Politics And The “Ground Zero Mosque”
President Obama's decision to speak out on the so-called "Ground Zero Mosque" has turned what was a hot-button cable news item into a political issue that even his fellow Democrats don't want to deal with.
President Obama’s decision to speak out on the controversy that has erupted surrounding the construction of an Islamic community center and mosque in the vicinity of the site of the September 11th attacks is already having national political implications:
Already, though, Obama’s comments on the Ground Zero mosque have transformed an emotion-laden local dispute in New York into a nationwide debate overnight, setting nervous Democrats on edge and creating potentially dramatic political implications in the upcoming midterm elections.
Key Republicans had leapt to criticize Obama’s over his comments Friday on the controversial plan, with House Republican leader John Boehner calling them “deeply troubling.”
And Democrats – at least the ones willing to comment at all — could barely contain their frustration over Obama’s remarks Friday night, saying they would further complicate campaign efforts by candidates struggling in an anti-Democratic year, particularly moderates in conservative-leaning districts who already are 2010’s most vulnerable contenders.
“I would prefer the president be a little more of a politician and a little less of a college professor,” former Rep. Martin Frost (D-Tex.), who once ran the House Democratic campaign arm, wrote in POLITICO’s Arena. “While a defensible position, it will not play well in the parts of the country where Democrats need the most help.”
(…)
Obama has put Democrats from coast to coast in the tough position of having to weigh in on an issue they’d rather duck. Prior to his speech, a few candidates tried with limited success to make the proposed mosque an issue outside of the tri-state area around New York City. Now any Democrat facing an election – less than three months away – can be put in the uncomfortable position of being asked to reject the president’s unpopular stand or side with him.
Few national Democrats rushed to embrace the president. An aide to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, for instance, said she wasn’t immediately reachable for comment on the mosque issue. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s spokesman also didn’t immediately offer a comment.
Empire State Democrats, known for being outspoken, stayed notably mute in response to Obama’s comments at the Iftar dinner, a community meal to break the fast during Ramadan. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who is expected to handily win reelection, has not taken a firm stand on the issue despite weeks of prodding from reporters. There also was no statement from Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, running for governor.
Several New York Democrats either involved with members of Congress or strategists said privately that they are not happy about the speech because it puts them in a bind. A recent CNN polls found two-thirds of Americans oppose building the mosque in the neighborhood around Ground Zero.
Democratic aides say that, at the very least, the president has again knocked his party’s candidates off local messages and forced them to talk about a national issue that doesn’t appear likely to play well with important swing voters.
“The main reaction is ‘Why? Why now?'” said one House Democratic leadership aide. “It’s just another day off message. There have been a lot of days off message.”
The chief of staff to one politically vulnerable House Democrat said it “probably alienates a lot of independent voters” and “it’s not a good issue to be talking about right now.”
He said he suspects “there are a lot of (Democrats) who are spooked in tough districts today” and “a lot of Republicans licking their chops right now.”
This is likely true, already Republicans are jumping on the anti-mosque bandwagon with a depressing amount of glee:
John Boehner, the Ohio Republican who is the House minority leader, was among those who criticized the president.
“The decision to build this mosque so close to the site of ground zero is deeply troubling, as is the president’s decision to endorse it,” Mr. Boehner said. “The American people certainly don’t support it.”
Representative Peter King, a New York Republican, said that while the Muslim community has the right to build the mosque, doing so needlessly offends too many people.
“President Obama is wrong,” Mr. King said. “It is insensitive and uncaring for the Muslim community to build a mosque in the shadow of ground zero. While the Muslim community has the right to build the mosque they are abusing that right by needlessly offending so many people who have suffered so much. The right and moral thing for President Obama to have done was to urge Muslim leaders to respect the families of those who died and move their mosque away from Ground Zero. Unfortunately the president caved into political correctness.”
Newt Gingrich, the former House Speaker, also condemned the proposed mosque and the President’s comments.
