City Councilwoman Melissa Mark-Viverito with supporters at a birthday fundraiser. (Photo: Facebook/mmarkviverito)

At a birthday fundraiser last night in East Harlem, friends and supporters gathered to toast City Councilwoman Melissa Mark-Viverito’s re-election bid for a redrawn district. But for the two-term progressive rabble-rouser, there is far more at stake than keeping her seat.

“We want to see her Speaker!” shouted one supporter as the group crowded around Ms. Viverito at the cozy El Kallejon on East 117th Street to hear her remarks.

Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, who is running for city comptroller, underscored the significance of the race, at a time when the speakership is up for grabs.

“I want you to know that I look forward to walking the streets of El Barrio with Melissa to make sure that she wins, that she has the mandate she needs for the next four years. Because you never know when her leadership skills will be called on to do some bigger things in city government,” Mr. Stringer said to applause, prompting calls of “Melissa for Speaker!” from the crowd.

Mr. Stringer has endorsed Ms. Mark-Viverito in her council race against a group of lesser-known challengers, but has not formally weighed in on the leadership contest.

Ms. Mark-Viverito is considered one of the leading contenders to succeed City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, who is running for mayor. The speakership won't be decided until a new class of council members takes office next year, but the wannabe speakers have nonetheless been busy jockeying behind the scenes, making appearances and supporting candidates who might deliver votes.

Harlem City Councilwoman Inez Dickens, a close ally of Ms. Quinn, is often introduced as "Speaker Inez Dickens" by supporters, while Ms. Mark-Viverito has made no secret that she, too, is interested in the race. Other names that have also been mentioned are Manhattan City Councilman Daniel Garodnick, Councilman Mark Weprin, from Queens and Jimmy Vacca from the Bronx.

Ms. Mark-Viverito's district was one of the most dramatically altered during this year's redistricting process, with a majority of its population now located in The Bronx. She has repeatedly accused Ms. Quinn of failing to reverse the changes for her own political gain--a charge that Quinn's office has denied.

But Ms. Viverito appeared Tuesday to be taking the new lines in stride.

“It has been an incredible honor and an incredible pleasure to serve district,” she told her supporters, who sipped on sangria and nibbled on passed Mexican hors d'oeuvres.

“It will be a very different district as of January,” she acknowledged. “We’re hoping the transition will be smooth and that we can ensure great representation.”

Mr. Stringer sounded a similar theme.

“Melissa has a primary and it's important that she not only win, but she win big. Because part of what she is about is about organizing and protecting and building coalitions to make sure her district is elevated in the public discourse," he said, after wishing her "feliz cumpleaños" in shaky Spanish. “Whether it’s Bronx or Manhattan , or a combination, the truth is that before she was elected, it wasn’t a lot of attention paid to this area. It wasn’t a lot of resources that came in."

If successful, she will be the first Asian-American Congressional Member elected anywhere on the East Coast of the United States. However, the historic nature of her candidacy went unmentioned today, and was possibly even downplayed slightly as her campaign signs contained only her first name.

Instead, in addition to focusing on traditional Democratic themes like education and labor, Ms. Meng's announcement event seemed at least partially geared towards the district's sizable Jewish constituency. One of her two opponents, Assemblyman Rory Lancman, has struck out with an Israel-oriented campaign platform and Ms. Meng clearly isn't interested in being outflanked on the issue.

"I wanted to mention, as a Jewish-American, that Grace Meng in Washington will immediately be the most visible advocate for the state of Israel that we've had in Washington in a long time," Councilman Mark Weprin said to introduce her. "Someone who cares about Israel's right to live free and to be safe and secure."

In her own speech, Ms. Meng vowed to be a “fierce defender of democracy worldwide and the state of Israel" and said “protecting America's commitment to democracy and Israel's safety" would be among her priorities.

Councilwoman Liz Crowley is also vying for the Democratic nomination. GOP Councilman Dan Halloran is expected to announce his own campaign for the seat tomorrow.

