Time Magazine’s Mark Halperin has an important public service announcement for Republicans: Do the right thing and drop any and all calls against the Ground Zero mosque. His convictions appear so strong on the issue that he literally correlates GOP “misuse” of the situation with jihadist victory. If you missed the insanity, you can find it here. While Halperin is not necessarily a liberal (controversy ensues on his views/this issue), his piece illustrates a common tactic of the left – reversing rational thought and framing it in such a way that the opposition is purposefully backed into an inescapable corner. Let’s get a grip. Opposing the mosque has absolutely nothing to do with letting homicidal terrorist fools “win” and everything to do with exploring the moral compass through which the Cordoba Initiative has arrived at its decision to build near Ground Zero.
The now infamous mosque project has become a sore for Democrats in a hotly contested election year. Perhaps this is one reason why Halperin pleads so mightily for Republicans to leave the issue alone. Unfortunately for the left, the GOP has little control over public perception on this issue. Americans disagree with the mosque’s placement near Ground Zero, regardless of what conservatives say (or don’t say, for that matter). Even Harry Reid is hip to this reality. Halperin seems to believe that Republicans are driving public perception; this is incorrect on all counts. The American people are outraged and they want answers, explanations and assurance that nothing is awry.
Aside from the aforementioned tenants, there are a number of irritating elements in Halperin’s article. Of course, no words at all are devoted to questioning why the Cordoba Initiative has chosen to build a massive monument to Islam just blocks away from where the World Trade Center once stood. Halperin’s article is limited to telling Republicans why they should silence themselves on the issue. Before I continue, allow me to clarify something. I’m all for religious freedom; I’m not attacking Islam, but I am questioning the intention, knowing the sensitivities involved, of planning to build a mosque at that location. Naturally, Halperin is more concerned with providing advice to Republicans than he is in actually getting to the bottom of the issue at hand — why the Cordoba Initiative is obsessed with placing an Islamic beacon at the center of America’s greatest travesty.
And another note — I recognize that most Muslims are peaceful. That’s not the point here. In the end, the Cordoba Initiative has every legal right to build, but the moral implications of doing so at, near or around Ground Zero are evident. Whether leftists agree, the vast majority of the public sees the move as insensitive; it is widely opposed by nearly every measure. Should plans for the mosque forge on, there will be a great deal of resentment, which will, in turn, damage reconciliation efforts. If those individuals who wish to build truly care about bridging divides between Muslim and non-Muslim Americans as they’ve stated, they’ll choose another location. Wouldn’t this spread the goodwill that Halperin seems to believe can only come if conservatives remain silent?
Aside from the asinine notion that conservatives should simply back away from questioning the mosque’s moral implications, Halperin inserted a number of slaps, digs and generalizations. For instance, he claims that the GOP has avoided dealing with social issues, while focusing wholeheartedly on Obama’s spending habits. In his letter to Republicans he writes,
Up until now, you have restricted yourself as much as possible to an economic message, eschewing social issues and foreign policy as you try to establish contrasts for the electorate between your brand and the Obama-Pelosi-Reid record.
Unfortunately for this political analyst/journalist, who has obviously paid little attention to conservative proposals, the GOP offered a detailed alternative to ObamaCare, which the administration and members of the leftist media brigade simultaneously ignored. But, the bombshell (allow me to channel Nancy Grace) comes at the end of the piece, as Halperin writes,
It isn’t clear how the battle over the proposed center should or will end. But two things are profoundly clear: Republicans have a strong chance to win the midterm elections without picking a fight over President Obama’s measured words. And a national political fight conducted on the terms we have seen in the past few days will lead to a chain reaction at home and abroad that will have one winner — the very extreme and violent jihadists we all can claim as our true enemy.
Did you catch that, America? Holding a president accountable for his own words will literally hand victory over to our enemies. When leftists and their enthusiasts in the media are prepared to allow students to recite the pledge without designating the words “under God” unconstitutional, idiotic or bordering on the illegal, I’ll take their advice on matters of religious freedom. Until then, I’ll stick with the notion that the Cordoba mosque is perfectly legal, but overtly insensitive and morally damaging to reconciliation efforts. Moving the mosque would be a sign of goodwill and would do wonders for Muslim/non-Muslim relations in our post-9/11 world.
With that in mind, don’t give up. Make your voices heard, but do so respectfully and without making Islam the target. Focusing on the Constitutional and legal rights of the Cordoba Initiative, while illustrating the moral conundrums the project will create is a viable and common sense way to treat this issue. Don’t let Halperin or anyone else for that matter tell you otherwise.
