Andrew Breitbart makes surprise appearance at Anthony Weiner's press conference
Updated 6:43 p.m. Eastern Time
Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) apologized on Monday for having "inappropriate" telephone and email conversations with various women, and maintained he will not resign -- but before he had a chance to do so, conservative publisher Andrew Breitbart quite literally upstaged him.
Breitbart, who first published the photographs that led to Weiner's confession, unexpectedly stepped up to the podium at the Sheraton Hotel in New York City today, where reporters were expecting to see Weiner. Breitbart said he was at the press conference "coincidentally" after having been scheduled to be interviewed nearby.
Reporters asked Breitbart to take the podium after he addressed some of their questions in the back of the room; he ended up speaking for about 12 minutes.
Breitbart said he has "at least one more photo" of Weiner, which he describes as "x-rated," though he said in response to a question from CBS News that he does not intend to release it because he wanted to "save his family."
Breitbart asked Weiner and members of the liberal blogosphere to apologize "for a blame the messenger strategy" in the wake of the release of the initial photo.
"We only wrote the story after a sitting congressman claimed that his computer system had been invaded by a hacker," he said. "The story played itself out in real time. There was zero premeditation involved in this."
He also complained that the mainstream media has repeatedly questioned his credibility over his role in edited video controversies involving Shirley Sherrod and the ACORN undercover stings. "I'm here for some vindication," he said.
Breitbart later received the apology he was looking for from Weiner. Pressed to answer whether he would apologize to Breitbart, Weiner said, "I believe that everyone deserves an apology here."
Asked again, Weiner said, "I apologize to Andrew Breitbart. I apologize to the many other members of the media that I misled. I apologize first and foremost to my wife and family."
Anthony Weiner admits to online relationships, sending explicit photo; says he will not step down