(Photo: NY1)
For his second appearance as one of Inside City Hall's "Wise Guys," former Governor Eliot Spitzer discussed the recent rumors of former Congressman Anthony Weiner running for public office again next year. Both former officials resigned due to lewd scandals, but, using his personal experience as a guide, Mr. Spitzer said the timing of Mr. Weiner's resignation -- only a year ago -- makes now probably too soon for a comeback.
"I think we can all agree that a year is not a terribly lengthy period of time," he said. "Obviously I'm in a sort of difficult position to talk about this. It's been five years since I left office. Five years is more than one. You can see people's sensibilities change as they see you, talk to you, as you've done more things."
"I think that's a personal decision," he answered when later asked if Mr. Weiner should indeed give politics another go in the next election cycle. "I think next year is maybe a little short. But the public's tolerance for this is something that he will only determine by whether he floated this intentionally a not, who knows? I kind of doubt it. I mean, probably a little too short but the public will have to make that decision."
Mr. Spitzer also addressed Mr. Weiner's initial attempt to cover up his scandal and suggested it might have been a bit ham-fisted to claim his Twitter account had been hacked and somebody else had infamously sent out an indecent photo.
"It didn't work, that was the other problem," he said of the claim. "It was flawed."
For his part, Mr. Weiner continues to insist he has no interest in returning to politics in the near future, even after he's doing an increasing number of interviews with the media, like this one from People Magazine today:
"I'm very happy in my present life," Weiner, 47, tells PEOPLE in an exclusive interview. "The only next dramatic steps I'm planning on are Jordan's first," he says, referring to his 6-month-old son and remaining noncommital on whether he will run for office again.
In his first joint interview with wife Huma Abedin, who is deputy chief of staff to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the couple address how they survived Weiner's lewd text and photo scandal that led to his resignation, as well as who has diaper duty.
"It took a lot of work to get to where are are today, but I want people to know we're a normal family," says Abedin, 37.