Watch Ms. Meng announce for Congress below:

"Being in Congress is a very important responsibility," Mr. Weprin, a first term City Councilmember, added. "It is something I have often thought about it. It's an opportunity that is never going to come again in my lifetime. I would like to believe that I would make a good representative."

Mr. Weprin's potential candidacy comes after a head-spinning couple of hours yesterday when Assembly member Rory Lancman announced that he would not seek a seat in Congress currently held by fellow Democrat Gary Ackerman. Then, a few hours later, Mr. Ackerman announced his retirement. Mr. Lancman has since indicated that he intends to campaign for the seat again.

Assemblywoman Grace Meng and State Senator Tony Avella have also indicated their interest, and undoubtedly other candidates are eyeing the seat as well.

However, Mr. Weprin could come into a contested primary with some distinct advantages, including the possible backing of the county party and its head, Congressman Joe Crowley. Also, he may have Mr. Ackerman's support. Yesterday Mr. Ackerman made an appearance alongside Mr. Weprin at his Saul Weprin Democratic Club a few hours after announcing that he would retire. Plus, earlier today Mr. Weprin received the endorsement of former Mayor Ed Koch.

Mr. Koch endorsed Bob Turner the opponent of Mr. Weprin's brother, David Weprin, in a special election last year. That district however was altered and this one was created in its stead. The district is a much more Democratic district than the one that Mr. Turner won, although the prospect of another Weprin running for Congress would at the very least be unusual.

Mr. Weprin shrugged off the comparison, pointing out that his brother won easily in the election districts in the new congressional district.

"I am not brother's keeper," he said.

Gary Ackerman (Photo: Facebook)

Only hours after Congressman Gary Ackerman indicated he was no longer seeking reelection, possible new candidates have already started showing interest in the Queens district he was previously running in.

In a statement sent out tonight, Assemblywoman Grace Meng, who is the only Asian-American elected official in Albany, made sure to note the new district where Mr. Ackerman was campaigning is plurality Asian and indirectly suggested she would be inclined to run if she received the Democratic establishment's backing.

"This new congressional district is heavily Asian, and I will be sitting down with our Queens Democratic Organization Chairman, Congressman Joseph Crowley, our community leaders and activists to discuss how the coming months may shape out," she said, while praising Mr. Ackerman.

Meanwhile, State Senator Tony Avella, who was drawn into the same district with Senator Toby Stavisky and could possibly use an escape hatch to avoid a competitive primary, directly told City & State he was interested in the seat and aspired to be a Congressman.

“I’m honored that people are considering me, and I have always wanted to go to Congress,” he said to the publication. “It would be a dream come true.”

Assemblyman Rory Lancman, who exited the race today, was previously thought to be so interested in a Congressional campaign he was willing to challenge Mr. Ackerman in the Democratic primary, is undoubtedly contemplating jumping back in as well. His statement today even said he "would be seeking opportunities to assume greater public responsibilities in the near future.”

Other names thrown around by politicos musing haphazardly on the topic to The Politicker include Councilman Mark Weprin, Assemblyman and former Congressional candidate David Weprin, Councilwoman Liz Crowley, and on down the list of elected officials throughout the district.

All of the above candidates are Democratic, and a Republican would have an uphill battle for the seat, which gave Barack Obama 63% of the vote in his 2008 Presidential campaign. Nevertheless, it could be winnable under the right circumstances with the right candidate, and City & State reported GOP Councilman Dan Halloran is indeed interested.

Regardless of the eventual candidates, the entire sudden situation seems rather bizarre. Mr. Ackerman had personally reached out to The Politicker Tuesday night, out of the blue, to make a specific and detailed case for why he was the perfect candidate for the district he just declined to run in today.

David Greenfield speaking at the press conference.

