GOP Pundit: Obama's Mosque Talk "Dumbest Thing"

(CBS)  President Barack Obama's comments supporting the right to build a mosque near Ground Zero have sharply divided the right and the left, with Republican strategists continuing the onslaught Sunday on CBS' Face the Nation.

After skirting the controversy for weeks, the president said Friday that a nation built on religious freedom must allow the building of the mosque.

"As a citizen, and as president, I believe that Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as everyone else in this country," Obama told a crowd gathered at the White House to observe the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

He weighed his words carefully on Saturday, adding that although Muslims have the right to build a mosque near ground zero, he did not say whether he believes it is a good idea to do so.

Obama's Stance on NYC Mosque Draws Fire, Praise
Obama Defends Ground Zero Mosque
Obama: Ground Zero Mosque within Muslims' Rights
Palin "Refudiate" Tweet on NYC Mosque Draws Fire
Conservative Leader: No More Mosques in U.S.
GOP Candidate: NYC Mosque "Hot Bed For Trouble"
Proposed Mosque Near Ground Zero Stokes Debate

His comments have drawn praise from many liberals, but Republicans and families of 9/11 victims have lashed out at him.

On today's show, Republican strategist Ed Rollins, who was the National Campaign Director for the Reagan-Bush campaign in 1984 and the national campaign chairman for the Mike Huckabee presidential campaign in 2007, even called Obama's comments "probably the dumbest thing that any president has said or candidate has said since Michael Dukakis said it was okay to burn the flag. And it was very similar."

"This is an emotional issue," Rollins said. "Intellectually the president may be right. But this is an emotional issue. People who lost kids, brothers, sisters, fathers, what have you, do not want that mosque in New York."

Ed Gillespie, former Republican National Committee chairman, also weighed in.

"I thought it was an incredibly revealing comment by the president. You know, he basically said that the 70% of Americans who are opposed to this controversial imam building this controversial mosque at ground zero are seeking to deny the religious freedom of Muslims in this country. That's how he cast it," Gillespie said.

"It was said in the reporting this morning that he made a conscious decision to weigh in on it in that regard. I think it tells you that he has a very disdainful view of the American people. And I think that's one of the reasons his favorability ratings have come down, not just his job approval ratings. People see that in him. There's a kind of a condescension toward Americans that they don't like."

Tim Kaine, the current Democratic National Committee chairman and former governor of Virginia, strongly defended Obama's views.

"I'm going to go with my Virginians, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, on this one. They put the religious freedom - to worship the religion of your choosing - as the first amendment of the constitution for a reason," Kaine said. "This wouldn't be a controversy if it was a proposal to build a synagogue or a church. We don't prefer people and we don't punish people based on their religion. I'm not the New York zoning commissioner, I don't know the reason for the decision, but we can't stop people from doing something that others could do because of the religion they practice."

Watch President Obama's comments:

Gov. Ed Rendell, D-Pa., admitted that the mosque issue is not ideal, but that the constitution must be honored.

"The mosque is an unfortunate situation, but we do have a right to practice our religion freely wherever we choose. Rights are not subject to the popular vote," he said.

"The constitution is the constitution. You know, we see an awful lot of Republicans going out and saying we have to respect the constitution. That means we have to respect it. We can't tarnish people's first amendment rights," Kaine added.

More on the Ground Zero Mosque Debate:

Anti-Mosque Bus Ad Approved by NYC Transit
Ground Zero Mosque Supported by Jewish Activists
Group to Challenge Ground Zero Mosque Decision
NYC Panel Clears Way for Ground Zero Mosque
Mosque Plans Ignite Fears in Staten Island

[miami_don]

The oath of office of the President of the United States is an oath or affirmation required by the United States Constitution before the President begins the execution of the office. The wording is specified in Article Two, Section One, Clause Eight:
"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

The current Congressional oath was enacted in 1884:

"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God."

The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is also the first section of the Bill of Rights. It is arguably the most important part of the U.S. Constitution, as it guarantees freedoms of religion, speech, writing and publishing, peaceful assembly, and the freedom to raise grievances with the Government. In addition, it requires that a wall of separation be maintained between church and state. It reads:
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."

Enough said, the president is keeping his oath. You right wingers need to pay particular attention to the failure of your elected officials: "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States".

So, are these republican senators and Reed liars, fools, are just flat out full tilt Bozo?

[Bigheader]

Obama really does have a political tin ear. He can't seem to connect with the people. I voted for him, but McCain really wasn't a choice ether. McCain in 2000 was my man, but he has gone off the deep end since 2000. Hilary was the Lady who should have been President.