“There is nothing surprising in the president’s continued pandering to radical Islam,” he said. “What he said last night is untrue and in accurate. The fact is this is not about religious liberty.”
Mr. Gingrich said the proposed mosque would be a symbol of Muslim “triumphalism” and that building the mosque near the site of the Sept. 11 attacks “would be like putting a Nazi sign next to the Holocaust Museum.”
“It’s profoundly and terribly wrong,” he said.
No, what’s profoundly and terribly wrong is the manner in which Gingrich, King, Boehner, and other Republicans are exploiting religious bigotry and intolerance for politically gain. The sad truth of the matter, of course, is that the GOP is probably going to benefit from taking this position. While it’s unlikely that that “Ground Zero Mosque” issue is going to be a predominant issue at the polls in November, the fact that public in the opinion leans so sharply in one direction makes it the perfect GOP wedge issue.
At least over the short term, you can expect every major candidate for office to be asked their opinion on this issue. That, to some degree, is the consequence of President Obama’s decision to speak out last night. Some will call it a political mistake, and it may turn out to be one, but that doesn’t make him wrong. Unfortunately, the position he is taking does not lend itself to sound bites or the often insane atmosphere of Cable news or the political blogosphere.
So, get ready for a campaign season filled with veiled appeals to religious bigotry.
Wonderful.
“I would prefer the president be a little more of a politician and a little less of a college professor,” former Rep. Martin Frost (D-Tex.), who once ran the House Democratic campaign arm, wrote in POLITICO’s Arena. “While a defensible position, it will not play well in the parts of the country where Democrats need the most help.”
I would prefer Rep. Frost were more a proud American committed to defense of the Constitution instead of a whiny little coward cringing in the face of abject, unAmerican bigotry from the right. Same goes for any Democrat complaining that the president took a stand for the idea that government should interfere with the free exercise of religion. I guess it is only the most basic, fundamental principle upon which our country was founded. Not too important or anything.
Is bigot the new racist, you liberals sure are something…….
I wouldn’t worry too much.
Opposing the mosque is one of those things that sounds fine until you actually say it out loud.
Then it sounds really, really creepy.
Most normal Americans who oppose the mosque now will be ashamed of their position by election time.
This just proves that Obama is the best politician this country has. The Republicans remain shameless hucksters. The Democrats remain spineless wimps.
I have not been pleased with everything Obama has done, but so far, I don’t regret voting for him one bit.
I consider myself pretty conservative and have to say I am embarrassed by this the opposition to the mosque. I don’t want the mosque there but the constitution protects the right for the buyers of the land to put it there. There are a lot of things I don’t like in our society but the constitution allows them anyway. How is this different?
The bride at every wedding, the corpse at every funeral, and the baby at every christening.
So Doug, you are saying it is OK to yell “fire” in a theater? Only slime sucking scum would defend the building of a Mosque on the site they intend to build it. No member of the GOP has made any statement saying they were against the building of a Mosque or Muslim center. What you lied about is they were. The truth is, it is about location. Mataconis I question your ethics and your intellectual honesty. What you stated are lies. I don’t normally wish anyone ill, but I hope Doug, you and yours can be present at the next expression of Islamic tolerance when it goes off.
I am shocked Herb would vote for a communist.
Good for Obama. In any case, the best thing for the Cordoba House people to do is to build the cultural center. The whole issue will likely have blown over by election time, as is not uncommon for “two minutes of hate” bullshit like what Gingrich and Palin are throwing around.
All of these Republicans should kindly inform themselves that the “Ground Zero Mosque” isn’t a mosque nor is it at Ground Zero.
<blockquote>So, get ready for a campaign season filled with veiled appeals to religious bigotry.</blockquote>
As ZR III andh is ilk shows on a daily basis, there’s absolutely nothing veiled about it anymore.
Speaking of which, for how long is OTB going to allow its comment section to be used to advocate for the legal persecution at religious minorities?