It's not the most exciting issue in the world, but for the elected officials who gathered on the steps of City Hall this afternoon, the accuracy of the city's new water meter readers is a big deal. The City Council Members said they are fielding many complaints from constituents who are struggling to pay suddenly surging water bills since the new meter readers were installed.

"Obviously this is a huge issue for us in Queens County and throughout the city. We've had an enormous amount of complaints from people who had the automated meters put in," Councilman Mark Weprin said. "We kept getting complaints from people who said they had nothing changed in their lives, they used the exact same amount of water over the years. Somehow the new meters were charging them double and sometimes triple ... Something's wrong here."

Councilman David Greenfield, who organized today's press conference, said the issue is so severe the Department of Environmental Protection needs an audit to root out broken meter readers and reimburse affected houses.

"I want to be clear. We always complain about water bills that are high, these are not usual water bills. These are the result of the city investing a quarter of a billion dollars of taxpayer money because they claimed we would have more accurate readings. And we are certain that in many cases, they're not accurate," he said. "So we're calling for DEP to launch an investigation, to get to the bottom of this, to audit these water meter bills ... We believe they will find that in thousands of cases they will find automated meter readers are broken. "

Councilman Ruben Wills, echoing Mr. Greenfield's call for an audit, was particularly forceful.

"This is ridiculous. We're demanding a full audit, we don't just want a pass-through, we want a full audit of every meter that has been installed, and we want the results released to the City Council now," he announced.

Watch the press conference below:

Eliot Spitzer (Photo: Getty)

Former Governor Eliot Spitzer lost his job as a CNN host in last July, but apparently he still has money to burn. Since September, Mr. Spitzer has given donations to campaign committees for Councilman Mark Weprin, Michigan Congressman Sander Levin and Texas legislator Joaquin Castro. 

On September 20, Mr. Spitzer gave $1,000 to Mr. Levin and $500 to Mr. Castro. He gave another $1,000 to the "Friends of Mark Weprin 2013" campaign committee on December 10. All three beneficiaries of Mr. Spitzer's largesse are Democrats.

Mr. Spitzer left politics after he was busted patronizing prostitutes in 2008. Before he was caught spending money on sex, Mr. Spitzer was a prolific political donor. He made more than 100 donations at the local and federal level between 1998 and 2008.

After his scandalous resignation, Mr. Spitzer made just five donations between July 2008 and May 2009 giving a total of $5,000 to committees supporting Cy Vance Jr.'s campaign for Manhattan District attorney, Mark Green's unsuccessful bid to become public advocate, Pat O'Dwyer's run for Orange County Executive and the Educational Leadership PAC. Mr. Spitzer did not make any political donations between May 2009 and last September.

"Our City Council woman is doing a fantastic job," Farrell said, while he was flanked by both Dickens and Congressman Charlie Rangel. "And I think that in the near future we will be using the word 'speaker' in front of her name. That is what it is going to be all about. And we are working to make sure that happens."

It is unclear which "we" Farrell was referring to here. The Harlem political establishment? The Manhattan Democratic Party, which he used to lead? He and Rangel? Or was it the royal "we."

Either way, it would seem to doom the prospects of Melissa Mark Viverito, the East Harlem Councilwoman also mentioned as a possible Speaker. Mark Viverito however would need the support of her fellow uptowners, which seems unlikely given Farrell's statement.

Other names mentioned as possible future speakers include East Side councilman Dan Garodnick,  Mark Weprin from Queens and Stephen Levin from Brooklyn.

There are a few factors to keep in mind when considering who makes sense for the seat, and who doesn't.

First is who would want it, since the seat will likely be erased after next year's redistricting. Secondly, who would have the support from the Democratic County leader in Queens, Rep. Joe Crowley, who could quickly turn into a potential primary challenger--to himself, or someone else--should they come to enjoy working in Congress. Lastly, Crowley must consider who can ensure Democrats hold onto the seat in what is the second most Republican-leaning district in the city. (The most Republican district--NY-13 on Staten Island--was captured by a Republican, Michael Grimm, in 2010.)

