITY: Well, you actually do raise a point that is interesting to me. And it is not about the Republicans. Because I don't think there is an analogy here.
BROWN: There's absolutely an analogy. That exact same thing that occurred the last couple of years, your guys were asked to step down and they didn't.
(CROSSTALK)
HANNITY: I think he should step down. I'm giving you my take. If anyone's involved in any of these scandals, I don't think they are fit to serve and I think they ought to find other professions. But on the second side of this. You know, when you really think about it, Bill Clinton lied, suborning perjury, lost his law license. All of these things. And he actually had sex, not virtual sex. So, there is a difference and the distinction here. And why -- hang on a second.
BROWN: You guys all go back to Clinton. What does the Clinton analogy have anything to do with what we are talking about?
HANNITY: Because it has a lot to do. Because a lot, Joe Trippi, a lot of the very same Democrats -- I love being outnumbered by the way. A lot of the same Democrats.
BROWN: Usually it is the other way around, Sean.
HANNITY: Well, get used to it. A lot of same Democrats, Joe, that found themselves defending Clinton, now are saying Weiner has got to go. So, why the double standard here among Democrats?
JOE TRIPPI, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Well, I mean, look, I don't know about double standard. But I think it is a message that Weiner should pay attention to. I mean, Nancy Pelosi, in the entire time she has been in the Congress has never called on a Democrat to resign. Not one in all the different problems that have happened with any individual or scandal that has occurred. It's never happened. She is now doing that. So is most of the leadership.
The problem for Weiner is, how does he do his job? I mean, who is going to want to co-sponsor a bill with Anthony Weiner? Who is going to want him to co-sponsor their bills? How is he going to get anything done now that so many in the leadership, and down on the democratic side have asked him to leave, and now the president saying he would resign if it were him. I mean, I think it's moved beyond the scandal now to just why stay, what can you do that's going to do anybody any good at this point?
HANNITY: Well, the thing is --
TRIPPI: I'm not saying it's fair. But it's the way it is.
HANNITY: All right. But there are, let me see if I can explain this to you, Michael, just hear my analogy here. I was writing them down before the show. You know, horrible, I don't what's wrong with Anthony Weiner. I mean, and we're also talking about underage girls that he's conversing with, and the girls at least are sending messages that are fairly explicit. You know, he's sending pictures of his naked body. Anytime he walks by a mirror, the guy seems obsessed with grabbing his wiener and taking a picture. It's pretty weird stuff.
So, you know, what Clinton did though was far worse. You know, he lied under oath. Weiner apparently we know didn't do that. He had an actual affair versus a virtual affair. And Democrats didn't ask for him to go. But they are asking for Weiner to go, so you've got to see the double standard in terms out Democrats are reacting. And I'm trying to understand what that is about.
BROWN: Well, first of all, I don't think you will hear anyone defend the conduct of the congressman. And frankly, I think he's even condemned himself for the conduct. So, I don't think that issue is one that's really debatable. No one is debating that.
The question is, whether the consequences. I don't know why you continue to bring up the Clinton analogy. Anytime you guys can bring up anything about Bill Clinton you do it. It is getting the old, you need to stop and just kind of move forward.
HANNITY: No I don't. I haven't mentioned Bill Clinton in years. I don't talk about him.
BROWN: You have mentioned him twice in the last three minutes.
HANNITY: Only in this context, they supported and rallied behind Clinton. As horrible as what the things Weiner did, that they are not rallying around Weiner.
Let me see if I can ask Joe Trippi this question. I think this is important. As this moves forward, do we not have to consider that these congressmen, these politicians, these governors having sex in truck stops with strangers, or hiring hookers and getting hired by CNN. Do we not have to consider that they are subjecting themselves to blackmail? Should that not be part of the equation?
TRIPPI: You know, I don't know about that.
HANNITY: No?
TRIPPI: I mean, look, I don't think so. I think you look at the cases you are talking about, they've all, you know, they've all came out. I mean, it wasn't like, he didn't go try to spend.
HANNITY: But say he didn't come out --
TRIPPI: He did not try to buy --
HANNITY: You misunderstand.
TRIPPI: He didn't try to pay for anybody's silence.
HANNITY: But wait a minute.
(CROSSTALK)
And say one of the girls that either a governor or senator or congressmen are engaged in this activity with. They come to his office and say, do this for me or I'm going to tell the world what you did. Don't you think they could be subject to blackmail? And that's why, for example, if you're in the military and you send naked pictures of yourself to people you would probably be fired. If you're in the work force, in the corporate world, you would probably be fired, if I did it, I would be fired.
BROWN: And Sean, he could get fired by his constituents. The voters could fire him, absolutely.
TRIPPI: I think that one of the things that is happening that is different between any of the others is that the Internet has changed this thing. This isn't just happening on cable news. Cable is not showing most of the pictures. And most of the really, you know, the really bad ones. I mean, the really bad ones.
But everybody can go on the net and look at them. I think a lot of people are. And I think that's the problem. This thing just, it is now being thrown around by peer to peer in a way that has never happened before. Not in one these kinds of things. And I think that's really keeping this going. And a lot of Democrats wanted to stop.
HANNITY: Michael, when you see what he's done here and this impulsive lack of control that he has, very bizarre behavior, does it not trouble you that he's, you know, hearing our nation's secrets at all?
BROWN: Well, no. And Sean, I've mentioned it. No one is debating whether it was a bad thing.
(CROSSTALK)
HANNITY: I'm asking, does it worry you in terms of his ability to do his job?
BROWN: No, I don't think so, Sean. I think there's a coalition with his personal bad acting --
HANNITY: So, he can be that impulsive, that out of control.
BROWN: Well, clearly if you listen to the polls, a lot of his constituents want him to stay. And then, they'll make a decision next November if he should stay.
HANNITY: Guys good to see you.
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