Opinion Roundup: Obama's Mosque Speech Sparks Strong Reaction

(Aug. 14) -- Not surprisingly, President Obama's speech on Friday defending the opening of a mosque near Ground Zero sparked a strong immediate response from editorialists, commentators and bloggers. A sampling:

Fitting Statement, But...
President Obama's remarks about the community center and mosque planned for the neighborhood of Ground Zero were a fitting restatement of fundamental American fealty to freedom of religion....That said, it must also be recognized -- and unfortunately Obama did not do so fully -- that the hallowed ground of 9/11 stirs the deepest of emotions. That's why, even as most of those polled saw the right to build, 64% still said the location was simply wrong for a mosque and Islamic-related facility...Those are legitimate sentiments, born not of bigotry but of reverence. They must be respected. -- Editorial, New York Daily News

Not Hedging a Bit
The foes of the Islamic center have been trying to drag Obama into this debate, and some have urged Obama to avoid wading into it. But now he has, and he isn't hedging a bit: He's saying that opposing the group's right to build the Islamic center is, in essence, un-American. I look forward to the response from the project's opponents. -- Greg Sargent, The Washington Post

Missing the Point
Like so much of the other stuff Obama says, this is an exercise in missing the point. The issue is not, legally, whether the Muslims can construct a mosque at Ground Zero -- that is, whether state action should prevent them from doing so as long as they operate in "accordance with local laws and ordinances." Of course not. That would be unconstitutional. But there's a lot of stuff that's legal that still isn't right. And so, when it comes to the mosque, the real question is whether it should be built, and at only this one particular site -- whether constructing it at Ground Zero is decent, and kind, and respectful of Americans' sensitivities. -- Carol Platt Liebau, Town Hall

Sad State
It's a sad state of national affairs that this simple acknowledgment from President Obama will be controversial. But that's where we are today. --Taylor Marsh

Unremarkable
Look closely at what he said. It is actually unremarkable. Of course, there is freedom of religion in the United States and the idea of discriminating against a particular religion offends our fundamental values. But it is a separate question whether the plan to build a mosque is a good one that persons of good will should choose to pursue as they exercise the freedom they are most assuredly guaranteed. Did Obama say express an opinion about that? -- Ann Althouse

Significant
Obama's strenuous defense of the "Ground Zero mosque" tonight is significant not just in bolstering the credibility of his message to the Muslim world, but it also engages him directly in the political fight against far right extremists here at home who wish to erode the American values at stake in the fight over the mosque. -- Faiz Shakir, Think Progress

What Would Bush Do?
I'm not sure Bush would have said anything different. It's possible he wouldn't have said anything at all. But I'm not so sure of that. He may even be asked at some point if he's available. -- Dan Riehl, RiehlWorldView

Voting Present
So what's a poll-readin' president to do? ... How about a statement that mostly dodges the question of whether it should be built in favor of the easier question of whether the owners have the right to build it? Not a Bloombergian lecture, in other words...but rather a pat on the back for free exercise and a pat on the back for the mosque's opponents by acknowledging their "emotions." He's basically voting present. -- Allahpundit, Hot Air

A No Brainer
Obama's decision should have been a no-brainer, but it wound up being tough, given GOP opportunism and Democratic cowardice, and thus courageous. -- Joan Walsh, Salon

An Abomination
He has once again revealed himself to be divorced from the values and concerns of his countrymen. He is entirely – and to many Americans, horridly - a creature of the left, with little ability to make moral distinctions. His sympathies for the Muslim World take precedence over those, such as they are, for his fellow citizens. This is nothing short of an abomination. -- Jennifer Rubin, Commentary