NY Dems Oppose Mosque Construction
Maggie Haberman reports on Democrats in New York who are now coming out against the Cordoba Institute:
After almost total silence from New York elected officials over the weekend after President Obama's mosque speech (in which some members were out of town, or pocket), the reactions from members in swing districts are starting to come in - and they're almost all at odds with the president.
As I noted earlier, Rep. Mike Arcuri, a Democratic incumbent in NY-24, came out against the project.
This was the full statement from NY-13 Democratic Rep. Mike McMahon, who's facing a challenge this fall including from one law-and-order candidate, and who represents a district from which hundreds of 9/11 victims hail from:
"The proposed plan to build a mosque by Ground Zero is a local land use matter that the Mayor, Borough President, local officials and community leaders need to address. The federal government has no role in zoning, nor should it.
“Personally, as someone who is elected to defend and uphold our Constitution, I take seriously the right to freedom of religion that it protects. This is not the first time that the construction of a house of worship at a sensitive site has been questioned and opposed, and as happened in those times, we need a compromise that respects all parties.
“We have seen very clearly in the past weeks that building a mosque two blocks from Ground Zero will not promote necessary interfaith dialogue, but will continue to fracture the faiths and citizens of our City and this Country. As such, I am opposed to the construction of the Cordoba Center at the currently-proposed location and urge all parties to work with local community leaders to find a more appropriate site.
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And via Newsday, Rep. Steve Israel, the Democrat in NY-2, said, "While they have a constitutional right to build the mosque, it would be better if they had demonstrated more sensitivity to the families of 9/11 victims. I urge them to do so before proceeding further."
Rep. Tim Bishop, whose NY-1 district has three GOP challengers duking it out, said, "As a New Yorker, I believe Ground Zero is sacred ground and should unite us. If the group seeking to build the mosque is sincere in its efforts to bring people together, I would urge them to seek an alternative location which is less divisive. I dispute the wisdom of building at that location, not the constitutional right."
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