Obama has "No Regrets" Over Weighing in on "Ground Zero Mosque"

AP

Updated 2:20 p.m. ET

President Obama said Wednesday said he had "no regrets" about weighing in on the so-called "Ground Zero Mosque" in comments he made on Friday night and over the weekend.

A reporter asked Mr. Obama whether he had any regrets over his remarks, which have ignited a political firestorm, at the end of a town hall the president was holding with residents in Columbus, Ohio.

On Friday night, Mr. Obama addressed a group celebrating the Islamic holy month of Ramadan at the White House with his first public comments on the proposed community center and mosque two blocks away from Ground Zero. Many local New York and national Republicans have been sharply critical of the project for past several weeks and months.

"As a citizen and as president, I believe that Muslims have the right to practice their religion as everyone else in this country," he said. "That includes the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in lower Manhattan, in accordance with local laws and ordinances."

The president clarified his comments a bit during a visit to Florida on Saturday by noting that while Muslims have the right to build the center near ground zero, but would not say whether he believes it is a good idea to do so.

"I was not commenting and I will not comment on the wisdom of making a decision to put a mosque there. I was commenting very specifically on the right that people have that dates back to our founding," he said. "My intention was simply to let people know what I thought. Which was that in this country we treat everybody equally and in accordance with the law, regardless of race, regardless of religion."

White House spokesman Burton Bill Burton added the following on Saturday as well: "What he said last night, and reaffirmed today, is that if a church, a synagogue or a Hindu temple can be built on a site, you simply cannot deny that right to those who want to build a mosque."

Since then, the remarks helped transform the issue into a national debate. Many Republicans have seized on it to criticize the president and other Democrats as they seek to make it a campaign issue. Some Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, have also criticized the project.

Polls have shown that most Americans do not support the project, and a new poll on New Yorkers released today by Siena College finds that 63 percent of state residents oppose the project, with 27 percent supporting it. However, 64 percent say the developers have a right to build the center, with twenty-eight percent say they do not. Among those in opposition, a little more than half agree the developers have the right to build it.

Mr. Obama did not elaborate more in his answer today, just saying he had "no regrets" and then walking away.

More Coverage of the "Ground Zero Mosque" Controversy:

Washington Unplugged: Mass. Gov. Patrick Defends "Ground Zero Mosque"
"Ground Zero Mosque" Developers: We Won't Move
Pelosi Wants to Investigate Funding of "Ground Zero Mosque" Critics
N.Y. Gov. David Paterson Plans to Meet With "Ground Zero Mosque" Backers
Pat Buchanan Says Gingrich "Political Opportunist," Went "Too Far"
Mosque Opponents Leaving Ground Zero Shops AloneReid: Ground Zero Mosque Should be Somewhere ElseGOP to Hammer Obama, Dems on Ground Zero Mosque
Obama Defends Ground Zero Mosque

[jmichael07]

funny...the spade "obama" has trouble calling a spade a spade. We don't need to placate false religions, nor accomodate them, particularly if they unChristian. I agree with GrannyCares...as regrets go, the only one Americans actually, resentfully regret is the inept front obama is himself.

Thank American tv-titty-sucking liberals for higher heights of grand stupidity. Change. Hope. 'Yes they can' phuqitallup... And you can comfortably watch too, but you have to smile and let your enemies inch even closer to you not knowing what's behind their backs when they smile right back... Where's our Oswald, CIA/FBI????

obama is too dirty to be American.

[maccount]

It's obvious that this is being done for money! Never mind what the Americans think should be builted at ground zone! We don't count - this country might as well be handed over to any other country who can exchange BIG BUCKS to US in exchange for a piece of the pie! And who runs this country, the poor people don't - that's for sure!

For the longest time, we as Americans expressed what we wish for at ground zero for all the precious lifes that was lost on 9/11 - but because money talks, ******** walks - why not a monument - who's getting paid off here? Why are Americans being denied their wishes for ground zero when they have been fighting since the 9/11? This country use to have alot of honor and pride, but somewhere we exchanged it for MONEY! Personally, we as Americans should have first choice of what we would like at ground zero!

As for President Obama - he did not lost anyone at ground zero - I lost a few good friends - so what does he know how it feels? Instead of him wasting his time on this issue - should he tend to more IMPORTANT issues?

