Sen. Harry Reid comes out against Obama-backed plan for mosque near Ground Zero
The Senate's top Democrat spoke out against plans for a mosque near Ground Zero Monday, a public break from President Barack Obama's support of the controversial prooposal.
Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev. is the highest-profile Democrat to respond to Obama's recent backing of the mosque.
"The First Amendment protects freedom of religion," said Jim Manley, a Reid spokesman. "Senator Reid respects that, but thinks that the mosque should be built some place else."
Meanwhile, the White House sought Monday to bow out of the Ground Zero mosque debate the President jumped into three days ago, sparking criticism from both ends of the political spectrum.
"I think that it's a debate that was had and we've weighed in," Deputy White House Press Secretary Bill Burton told reporters on Air Force 1 as Obama was en route to a Wisconsin factory to boost clean energy.
"I assume that people will continue to talk about it," Burton said, "but I think that we've addressed this to a pretty full extent."
Burton conceded that Obama triggered a political firestorm by first defending the right of Muslim groups to put a mosque in Lower Manhattan, two blocks from Ground Zero, and then saying he was not endorsing the "wisdom" of the move.
Burton also sidestepped on whether the GOP can make the mosque a wedge issue in the drive to take back Congress in November.
"I can't speak to the politics of what the Republicans are doing," Burton said.
"And the President didn't do this because of the politics. He spoke about it because he feels he has an obligation as the President to address this."
Mayor Bloomberg Monday again endorsed the wisdom of the mosque plan, as well as Muslims' right to build it.
"A mosque would enhance the cultural diversity of our city and those kinds of things are good for our city," Bloomberg said.
"And as I've said, Muslims are as much a part of our city and our country as Americans of any other faith, and they are as welcome to worship in lower Manhattan as anyone else."
Source
Who wants to bet this is Reid scrambling for votes against Angle?
Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev. is the highest-profile Democrat to respond to Obama's recent backing of the mosque.
"The First Amendment protects freedom of religion," said Jim Manley, a Reid spokesman. "Senator Reid respects that, but thinks that the mosque should be built some place else."
Meanwhile, the White House sought Monday to bow out of the Ground Zero mosque debate the President jumped into three days ago, sparking criticism from both ends of the political spectrum.
"I think that it's a debate that was had and we've weighed in," Deputy White House Press Secretary Bill Burton told reporters on Air Force 1 as Obama was en route to a Wisconsin factory to boost clean energy.
"I assume that people will continue to talk about it," Burton said, "but I think that we've addressed this to a pretty full extent."
Burton conceded that Obama triggered a political firestorm by first defending the right of Muslim groups to put a mosque in Lower Manhattan, two blocks from Ground Zero, and then saying he was not endorsing the "wisdom" of the move.
Burton also sidestepped on whether the GOP can make the mosque a wedge issue in the drive to take back Congress in November.
"I can't speak to the politics of what the Republicans are doing," Burton said.
"And the President didn't do this because of the politics. He spoke about it because he feels he has an obligation as the President to address this."
Mayor Bloomberg Monday again endorsed the wisdom of the mosque plan, as well as Muslims' right to build it.
"A mosque would enhance the cultural diversity of our city and those kinds of things are good for our city," Bloomberg said.
"And as I've said, Muslims are as much a part of our city and our country as Americans of any other faith, and they are as welcome to worship in lower Manhattan as anyone else."
Source
Who wants to bet this is Reid scrambling for votes against Angle?