Weiner continues his post-scandal media tour

The former Congressman is cagey about the infamous tweets, and about a possible mayoral run

Published April 16, 2013 1:24PM (EDT)

  (<a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-64736p1.html?cr=00&pl=edit-00">lev radin</a> / <a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/?cr=00&pl=edit-00">Shutterstock.com</a>)
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In his first TV interview since his scandal broke, Anthony Weiner continued to cautiously edge toward a possible mayoral run, telling NY1's Errol Louis: "I want to be part of the ideas primary. That's for sure. That primary I want to do very well in."

"If I run for mayor and if I become the mayor, I want people looking at me and saying, 'You know what, you are in charge, you did this. You are accountable,'" Weiner said.

Louis also had to push Weiner to answer questions about the lewd photos he tweeted out, asking him how many people received the messages. From NY1's transcript of the exchange:

Weiner: But out of respect for the idea that I've laid it all out for her and out of some respect for the privacy of the people who were at the other end of these correspondences, who had their lives turned upside down, I am not going to go into the details of every bit of it. I'll let other people do it.

Louis: Let me then just ask you the three questions that I think are most on people's minds and the sort of minimum that people need to hear. You said "several." That's, what, that's less than 10? "Several" is a few. It's not 60, it's not 100. Less than 10?

Weiner: That is exactly what I was talking about. I understand that you are asking these questions. I don't want to create a dynamic where the privacy of people is being impinged upon.

Louis: I am trying to get past it so reporters don't have to go out and count them all up.

Weiner eventually answered that it was six.


By Jillian Rayfield

Jillian Rayfield is an Assistant News Editor for Salon, focusing on politics. Follow her on Twitter at @jillrayfield or email her at jrayfield@salon.com.

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Anthony Weiner Democrats Mayoral Race New York New York City