“Speaking of which, for how long is OTB going to allow its comment section to be used to advocate for the legal persecution at religious minorities?”
Or a bigoted troll expressing his hope that others are physically harmed…
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-08-14/the-mosque-at-ground-zero-why-it-scares-the-right/?cid=hp:mainpromo5
“There’s a cynical reason that people like Newt Gingrich and Sarah Palin don’t want a mosque built at ground zero…it will prove that there’s nothing scary about Islam.
A war memorial is not built to perpetuate war. Its relevance lies in the promise of peace. It honors heroes who have given their lives, but this sacrifice, in the words of a famous testament, is ennobled by the promise that they gave their today so the living might have a better tomorrow. A war memorial is a symbol of conflict resolution, not conflict enhancement. A mosque near the World Trade Center will epitomize the partnership necessary for a common struggle against the horror of terrorism and its evil masterminds, wherever they might live.
Ignorance is too generous an alibi for Gingrich and Palin. They have been candidates for the most powerful job in the world. It is foolish to dismiss them as fools.
A mosque at ground zero will interfere with their politics, in which the Muslim must be etched as an irredeemable zealot with manic eyes and foaming mouth; the mosque must be distorted into a fountainhead of hatred, and every Muslim be blamed for the sins of the few bigots and terrorists who perpetrated 9/11. A range of political forces has a vested interest in the myth of the mad Muslim as the last evil standing between civilization and chaos.
The irony is that Palin and Gingrich do not represent the idealism and philosophy of America, a nation that is liberal, open, democratic, and secular. Gingrich is a false American; Palin is a falsetto American.
Bigotry is not the exclusive property of any denomination; Muslims offer their share in the long list of self-appointed leaders who spawn the culture that leads to terrorism from pulpits which desecrate the meaning of a mosque. But it is utterly self-defeating to blame Islam, or the vast majority of peaceful Muslims, for the sins of a few. Terms like ‘Islamo-fascism,’ George W. Bush’s intellectual contribution to this debate, are meaningless gibberish. Islam is 1,400 years old; fascism entered the dialectic only with Benito Mussolini. So whatever else Islam might be, it cannot be fascist. True, there are some Muslims who are fascist, but why blame Islam for the tyranny of despots? No one blames the Roman Catholic Church for Mussolini.”
“Unfortunately, the position he is taking does not lend itself to sound bites”
Hey Doug, how about this sound bite (I offer it free of charge to any politician, GOP or Dem, who beleives his/her oath of office actually means something):
“I would rather lose this election while standing for the 1st Amendment, then win while standing upon it.”
Probably Obama’s finest hour. It’s not surprise at all how quickly those on the right who wrap themselves in the Constitution are to piss on it.
Building a giant Islamic center in exactly the place that will most readily tear open old wounds and cause the absolute maximum pain to 9/11 survivors might be legal, but it is not humane, compassionate, decent, or considerate.
The hand of these builders is not exactly outstretched in altruistic warmth to the families of the murdered via this action, no matter what they pretend.
I cannot believe all the high-minded and self-satisfied parlour supporters here of such an obviously brazen and confrontatory initiative. You are not comprehending how this 9-11 mosque (to be opened on the 10th anniversary of the mass murder) will reignite the deep grief of those who lost loved ones violently.
Given that New York City already has a triple-digit number of mosques, would it truly be the end of the world for the unidentified subsidizers to move this Islamic center a thousand yards, or a mile or more away from this uniquely emotionally charged place?
Or is there another unadmitted agenda at work? There must be another agenda, if in a city so large there is not one other single place where they think they could be satisfied to build.
Ed do you hold all Muslims (about a billion of them) responsible for 9.11? You must, otherwise your argument makes little sense.
Are all Christians responsible for the actions of the KKK? Klan types do put themselves forth as being good Christians.
anjin-san, Come again? The KKK? Absurd analogy. The KKK has no bearing on this specific issue, nor on the recent past.
