Which Way, Weiner?

As awesome as NY Dem. Anthony Weiner is on taking the fight to Republicans, he's completely silent on the whole Cordoba House issue.  He's in a tough spot, trying to reconcile his passion as a liberal firebrand and a staunch ally of Israel.  Greg Sargent puts him on the spot.

I can't get Weiner's office to say whether he defends plans to build the Islamic center or whether he sides with many Republicans and with the Anti-Defamation League and opposes it. I've been asking for two days now, and his office was promising yesterday to make him available to discuss the issue. But suddenly, his spokesman went quiet and stopped answering calls and emails.

The reticence of some New York politicans on this issue has been astonishing. While Mayor Michael Bloomberg has voiced strong support for plans to build the Islamic Center, others have been circumspect. Senator Chuck Schumer, for instance, has only said through a spokesman that he "doesn't oppose" the plan.

Weiner has positioned himself as something of a national figure, and has won plaudits from liberals nationally for his feisty, confrontational approach to Republicans and his willingness to fight it out on controversial issues. So it seems fair to wonder where the heck he is on the Islamic center.

I sincerely hope he plans to say something about it. And if he does come out strongly in favor of it, I'll be the first to give the man credit. But if he doesn't, maybe we should all stop clapping for him.

So which Weiner will we see, the one that savaged obstructionist Republicans on the floor of the House, or the one that spouted right-wing nutjob talking points on the Gaza flotilla raid that would make any neo-con proud?  This isn't something he can avoid anymore.

Which way, Weiner?