[shierp]

by 1renegade August 17, 2010 10:04 PM EDT
This must be an insiders blog. I can't seem to make sense out of either one of you. I must have missed something somewhere.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Some people are attacking Christians by making snide remarks about child molesting while they support the murders of thousands by muslims. They don't see their dishonest attack on Christians as bigoted, but any stating of facts about Islam they consider bigoted. They keep bringing up some ridiculous babble about not honoring laws when they know the fact is that all laws are absolute and there is no way in this world other than constitutional amendment to change the first amendment. Yet they continue to tell falsehoods on all counts. Then they make assertions that they know what muslims are radical and which are good, but they won't let anyone else in on this magic ability. Then they profess that the "good" muslims somehow follow a different teaching than the "radical" muslims but they can't point out what different texts they read and how they choose which to follow.

[ge556]

And then there's Sheirp, who keeps falsely claiming that others here support murders by Muslims, even though he has been confronted with his lies and asked for proof repeatedly.

Also, when he attacked Muslims in general for the crimes of the 9/11 hijackers, others pointed out that this is like blaming all Christians for the crimes of a few false Christians such as Hitler. He couldn't or wouldn't see the point in this comparison, and instead claims that this argument constitutes making dishonest attacks on Christians.

[ge556]

by August 20, 2010 12:09 PM EDT

I forgot to sign,

TruthTeller

[slow_news_day]

" by shierp
Catholicism doesn't teach criminal acts the way that Islam does."


Oh, RIGHT!! The Catholics teach to bury the evidence and keep shifting priests around as needed.

That IS a difference.

.

[lenrobertson]

It's nearly impossible to believe that the media news bureau that follows in the footsteps of Edward R Murrow and Walter Cronkite would end a journal piece advocating collective guilt. I'm referring to the dispute over the so called "ground zero" mosque. When the interviewer pointed out to a retired firefighter who lost his firefighter son on 9-11 that porno shops are in the same neighborhood as the mosque site, the man said, "they didn't kill my boy." True enough, but neither did the 50,000 Muslims who live on Manhattan Island, the 900,000 Muslims who live in New York City, the Muslims who died on 9-11, or the young Muslim man gave his life helping others from the Twin Towers.

What's next? Should all Muslims be locked in internment camps just as the American Japanese were in WW2

[winslowe1]

They may as well erect statues of Stalin, Mussolini, Hitler, Pol Pot, Sadaam Hussein and Osama bin Laden while they're at it.

[shierp]

By IRWAN FIRDAUS
BEKASI, Indonesia - Tired of government inaction, Christians and other religious minorities in Indonesia are pushing back against rising violence by Islamic hard-liners.

For months, Christians in the industrial city of Bekasi have been warned against worshipping on a field that houses their shuttered church. They've arrived to find human feces dumped on the land and sermons have been interrupted by demonstrators chanting "Infidels!" and "Leave now!"

But last week, tensions finally exploded.

Twenty worshippers were met by 300 Islamic hard-liners, many of whom hurled shoes and water bottles before pushing past a row of riot police. The mob chased down and punched several members of the group.

"The constitution guarantees our right to practice our religion!" Yudi Pasaribu of the Batak Christian Protestant Church said, vowing to return every Sunday until their request for a place of worship, made more than two years ago, is approved.
-----------------------------------
I guess that when muslims are in power, constitutions don't mean squat.

[ge556]

Whenever intolerant people are in power, minorities are oppressed. Fortunately, the US is much better than it used to be, and much, much better than many places.
I wish you would join me in support of human rights, religious freedom, and not blaming people for the crimes of others. I join you in support for the rights of Christians in Muslim and atheist countries.

TruthTeller

[obamaisherpderp]

PASHA CAPS LOCK IS LAME AND MAKES YOU LOOK STUPID MY LITTLE BUTTERCUP MUSLIM.

[theugly13]

Real Americans reguardless of race or religion are not going to allow Islamic radicals to celebrate 9-11 with a mosque. The worthless pig hole will never be built at that location.

[Empire-George_]

by david4673 August 17, 2010 2:01 PM EDT
Damn... you are wrong again George.
_____________

I am wrong ? Then if I'm wrong, the Bureau of Labor Statistics must be wrong too.

That's where I get my statistics. I clearly stated when the rise happened....and from 2000-2007, the unemployment was 3.9 to 6%.....These are dept of labor facts, don't question me.