9-11, on the other hand, is many orders of magnitude more terrible than anything the clownish fringe-within-a-fringe KKK could manage in the last several decades.
Must I state the obvious, that 9-11 is the most horrendous Islamist-associated atrocity of our times? I guess I must, amazingly.
This mosque in this place is cruel. Period. End of story! Grief over mass violent death is not something you reason with like some genteel parlor liberal. I don’t care if this mosque is legal. The builders don’t have to provoke like this. Have they no shame, these builders?
If there is one square kilometer in America that all muslims should feel enduring sorrow and remorse about, it is this one.
Of all square kilometers in America. Good grief, anjin-san. Most certainly NOT the place to build an ostentatious palace to themselves.
The graveyard of 9-11 victims! Do I need to keep being obvious? 9-11 victims have only one of these in New York City.
On the other hand, Muslims have many, many, many mosques in the same city and can yet continue to build, all over the city with essentially no opposition.
I say to Muslims: kindly fold up your plans for this particular mosque, say humble, quiet, remorseful and entirely inadequate prayers at the site of this massacre committed in the name of your god, and pretty please with sugar on top move to another neighborhood — and thus spare the families whose grievous wounds you should not dare to re-open.
Is that last bit nice and “tolerant” enough for you anjin-san?
If the KKK is to far back in time for you, how about Christians who assasinate doctors? Are all Christians to blame?
What is the magic about “one square kilometer”? Answer – nothing. It is a slogan. If they measure out that distance and then build across the street from there is that OK with you?
I have as much empathy for the families of 9.11 victims as you do. Regardless, their grief does not supersede the constitution.
You continue to hold all Muslims accountable for 9.11. How many innocents died in the Iraq war? If one of their relatives shows up and wants to hold you accountable, are you going to stand up?
I hold Al-Queda accountable for 9.11. Period.
Christians waged a series of genocidal wars against the folks who lived here before Christians showed up. Slaughtered men, women and children. Ended a civilization that had much to recommend for it. Now Christian churches dot the landscape. By your own “logic” the builders of those churches should be ashamed. They should move to somewhere in the Americas where Christians did not slaughter natives. Do you know of any such place? Here is a clue for you Ed – history matters and it does tend to be relevant. Perhaps you should spend more time reading history books, it can lead to a clearer understanding of the present.
Your arguments are childish. I am not interested in being nice. I am not interested in being tolerant. I am interested in holding to the Constitution and the principal of equal justice under law. You sound like a bad outtake from “The Factor”.
Oh please. “Childish” to be concerned about reopening the wounds of grief? Do you understand what it’s like to grieve a family member violently killed? It is a grief like none other. “Childish”?
This is not at all a constitutional issue for me, I have no idea where you got that out of my argument. Nothing in the Constitution endorses OR prohibits where one puts a building, OK?
No one whatsoever denies the right of Muslims to worship in New York, OK? The 1st Amendment is already fully upheld in the richly Muslim City of New York, with its wide and deep array of mosques already in existence, if that’s what you’re so damn worried about.
What’s YOUR real agenda behind a Muslim center IN THAT PLACE of all places? Of course it is uncompassionate to viscerally grieving victims. You know that and you know it well if you sit and consider it, which you probably won’t. Worse (for leftists like you) the mosque is tasteless. Bad taste is a sin, isn’t it, for leftists like you? The mosque project is also arrogant, which is probably actually why you like it. The mosque project is aggressive and uncaring.
There is nothing “childish” about saying these things. No, there is nothing constitutional about the question. Ultimately, this mosque is insulting, BECAUSE it is tasteless, arrogant, aggressive and uncompassionate. Millions of people who are NOT bigots and many who are not even religious, who still believe in the concept of a unified nation known as “America” are responding viscerally negatively to it. Even come Muslims are publicly coming out and objecting, knowing that this mosque is a provocation to non-Muslims and 9-11 survivors.
