SALON

Wednesday, Aug 4, 2010 5:01 PM UTC

Democrats startlingly silent on “ground zero mosque”

With exception of Gov. Deval Patrick, national Dems have been mum in face of attacks on "ground zero" Islam center

By

Topics: Democratic Party, War Room, Barack Obama, Deval Patrick, Park51,

Democrats startlingly silent on Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick

Yesterday President Obama’s spokesman pointedly declined to take a position on the planned Muslim community center in Lower Manhattan, calling it a local issue. In fact, prominent conservative opponents of what they call the “ground zero mosque” succeeded in elevating it into a national issue weeks ago.

And yet, Speaker Nancy Pelosi hasn’t commented. Neither has Majority Leader Harry Reid. Nor have many of the members of New York’s supposedly liberal congressional delegation. And those New York representatives and senators who do support the project have issued milquetoast statements through their spokespeople. Sen. Chuck Schumer’s office even used the impressively obfuscating he is “‘not opposed”‘ formulation.

Even though Rep. Jerrold Nadler, whose district includes ground zero, supports the mosque project and has criticized some of the opposition, spokesman Ilan Kayatsky told us today that the congressman is “not getting directly involved.”

In fact, the most prominent national Democrat to offer a positive case for the project is the embattled, first-term governor of Massachusetts, Deval Patrick. He came out for the mosque in a radio interview today:

Patrick said during his monthly appearance on WTKK-FM, “The sooner we separate the peaceful teaching of Islam from the behavior of terrorists, the better for all of us.”

We’ve asked the offices of Reid, Pelosi and a few others for comment on the issue, and we’ll update if they respond.

For the time being, it’s been left almost entirely to Mayor Michael Bloomberg to advocate for religious freedom and private property rights and to respond to the Islamic center’s critics.

Greg Sargent and Adam Serwer have more on the consequences of the Democrats’ silence on this issue. And Jonathan Chait explains why this is one that will be remembered:

This episode is a major statement about American pluralism, minority rights and America’s ability to make the necessary divide between moderate and extremist Muslims. A lot of people are going to eventually feel ashamed about where they stood.

Or where they didn’t stand.

Justin Elliott

Justin Elliott is a reporter for ProPublica. You can follow him on Twitter @ElliottJustin More Justin Elliott.

Next Article

You Might Also Like

More Related Stories

Featured Slide Shows

Gripping photos: The people of the Turkey protests (slideshow)

close X
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Facebook
  • Thumbnails
  • Fullscreen
  • 1 of 11
  • The protests take on a festive element as police forces move out of the park and square. Wearing a gas mask, this young man dances to traditional Turkish music in front of Taksim Square’s Ataturk Monument.

  • In Gezi Park since March 31st, this protester, originally caught off-guard by the Government’s teargas and water cannons, went out and bought a Russian army mask from WWII, preparing for what was to come.

  • This rambunctious boy seems to be enjoying the chaos. After taking this picture he threw a stone at the already destroyed building in the background.

  • Forming a line, the police face off directly with protesters in Taksim Square. After a while, they retreated and there was a general cheer – a back-and-forth dance that has been common since the beginning of this protest.

  • An elderly woman in Gezi Park reads the news. The tent community occupying the park was violently destroyed on June 16th.

  • Many different groups had set up booths to promote their cause in Taksim Square and Gezi Park. Standing in front of one, this man waves his flag while posing with conviction.

  • Many home-remedies are used to minimize the effects of tear gas. This woman has put a milky solution on her face, removing her mask after the tear gas dissipated. Before sunrise, the police came again for another round of teargasing.

  • People capitalize on the uprising -- selling flags, beer, gas masks, sky lanterns and spray paint to name just a few of the popular items.

  • On Monday morning, June 11, the police execute a strong offensive. Many plain-clothed police officers, like the ones seen here, clash with protesters in the side streets away from the main stand-off in Taksim.

  • The authorities seem to be most aggressive in the night, pushing protesters away from the square and park. After being teargassed this young woman catches her breath with other protesters on Siraselviler Street.

  • Recent Slide Shows

  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Facebook
  • Thumbnails
  • Fullscreen
  • 1 of 11

Related Videos

More Related Stories

Comments

 69 Comments

Comment Preview

Your name will appear as username ( settings | log out )

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href=""> <b> <em> <strong> <i> <blockquote>

follow salon

Most Read

Popular on Reddit

links from salon.com

From Around the Web

Presented by Scribol
listener_new_rect The Listener: "We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves": Growing up primate

Recommendations