Former New York congressman Anthony Weiner, struck down by a propensity for sexting, is keeping mum on rumors that he's considering a return to politics. It is therefore entirely coincidental that he should give a soft-focus interview, accompanied by his wife Huma Abedin, to People magazine.
"I'm very happy in my present life," Weiner tells the magazine. "I want people to know we're a normal family," his wife says. Raising their six-month-old son Jordan is their "top priority", claims Weiner.
Of course, he bashfully declines to comment on speculation fanned by the, the New York Post this week, which reported several sources saying Weiner was mulling a comeback. He has $4.5m in his candidacy bank and will miss out on $1.5m in public matching funds if he does not spend it by next year. He's obviously a man in a hurry.
His attempts to regain public office will likely be tempered by the scandal that drove him out last year, when it was revealed that the congressman was involved in at least six relationships with women online. Hence, presumably, the attempt to rebuild his image as a family man with the joint interview and photoshoot.
Weiner's wife, 37-year-old Huma Abedin, remains a prominent figure in the Democratic party as deputy chief of staff to secretary of state Hillary Clinton. Abedin's pregnancy with Jordan became public knowledge days after Weiner gave a televised apology for his actions.
In the joint interview, excerpts from which have been posted on the magazine's website ahead of the print issue's Friday release, Abedin says: "It took a lot of work to get to where are are today, but I want people to know we're a normal family."
"Anthony has spent every day since [the scandal] trying to be the best dad and husband he can be," Abedin continued. "I'm proud to be married to him."
