Mark Foley, one of the country’s leading experts on sex scandals, might think the only way for Anthony Weiner to get his life back on track is to leave politics. But the reality is Anthony Weiner’s been a career politician, and he might have a hard time figuring out how to make a living on the outside: He was elected to City Council at the tender age of just 27, a precociousness that grabbed him the kind of media attention he’s been riding ever since. But that also means, unlike many of his congressional colleagues for whom politics is a second career following a lucrative first one, he doesn’t have a clear Plan B, a professional degree, or any accumulated wealth to fall back on. It’s very possible he simply can’t afford to quit his job.
The Post reports that Weiner’s 2010 income was $156,117, while wife Huma Abedin made $154,000. The condo they just recently took off the market was priced at a modest-for-New York $449,000. So the couple isn’t destitute, but they’re not rolling in it, either, and losing one income with a baby on the way would be a major hit. If he stepped down, he’d have to look to the generosity of friends in a job hunt, which could be … difficult. Like other fallen souls with a checkered past, then, Weiner might just have to rely on the kindness of strangers.
Weiner can’t afford to quit the DC day job [NYP]
Mark Foley: Resigning Might Help Weiner Get His Life Back on Track [WSJ]
Earlier: Times: Mayor Bloomberg Was Right, Anthony Weiner Has No Friends