By the way, why do they name this center “Cordoba”? Why, it’s after the name of a mosque built by Muslim conquerors in Europe from back in the Dark Ages. Imagine that. The Cordoba mosque was built after Muslims conquered an army of vehemently resisting non-Muslims in Spain, and constructed a grand Victory Mosque in the vicinity of where the infidels’ blood was violently spilled. You’ve got one thing right, history does matter.
>Bad taste is a sin, isn’t it, for leftists like you?
I am curious Ed, how is it I am a “leftist”? Like I said, you sound like a series of Fox News out takes.
>which is probably actually why you like it.
Please show me exactly where I said I “like it”.
> What’s YOUR real agenda behind a Muslim center
My agenda is the concept of equal justice under law. Like I said, you sound childish.
> tasteless, arrogant, aggressive and uncompassionate.
This may all be true. So is pretty much everything Donald Trump ever built.
You can say you don’t like it. You can say your against it. You can say it’s wrong. But you can’t forbid it simply because it is associated with a particular religion.
Really, Spain in the 1400’s is the key to this all? Ask the Jews of that era which leadership they wanted to live under.
(Although, it did give Mel Brooks something to work with 500 years later.)
I really wish Obama wouldn’t be so wishy-washy.
It’s the Burlington Coat Factory. I bought a couple of fine suits there, and it was very nice, but it’s not sacred ground. And, it’s a cultural center, not a mosque. But, none of that should matter because it is private property.
The people on the right who are complaining are either misinformed or lying, either bigots or just cynically stoking bigotry. And the president should have just said that.
Attachments: powerphplist.png
Dear Charlie Crist, Gov. of Fla. and follower of Obama’s ‘Everything Muslim’ disgraceful politics.
How could you be this stupid and insensitive in supporting Obama and the ‘mosque’ at ‘Ground Zero’?
This may well cost you the election, with both Dems. and the GOP in this Senate race against the Mosque, which is where the overwhelming majority of the American people are and I and our Shalom International have been a leading proponet against since early Jan. of 2010 and our 3 rallies we’ve participated in there since.
We will be rallying against this Mosque sgain, where they want to build it, 45 Park Place, on Sept. 5, 2010 at 2 P.M.. I would invite you to speak, but your comments are truely detached to what the real issues are.
Since we are both ‘independents’ on the ballot in Nov., let me advise you what is going on and that whoever suggested you support the Mosque is clueless. That is no excuse for your own lack of understanding here.
I’m am running against Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, because she told the Jewish community in 2008, that we could ‘trust’ Obama on Israel who has turned out to be the worst anti-Semite and anti-Israel President, ever. She wants to be the new ‘Nancy Pelosi’, but after 18 yrs. in politics, there is a huge dislike for her.
“Bless Israel and you are blessed. Curse Israel and you are cursed”. America is cursed by Obama’s appeasement politics to the Muslims and against America’s #1 ally, Israel on 100 different levels and let me focus on just a few and what you are backing by getting in bed with Obama’s politics, that America is overwhelming rejecting.
1. Obama wants to divide Jerusalem, Jewish for 3000 yrs. and millions of Jews were murdered for, which would be the #1 victory for the Nazis and give it to the very people dancing in the streets after ‘9/11’, who were alligned with Hitler in WWII.
This ‘2-state’ insanity would mean the end of the Jewish state. The PA’s Abbas only last week said there would be ‘no Jews’ on any Arab lands, which is the same ‘judenrein’ politics of the German Nazis. Abbas also now wants to go back to 1948 borders and Obama is backing this insanity.
2. Obama, last year in Cairo, equated the Holocaust with “Muslim Humiliation”, while cowardly ignoring 5 Arab Wars and 2 Intifidas to kill all Jews, plus Obama ignored 900,000 Jews thrown out of Arab countries in 1948, and all their properties stolen.
