Jim Geraghty thought President Obama’s response to the GZ mosque question was the best he’d heard yet, but is still not convinced. I agree on both scores. Here’s a partial quote from Obama as I heard it:
“If we say that their religion is somehow offensive… what are we saying to them? I’ve got Muslims who are fighting in Afghanistan, in the uniform of the United States Armed Services. They’re out there putting their lives on the line for us? And we have got to make sure that we are crystal clear, for their sakes and for our sakes: they are Americans, and we honor their service. . . . We don’t differentiate between them and us. It’s just us.”
Yes indeed. But one can agree with every word of that and still think the Park51 project is not going to accomplish what its planners (say they) hope it will.