So, here's a breakdown of the candidates, based on those criteria.

Rory Lancman
The young Assemblyman from Flushing has reportedly expressed a willingness to ditch his safe job in the seniority-driven legislature, figuring a smart guy like him can find his way into a federal job after redistricting, or simply go to the private sector, capping his public service career with the enviable title of congressman.

Despite being a relatively junior member chairing the bland Subcommittee on Workplace Safety, he's done a Weiner-esque job of garnering attention, generating headlines with press conferences on both the Spiderman musical and the case of Dominique Strauss-Kahn.

He's an attorney with a law degree from Columbia, so finding gainful employment outside of politics wouldn't be that difficult, should he go that route.

Also, sources familiar with the scene say he's pledged not to run a primary against the Rep. Joe Crowley. Challenging nearby Rep. Gary Ackerman for his Queens / Long Island seat is another matter (and, technically, not Crowley's concern).

Lancman is also Jewish, as are a majority of voters in the district.

Mark Weprin
The former Assemblyman was elected to the City Council in 2009, and, having just started a promising career there, is unlikely to relinquish it up for a short-term gig in Washington. He just returned to work, after having spent more than a decade as an Assemblyman in Albany, so, starting a job that has him commuting to D.C. isn't likely to be high on his priority list.

Weprin has close ties to Crowley, and if you're the county leader, it wouldn't be wise to sacrifice your bishop on a short-term gain like an endangered congressional seat. Keeping him in the Council, where massive turnover in 2013 could elevate him to a senior position, would make more sense.

Liz Crowley
She's a City Council member and, more importantly, the congressman's cousin. While that has some obvious perks, it's also the least likely reason she'll be picked. Picking a family member would only remind people of how Rep. Crowley first got into Congress, through a last-minute swithceroo from his mentor, Rep. Tom Manton, which left voters and would-be contenders without a say.

Also, she's had made some gaffes while in the Council, and hasn't scored many legislative or political victories during her tenure. (For example, Speaker Quinn and others are getting just as much, if not more, praise for saving firehouses from this year's budget axe, even though Crowley chairs the committee overseeing them.)

She also had some campaign finance issues during earlier City Council campaigns that, although settled, could be annoying fodder for a motivated opponent to trot out.

Eric Gioia
The young, ambitious former Coucnilman with White House experience is now making money on Wall Street, giving him a mix of public and private sector experience. He is also a bona fide progressive Democrat with a penchant for attracting media attention to his causes (like living on food stamps for a week).

But is he too ambitious? The district he represented is outside NY-9 and he doesn't live in the district (which is not a legal requirement, but it helps). It's also unclear if Crowley would feel comfortable elevating a rising star with a discernible independent streak.

Melinda Katz
The former Assemblywoman and City Councilwoman is now working at a lobbying firm, and raising two young children on her own. She's among only a few women being discussed for the job, and, like many of the voters, is Jewish. She also has experience running for Congress, having run for this seat before. (She lost to Weiner).

The concern with Katz's candidacy is two-fold: logistically, with young children and no spouse, can she do it? Secondly, and probably more complicated, are her connections to the disgraced former state comptroller Alan Hevesi. Before he was brought down by a pair of scandals (Chauffeur-gate and pension kickbacks), Hevesi was his own power center in the borough, and Katz was a protege and an ally. Katz has never been accused of any wrongdoing, but for a congressman like Crowley, who is looking to polish his Washington image and downplay his image as a machine boss, Katz could be a step in the wrong direction.

Also, as a candidate for comptroller in 2009, she failed to make it into the runoff against three other male candidates, throwing into question whether her gender would be a political advantage in the special election.

Claire Shulman
The former Queens Borough President is a revered figure in the borough, and has been independent from the county's formidable political machine. She took over after Borough President Donald Manes killed himself amid speculation that he was involved in a massive citywide kickback scheme. (Jack Newfield's City for Sale has great details on this, including the fact that Manes plunged a knife into his stomach during a phone call with his therapist.)