(Originally published at HuffingtonPost.com)
On Friday, April 3, New York State Assembly Republican Leader James Tedisco stepped down from his post to place a more intent focus on monitoring votes cast in his recent Congressional bid against Democrat Scott Murphy.
This resignation, alone, shows the force of the political capital associated with the House seat recently vacated by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand. Last week, I wrote about the expectations both Democrats and Republicans have regarding the contested position.
While the Congressional battle rages on, in Albany, Republicans have nominated a new minority leader– Assemblyman Brian Kolb, a state representative from district 129.
According to the Poughkeepsie Journal, Kolb was “…unanimously selected for the post by the 41-member Republican conference.” Also mentioned and reaffirmed by the Journal is the massive democratic lead in number of assemblymen and women (109-41) – a scary disparity for anyone hoping for Republican rejuvenation.
However, uniformity in selection is a good sign that Republicans are cohesively supportive of Kolb – a boundedness Republicans have been missing since well before the 2008 presidential election. Although New York State’s Assembly represents only a small microcosm of the United States when it comes to political occurrence, this development may be significant in that it may be signaling the beginnings of a more united front.
Aside from the unanimity shown in selecting Kolb, there are a number of factors that point to a party focused on resurgence. This, of course, must be led by the assembly’s new GOP leadership; so far, Kolb is showing the proper mindset.
In an effort to offer the GOP caucus a consistent leadership model, Kolb has stated that he will not run for Congress next year. With devotion in mind, Republicans can be hopeful that Kolb will ascertain the ability to lead the legislative charge against the assembly’s doubly-large Democratic majority.
According to the Gotham Gazette, “Tedisco was known for his theatrics and headline-grabbing stunts but Kolb is expected to take a more strategic approach.” This may have implications for possible party growth or disability, depending on how Kolb engages his constituents.
Only time will tell if the recent power change will help or hurt the Republican cause.
In a piece by New York Times reporter Katherine Bindley entitled, “In This G.O.P., the ‘O’ Stands for Optimism,” Bindley highlights a new, yet unlikely union: the Bronx County Young Republican Club. Upon discovering the article, I was taken aback – first, by the Times’ mention of a Republican cause (although it should be noted that the article is fairly short in length, which is unsurprising; it’s the Times, people) and secondly, by the formation of a Republican group in one of the nation’s most staunchly liberal bastions. Alas, there is hope for New York!
The piece opens with the following:
“MUCH of New York was abuzz on Tuesday evening celebrating the inauguration of President Obama in Washington. But at Venice, a noisy Italian bistro in the Morris Park section of the Bronx, an improbable event was taking place at that moment: the first official meeting of a nascent Bronx County Young Republican Club.”
According to the Times, Chance Haywood is the group’s chairman. A real estate broker, Haywood has delved head-first into his leadership role. Unlike some Republicans, he recognizes the necessity of captivating hearts and minds for purposes of reviving the party and the formation of this union is a first step toward doing just that. Haywood recognizes what most Republicans are just starting to confront: The need to “stem the tide” of liberal dominance. This is especially important if the GOP wants to claim local victory in future races – races that Democrats continue to win.
Let’s face it: In the war of ideas, Democrats’ proposals are like instant spray tan: They come on strong, then fade away quickly leaving a less-than-pleasing residue. If we step up the ante, there’s no reason we can’t reclaim some seats.
Luckily, Haywood has brilliant plans for the club. According to the Times, future activities may include guest speakers and community events. But, perhaps the most exciting element will be the work that the Bronx County Young Republican Club does with local colleges and universities – the localities where we are seeing liberal indoctrination take prominence. It’s time to restore ideological equilibrium to America’s campuses.
Importantly, Haywood also recognized a fact that is becoming increasingly more obvious as the days progress: Obama’s policies might lead to a renewal and rejuvenation of the Republican Party. As per the Times, he said:
“Hopefully, this time we’ll stick to our principles a little better than we did the last time,” he said. “Assuming we ever get the majority of the House again.”
While the GOP suffered major setbacks in 2006 and 2008, a renewal is upon us. But Haywood is right – we need to concentrate on restating, then sticking to our values. It is extremely encouraging to see Haywood and others joining together to form cohesion in one of the most unlikely localities. This is a group we are sure to hear more from; the fate of our nation may depend on such activism. Now, let’s work together to create and sustain other groups like it. It’s time to renew our party.
