Rep. Anthony Weiner rejected Democratic leaders’ private and public calls for his resignation Saturday, choosing instead to take a leave of absence from the House to seek professional treatment amid an online sex scandal that the head of the party called a “sordid affair.” 
 
 Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, (D-Fla.), House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Rep. Steve Israel, the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, turned on Weiner the day after it was revealed he had contacted a 17-year-old Delaware girl through social media. Though Weiner, Delaware police and the girl’s family say there was nothing indecent in the back-and-forth, the development added intrigue to the New York Democrat’s confession on Monday that he sent sexually charged text messages and photographs to six women over the past three years. 
 
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 For now, his vow to remain in office stands, but he didn’t appear dug in: He left open the possibility, for the first time, of leaving, with a statement that suggested he needs to be in a better mental position to make a decision about his future. 
 
 “Congressman Weiner departed this morning to seek professional treatment to focus on becoming a better husband and healthier person,” Weiner’s office said in a statement provided to POLITICO. “In light of that, he will request a short leave of absence from the House of Representatives so that he can get evaluated and map out a course of treatment to make himself well. Congressman Weiner takes the views of his colleagues very seriously and has determined that he needs this time to get healthy and make the best decision possible for himself, his family and his constituents.” 
 
 But the mass abandonment from party leaders means Weiner will go it alone if, after reflection and treatment, he believes he can salvage a once-promising career in which he used bombastic floor speeches, frequent cable television appearances and, ironically, an understanding of the power of social media to become an icon for national progressives. The story of Weiner’s political career hasn’t yet reached its conclusion, but the onetime protagonist is now cast as the antagonist. 
 
 The decision to seek treatment buys Weiner time, but the statement from his aides suggests he might still quit rather than return to Congress after his leave of absence. 
 
 Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), the former DCCC chairman and top Democrat on the House Budget Committee, added his name to the list of Democratic officials who have called on Weiner to resign. “Anthony Weiner’s repeated violation of the public trust is unacceptable,” Van Hollen said. “He can best advance the issues he fought for by resigning immediately.” 
 
 In addition to Wasserman Schultz, two former DNC chairmen, Ed Rendell and Tim Kaine, have said Weiner should step down, as have several of Weiner’s rank-and-file congressional colleagues. 
 
 However, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), the No. 3 Democrat in the Senate, and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) both approved of Weiner’s decision to seek treatment and did not call for his resignation. 
 
 Schumer, Weiner’s former boss, said: “I am heartbroken. For those of us who are longtime friends of Anthony Weiner, his wrongful behavior is distressing and saddening. It’s clear he needs professional help, and I am glad he is seeking it.” 
 
 Gillibrand said: “My heart is with Anthony’s wife and family. My office will work to ensure all the constituents of the 9th congressional District are fully served during any leave of absence by Congressman Weiner.” 
 
 On Friday, FOX News reported that Wilmington-area police had visited a Delaware teenager to discuss Weiner’s electronic exchange with her. 
 
 Though Weiner and the girl’s family have told news outlets that there was no sex-related communication, the revelation that he carried on a discussion of any kind with a 17-year-old girl pumped more life into a scandal that has now spanned three weekends. ||||| “I am announcing my resignation from Congress, so my colleagues can get back to work, my neighbors can choose a new representative and most important so that my wife and I can continue to heal from the damage I have caused,” Mr. Weiner said at the news conference. 
 
 Ms. Abedin was with Mr. Weiner at his Queens apartment as he prepared to make his statement, but did not appear at his side at the event. 
 
 The announcement brought swift relief to his Democratic colleagues, who had become increasingly uneasy as details emerged about Mr. Weiner’s online contacts with women — including his sending of explicit photos of himself to them over Facebook and Twitter . Democratic leaders had prepared to hold a meeting on Thursday to determine whether they should strip Mr. Weiner of his committee assignments, which would have severely impaired his effectiveness. 
 
 Mr. Weiner reached his decision late Wednesday, and seemed at peace with it, after days of appearing frazzled and torn, a person who spoke to him said. He began telling his most trusted advisers on Wednesday night, then held a conference call with his entire staff, informing them that it no longer seemed fair to his constituents and his colleagues for him to remain in office. 
 
 At about 8:45 p.m., he called Representative Steve Israel of New York, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, who was attending a White House picnic on the South Lawn, alongside hundreds of lawmakers enjoying hamburgers and patriotic music from the United States Navy Band. 
 
 Mr. Israel , after hearing the news from Mr. Weiner, sought out Representative Nancy Pelosi of California , the House Democratic leader, in the crowd and handed his cellphone to her so Mr. Weiner could tell her his plans himself. 
 
 Ms. Pelosi had taken an aggressive posture with regard to Mr. Weiner, including the rare step on Saturday of calling for him to leave the House. On Thursday morning, she released a statement saying he had “made the right judgment in resigning.” 
 
