Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the head of New York state�s Democratic party, said Monday it isn’t up to him to tell scandalized mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner to exit stage left what he calls a political comedy.

�This is summer political theater in New York,� Cuomo said Monday, continuing to refuse to substantively comment on Weiner�s race. �We laugh because if we didn�t laugh, we would cry, right?�

Weiner has attracted national headlines, dominated tabloid covers, and has been frequent fodder for late-night TV monologues. He held an awkward news conference pledging to stay in the New York City mayor�s race last week just after the disclosure he exchanged more inappropriate text messages with another woman – the same kind of scandal that cost him his congressional seat. His wife has stood by him, but his campaign manager has quit.

�People run, that�s the way our system works,� said Cuomo, who controls the state Democratic committee. �Anybody can run. That�s the system. I�m not going to say who should run and shouldn�t run because that�s the system.

�Who wins, however, is different and that�s where electorate comes in,� Cuomo said. �We are only in the opening act of this play.�

(AP)