(nypost)  President Obama strongly backed the mosque planned near Ground Zero as he celebrated Ramadan with Muslim Americans at the White House – saying it shows that America’s commitment to to religious tolerance is "unshakeable."

"Let me be clear: as a citizen, and as president, I believe that Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as anyone else in this country. That includes the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in lower Manhattan, in accordance with local laws and ordinances," Obama said in his first comments on the controversy.

"This is America, and our commitment to religious freedom must be unshakeable. The principle that people of all faiths are welcome in this country, and will not be treated differently by their government is essential to who we are. The writ of our Founders must endure," Obama told those in attendance at the White House Iftar dinner.

The president acknowledged the controversy that has been raging since plans for the mosque and community center were announced.

"Now, we must all recognize and respect the sensitivities surrounding the development of lower Manhattan," he said.

"The 9/11 attacks were a deeply traumatic event for our country. The pain and suffering experienced by those who lost loved one is unimaginable. So I understand the emotions that this issue engenders."

"Ground Zero," Obama said, "is, indeed, hallowed ground."

Rep. Peter King (R-Long Island), a leading opponent of the mosque, accused Obama of caving into "political correctness."

"President Obama is wrong. It is insensitive and uncaring for the Muslim community to build a mosque in the shadow of Ground Zero," King said.

"The right and moral thing for President Obama to have done was to urge Muslim leaders to respect the families of those who died and move their mosque away from Ground Zero."

Polls have shown that New Yorkers are overwhelmingly opposed putting a mosque near the World Trade Center site.


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(american thinker)  Our country has become a country of Americans and other people who just live here. It pains me because I believe that this will change our nation from greatness to mediocrity. 

I saw the flag wave as I stood at attention during the playing of our national anthem. It was simply sublime. I could see the tears well up in the eyes of my brother, a twenty-year Army veteran. I could feel the tears in my own eyes. The song pulled at the heartstrings of every member of our family. But not everyone in the crowd felt that way. Not everyone is moved by the ring of freedom. 

What has happened to our country? We have become a country of entitlement. Liberals tell us we should allow the illegal immigrants to come here because they are just coming to feed their children, that if you were starving, you would come here, too. They say they are not hurting anyone. 

I am here to tell you they are hurting someone. They are hurting us. When Ellis Island was receiving immigrants in record numbers, the people who came to this country came because they wanted to be Americans; they kissed the ground and prayed thanks to God for getting them to this great country and allowing them its vast opportunities. They had to endure great evils and hardships to get here, but they did so happily. They learned our language, and they wanted to assimilate into our culture. They loved America and became Americans.

Now, we are receiving record numbers of illegal immigrants. These people who do not respect our country enough to enter the country properly and legally. They do not care that we have laws, and they bring their own culture here. Many of them do not respect our flag; in fact, they burn it and spit on it in public, periodically. These people are not coming here to be a part of our great country. They want us to learn their language, they want our jobs, and they send money back to support their economy. They do not even plan to assimilate. They will take what they can from our country and leave when it is convenient. These people are weakening our country.

So I say to you: There is a difference between the people who live in America and the people who are Americans. If you are an American, then you should be truly outraged at what is being allowed to happen to our country! You should feel angry over how undeserving people are receiving the freedom and rights that you and your loved ones have fought for and died for. You should feel sad because so many people no longer remember that being an American is really about, and they are all right with settling for just living in America.

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(michellemalkin)  If Jan Brewer had been the territorial governor of Hawaii in 1941 and these same Democrats were in charge, they would have applauded the Pearl Harbor attack, had a State Dinner for Hirohito, and the memorable quote from Obama’s post-attack speech would have been, “The only thing we have to fear is that the Hawaiian authorities will start profiling Japanese.”

Think about it — a foreign leader comes to the U.S., bashes a state within the U.S. for doing something that it’s well within their constitutional rights to do, and Democrats stand and cheer. This isn’t surprising but it never ceases to be amazing.

Also look for Attorney General Eric Holder at about the 23-second mark, who slowly stands up to applaud the President of Mexico for bashing an American law he hasn’t even read (h/t Freedom’s Lighthouse):

Any real American president would have shoved this guy out through the garbage exit yesterday, but not this bunch.

So, sides have been chosen, and nothing should scare voters more than this kind of continual evidence that Democrats will stand for foreign leaders over one of the states in their own country. And to top it off, a state that did something that the vast majority of Americans agree with.

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