You really can’t make this stuff up.
Politico reports that shortly after Rep. Anthony Weiner’s press conference, the disgraced congressman called up former President Bill Clinton to apologize for his infidelity:
Rep. Anthony Weiner explained himself and apologized for his conduct to Bill Clinton, who officiated his wedding to wife Huma Abedin, sources familiar with the call said. …
It wasn’t immediately clear what was said on the call, but sources said that the Clintons – who are deeply loyal to Abedin – are distressed by the “sexting” scandal that Weiner immersed his wife in.
It’s not really clear what moral standing Clinton has to accept such an apology, but the former president and his family have a very close relationship with Weiner’s wife (and top Hillary aide) Huma Abedin. Clinton even officiated at the couple’s wedding.
What the article notably doesn’t say is whether the former president accepted Weiner’s apology. Top Democrats are already calling for the congressman to step down, and Clinton obviously has the ability to use his considerable clout to influence the party’s actions.
The article also reminds us of the one person who has been absent from the ongoing controversy — Weiner’s wife. Not only did she neglect to attend Weiner’s painfully awkward press conference the other day, but she also left the country on a global diplomacy trip today, amidst the implosion of her husband’s political career.
Some criticized Hillary Clinton for “standing by her man” after the Monica Lewinsky controversy, but her behavior has actually been imitated by other scorned political wives after their husbands’ sex scandals. It’s noteworthy that Hillary’s closest aide, Abedin, has so far rejected this concept. And she’s already gaining some strong admiration for doing so. It remains to be seen whether the days of political wives standing by their men may be over.