Obama, only two weeks ago sided with German Insurance Companies, refusing to pay compensation to Holocaust survivors. What callousness.
3. Obama calls Israel’s desire to protect the burial place of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their wives, Judiasm’s Patriarchs and Matriarchs, a ‘provacation’ to the Muslims. Abraham, the first Jew, bought this burial plot and is 3000 yrs. older than Islam and no Jews was allowed up the first 7 steps, under Muslim control for over 1700 yrs., till Israel united everything in the 1967, “Six Day War”. I am amongst the first few thousands Jews in this holy place and on my 25th birthday. Obama continually insults our religion and attacks our 5000 yr. “Covenant with G-d’ and our 5000 yr. ‘occupation’ of what G-d gave us, our legitimacy since 1929 and League of Nation’s position,that this land is ours and what we purchased and what we paid for in Jewish lives and all of this means nothing to Obama who wants to give it all to the very people screaming “Death to Israel” and “Death to America.”
Which brings us to the Mosque at Ground Zero, the ” Mass Murder Mosque”, by the very same Islamic Nazis who are responsible for ‘9/11’. Not only is the Imam for this Mosque, with Hamas and Al Qaeda, ad nauseum, but claims ‘9/11’ is due to U.S. policies as his excuse and Obama’s State Dept. has him being paid by U.S. taxpayers to travel to the Muslims and tell them all about this madness. This from the same person who lied that he owned the property, which is co-owned with Con Edison, besides all the other treachery, which has nothing to do with ‘religious freedom’ or ‘tolerance’ that Mayor Bloomberg, Obama and now yourself has fallen for and has created a major credibility gap for all of you, that the overwhelming majority of Americans are rebelling against.
The debate we never had after ‘9/11’ is raging now and I can tell you being in the streets for 325 rallies/events since Oct. 2007 and 1225 news interviews to “Keep Jerusalem United” and to “Fight terrorism and to protect and defend America and Israel” that the public is against this Mosque and the numbers are only growing larger. I have been to 5 events in the last week alone with “No Mosque At Ground Zero” and only 3 negatives, with thousands on my side.
Charlie:
YOU CANNOT MAKE PEACE WITH SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO KILL YOU.
YOU CANNOT SUPPORT THE ISLAMIC NAZIS ‘FREEDOMS’ AND IGNORE THEIR VICTIMS.
YOU CANNOT TRAMPLE ON THE FEELINGS OF EVERY AMERICAN THAT ISLAM DECLARED WAR ON ‘9/11’.
YOU CANNOT TRIVIALIZE ‘9/11’ AND THE LACK OF ‘RESPECT’ THAT THIS MOSQUE HAS TOWARDS AMERICANS AND ANY POLITICIAN AND PUBLIC FIGURE WITH THEM WILL PAY THE PRICE AT THE BALLOT BOX ETC.
Islam cannot scream ‘fire’ in a crowded theatre and America’s patience has run out of capitulating, appeasing and groveling for acceptance from a religion promoting Jihad. “There is no Islam with Jihad” said a Saudi Arabian columnist recently.
This is the same Saudi Arabia responsible for ‘9/11’ and 15,000 Islamic Nazi attacks since going after Jews, Christians, Hindus, Bhuddists, all ‘Infidels’ and many thousands of Muslims killed, let alone the Muslim Genocide of 500,000 blacks in Darfur. This is the same Saudi Arabia that bought off Hollywood and so much of the media with over $700Billions invested in the U.S. and now Obama is selling them $30Billions in military hardware and another $30billions to other Arabs, while diminishing weaponry to Israel. This is the same Saudi Arabia… Obama bows down to and whose politics to divide Jerusalem was bought by George W. Bush and Obama. This is the same Saudi Arabia whose ‘oil’ blackmail of the global economy is responsible for over 30,000 starvation deaths daily. This is the same Saudi Arabia building this and other mosques as part of their ‘conquest’ over the ‘infidels’.
