Just a quick diary regarding our esteemed Congress critter. The Staten Island Advance, SI's local daily paper, in an email alert received this morning, has called for Vito to resign immediately.
Headline from from the email:
Advance calls on Rep. Vito Fossella to immediately step down
Saying he had irretrievably damaged his ability to represent Staten Islanders in Congress, the Staten Island Advance today
called for his immediate resignation!!
See below for today's editorial money quotes (from the email alert).
When you are forced -- by events, not personal integrity -- to make two public statements within a week apologizing for two separate instances of opprobrious behavior, and tell the truth only grudgingly in the second, your viability as a public official is finished.
You have forfeited the trust of your supporters as well as the right to represent the people of Staten Island in Congress.
It is now time, given all the damning information that has been revealed as the result of an initially shameful, but forgivable, act that he step down immediately.
Earlier this morning, I heard on New York 1 (TimeWarner Cable local news) that Vito had said he would not resign, although it did not mention whether he was going to run for re-election.