Dems Decide Not to Punish Weiner

After a closed-door session of party leaders Tuesday, House Democrats decided not to punish Rep. Anthony Weiner after he sent sexually charged messages to women he met online. Meanwhile, House Speaker John Boehner joined the growing chorus of elected officials calling for Weiner’s resignation. Prior to the Democrats’ meeting, some in the caucus suggested stripping Weiner of his committee positions or boot him from the caucus—neither of which was debated or discussed at the meeting, lawmakers said. Weiner’s wife, Huma Abedin, will return from a State Department trip late Tuesday night, and some Democrats hope that Abedin will convince Weiner to step down. Weiner is currently on a two-week leave of absence from Congress to go to rehab.