U.S. President Barack Obama has joined the growing chorus of lawmakers calling for disgraced Congressman Anthony Weiner to step down after admitting he sent sexually explicit text messages to several women, all of whom were not his wife.
In an interview with NBC's "Today" show, Obama pulled no punches in calling Weiner's behaviour "highly inappropriate."
"I can tell you that if it was me, I would resign," Obama said in comments that were made available to other media Tuesday evening.
"I think he's embarrassed himself. He's acknowledged that. He's embarrassed his wife and his family," Obama said. "Ultimately, there's going to be a decision for him and his constituents."
On Monday, the House of Representatives granted Weiner a two-week leave of absence, and the New York Democrat has since decamped to an unknown location for undisclosed treatment.
He has so far dodged calls for his resignation from within his own party, including from House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. On Tuesday, the Republican House Speaker John Boehner answered with a simple "yes" when asked whether the disgraced New York congressman should quit.
Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, Weiner's fellow Democrat from New York, told reporters she expects the married 46-year-old to step down before the end of the week, but did not say what gave her that impression.
"Hopefully, we are hearing he might resign in a couple of days," McCarthy said.
The Weiner scandal shows no signs of fading from the headlines more than a week after the congressman admitted sending lewd photos and having other sexually suggestive contact with several young women both before and after he got married last year.
A Weiner action figure has sold in the hundreds of dollars at Herobuilders.com during a pre-sale ahead of its official launch on Monday. A censored version of the doll, clad in shorts and a t-shirt that say "Tweet This," sells for US$40. An uncensored -- meaning, an anatomically correct -- doll is available for an additional $10.
On Wednesday, Weiner's wife, Huma Abedin, returns home after a trip abroad with her boss, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Abedin has yet to comment on her husband's indiscretions, although a few days ago it was revealed that she is expecting the couple's first child.
With files from The Associated Press