[fnegram47]

Terrorist of the Muslim denomination attacked the United Nations on 9/11. That does not mean that every Muslim is a terrorist. Right here in the United States we have rapist, murderers, etc of Christian faith, does that make us all murderers and rapists? If this Mosque were being built on the exact spot where the Twin Towers stood I would understand Americas anger. We are still not over that horrific day and most people would like some sort of a memorial. The place where the Mosque is proposed to be built is two blocks away from that area! Personally I see no problem with this.

[jayrh]

When a group which is supposed to be religious joins with the likes of the Muslim Brotherhood, they cease to be a religious organization and become a political organization! In this case, the Muslim Brotherhood aims to overthrow our government and institute Sharia law... The Muslim Brotherhood does support terrorism but only when it will advance their cause... They were created in 1928 in response to the secularization of Turkey... Their aim was to bring the Turkish government and Islam together again, i.e. bring back the caliphate. It has taken them 80 years but their goal has now been obtained! They turned their attention the US sometime in the 60's. How long will it take them to obtain their goal? It is their belief that this does not matter. With perseverance, it will come eventually... Already, every large Muslim group in the United States is a Muslim Brotherhood front... They control three quarters of all mosques in this country... A mosque at ground zero will give them one more victory and one more step towards their goals... Appeasement policies do not work, just look at what is happening in Europe... It is time to stand up to radical Islam!!!

[ge556]

Who gets to decide, and on what basis, that a religious group is not a religious group? Actually, I'm sure there's plenty of actual case law on this, but since you want to make such a decision, do the fundamentalist Mormons get their religious status revoked because of polygamy?
How about the Quakers, for their anti-military position?
I'm sure someone could come up with an anti-Catholic argument, and an anti-Jewish argument, etc. And I sure wish some of those fundamentalists would keep their beliefs out of the public schools.

Don't be quick to decide that some other religion is not a religion. Yours might be next.

TruthTeller

[jmichael07]

Who gets to decide...TruthTeller? We do. We're American. We decide.

what so many other idiots do not understand is that is-lame is used and abused. and when it comes to a quaker refusing war, or a polygamist espousing the shroud of mormonism...i'll take them anyday over would-be head-chopping mferz who come to "deeper faith" seeing your head roll.

Burn a flag if it makes you feel better "TruthTeller", the Liar.

[jayrh]

When a group which is supposed to be religious joins with the likes of the Muslim Brotherhood, they cease to be a religious organization and become a political organization! In this case, the Muslim Brotherhood aims to overthrow our government and institute Sharia law... The Muslim Brotherhood does support terrorism but only when it will advance their cause... They were created in 1928 in response to the secularization of Turkey... Their aim was to bring the Turkish government and Islam together again, i.e. bring back the caliphate. It has taken them 80 years but their goal has now been obtained! They turned their attention the US sometime in the 60's. How long will it take them to obtain their goal? It is their belief that this does not matter. With perseverance, it will come eventually... Already, every large Muslim group in the United States is a Muslim Brotherhood front... They control three quarters of all mosques in this country... A mosque at ground zero will give them one more victory and one more step towards their goals... Appeasement policies do not work, just look at what is happening in Europe... It is time to stand up to radical Islam!!!

[Wilmingtom]

Would there be similar opposition to a Catholic church being built near the Murrah Building in Oklahoma City because Timothy McVeigh was a Catholic?

[jayrh]

Your reasoning makes no sense... McVeigh didn't kill in the name of his religion... While you may find a few extremists in other religions, radical Islamics number in the tens of millions! The Muslim Brotherhood, of which this Imam is a disciple, is at the heart of radical Islam!

[k1teecher]

Why just show a photo? Why didn't you air the original sound bite where after he's asked 'do you have regrets?' there's a 13 SECOND PAUSE while he wets himself, then gains composure, and says, 'no regrets'. The pause (with no teleprompter available) made him sound worse than a burned out crack head.

[pissedoffganna]

I am not suprised at what this man (and Yes I will not call him my president)is doing now. I knew when he got put in office we as Americans were in trouble. I am going to pray to my god for the victums and their families. Because this is the same as letting a child predator move in a neighborhood full of childern and say there you go people live with him among your childern. We as an American people have lost this war. We no longer have a say in anything this man wants to do. It does not matter to him what we want. God help us all.

