Repubican House "leadership" have told Vito Fossella that he has until Monday to decide what he wants to do with his future, and according to the New York Daily News, running for re-election is not among his options.
GOP leaders gave him until Monday to decide if he was going to step down immediately or retire at the end of his term. "Mr. Fossella is going to have some decisions to make over the weekend," said House Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio.
Republican leaders have "lost all faith" in him and are casting around for a successor for the seat the GOP has held for three decades. Leading candidates include state Sen. Andrew Lanza and Staten Island District Attorney Dan Donovan.
Political observers said his once-promising political career is over. "He's politically dead. The only thing that hasn't happened is the autopsy report hasn't been written," said political science Prof. Doug Muzzio of Baruch College.
I have said this before and I will say it again. His "second family" issues are not an issue for me. We all do things that complicate our lives. And to Fossella's credit, it appears that he is making every effort to be in the child's life. However, the drinking, driving AND abusive behavior to police is a different matter. Is it all bad enough to lose a careers over? I don't know. He's not the first member to drive while impaired. But Republicans, having suffered one scandal after another, decided they cannot afford to have him hang around. It's over for Vito Fossella.