She's also older than most of the presumed candidates, and, if she can handle the daily grind of legislating, constituent complaints, media inquiries and commuting to D.C., would make a respectable place holder. And that's all she would be, considering her advanced age. Of course, picking someone with absolutely no chance of sticking around Washington could backfire in a district where constituents enjoyed seven, highly-publicized terms of Anthony Weiner.

Liz Holtzman
The former congresswoman and city comptroller has dipped her toe back into politics, playing a role in Adolfo Carrion's brief citywide campaign (for mayor, or was it comptroller?), and having her name floated as an attorney general candidate in 2010. She's respected, energetic, sharp, and not likely to be seen dismissively as a warm body holding onto the seat until it's wiped off the map. But she is, in many respects, to the left of even liberal Rep. Jerry Nadler -- an impressive feat in and of itself. (Holtzman advocated trying former President George W. Bush for war crimes). That kind of progressivism might draw objections from the moderate to conservative voters in the district. It's not hard to imagine her being painted her as an out-of-touch liberal--and, perhaps, a kindred spirit of vilified Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi--within about five seconds of her nomination announcement.

Lyn Shulman
A local Democratic activist who unsuccessfully ran for City Council, is Jewish and openly gay. It's unclear how that would play in a district where Democrats greatly  outnumber Republicans, but lean more socially-conservative.

Staying or Going? Either way, Anthony Weiner isn't making it easy for New York. (photo credit: azi paybarah / observer)

After a nationally watched campaign in upstate New York, Kathy Hochul made her New York City debut Monday morning at the stately University Club on West 54th Street.Hundreds of guests attending the Eleanor Roosevelt Legacy Breakfast milled around a breakfast buffet of muffins and fruit salad, while their host, Nora Brenes, introduced Mrs. Hochul as the winner of a special election "that came about as a result of our male New York congress members who keep taking their shirts off," according to one attendee.

The crowd laughed, because an Anthony Weiner joke at a Democratic political function is one that needs no explanation. He is, much to the chagrin of his New York colleagues, everywhere: overshadowing their message, imperiling a safe congressional seat, and affecting their redistricting plans.

This won't change anytime soon. Unlike Ms. Hochul’s predecessor Chris Lee, who quickly resigned after shirtless picture that he had posted on Craigslist surfaced in the media, Mr. Weiner has reacted to his unwanted exposure by digging in his heels. And even if he resigns -- as many Democrats seem to expect he will -- his colleagues are likely to be dealing with the after-effects until the next election.

Just before 9 a.m., Mrs. Hochul exited the University Club with one male aide, and headed north on 5th Avenue. When asked about Mr. Weiner, an aide said simply: "We're running to another event." Mrs. Hochul stared ahead, kept walking and never looked back.

"Her rock-star status may have been cut short, briefly, by this other item in the news," Assemblyman Sam Hoyt of Buffalo, a supporter of Mrs. Hochul, said dryly.

Ms. Hochul isn’t the only one feeling muzzled.

Hours after Mr. Weiner's remarkable June 6 press conference, when he admitted sending lewd images of himself to "about" six women over the

last three years, Nancy Pelosi attended a Democratic Congressional

Campaign Committee fundraiser, hosted by wealthy gay and lesbian supporters on Crosby Street, in Soho. Although the House Minority Leader had already called for an ethics investigation into Mr. Weiner's behavior, she made no reference to him in her remarks at the event, according to attendees. Outside, she waved to a well-wisher across the street, but ignored a reporter's shouted question, before climbing into a large black SUV.

Two days later, Mr. Weiner was still consuming all the oxygen in New York.

"I know there must be somebody collapsed out in the hallway because the media have walked out on what I think is probably the most important issues of the day," complained Queens Congressman Joe Crowley, after reporters bolted from a press conference inside Queens Borough Hall to ask one of the attendees, City Comptroller John Liu, about Mr. Weiner's fate.

