McCain Defends Hillary Clinton Aide Against Bachmann Accusation

Chris Maddaloni/CQ Roll Call(WASHINGTON) -- Describing the accusations against her as “ugly” and “sinister,” Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., came to the defense of Huma Abedin, longtime aide to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Last week five Republican members of the House of Representatives, including former presidential candidate Michele Bachmann, made claims that Abedin’s family has ties to Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood and questioned whether she is part of a nefarious conspiracy to harm the United States by influencing U.S. foreign policy with her high-level position at the State Department.

“The Departments Deputy, Chief of Staff, Huma Abedin, has three family members – her late father, her mother and her brother – connected to Muslim Brotherhood operatives and /or organizations. Her position affords her routine access to the Secretary and to policy making,” according to the June 13th letter, signed by Reps. Bachmann, R-Minn., Trent Franks,  R-Ariz., Louie Gohmert,  R-Texas, Thomas Rooney, R-Fla., and Lynn Westmoreland, R-GA.

The letter was sent to Harold Geisel, the Deputy Inspector General at the Department of State, while similar copies were sent to the Departments of Homeland Security, Justice, Defense and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

[ READ THE LETTER TO GIESEL HERE ]

The lawmakers point to a report by the Center for Security Policy, a conservative think tank, which makes the allegations about Abedin’s family ties and calls on the Deputy Inspector General of the Department of State to begin an investigation into the possibility that Abedin and other American officials are using their influence to promote the cause of the Muslim Brotherhood within the U.S. government.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., took to the Senate floor today to rip apart his fellow Republicans’ accusations and came to the defense of Abedin, whom he calls a “fine and decent American,” after observing her work as both a long-time aide to Clinton while she was a Senator and as the Secretary of State.

“These sinister accusations rest solely on a few unspecified and unsubstantiated associations of members of Huma’s family, none of which have been shown to harm or threaten the United States in any way,” McCain said. “These attacks have no logic, no basis, and no merit and they need to stop. They need to stop now.”

McCain argued that there is no evidence to back up the claims by the House Republicans.

“To say that the accusations made in both documents are not substantiated by the evidence they offer is to be overly polite and diplomatic about it,” McCain said. “The letter in the report offer not one instance of an action, a decision or a public position that Huma has taken while at the State Department or as a member of then-Senator Clinton’s staff that would lend credence to the charge that she is promoting anti-American activities within our government.”

McCain said that no one, “not least a member of Congress,” should launch such a “degrading attack against fellow Americans on the basis of nothing more than fear of who they are an ignorance of that hey stand for.”

A statement issued after McCain’s speech by Bachmann suggested the letter was being taken out of context.

[ READ BACHMANN’S RESPONSE HERE ]

The controversy comes at a time when Abedin’s husband, disgraced former Congressman Anthony Weiner, may be trying to revamp and clean up his image. After being out of the public eye for over a year following an embarrassing sexting scandal which led to his resignation from Congress, rumors are swirling that Weiner may be planning a bid to succeed Michael Bloomberg as New York City’s mayor.

“It took a lot of work to get to where [we] are today, but I want people to know we’re a normal family,” Abedin told People magazine in an interview this week with her husband.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Anthony Weiner's Latest Gig? Stay-at-Home Dad

Alex Wong/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- Remember that time a congressman from New York named Anthony Weiner sent a suggestive picture of himself in his boxer briefs to a woman on Twitter?

That was this week last year. Weiner eventually resigned, but not before lying about the photo and claiming it was a prank. Here’s a video of his telling ABC’s Jon Karl that he was the victim of hacking, which we later learned was opposite of the truth.

Weiner is now out of the limelight. The New York Post says he’s a stay-at-home dad for his baby son, while his wife, Huma Abedin, flies around with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as her aide. He apparently offers paid political advice, but “hasn’t figured out what his next real act will be,” according to the Post.

