Politics on the Hudson

Two term Republican Rep. Chris Lee of the Buffalo area announced his resignation this evening in the wake of a story earloier today by the Gawker Internet site that Lee solivited dates from women on Craigslist.

Lee, who is married and the father of a young child, could not be reached for comment this afternoon. One camera crew followed Lee as he left his Washington office and got into a waiting car.

Shortly after 5 p.m. his spokesman reslease this statement from the congressman:

“It has been a tremendous honor to serve the people of Western New York. I regret the harm that my actions have caused my family, my staff and my constituents. I deeply and sincerely apologize to them all. I have made profound mistakes and I promise to work as hard as I can to seek their forgiveness.

“The challenges we face in Western New York and across the country are too serious for me to allow this distraction to continue, and so I am announcing that I have resigned my seat in Congress effective immediately.”