(Asked whether he had ever sent indecent messages, Mr. Liu said, "I think social media is like every other form of communication and elected officials should maximize communications with constituents and with the general public as much as possible," before humorously jabbing his questioner.)

The press conference had gathered dozens of elected officials for the intended purpose of pushing for same-sex marriage.

"I'd like to focus back the attention, if we can on the issue at hand," Mr. Crowley said.

He wasn’t exactly successful. At the end of the hour-long press conference, Mr. Crowley expressed his displeasure.

"To make a statement like we're making today, and instead of talking about being able to further the rights of all New Yorkers, we're talking about a colleague of ours," Mr. Crowley said, was disappointing. Mr. Weiner, who supports the issue, was not invited.

Mr. Weiner’s implosion has put Mr. Crowley, the Queens county leader, in a particularly difficult position--both personally and politically. He and Mr. Weiner were elected in the same year, from neighboring districts, making for a closer relationship than Mr. Weiner enjoyed with almost anyone else in the delegation.

"This has been a distraction for all of us," Mr. Crowley told reporters. "I had a conversation with Anthony, and he certainly was very disappointed in himself and I think he expressed it. And I think he's a friend of mine, and I'm very friendly with Huma," he said, referring to Mr. Weiner's wife. "I wish the best for both of them."

As the local county leader, Mr. Crowley also has to worry about the slew of potential successors should Mr. Weiner resign. Reporters were eager to know who might be in line for such a special election.

"May I answer that question?" said Rep. Nydia Velazquez, whose district includes portions of Queens, Brooklyn and Manhattan.

"Thank you," said Mr. Crowley.

"The Democratic Leader, Nancy Pelosi, has requested the Ethics Committee conduct an investigation. So, let’s allow for that process to move forward and see what it yields," Ms. Velazquez said. "We don't know if he broke the laws and the rules. Let’s wait and then, if anything, he will have to answer to the voters. This decision is between him and the voters."

A few days later, a triumvirate of top Democratic leaders—including Ms. Pelosi—began  calling for his resignation, leaving in doubt whether Mr. Weiner could hang on to face the voters in 2012.

His resignation would trigger a special election in what is not entirely friendly territory for Democrats.

"If the stars were aligned a Republican could win the district," said Democratic consultant and statistician, Jerry Skurnik. He called Mr. Weiner's two-borough district "the most Republican district in the city,” outside of Staten Island, and said it could be appealing despite the threat of re-districting.

"If you have a chance to be elected to Congress, and you're young, and ambitious, you might want to take it, even if there's a possibility that the district will be wiped out," Mr. Skurnik said.

Already Republican City Councilman Eric Ulrich is considering a run for the seat. The 27-year-old is, almost comically, similar to Mr. Weiner, in youthful zest and oratory skills.

Two Democrats whose names have been floated are Assemblyman Rory Lancman (who attended the Eleanor Roosevelt Legacy Breakfast that featured Mrs. Hochul), and City Councilman Mark Weprin, who maintains close ties to Mr. Crowley.

Mr. Lancman declined to speak about Mr. Weiner's seat, and Mr. Weprin was decidedly deferential. "Anthony has been a great Congressman and if he and his wife want to, I think he will ride this out and go back to trying to be a great Congressman," said Mr. Weprin.

With Democrats slated to lose one congressional seat, Mr. Weiner would seem to present them with an ideal opportunity to cut out an incumbent.

The Jewish and white ethnic neighborhoods that were so delicately slipped into his 9th Congressional District suddenly are likely to be absorbed by Mr. Weiner's colleagues.

Independent redistricting advocates, like former Mayor Ed Koch, acknowledge that political factors -- like Mr. Weiner's toxicity -- will play a role in how lines are redrawn.