[GrannyCares]

**AND, STILL ANOTHER ?TEACHABLE MOMENT? FROM PROFESSOR OBAMA!**
QUESTION: ????Did HE LEARN ANYTHING?????

He was for the mosque before he was against it, or was it vice versa, or did he know what he meant?

I seriously doubt that many Americans would care about locations of mosques in our towns, cities or villages. I do think that Americans have sensibilities about them as to where such places of worship are located.

In all candor, think that there were few sensibilities on the part of Muslims even considering the location in question. WHY WOULD THEY CHOOSE A SITE, SO CLOSE TO THE MURDERING OF THOUSANDS OF INNOCENTS, AT THE HANDS OF RADICAL MEMBERS OF THEIR FAITH??

President Obama?s statement was astonishing ? absolutely astonishing!
The big question I have is why is he so ANTI AMERICAN? It gave him a great life!! Look at where he is, vice his brother in Kenya, or his aunt living in subsidized housing in Boston!! He comes across so unappreciative and egotistically loquacious!

WHAT WAS HE THINKING??

He is getting to the point where he points out to us on a daily basis what a tragic mistake we made in November 2008. The democratic congress ? though some are honorable people ? needs to be replaced in 2010 simply to realign the BALANCE OF POWER.

[ge556]

"WHY WOULD THEY CHOOSE A SITE, SO CLOSE TO THE MURDERING OF THOUSANDS OF INNOCENTS, AT THE HANDS OF RADICAL MEMBERS OF THEIR FAITH?"

Because that is the long-time and current location of their building. Should congregations of other faiths have to move because someone of the same faith killed people? This is supposed to be a free country.

TruthTeller

[jmichael07]

And what of respect for the dead TruthTeller?

I'm knocking. The lights are on, and nobody finds enough intelligence to answer the door they pretend they want you to walk through. Hypocrits!!!

Maybe it's all because is-lame is so absolutely unAMERICAN, and unCHRISTIAN. And maybe they should stop trying to colonize and making that crap palatable when we keep spitting it back in their faces, eh?

We're AMERICANS, not is-lamists. =) Burn a flag phewl if you don't like it. Or just glorify that false god by cutting a better-thinking American's head off his shoulders...after he spits....

[watkinsjr2000]

A WHOLE LOT of the people commenting on this mosque controversy don't say very much that resembles reality.President Obama stated the obvious when he said that the first amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees freedom of religion for ALL(not just the Christian majority-of which I am one). These people building this mosque haven't committed any crimes I've heard about, & have local building permits.That being the case, the federal government has no grounds legally I can think of to stop this construction.

A lot of them apparently miss the point that Obama is being a responsible president here, instead of a hack politician (like most in the GOP I've heard comment on this).All of this politically driven hysteria over the mosque has further inflamed Muslims against the U.S. worldwide. It is seen by many in the Muslim world as more evidence that the U.S. is hell bent on carrying out a war on Islam (not just the terrorists organizations who committed those horrible crimes on 9/11).In many ways what these politically motivated outcries against that mosque have done is not unlike ramming a stick inside a hive of already angry bees.

All this makes it easier for radical Muslim terrorists to recruit more members to fight against the U.S. It also probably makes another terrorist attack on the U.S. more likely. And, it most certainly increases the danger facing our many brave soldiers still stationed in Iraq & Afghanistan.

Hack politicians trying to stir up a big stink in order to get elected may be so totally irresponsible that they don't care about about all this, but a U.S. President wouldn't be doing his job if he didn't.President Obama, in his statement on the mosque, was reinforcing the point that the U.S. is a nation of laws (where the constitutional rights of all Americans are protected). He was also trying to send a message to Muslims worldwide that the U.S. isn't hostile to all of the Islamic world.That's important if we want to protect our people from harm.I'd submit that the shrill critics on the right (acting out of petty self-interest) are putting all Americans at heightened risk with their attacks.What they're doing isn't responsible & it isn't good for America.

[ge556]

Very well said, watkinsjr2000.

TruthTeller

[4theusa]

this is for the shrill critics to the left...When Obama addressed the muslims... he stated to them that the Americans owe Islam. He stated they are # 1.