Here’s a look at some other congressional cads.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Anthony Weiner's Sexting Partner: Politician Criticized Muslim In-Laws

Alex Wong/Getty Images(NEW YORK ) -- A sexting partner of disgraced former congressman Anthony Weiner is releasing a book this week detailing more about what the New York politician wrote in the infamous text messages that cost him his job.

Traci Noble, a former cheerleader coach from Georgia, has written a book, I Freinded You, with the intentional misspelling. In excerpts obtained by MailOnline, Noble writes that Weiner sent her a “friend” request and began Facebook chatting with her after she posted on his public Facebook page.  She said he used the Yahoo chat name “rockoh77″ and his avatar was a picture of his niece.

Weiner resigned in June after he accidentally tweeted public a lewd photo he meant to stay between himself and other woman. He at first lied, saying his Twitter account had been hacked, but then admitted to sending the photo and carrying on sexually charged electronic relationships with several women.

In excerpts of Noble’s book obtained by MailOnline, she writes that she and Weiner shared more than just dirty talk. Weiner confided in her about his relationship with his in-laws, allegedly saying they were “backwards thinking.”

Weiner is married to Huma Abedin, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s deputy chief of staff.  Abedin is pregnant with the couple’s first child. She and her parents are Muslim. Weiner is Jewish.

In one text, Weiner allegedly writes, “Well a lot has to do with religion, lots of restrictions and how I’ve never really been accepted by them.”

Noble says he texted her that Abedin’s parents believe he should convert to the Muslim faith.

“Yeah, it makes for a lot of uncomfortable meetings,” Weiner allegedly texted.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

GOP Victory: Bob Turner Wins Anthony Weiner's House Seat

Spencer Platt/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- In an upset to Democrats both locally and nationally, Republican Bob Turner defeated Democratic Assemblyman David Weprin in Tuesday's special election to replace Anthony Weiner in New York’s ninth Congressional district.

The race for the Congressional seat, which had been too close to call, was one that Republicans were hoping to frame as a referendum on President Obama.  Sending a message to the White House on both economic and foreign policy issues was a frequent message touted by Turner and his supporters.

“This message will resound for a full year.  It will resound into 2012,” Turner said at his victory party in Howard Beach.  “I only hope our voices are heard, and we can start putting things right again.”

The chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee quickly put out a statement congratulating Turner and saying the win is a “clear rebuke of President Obama’s policies” and it “delivers a blow to Democrats’ goal of making Nancy Pelosi the Speaker again.”

“New Yorkers put Washington Democrats on notice that voters are losing confidence in a President whose policies assault job-creators and affront Israel.  An unpopular President Obama is now a liability for Democrats nationwide in a 2012 election that is a referendum on his economic policies,” the statement reads.

Longtime New York City Democratic analyst Hank Sheinkopf says there is no doubt voters were trying to send a message to the White House, and Democrats should see Tuesday’s results as a bellwether for 2012.

“The Democrats said no to Obama, no to his economic plan, and no to his position on Israel,” Sheinkopf told ABC News.  “It’s major smack at Democrats, a definite rejection of President Obama and it’s a warning that says if Catholics in the most blue of blue states can vote for the Republican they can do it in other states as well and the Democrats may have real trouble.”

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Dead Voters in NY-9? Candidate Bob Turner Obtains Order Sealing Paper Ballots

Ethan Miller/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- Claiming a handful of deceased voters have been mailed absentee ballots for Tuesday’s special election in New York to replace Anthony Weiner, an attorney for Republican congressional candidate Bob Turner told ABC News that he has obtained a court order to seal all paper ballots in New York’s 9th Congressional District, pending judicial review.

“We found five dead people, confirmed, who were mailed absentee ballots,” said Turner’s attorney, Grant Lally. “Some of these people have been dead for years.”

Lally said he also knows of at least one person who came to the Turner campaign claiming he or she had been sent an absentee ballot, even though the voter had not filled out an application.

“They just got it in the mail from the Board of Elections,” Lally told ABC News two hours before the polls closed Tuesday in the tight race between Turner and Democratic state assemblyman David Weprin.