"It doesn't bother me at all," said Mr. Koch, about Democrats carving up Mr. Weiner's now vulnerable district. In an interview, he said, "If you have someone who is under attack for a host of reasons, similar to that of Weiner, and the Democratic Party believes it would lose that seat if Weiner ran, there's nothing wrong with if they have to give up the seat, to say that's the seat we will give up. I don't see anything wrong with that."

Dick Dadey, executive Citizens Union, a government watchdog group, agreed.

"Before this revelation, he was assured of having a safe seat," said Mr. Dadey, in an interview. "He's given them the opportunity to consider his seat now, given his actions."

Decisions about redrawing legislative lines "are based more on merit but they're not apolitical," said Mr. Dadey. "You can never take the politics out of redistricting, whether it's non-partisan or not."

"There's always going to be decisions made who to place up against each other," said Mr. Dadey. "Those who are not on strong ground are more vulnerable, no matter who draws the line."

Eliminating Mr. Weiner could allow Mr. Crowley to cut the Bronx portion of his own district, and Gary Ackerman, who mostly represents Long Island, could potentially shift westward into friendlier Queens territory.

But all of that is secondary to the overriding concern of Mr. Weiner.

"They just want him fucking gone," said a delegation source.

But there's also the chance that Mr. Weiner will simply not quit.

Despite his obvious short-comings, Mr. Weiner's electability one year from now is hard to dismiss entirely.

"He's unstoppable," warned Democratic consultant Hank Sheinkopf, who has a complicated relationship with the Congressman.

Mr. Sheinkopf worked on Mayor Bloomberg's 2009 re-election campaign, which fed unflattering stories about Mr. Weiner to the media. The resulting coverage, and Mr. Bloomberg's blank check, drove Mr. Weiner to drop out of the race in May.

But earlier this year, Mr. Sheinkopf leapt to the Congressman's defense when he was attacked by a millionaire reformer unhappy with Mr. Weiner's opposition to independent redistricting.

Now, Mr. Sheinkopf is cautiously observing the scene.

"Nobody wants a primary with Weiner, because Weiner is indefatigable,” said Mr. Sheinkopf. “He raises money. He works hard."

"Not only can he come back, he can completely rehabilitate himself in about a year," said one Democratic lawmaker. "He can't be as funny, but can be self-deprecating…I can see it going away.”

Even his old adversary, Mr. Bloomberg, seemed to agree. Perhaps revealing more than he intended to in a conversation with gossip columnist Cindy Adams, the mayor said "the public quickly forgets. Half don't even remember Monica Lewinsky. In Sao Paolo recently, they'd forgotten Goldman Sachs' chairman Lloyd Blankfein", who contributed to our financial crisis. [Update: An earlier version attributed a slightly longer quote to the mayor.]

"I think some of these people do things like that just because they're bored," Mr. Bloomberg was quoted saying.

Many, though, doubt Mr. Weiner has much left to hang onto, after the release of so many damaging pictures made him a national punchline.

Bob Shrum, a Democratic consultant, echoed the David Broder sentiment that "the worst thing that can happen in politics is if they laugh at you.”

"There is a very high quotient of him looking ridiculous." Mr. Shrum said.

The congressman "lost his capacity to be a credible, persuasive public spokesman."

And that, ultimately, may be the longest lasting scar from Mr. Weiner's implosion.

That was Democratic City Councilman Mark Weprin of Queens, one of the people talked about as a possible successor to the embattled congressman from New York's 9th district. In an interview, Weprin said it is possible for Weiner to admit to needing help, "disappearing" for a little while and going to rehab, and then emerging as a humbled, self-depreciating, but renewed man.

Weprin said Weiner could "completely" rehabilitate himself in about a year.

Not everyone agrees. A congressional staffer told me the recent, X-rated image of Weiner's penis is career-ending.

"The cock shot is devastating. Not even Bill Clinton had that," said the staffer. This person said it's hard to look at Weiner in the face after looking at him in the, you know...