And this is the same Obama who is allowing Iran’s “Little Hitler” to get its nuke, it will use against Israel and America, by wasting 2 yrs. in ‘negotiations’ and ‘sanctions’ and appeasing the Muslims ‘politics’. Russia announced last week it was going to finish Iran’s nuke facility and ignored Obama, who has no credibility any longer on foreign or domestic policies. Israel will have to attack Iran within the next few months to survive another Holocaust. Iran also has a role in this ‘Mass Murder Mosque’.
How could Obama focus on ‘jobs’,’jobs’,’jobs’ with 9/6% unemployment, and 1 million homes in forclosure, and the lack of public confidence and his ‘gulf oil’ fiasco etc. and bailing out Wall St., when he is so busy dumping and ripping off Israel and pushing everything Muslim for the last 2 yrs.?
Charlie, your ignoring all of this, is no different than Rep. Schultz’s total backing of everything Obama, and why I’m running against her and I will defeat her in Nov.in this national referendum against Obama/Hillary/Schultz/Congress, etc. The public has had enough.
‘IMPEACH OBAMA’ IS THE ISSUE. Obama violates Title 18, of U.S. Code on ‘giving material support to terrorists.’ That’swhat this Mosque at Ground Zero is all about. It’s Obama giving Gaza and Hamas, $20millions to come over here and “$900millions” to Gaza and Hamas and another “$400 millions” to Gaza and Hamas.It’s America repairing Mosques oversees and meanwhile America is suffering so much travail.
There is a massive list of Obama in bed with these criminals and terrorists and all of it a threat to America and to Israel.
Why then are you supporting Obama, when he’s dropping in the polls like crazy and is already in the 30’s?
Why are you supporting the same politics of the 1930’s on ‘land for peace’ that England used with Hitler that gave us WWII and 60 million dead and the Holocaust of nearly 7 million Jews slaughtered because they were “Jews” and by the same Arabs/Muslims that today, cowardly deny the Holocaust, but want to finish the job with Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia, the Arab League, Muslim Brotherhood, Al Qaeda, ad nauseum?
What about all of this do you not get? Whoever is advising you has blown it big time.
Obama wouldn’t demand that the Muslims divide Mecca for peace but has no problem demanding that the Jews divide Jerusalem, while backing the Mass Murer Mosque at Ground Zero.
That is what our country has come to with this evil politics in the White House.
When we demanded that you change the date of a special election from the end of Passover to a week later, you obliged. We called you a ‘mensche’ then. But your support for the Mass Murder Mosque today, shows your true insensitivity and disgraceful politics that is truely unworthy on any level.
I already condemned your politics this morning at Bet Breira Samuel-Or Olam Synague where I spoke before Israeli Dir. of Arutz Sheva Radio and T.V addressed the audience. No one supported your position with the Mosque.
I didn’t like those running for the Senate for a host of reasons, but I cannot any longer support you now.
Yours in Shalom,
Robert Kunst
Pres. Shalom International
305-864-5110
http://www.defendjerusalem.net
http://www.kunstforcongress.com
Ted Belman
Jerusalem, Israel
972 (0)54 441 3252
“Of course it is uncompassionate to viscerally grieving victims.”
Only to those who are as misguided as you, to associate 9/11 with an entire religion, rather than a fringe terrorist group…
Not backing down here and incredulous at what I’m reading — the callousnessTell you what, everybody, if you love the idea of GZ Mosque this much, and have no worries about the sensibilities of 9-11 victims — why not jet off to Japan and go pitch the downtown construction of the Harry Truman Memorial Methodist Church to the Hiroshima City Council?
I’m sure with your noble love of religious freedom and your enlightened professions of “tolerance” you will meet a most enthusiastic audience there.
Or how about this anjin-san, Let’s say you met up with Fred Phelps in Wyoming and discussed with state officials establishing a new Westboro Baptist Church at the site of Matthew Shepard’s murder.