“Either it is a massive failure at the Board of Elections, or someone is fraudulently filing absentee applications,” Lally said, suggesting that the number of absentee ballots known to have been sent to deceased voters may just be “the tip of the iceberg.”

“This is an indication that there may be widespread voter fraud going on,” he said.

Calls and emails to Weprin’s campaign were not returned.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Is Race to Replace Anthony Weiner a Referendum on Obama?

Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images(FOREST HILLS, N.Y.) -- Tuesday’s election in New York’s 9th congressional district has Republican Bob Turner facing off against Democrat David Weprin, but on the campaign trail Monday in Queens, the words Obama and Israel were heard almost as much as Turner and Weprin.

The race to replace former Democratic Rep. Anthony Weiner is too close to call, with Republicans trying to frame the contest as a referendum on President Obama -- although turnout is usually low in a special election.

Weprin, a state assemblyman, campaigned at a senior center, held a rally at his Forest Hills headquarters and greeted voters at a subway stop, while Turner, a retired media executive, held a rally with former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.  At both events the issue of Israel, as well as the economy, was the focus of the candidates and their supporters.

Weprin is an Orthodox Jew, while Turner is an observant Catholic, and both groups are heavily represented in the district.  Despite being a heavily Democratic district, Israel has become one of the biggest issues in the race for Jewish voters who are upset at President Obama’s call to return to Israel’s pre-1967 borders.

Giuliani, standing with Turner outside the Forest Hills train station, spent a large portion of his comments talking about Israel.  He said a Turner victory would have the White House “thinking about a new policy with regard to the state of Israel.”

When asked if he was surprised that the issue had become such an important one in the race when his opponent is Jewish, Turner acknowledged that he and Weprin’s views on Israel are similar, but it’s about the president’s stance on Israel.

“It’s not about my position or his (Weprin) which are pretty identical, it’s the president’s position and if you are with the party or against it, simple as that and will this district, which is surprisingly overwhelmingly Democratic, will they go along with the president and be able to be taken for granted as it were or will they send this message of protest and dissatisfaction,” Turner told ABC News.

Giuliani did not hesitate to criticize Weprin, saying he has a “willingness to follow anything the Obama administration wants him to do or say” on the Israel issue.

At his rally, Weprin was flanked by City Council speaker Christine Quinn and Rep. Joe Crowley, D-N.Y., among other supporters.  They linked Turner with the Tea Party, John Boehner and Eric Cantor, and said Turner can’t be trusted to protect popular entitlement programs like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, adding that the race is about “preserving” those programs.

However, Israel was also a focus and Weprin made it clear that that he is a strong supporter, pointing out that he’s been there eight times and said Turner’s Israel advocacy is politically motivated.

In a Siena poll released Friday, Turner was leading Weprin among likely voters, with a 50-44 percent margin.  The same poll found 43 percent of voters approving Obama’s job performance while 54 percent disapproved.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

GOP Challenger Pulls Ahead in Race for Weiner’s Spot

Alex Wong/Getty Images(NEW YORK) - There’s some bad news for the White House and the Democratic Party regarding the special election to fill Anthony Weiner’s vacated congressional seat in New York.

Although Democrats hold a three-to-one registration advantage over Republicans in the district, Republican Bob Turner has opened a lead over Democrat David Weprin, grabbing 50 percent compared with Weprin's 44 of likely voters, according to a new Siena Research Institute poll.

The election is next Tuesday.

A Turner victory would be an ominous sign for Democrats and President Obama’s re-election campaign, as the district, which spans Brooklyn and Queens, is filled with the kind of white, middle-class, usually reliable Democratic voters that the president needs in his corner to win re-election.

However, the poll also found that voters in the district are down on the president, and the direction of the country.

The voters’ views of the candidates has clearly changed: Weprin’s unfavorable ratings shot up, to 41 percent from 24 percent a month ago.  And by a 43-32 percent margin, likely voters say Turner is running the more positive campaign.

