The NY Times reported that Barack Obama “strongly” supports the building of a mosque at Ground Zero:
Obama Strongly Backs Islam Center Near 9/11 Site
WASHINGTON — President Obama delivered a strong defense on Friday night of a proposed Muslim community center and mosque near ground zero in Manhattan, using a White House dinner celebrating Ramadan to proclaim that “as a citizen, and as president, I believe that Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as anyone else in this country.”
He understands
“I understand the emotions that this issue engenders. Ground zero is, indeed, hallowed ground,” the president said in remarks prepared for the annual White House iftar, the sunset meal breaking the day’s fast.
But….”
He just doesn’t care what Americans feel.
Aides to Mr. Obama say privately that he has always felt strongly about the proposed community center and mosque…
The White House itself sought immediately to distance itself from Obama:
President Barack Obama’s decision to make public comments Friday that further stoked an already brewing controversy over the construction of a mosque near ground zero was “purely” his own, an administration official said Saturday.
70% of Americans oppose the building of this mosque. Obama is in favor it. “Strongly”
This is the President who does not believe in the exceptionalism of America.
“I believe in American exceptionalism, just as I suspect that the Brits believe in British exceptionalism and the Greeks believe in Greek exceptionalism.”
In other words, we’re kidding ourselves. America isn’t special (and it won’t be if Democrats are left in power much longer)
He even thinks America ought to be taken down a peg:
No world order that elevates one nation or group of people over another will succeed. No balance of power among nations will hold.” It is difficult to see how a US president who holds these views and does not even accept America’s greatness in history can actually lead the world’s only superpower with force and conviction.
As has been pointed out here repeatedly, Feisal Rauf and his cohorts do have a right to build that mosque, but it doesn’t make it right. It’s no more right than would be the building of a Nazi museum in downtown Tel Aviv, legal or not.
The families of 9-11 victims were outraged:
We are stunned by the president’s willingness to disregard what Americans should be proud of: our enduring generosity to others on 9/11–a day when human decency triumphed over human depravity.
Then when the sh*t hit the fan, Obama started to backtrack:
“Well, my intention was simply to let people know what I thought,” Obama said Saturday when asked about his Friday speech after an event in Panama City, Fla., about the BP oil spill. “In this country we treat everybody equally and in accordance with the law, regardless of race, regardless of religion. I was not commenting and I will not comment on the wisdom of making the decision to put a mosque there. I was commenting very specifically on the right people have that dates back to our founding. That’s what our country is about.”
Not even Cokie Roberts was having any of it:
“…she flat out said President Obama “very clearly” endorsed the Ground Zero Mosque in his remarks to a gathering Muslims at the White House for a Ramadan Dinner, and called his attempt to backtrack on what he said “silly.” Roberts said Obama is already taking all the flack for what he said, and to backtrack on it now is “silly.”
Greg Gutfeld pulled the burka off the whole charade with his hysterical suggestion that he would try to build a gay bar next to the proposed mosque. As Gary Kukis noted here:
Park51 twittered, “You’re free to open whatever you like. If you won’t consider the sensibilities of Muslims, you’re not going to build dialog.”
If you’re not going to consider the sensibilities of Americans, you’re not going to build dialog either, Imam Rauf. Sensitivity is a two-way street, but that’s not how it’s going. The demand is that everyone else be sensitive to Muslims while Muslims need not be sensitive to others.
What Obama should have said was that while the right to build the mosque clearly exists, that wisdom suggests it ought to be built elsewhere. Predictably, he didn’t. He took sides against his country once again.
Mark Twain said “It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.”
Obama should have kept his mouth closed. Now it’s Obama’s mosque.
DrJohn has been a health care professional for more than 30 years. In addition to clinical practice he has done extensive research and has published widely with over 70 original articles and abstracts in the peer-reviewed literature. DrJohn is well known in his field and has lectured on every continent except for Antarctica. He has been married to the same wonderful lady for over 30 years and has three kids- two sons, both of whom are attorneys and one daughter on her way into the field of education.
DrJohn was brought up with the concept that one can do well if one is prepared to work hard but nothing in life is guaranteed.
Except for liberals being foolish.