In wake of declining approval ratings and opinions of him in the Muslim world, President Obama, hosting a White House Ramadan dinner, finally spoke out on the Cordoba House project, which has become a national issue:
Previously, the Obama administration had left the defense to Bloomberg and others, repeatedly calling the issue a local matter that the White House should not be involved in.
But on Friday, the president said America’s message to the rest of the world must remain one of religious tolerance. He called the country’s “patchwork heritage” a strength even though such diversity can lead to disagreement.
Transcript here.
Would President Bush have said anything much differently?
One of the new recent criticisms and uproar over Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf (and of the Obama Administration) is that the State Department is responsible for funding his trip to the Mideast to discuss what it’s like being Muslim in the United States (these days, perhaps not very positive). The problem with attacking the Obama Administration on this from a political standpoint is that the program that funds the trip was started under the Bush Administration:
Amusingly enough, members of the administration presided over by Liz’s father, such as Karen Hughes, included this Imam in administration programs designed to improve relations with Muslim countries.
A former fetus, the “wordsmith from nantucket” was born in Phoenix, Arizona in 1968. Adopted at birth, wordsmith grew up a military brat. He achieved his B.A. in English from the University of California, Los Angeles (graduating in the top 97% of his class), where he also competed rings for the UCLA mens gymnastics team. The events of 9/11 woke him from his political slumber and malaise. Currently a personal trainer and gymnastics coach.
The wordsmith has never been to Nantucket.