Opposition to such a thing could ONLY be “childish”, right? I mean, what a dream cause that would be for you newly-arrived “religious freedom” advocates.
if you love the idea of GZ Mosque this much
I don’t love the idea at all, you are either too stupid to comprehend this or you are just making a terribly lame attempt to be sarcastic.
You continue to want to hold a billion Muslims accountable for the actions of a handful of people on 9.11. I asked you earlier, if an Iraqi who’s grandmother got blow up during the “shock and awe” bombings shows up at your doorstep holding you accountable because you are an American, what are you going to say to him?
I don’t find all the self-appointed protectors of 9.11 victims families to be at all compelling. Let the families of the victims speak for themselves. The Greek chorus has a pretty clear agenda – demonize all Muslims.
I am also a little curious about where “one square kilometer” comes from. We don’t even use the metric system in this country for God’s sake. I notice you also ducked my question about building the center across the street from this magic line. Cool with you or not? I don’t really expect an answer, you clearly have no ideas that have not been spoon fed to you by Fox and Friends.
Hey Ed, what about other mosques which already exist within your magic “one square kilometer?” Should they be razed? Should the Muslims who live and work in within the sacred perimeter be forced to move or find new jobs?
What would you say if people were calling for the government to prevent a YMCA or Jewish Community Center to be built somewhere in the US? The Cordoba project is essentially the same as those.
I’d like to take a moment to remind everyone that there were Muslims among those killed in 9/11.. Granted Osama bin laden wouldn’t consider them or the builders of the community center as being “true” Muslims but you know how it is with extremists…
ED : It’s not a mosque it’s a community center. There’s already a Mosque much much closer to ground zero then where this community center is being built (half a mile away). There is a small prayer room planned but the vast majority of the community center has very secular purposes. So can you stop with the bullshit about a mosque being built on ground zero?
> can you stop with the bullshit about a mosque being built on ground zero?
Ed has been told what he thinks. I don’t think reason will dissuade him.
What gets me is that they are already actively using the building which would make it a “mosque” already according to Ed. So in reality Ed and crew are already too late as the Muslims are already worshiping in the building..
It’s interesting to note that the self-appointed champions of 9.11 families are completely silent on the issue of the GOP blocking aid to 9.11 first responders and their families. You know, the ones who are sick even after Bush and Guilliani assured them that working at Ground Zero was safe?
Guess there is no political hay to be made there…
@ anjin
“It’s interesting to note that the self-appointed champions of 9.11 families are completely silent on the issue of the GOP blocking aid to 9.11 first responders and their families. ”
You are either being disingenuous or intentionally misrepresenting the issue. The Democrats had the votes to pass the measure, then they decided at the last second to do an extraordinary thing – require a super-majority for approval. They HAD the votes, but wanted to make a political issue out of it. It was not the republicans. Look at the Congressional Record of the vote procedure and timing.
You are either being disingenuous or intentionally misrepresenting the issue.
No, he’s not.
The Democrats had the votes to pass the measure,
Yes, but why did so few Republicans vote for it? Perhaps because they hate the 911 heroes?
then they decided at the last second to do an extraordinary thing – require a super-majority for approval.
Yes, they decided to try to pass the bill in such a way to prevent Republicans from trying to add poison pill amendments, as they promised to do. Why do Republicans insist on playing political games with the lives of 911 responders?
They HAD the votes, but wanted to make a political issue out of it.
Actually, they wanted to avoid letting the Republicans make the bill into a political game, as they surely would do, because everything is a political game to them, including and especially the lives of those who risked life and limb at a moment of national tragedy.
It was not the republicans.
Only in wingnut fantasy land, it wasn’t.
Look at the Congressional Record of the vote procedure and timing.
Yes, do that. And while you’re at it, look at how many Republicans voted against help for 911 responders. Every last one of those Republicans is a despicable scumbag.