Ouch

As much time as I spend debating politics, I try and keep myself reasonably up date on who's saying what about whatever,  One of the better places I've found to that is a site called Real Clear Politics..  As political sites go it's relatively neutral.    On any given morning you can find several dozen fresh opinion blogs, editorials and information on current events from professional writers who actually get paid for telling people what they think. 

RCP might be the best single source available for up to date polling information... simply because they average several results from reputable pollsters.. This morning they Rated Obama's Approval at 44.4% with a disapproval of 50.8%.  His best score was from NBC/Wall Street Journal, his worst Rasmussen, there were three other numbers in between. 

Admittedly there are some morning when it looks like every thing on the site was writen by members of Ezra Kliens "Journolist" and Washington Post nut case Colbert King.  On the other hand there are mornings I wonder why I'm not selling tranquilizers on Capitol Hill.  This was one of those; 

The Liberal writers were busy chewing up the liberal politicians over the Ground Zero Mosque... Before I bashed for using the term, I know it, between 600 feet and three blocks away..depending on how you measure and the point you're trying to make..  That's a side issue.  This is about left handed politicians not only losing touch with the average American but the "enlightened progressives" as well.  Take a look;





 The Moral Cowardice of Harry Reid - Jacob Heilbrunn, Huffington Post..  

 So Harry Reid has contradicted President Obama and capitulated to the mob denouncing the construction of a mosque near Ground Zero, has he? Oh, Reid says, via his spokesman Jim Manley, that he respects religious rights. Then came the "but." But it should be built "someplace else." Like in Nevada, Senator Reid? Thought not.


Reid's cringing performance, too cowardly even to make the statement personally, leaving it instead to a flack,



The Mosque Litmus Test - Tunku Varadarajan, The Daily Beast

Facing possible defeat in November, the principle-free Reid is alarmed enough to stress publicly that he “isn’t with” the dude who likes the mosque. Good luck to him.

And
 
Now imagine that you’re a Democrat in a tight race (and there are many of you). What do you say? If you support Obama on this question, you open yourself up to full-bore fire from the populist right. And if you don’t support Obama, you not only undermine the Democratic edifice, you must also resort to freelance language that is at pains to explain why you are somehow a Democrat, but not an Obama Democrat.
 
 
 
We Have a President Who Doesn't Get America - Peter Kirsanow, NRO
 
President Obama’s statements regarding the proposed Ground Zero mosque are the latest in a series of indicators that we are at a very peculiar pass: We have a president who doesn’t get America. For the first time in history we have a president whose default setting is in opposition to the general sensibilities of the American people. His behavior too frequently suggests that he’s playing a cosmic joke on Americans’ essential decency, considered patriotism, and belief in American exceptionalism.
 
 
 
Breaking: Reid calls for mosque to be built "someplace else"  Greg Sargent, Plub Line  Washington Post
 
UPDATE, 3:34 p.m. Why Reid's position is indefensible: Some are pointing out that Harry Reid, by citing the First Amendment and religious freedom, is reaffirming the group's right to build the project. That's true. But it's not terribly relevant in the current political context. First off, that's not a difficult position to take. Many Republicans also respect the group's right to build, while claiming that the group is wrong to exercise that right.


Despite Reid's reaffirmation of this right, his response is still weak and indefensible. And it leaves the President hanging after he took a big risk to do the right thing. Obama did not explicitly endorse the decision to build the center. But Obama did say that if the group does proceed with that decision, we must respect that decision, in accordance with American values.



Reid is not willing to say that. Rather, he's saying, in effect, that even if he supports the group's right to build the center, he's not willing to respect the decision to do so. That's unacceptable, and leaves Obama isolated at a very sensitive moment.



And so it goes, there's not much question poor old Harry just got himself in trouble with the progressives, but they're non to happy with Obama saddling what's left of the loyal left with another touchy issue. To make matters worse for them, it may have been completely unnecessary.

Muslim leaders to abandon plans for Ground Zero community center

Insiders say Muslim spiritual leaders behind the controversial initiative are considering giving up on the former World Trade Center location, in a gesture of appeasement.


By Shlomo Shamir


Well if they want to call it a gesture, let them..  Buried somewhere in the article there just a mention of problems obtaining the funding.  There has also been some talk of investigations into the sources of that funding...  The priciples involved have some concieviably interesting ties to Lybia and Hamas, ties that might be best left univestigated from their point of view.....

Tell me what do you think?