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 Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo must now call a special election to fill the vacancy created by Mr. Weiner’s departure. But the Ninth Congressional District, which covers Queens neighborhoods like Forest Hills and Howard Beach as well as Brooklyn sections like Midwood and Mill Basin, is a likely target for elimination as state lawmakers redraw district lines for 2012. 
 
 The scandal that upended Mr. Weiner’s career erupted late last month after a photograph of the congressman wearing tight-fitting underpants was sent to a college student in Washington State . Mr. Weiner initially denied having anything to do with it, saying his Twitter account had been hacked. But during an emotional news conference on June 6, he admitted that he had lied, and that he had in fact sent the image and had had inappropriate online exchanges with at least six other women. 
 
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 As the story engulfed him, Mr. Weiner spoke regularly with advisers and Ms. Abedin, a top aide to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton , who was traveling on a 10-day trip to North Africa and the Middle East . 
 
 The decision to step down was ultimately Mr. Weiner’s, but Ms. Abedin supported it, convinced that the embarrassing disclosures would not stop until he left office, according to friends who have spoken to her. 
 
 One of the friends described Ms. Abedin, who appeared composed and poised on the trip abroad, as devastated and shocked by Mr. Weiner’s behavior. But Ms. Abedin, who is pregnant, intends to stay with her husband, at least for now. 
 
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 “I don’t think she has made a firm decision, but she is very loyal,” said the friend, who requested anonymity so as not to betray confidential conversations. 
 
 Neither Ms. Abedin nor Mr. Weiner earn lucrative salaries, and Ms. Abedin is worried about her husband, who has been in politics much of his adult life, finding work. Mr. Weiner would still be eligible to collect his pension after his resignation. 
 
 It was not clear what would happen to Mr. Weiner’s announced plans to enter a treatment center; on Thursday night, a spokeswoman, Risa Heller, had no comment. 
 
 But an Ethics Committee investigation opened by the House into his conduct is expected to end as a result of his resignation, because the committee has jurisdiction only over members of Congress. And Mr. Weiner will retain control of more than $4 million in his campaign account. 
 
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 It has been a precipitous fall for Mr. Weiner, a media-savvy politician with a knack for identifying hot-button issues, who had been considered a leading candidate for mayor in 2013. 
 
 Mr. Weiner was first elected to Congress in 1998, capturing the seat that had been vacated by his political mentor, Charles E. Schumer , who won a seat in the United States Senate that year. Prior to entering Congress, Mr. Weiner was the youngest person ever elected to the City Council , where he served for eight years. 
 
 Despite his successes, Mr. Weiner could be abrasive, and some colleagues wrote him off as a publicity seeker unwilling to put in the hard work needed to pass serious legislation. 
 
 Still, even as the story about his online exploits dragged on, some constituents stayed loyal to him. Vicky Hodja, 53, came out to support Mr. Weiner, who always showed up at her children’s school to hand out awards for stellar attendance and good behavior. 
 
 She said Mr. Weiner’s wife was “very smart,” and urged her to ignore any suggestion that she leave her husband. 
 
 “If she wants to have a marriage and a life,” Ms. Hodja said, Ms. Abedin should consider modeling her behavior on that of her boss, Mrs. Clinton, who famously stood by President Bill Clinton during marital infidelities. 
 
 “Human beings make mistakes,” she said, “but they learn from their mistakes.” 
 
 Mr. Weiner’s news conference was brief, but the circuslike atmosphere continued after he had left the podium. 
 
 Benjy Bronk, a writer for “The Howard Stern Show” who had heckled the congressman during the appearance, held his own session with reporters outside explaining his outburst. 
 
 “I’m trying to get to the truth and, uh, get on camera,” he said.
– Another bad day for Anthony Weiner: Nancy Pelosi and other top House Democrats told him to resign today, reports Politico. Weiner has insisted he would not do so, but the shift from Pelosi, Steve Israel, and Debbie Wasserman Schultz will ratchet up the pressure significantly. They released statements within minutes of each other. “Congressman Weiner has the love of his family, the confidence of his constituents, and the recognition that he needs help,” said Pelosi. “I urge Congressman Weiner to seek that help without the pressures of being a Member of Congress.” In a metaphor-heavy stroll earlier, Weiner carried his dirty laundry to the laundromat and got quizzed by media along the way in Queens, notes the Daily News. "I'm going to try to redeem myself," said Weiner, who got shouts of support from several people along the way. It came before Pelosi's statement, and Weiner reiterated he had no plans to resign. As for reports of his tweets to a 17-year-old: "She has spoken. I think the record is pretty clear—nothing explicit, nothing indecent, nothing inappropriate."