The President and the Mosque

President Obama waded into the 9-11 Mosque issue on Friday night, without bidding and after his spokesman had indicated the White House view that it was a local issue.  So before a group of 100 largely Muslim guests at the White Houset, the President decided to remind all of us what a fine Constitutional law scholar his is by lecturing Americans--to the delight no doubt of his audience and Islamic audiences around the world--that the builders of the mosque and community center were within their rights to do so--and basically that not supporting their right was un-American on its face.  Thanks Mr. President--I'm sure you were a big hit in the faculty lounge at the University of Chicago, but the fact is, you're politically tone deaf.

So as I was readying for my vacation trip yesterday morning (Sat.), I heard the reporting of the previous night's speech.  I couldn't help but think that the President had given Republicans a great gift.  Once again--Barack Obama has decided to come out on the side of a small minority of people because by doing so,  he looks smart and internationalist and new-agey. 

By the time I reached my destination and fired up the old Dell laptop, I'd come to see that the President had begun to back down a bit from his statements of the night before--that he wasn't commenting on the "wisdom" of the project, only its constitutionality.  How predictable was this?  Do you think Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi screamed at the Rahmn-o-nator a bit yesterday?   Do you think the White House got an earful from angry Democrats who are already in very dubious electoral positions?  No doubt. 

So once again--in an effort to be the smartest guy in the room and the hip internationalist he thinks he is--Barack Obama sold 70% of America up the river--first by telling a group antithetical to their views that opposing the mosque was unconstitutional, and then by inferring that believing so was un-American.   Democrats have a right to be angry at the President, and so do the rest of us.  November can't get here fast enough.