
House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) has come out strongly against the Muslim community center project near Ground Zero in New York, going so far as to invoke the "come on" exception to America's freedom of religion.
"I think that is the ultimate insensitivity," Cantor said during an interview with National Review. "Anyone looking at that with any common sense would say, 'What in the world would we be doing, you know, fostering some type of system that allows this to happen.' Everybody knows America's built on the rights of free expression, the rights to practice your faith, but come on.
"The World Trade Centers were brought down by Islamic extremists -- radicals who were bent on killing Americans and accomplished that in unimaginable ways. I think it is the height of insensitivity, and unreasonableness to allow for the construction of a mosque on the site of the World Trade Center bombings. I mean, come on."
Numerous Republicans have spoken out against the project, including Sarah Palin -- who called upon "peaceful Muslims" to "refudiate" it -- followed by Newt Gingrich, New York Republican gubernatorial candidates Rick Lazio and Carl Paladino, Tim Pawlenty, and John McCain.
In addition to those GOPers, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) has spoken against it, and Democratic Gov. David Paterson unsuccessfully attempted to convince its organizers to move somewhere else with an offer of state land.
(Via Media Matters.)
Walter Mitty
August 12, 2010 12:37 PM
What does Cantor think about the settlements in Israel?
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August 12, 2010 12:37 PM
If people won't heed "but come on!" coming from a prima donna congressman then they are far past reason and we should all refudiate them.
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vasu
August 12, 2010 12:40 PM
Yes, you know because the "But Come On" defense works on some many legal levels... "I may have smoked pot, but come on", "I was drinking and driving, but I had to get home, come on!"
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Bearpaw
August 12, 2010 12:43 PM
Shorter wingers: "The Constitution is absolute ... except when we might wet our pants or can score some political points by ignoring it."
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SchrodingersCat
August 12, 2010 12:50 PM
I'm seriously going to lose my cookies if one other person claims that it is 1) a mosque or 2) directly at ground zero.
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jdb316
August 12, 2010 12:54 PM in reply to SchrodingersCat
Doesn't matter whether both of those are actually true or not. It's easier for most Americans to believe that they're true because it better fits within their frame of reference. So when the GOP got the jump on messaging here (AGAIN!!!), many Americans swallowed this story hook, line and sinker. And good luck trying to convince them to change their thinking now.
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outside it's america
August 12, 2010 12:51 PM
I just love how the Islamic center keeps getting closer to the WTC. First it was in the neighborhood then two blocks away then "adjacent: to the site of the towers and now Cantor has completed its journey to right "on the site of the World Trade Center bombings."
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Steaming Pile
August 12, 2010 12:56 PM in reply to outside it's america
Tomorrow's GOP talking point: If any of the WTC rubble landed on the spot, even if it's just dust, it's part of the WTC site.
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Lestatdelc
August 12, 2010 2:56 PM in reply to Steaming Pile
Next thing you know there will be mosques inside the Pentagon... oh wait.
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Viva!America!
August 12, 2010 12:54 PM
Another issue the GOP has no intention of doing anything about except to use it to scare or pander to their base.
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dswx
August 12, 2010 12:57 PM
""The World Trade Centers were brought down by Islamic extremists -- radicals who were bent on killing Americans and accomplished that in unimaginable ways."
Eric lies yet again, spewing the standard GOP revisionist history of 9/11. Condi Rice was *specifically* briefed about the possibility of terrorists using airplanes as weapons. And she ignored it and then had the gall after 9/11 to say, "Who would have thought...?". So no, Eric, there were definitely not "unimaginable"...they were "ignored" by the Republicans. Sadly, you won't see any one in the MSM call Eric out on this fact.
I seriously wonder how Eric can face his family every day after the cowardly lies he spews. When I once wrote to his office last year to express my views on an issue (an issue he was against and clueless about), all his office did was send me the standard reply letter...and put me on their #$%#* fund-raising list for letters, emails and phone calls! He is truly a despicable man who is trying to emulate his buddy former Senator George Maccaca Allen all the time. He does...in lies and ignorance.
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drv
August 12, 2010 3:27 PM in reply to dswx
That's because Condi and Bush said, "Yeah, your intelligence says terrorists might use airplanes as weapons, but, c'mon."
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Powkat
August 12, 2010 3:42 PM in reply to dswx
I seriously wonder how Eric can face his family every day after the cowardly lies he spews.
He's a Republican - nuff said.
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biff diggerence
August 12, 2010 12:59 PM
Uh, Mr. Cantor (R-Slave State)
There is already a mosque 4 blocks from "Ground Zero"
Masjid Manhattan
20 Warren Street
Basement Floor
NYC, NY
Serving downtown Muslims since 1970.
Before both Towers were filled.
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Hank10303
August 12, 2010 1:15 PM
The has only been one politician so far that has responded to the question of the Ground Zero Mosque. Anthony Weiner House Rep. from NY.
His response is that as a congress person it is not appropriate to comment because this is a first amendment issue that every congress person has sworn an oath to uphold and protect. The only correct answer any member of congress should give is just that. This is a first amendment issue involving the separation of church and state and freedom of religion which I am sworn to uphold.
But we know about how well republicans are with the truth don't we.
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a4638809
August 12, 2010 1:45 PM in reply to Hank10303
I'm sorry but it's not the only correct answer any member of Congress should give us. A more appropriate, patriotic and intellectually honest response would be to call the opposition's arguments for what they really are: unconstitutional, xenophobic, irrational, hypocritical, or, as in this case, downright moronic.
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gumbun
August 12, 2010 1:42 PM
So I guess there should be no churches near sites where Christian extremists blew stuff up.
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BigJay
August 12, 2010 2:31 PM
"The World Trade Centers were brought down by Islamic extremists"
A.K.A. NOT ALL PRACTICING MUSLIMS...
"Everybody knows America's built on the rights of free expression, the rights to practice your faith, but ..."
Code language for "I am about to criticize the position I just stated". By this thinking, because I don't like the Tea Party, there shouldn't be a Republican party in the USA...
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Lestatdelc
August 12, 2010 2:54 PM
So when can we shut down prevent Christian Church's being built because of the actions of Timothy McVeigh, or Robert Rudolph?
I mean Christians have a right to their faith and all, but come on!
I guess this sort of blatantly un-American demagoguery polls really well with the GOP voting base.
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Powkat
August 12, 2010 3:40 PM
Defending freedom is sometimes hard, you jerk. That's when those who believe in it get separated from those who just give it lip service.
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