NEW YORK (AP) - Nearly three weeks after Rep. Anthony Weiner accidentally tweeted a photo of his bulging crotch, his final act as congressman was to attempt to resign with dignity.
He had gone from the halls of Congress to the front pages of the New York tabloids, providing ceaseless fodder as cringe-worthy evidence of his sexually charged online dalliances leaked out and top Democrats pushed for his resignation.
On Thursday afternoon, the 46-year-old struck a sober tone at the podium of the senior center in Brooklyn where he launched a campaign for City Council in 1992. He stood alone; his pregnant wife, Huma Abedin, remained at home while he officially ended the only career he has ever known.
But like other developments in the tawdry drama, the press conference was marked by profanity and low-brow antics. After recounting the beginning of his political career and proclaiming that there is "no higher honor" than to represent one's neighbors, he said he initially hoped to continue his work but then realized "the distraction that I have created has made that impossible." With that, he apologized and resigned.
The seniors, many of them former supporters, groaned. Some in the room cheered. One man yelled out:
"Buh-bye, pervert!"
Another jumped up seconds later and began to shout questions about the congressman's genitals. The din in the room reached a crescendo as dozens of cameras pivoted, reporters gasped and some of the seniors shouted for the man to sit down. Weiner grew slightly flushed but continued speaking. A police officer approached and told him to quiet down for the remainder of Weiner's remarks, which lasted just under four minutes. As the congressman left the podium, the loud heckler bellowed: "Will you maintain your hot physique and your smooth sexy chest?"
The circus-like distraction had overshadowed the main event, a fitting metaphor for the congressman's career. The man behind it turned out to be a writer for the Howard Stern Show named Benjy Bronk.
Many of the spectators said the episode was a startling finale for a once-promising hometown politician.
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