Sensing the seat could be slipping away, the national Democratic Party has begun pouring money into the race – including a $500,000 infusion this week from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.  Even if Weprin can pull out a victory, it is still an enormous expenditure in an election Democrats once believed was a lock.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio


Poll: Big Surprise in Race for Weiner's Seat

Mario Tama/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- A poll out Wednesday shows Democrats have an unexpected fight on their hands in next month’s special election for Anthony Weiner’s congressional seat in Brooklyn and Queens.

The Democrat, David Weprin, leads Republican Robert Turner by just six points, 48 percent to 42 percent, in the Siena Research Institute poll.

Turner ran surprisingly well against Weiner in 2010 and has been endorsed by former Democratic Mayor Ed Koch, who says Turner would be the better congressman for Israel -- no small matter given the number of Jewish voters in the district.

The surprise is, this is a race Democrats had expected to win easily. Democrats outnumber Republicans three to one in the district, and the Weprin name is well-known: he’s a state assemblyman and his father was the Assembly speaker. Weprin also has collected a string of powerhouse endorsements, including Gov. Andrew Cuomo and New York’s two Democratic senators.  A loss would be a psychological blow to the Democrats nationally, already reeling from President Obama's low job approval ratings, and a recent failed attempt to try to reverse a key Republican House majority in Wisconsin.

Perhaps Weprin’s political ties -- a plus in any other year -- are a drag this time around, given the toxic political environment for so-called "establishment" candidates. Turner has gone out of his way to portray Weprin as a career politician who would be part of the problem in Washington. Weprin paints Turner as a Tea Partier. But given the Wisconsin situation -- and the results of the Tea Party-driven midterm election results in the House last November, however, that might be a weak counterpunch.

Siena Institute spokesman Steven Greenberg said, "Five weeks until Election Day, and this special election is a wide open race with both candidates trying to become more known to the voters of the district and earn their support.”

"With a low turnout expected and limited media exposure in the nation’s most expensive media market, the test of both campaigns will be to mount strong voter identification efforts and effective get-out-the vote operations.  The campaign that does a better job on those crucial tasks will likely produce a victory for their candidate."

The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 points.

The election will be held Sept. 13.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Anthony Weiner Has Left the Building

Mario Tama/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- At approximately 12:01pm Thursday -- a full week after Rep. Anthony Weiner announced his intention to step down from his congressional post -- the House Clerk finally announced Weiner’s resignation on the House floor.

A letter from New York Secretary of State Cesar A. Perales was read by the clerk:

“As New York’s Secretary of State I have received the resignation of Anthony D. Weiner as New York’s 9th Congressional District representative in the United States House of Representatives. The New York State Department of State filed a letter today. A copy of his letter of resignation is attached,” the Clerk read from the letter.

House Speaker John Boehner then announced the new whole number of the House of Representatives:

“Under clause 5D of rule 20, the chair announces to the House that in light of the resignation of the gentleman from New York, Mr. Weiner, the whole number of the House is 432,” Boehner declared.

Weiner’s office is vacant. His staff will remain employed under the supervision of the Clerk until Weiner’s successor is elected.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Special Election Will Determine Congressman Weiner's Successor

Mario Tama/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- In an attempt to put Congressman Anthony Weiner's sexting scandal quickly behind them, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is calling for a special election on Sept. 13 to find a replacement for Weiner, who officially resigned last Thursday.

The special election will he held on the same day that New York is holding its primary for statewide elections.  Local party chairmen will decide who the candidates will be, rather than holding separate primaries.

On the Democratic side, New York City Council members Eric Gioia and Melinda Katz are the expected candidates, while New York City Councilman Eric Ulrich is the likely GOP pick.

The candidate who wins shouldn't get too comfortable.  Weiner's Brooklyn-Queens district is in the process of being redrawn, meaning that his old congressional seat could disappear before the 2012 regular election.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio