Reid breaks with Obama, opposes mosque near Ground Zero

[cal04]

Source: CNN

Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid is breaking ranks with President Obama over the issue of the proposed construction of a controversial Islamic center and mosque just blocks away from Ground Zero.

"The First Amendment protects freedom of religion," spokesman Jim Manley said in a statement. "Sen. Reid respects that but thinks that the mosque should be built some place else. If the Republicans are being sincere, they would help us pass this long overdue bill to help the first responders whose health and livelihoods have been devastated because of their bravery on 911, rather than continuing to block this much-needed legislation."

Read more: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/08/16/reid-breaks-with-obama-opposes-mosque-near-ground-zero/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_politicalticker+%28Blog%3A+Political+Ticker%29

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Reid: Forget Ground Zero -- 'The Mosque Should Be Built Some Place Else'
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/08/reid-forget-ground-zero-the-mosque-should-be-built-some-place-else.php?ref=fpbrk

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/114495-reid-opposes-ground-zero-mosque

[joeybee12]

1. No wonder the spineless wimp can't even close the deal with a certifiably insane

opponent.

[DJ13]

2. Reid's Nevada ranch

[superconnected]

13. hahahahhahahaah +1

[Bluebear]

14. + + + + + +

[AlbertCat]

21. Reid's Nevada ranch

Would THAT be far enough away, your NV ranch, you dimwit Reid?

Just how far away from Ground Zero would be OK? Huh? 3 blocks? 6 blocks? The state line? Saudi Arabia?

I imagine this is really part of his re-election idea. Y'know...throw the conservative Undecideds a bone.... while ignoring his own party. I mean, that seems to be the modus operandi of the Dems.

[AlbertCat]

41. that seems to be the modus operandi of the Dems.

I've been mulling over this all day.

Both Dems and Conservatives keep using ideas.... different ones of course.... but ideas that fail over and over and over...

How many times does something have to utterly fail for those in the legislation to finally get that they don't work???? This is what is wrong with all of government today. New ideas are out. Old ideas rule, even when they don't work.

And that's not even it. New ideas that don't work are still "on the table" in favor of old ideas that do. It's called being in a bubble. Can't see the forest for the trees. Tin ears. Incapable of moving forward.

What IS that?

It must, I think, have something to do with listening to advisers who are not interested in what works, but what sounds comfortable and familiar. Dems are as afraid of change, regardless of campaign slogans and sound bites from the WH, as Repugs are.

[shireen]

34. don't know whether to laugh or cry ...

this is our senate majority leader?!
:mad:

[msanthrope]

45. Duzy to end all Duzys....n/t

[Marnie]

51. Don't want those people in that neighborhood.

What if the people who the center is being built for live in that neighborhood?

Why should they suffer the inconveience and expense of having to travel further to get to it?

It is not just the right to build a faith based building anywhere zoning allows, but the right of the people of that area to have the same access to such a facility as other NYers would.

Is there not an equal protection question here?

[Francesca9]

67. funny

[steve2470]

3. wtf

:wtf: :banghead:

[Connie_Corleone]

4. Nice goin', Reid, you spineless coward.

[amb123]

19. +1000

:grr:

[RamboLiberal]

43. +1 on the spineless coward

No wonder Repukes run over Dems.

[xultar]

5. What a fucking ignorant ass low-brow knuckle dragging move

[Schema Thing]

8. double that.

[SteveM]

6. The usual cockroch scatter when the GOP hussles in public. nt

[GodlessBiker]

7. Reid: The First Amendment protects freedom of religion, except in this case.

[Arrowhead2k1]

9. This country is going batshit crazy. I'm so disgusted right now.

I feel like Bin Laden and his zealots are just loving this. America's beacon of freedom is truly fading!

[krabigirl]

16. It has been for a while, and i agree with you!

It will pass, though. It just has to get a lot worse first i think :(. I do think attitudes like this are slowly on the way out, though.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

22. yup

[librechik]

10. Does Reid think prostrating himself on this issue will win a single GOP vote?

that's more evidence of his political stupidity. Whatever, Harry. Hope it gets you some bigot votes back home in NV. I doubt it.

[kestrel91316]

11. politicians oppose property rights and free speech for muslims in the US -

NO WONDER THEY HATE US.

[SemperEadem]

12. Time to step down

"Sen. Reid respects that but thinks that the mosque should be built some place else. If the Republicans are being sincere, they would help us pass this long overdue bill to help the first responders whose health and livelihoods have been devastated because of their bravery on 911, rather than continuing to block this much-needed legislation."

Reid took an oath to defend the Constitution, didn't he? If he wont' do it, he's got to step down and
let someone who will be the leader. I hope Durbin is recovered enough from his stomach surgery to
step into the gap.

I guess he forgets what McCain and Huckabee's campaigns did to Romney's in WV during the thug primaries.

The first one is the hardest to justify, but after that, they become used to the shrieks of protests to their rights
being taken from them. Then comes their turn.

And what does defending the Bill of Rights have to do with begging those turd headed thugs for their support
when you already know you ain't getting it? Is it really just down to him and that angle creature?

[krabigirl]

15. Wow...

[elleng]

17. Yea, well what's he know, he's from Searchlight, Nevada!

:sarcasm:


and First Amendment doesn't cover Nevada!

[monmouth]

30. And do you think Harry understands the length/distance of three city blocks????

I'm sure Searchlight, Nevada has blocks 1/4 the size of those in NYC. Sometimes ole Harry reminds me of a rube...LOL.

[elleng]

31. If they HAVE blocks!!!

[struggle4progress]

53. I hitchhiked through part of Nevada once, decades ago. Memorial quote: "Well, I can give you

a ride up to the corner"

"The corner," of course, was the very next intersection of public roads: it was about 75 miles away

[TransitJohn]

18. Let me think about why.....is he up for re-election?

:sarcasm:

Douchebag maneuver Harry.....douchebag maneuver.

[niceypoo]

23. He is trying to woo those fence sitting Sharon Angle supporters

The new Democratic formula:

Impress republicans by throwing Democratic ideals under the bus then hop on board the GOP bandwagon of the moment.

[SoapBox]

20. Wow...he's another freak'n spineless Jellyfish. CONTACT him here!

Wow...what a WIMP!

Tell this spineless weeny to "buck" it up:

http://reid.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm

[Shipwack]

47. Hmmm... Something odd on the form letter you have to fill out there.

You are given a list of "issues" to choose from for your subject line, but I don't see either religion or personal freedom there.

"Guns" are an option, of course, and "Immigration" and Homeland Security both get their own slots...

I think this goes under Homeland Security... Apparently, your personal liberty is subject to how it makes other people "feel".

Can I ask those nutty teabaggers to stop bringing firearms to political events? Idiots with guns make me nervous, and they should "respect" that.

[jeanmarc]

24. Politicians are playing a dangerous game

They are fanning the flames of hate against a group of people for their religion. The blood will be on their hands when a few psychos hear these dog whistles and take things way too far. I am absolutely disgusted by the behavior of many normally good guys in politics, and of course the Republicans are nearly all in on this absurd non-issue.

[kpete]

25. coward

politics first and only, kp

[Change Happens]

26. This has been by far the saddest debate I have ever watched in American politics...etc.

A Total disaster for our country IMHO.

[The Northerner]

27. All people have property rights but others have more property rights than others

Yep, that makes plenty of sense to me. :sarcasm:

[felinetta]

28. You are a jerk, Reid. I have one question for you:

When Pres. Obama put his hand on the Bible, did he swear to
uphold the emotions of people or the
Constitution.  Shame, shame, shame on you.

[frontrange]

29. Stop Subsidizing Religion

Religious organizations have been throwing their weight around for far too long. It's time to stop subsidizing them.

http://www.aolnews.com/surge-desk/article/how-james-madison-echoes-in-ground-zero-mosque-debate/19580531

[Douglas Carpenter]

32. very sad and shameful

[sabrina 1]

33. Shame on him for feeding the ugly bigotry of the right.

If he's going to 'break' with the president, he should have done it over the lack of a PO in the Health Insurance Bill.

They are spineless, just cannot stand up for what is right.

[beforeyoureyes]

35. All political calculation...why anyone would expect more of Reid with his history?

[Demeter]

36. Harry Reid

Nobody can be wrong 100% of the time--but maybe he never sleeps?

[Yavin4]

37. Now Do Some of You Understand Who Obama Has To Deal WIth To Get Things Done

Now, do you get why the stimulus wasn't bigger and why there wasn't a P.O. ?

This guy supposedly is on your team!

[bunkerbuster1]

46. Fair point, that.

[Jennicut]

48. Heh, best point made today.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

38. Fuck you Reid ---

What an damned embarrassment he is to the Party. :( :puke:

[dencol]

39. One could easily argue that without religion, 9/11 wouldn't have happened.

This world would be so much more peaceful if rational thought were embraced instead. If they want to fight an Islamic center, they need to fight all religious institutions that exploit peoples' ignorance and fear of death.

[Arrowhead2k1]

49. Personally I don't agree with Islam or any other religions for that matter, but

I will vigorously defend their right to practice it without government and bigoted imposed persecution. It's what freedom is all about.

[Chulanowa]

40. Here's a picture of him as he made this statement

From another angle...

[Arkana]

42. Coward.

I suppose the most that can be said for it is that he doesn't necessarily approve of the construction of the mosque, but he respects their Constitutionally granted right to do it.

Or maybe I'm just trying to see something good in a shitty situation.

[bunkerbuster1]

44. Do you WANT to lose, Harry?

Do you think that voters--ANY voters--are impressed with a cowardly stance like this?

Do you not even read polling? A clear majority of Americans believes that they have a RIGHT TO BUILD THERE. That's all you've got to do. Side with the majority. How hard is that?

I'm having one of those horribly cynical moments when I think the Democrats really don't want control of the legislative process, that they're happier being on the sidelines bitching about how things haven't gone their way. I know that's wrong. But still.

[Art_from_Ark]

55. I seriously doubt that there are too many voters in Nevada

who are going to vote against Reid just because he opposed the building of a mosque near Ground Zero.

[bunkerbuster1]

60. Vote AGAINST him? no. Not bother to show up to vote?

that's something else altogether.

This half-assed "let's split the diff on fundamental rights issues" approach is for losers.

[GeorgeGist]

50. Kinda makes you wonder,

why Harry Reid wants to 'represent' fascist Americans.

[musette_sf]

52. Now Harry must speak out about religion-based job discrimination

practiced by the LDS Stake just 3-1/2 miles from Ground Zero.

https://secure.lds.org/units/stake/1,9780,606-1-5-501174,00.html

HIRE A SAINT (hireasaint.org)
If you're going to hire someone to do something anyway, how about hiring a Latter-day Saint from the New York New York Stake? hireasaint.org connects New York New York Stake members who offer services with other stake members who hire them for their services.
www.hireasaint.org

Come on Harry, we're waiting. Because a group of LDSers, with their stake located just a scant 3-1/2 miles from Ground Zero, discriminating against non-Mormons seeking a job in the area, is just, you know, REALLY INSENSITIVE.

[deacon]

54. Freaking deceiving headline BS. Reid didn't break with Obama because Obama is for the right to do so

He is for the right to do so, he is staying out on whether it should be built or not and rightly so. The headline is more evidence of the ignorant stirring the pot.

[Doctor_J]

56. This issue will be an excellent guage of the reach of hate radio

obviously the majority "leader" is under their thumb.

[Zavulon]

57. If we only lose one Senate seat to a Republican in November,

let it be Reid's. What a useless, transparent asshole.

[breadandwine]

58. Reid is in a tough spot. He's only 2% ahead of Angle. Nevandans are insane.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/08/mason-dixon-poll-reid-leads-angle-by-2-points.php

Factor in the fact that Angle voters are much more energized to vote and Reid is going to lose the election. We are looking at Senator Nut Job in the US Senate.

[DonCoquixote]

59. OK, let's tell the truth

Reid, and all the Democratic Blue Dog Senators have been, are, and will be, the real opposition to the Democratic Agenda, period.

[Change Happens]

64. WOW!!! Amen 1000+

Right on, and that's the whole truth...

[western mass]

61. Reid stands with the racists

and defines a new low for the Democratic Party

[Javaman]

62. reid lowers the stupid bar...

My nephew is going to school for political science, he starts his first semester this fall.

I said to him, "remember this, if you run for office and you find yourself in a position of having to tell the truth or to lie; telling the truth serves the people, lying only serves you."

Harry is lying.

[Odin2005]

63. You are a bigot, Harry.

[NuttyFluffers]

65. caving to fear of the GOP and its base... disappointing.

but i would be lying if i said i expected better from him. i still have all this dry powder from the last few years to sift through...

[No Elephants]

66. CNN is full of crap. How is this a break with Obama?

Both say the First Amendment protects the legal right of the Muslims to build the COMMUNITY AND PRAYER CENTER (notcommunity center and mosque) blocks from Ground Zero (not just blocks from Ground Zero).

Obama added that he would not speak to the wisdom of building it there. Reid added that he doesn't think it wise. That's the only daylight between what they said. Is that really a break? (For all we know, Obama doesn't think it wise, either.)

Stop knee jerking based on headlines!




FYI: Jon Stewart says there has always been a mosque four blocks from Ground Zero and still is.