Sayōnara, Weiner-san

Making an unexpected but clearly calculated chess move, President Obama weighed in on the Anthony Weiner mess today. "When you get to the point where, because of various personal distractions, you can't serve as effectively as you need to, at the time when people are worrying about jobs, and their mortgages, and paying the bills -- then you should probably step back," Obama told NBC's Ann Curry, speaking in his best shoganate baritone. "I can tell you that if it was me, I would resign."

Whoa. Didn't see that coming. For whatever reason (I bet there's more dirt in the offing), the White House believes Weiner's twitter tomfoolery is rising to the "clear & present danger" level politically. Consequently, they want the problem to go away, pronto.

In the movie The Last Samurai, Bushido clan leader Katsumoto is unceremoniously stripped of influence by the corrupt Imperial Court. Now a dead man walking, he retires to an anteroom to meditate one last time. A Praetorian Guard enters, glowers at the disgraced Katsumoto, then drops a Tantō (dagger) before him. The guard says, "Save us the trouble," and leaves. In effect, that's the message Obama has delivered to Weiner. Instead of seppuku, his hasty resignation will do. Will the congressman resist? Not a chance. Cue Chopin's Funeral March. Weiner is a goner -- probably by week's end.