As it turns out, not all New Yorkers are wild about the idea of a Mayor Weiner, especially since the former congressman's online antics and lies forced him to resign from his last public office. On Wednesday night, some of those voters voiced their opinion. As you can imagine, it wasn't pretty.
(Image: Getty)
After delivering his usual stump speech, Weiner opened up the forum for questions from constituents and Chris Owens, a Brooklyn dad, let him have it:
“I have a three word question, ‘How dare you?’” he began, seething as he spoke. “I’m a parent, I’ve got two sons. I represent the Democratic Party. I am outraged and disgusted by you, both by what you did and by the fact that you have the arrogance to run for mayor now. And the only reason why you’re running for mayor is because you have this money that you’re going to lose.”Mr. Owens then pivoted into the scandal.
“I want to understand how you explain to us how you used public facility to tweet offensive material to individuals who may have included minors,” Mr. Owens said. “Now you come back–not even four, eight years later–you come back after two years and you expect us to embrace you because you have good ideas?”
Mr. Weiner, at first, responded calmly, telling Mr. Owens, “I appreciate the question, Chris, and I know that some people will feel that way.” But then Mr. Weiner swung his first punch, accusing Mr. Owens of holding a grudge against him because Mr. Weiner endorsed Yvette Clarke instead of him during a 2006 Congressional race–an accusation Mr. Owens immediately slapped down as “political bullsh*t.”The crowd was riled.
“Listen, Chris. You have the right to grandstand and I have a right to answer the question after you do, don’t I?” an increasingly agitated Mr. Weiner asked. “All I can say is that I have explained–and I’ll explain it to as many people who want to ask me about those things–that it was a personal mistake that I made. It was one that I regret and one that I’ve expressed apologies for … But now people have to decide whether or not it disqualifies me … I do think I have something to offer in this conversation.”
Owens wasn't the only New Yorker to speak up with criticism of Weiner. Click here to read more about the explosive town hall event.
