memeorandum: Obama narrows mosque defense (Ben Smith/Ben Smith's Blog)

6:40 PM ET, August 14, 2010

Top Items:

Obama narrows mosque defense — Speaking to reporters today, President Obama drew a sharp line under his comments last night, insisting that his defense of the right to build a mosque does not mean he supports the project. — “I was not commenting and I will not comment on the wisdom of making the decision to put a mosque there.

Discussion: Weasel Zippers, Riehl World View, DISSENTING JUSTICE, Freedom's Lighthouse, Hullabaloo, Outside the Beltway, Pajamas Media and FrumForum

William Kristol / Weekly Standard:

No, Mr. President — Penetrating commentary on President Obama's remarks last night on Islam, 9/11, and Ground Zero is already available. — The lawyers at Powerline dissect Obama's high-flown rhetoric: “a classic of brain-dead multiculturalism,” “the ultimate destination of multiculturalism is platitudinous stupidity.”

Discussion: 9/11 Families …, Bad Rachel, Sister Toldjah, Israel Matzav, Power Line, Taylor Marsh, protein wisdom, Wake up America, Right Wing News, Washington Post, Conservatives4Palin.com, Michelle Malkin and Commentary

The Politico:

Obama's comments take mosque story national — President Barack Obama on Saturday sought to defuse the controversy over his remarks on plans to build a mosque near Ground Zero, insisting that he wasn't endorsing the specific project but making a general plea for religious tolerance toward all.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Outside the Beltway, Say Anything, National Review, Gateway Pundit, Pajamas Media, Creeping Sharia and Townhall.com

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:

Hear Washington Speak — We now have official Washington's response and take on the President's speech last night stating that Muslim-Americans have every right to build an Islamic center on private property near Ground Zero. It comes in the form of Politico's ubiquitous and closely followed “Playbook” email.

Discussion: Rumproast, Newshoggers.com and Balloon Juice

Mike Allen / The Politico:

CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? Obama strongly backs ‘Ground Zero’ mosque - Michael Gerson agrees - GOP aide: ‘will drive Middle America crazy’ - W.H. official: ‘inconvenient,’ but Obama wouldn't duck it — E-MAIL FROM AUTUMN: The beautiful and perfect Allie Ross Thomas was born at Sibley Hospital yesterday …

Discussion: Weekly Standard, USA Today, The Plum Line and The Page

Faiz Shakir / Think Progress:

Fox Hosts Agree With Obama's Defense Of Mosque: ‘He Has To Stand Up For Our Constitution’ — Reacting to President Obama's forceful defense of Muslims' rights to build a new Islamic community center near Ground Zero, Rep. Peter King (R-NY) — who believes there are “too many mosques in this country” …

Discussion: ABCNEWS, Financial Times, The Last Tradition and Mediaite

John / Power Line:

An Awful President, A Worse Theologian — I was working on a post about President Obama's enthusiastic endorsement of the Ground Zero mosque when I saw that Paul had already done one. So I will just add this coda: Obama's lecture on religion was a classic of brain-dead multiculturalism.

Discussion: White House.gov Blog Feed

CNN:

Crist backs Obama on controversial Islamic center — Florida Gov. Charlie Crist backed President Obama Saturday, saying the President's statement on a plan to build a controversial Islamic center and mosque near ground zero was correct. — Panama City, Florida (CNN) - In a boost …

Discussion: Politics Daily and Weekly Standard

Sean J. Miller / The Hill:
Obama expands on mosque comments, said he supports ‘the right’ to build

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Zandar Versus The Stupid and Weasel Zippers

Andy McCarthy / National Review:
9/11 Families Stunned by President's Support of Mosque at Ground Zero

Discussion: The Mahablog, neo-neocon and Fox News

Sheryl Gay Stolberg / New York Times:
Obama Says Mosque Upholds Principle of Equal Treatment

Discussion: The Confluence, CBS News, CNN, DISSENTING JUSTICE and Zandar Versus The Stupid

John / Power Line: Obama's Finest Moment?

Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blog:
Bush aide backs Obama on mosque

Discussion: FrumForum and The Page

Frank Gaffney / Big Peace:
Obama's Ground Zero Mosque

Discussion: Wintery Knight, Gates of Vienna, National Review and Townhall.com

Sheryl Gay Stolberg / New York Times:
Obama Strongly Backs Islam Center Near 9/11 Site

Glenn Greenwald / Salon:
Obama defends “ground zero mosque”

Discussion: Firedoglake, News Hounds, Politics Daily, Unqualified Offerings, Washington Monthly, The Reality-Based Community, The Hill and AMERICAblog News

Fox News:
Obama's Support for Ground Zero Mosque Draws Fire

Discussion: New York Times, Jihad Watch and Think Progress

Abby Phillip / The Politico:
Obama defends Ground Zero mosque

Discussion: Associated Press, Don Surber, Washington Wire, Washington Post, Christian Science Monitor, New York Magazine and Power Line

John McCormack / Weekly Standard:
Obama on the Ground Zero Mosque

Discussion: Don Surber, Nice Deb, Say Anything and Doug Ross

Van Helsing / Moonbattery:

Attention Google Moonbats... ...you might want to fix your autocomplete: — On a tip from John Lohman. — If you scroll further, it will say, “Obama is anti-Christ”. — ROFLMAO! — I thought it was a photoshop. Nope. I went to Google and typed it in............... ROFLMAO!

Discussion: Macsmind, Weasel Zippers and Proof Positive

Doug Powers / Michelle Malkin:
Helpful Tip for Obamaniacs: Turn Off Google's ‘Auto Complete’ …

Discussion: Say Anything

Rick Moran / Right Wing Nut House:

THE TOP 43 DUMBEST CONSERVATIVE BLOGGERS — Well, perhaps not all 43 of this list of conservative bloggers that John Hawkins polled to get “The Top 25 Worst Americans.” After all, we don't know who voted Barack Obama on to that list over, say, Jeffrey Dahmer.

Discussion: Matthew Yglesias, mean ol' meany, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Dodgeblogium, Lawyers, Guns & Money and American Power

Jim Geraghty / National Review:

Some of My Fellow Righty Bloggers Need a Broader Definition of ‘Worst Figure’ — I can't believe conservative bloggers put a bunch of garden-variety Democratic politicians so high, when asked to compile a list of the Worst Figures in American History. — The list, compiled from the responses …

Steve Bainbridge / ProfessorBainbridge.com:
20 Worst Americans — John Hawkins asked a bunch of right …

Discussion: The Last Tradition, The Daily Dish, Left Coast Rebel, Right Klik, Marginal Revolution, The Volokh Conspiracy and This ain't Hell …

Jim Hoft / Gateway Pundit:

American Socialists Release Names of 70 Congressional Democrats in Their Ranks — The Socialist Party of America announced in their October 2009 newsletter that 70 Congressional democrats currently belong to their caucus. — This admission was recently posted on Scribd.com:

Discussion: Big Journalism, Left Coast Rebel, alicublog, The Political Carnival, Sweetness & Light, Wizbang, Freedom's Lighthouse and Nice Deb

Priya Ganapati / Gadget Lab:

Man Scrawls World's Biggest Message With GPS ‘Pen’ — One man drove 12,238 miles across 30 states to scrawl a message that can only be viewed using Google Earth. His big shoutout: “Read Ayn Rand.” — Nick Newcomen did a road trip over 30 days that covered stretches from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean.

Discussion: theblogprof, Lean Left, Hullabaloo, Hit & Run, Wonkette and The New Republic

Nate Chinen / New York Times:

Abbey Lincoln, Jazz Singer and Writer, Dies at 80 — Abbey Lincoln, a singer whose dramatic vocal command and tersely poetic songs made her a singular figure in jazz, died on Saturday in Manhattan. She was 80 and lived on the Upper West Side. — Her death was announced by her brother David Wooldridge.

Discussion: Suburban Guerrilla