New York Democrats Silent on the Mosque

The Plum Line's Greg Sargent wants to know why Democrats aren't standing up and defending the so-called Ground Zero Mosque. Though it's unclear why Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Anthony Weiner have said (or not said) what they have, maybe the emotional problems surrounding the mosque are legitimately transpartisan? After all, Sen. Joe Lieberman and the Anti-Defamation League have sided against it. Sargent looks for answers:

I asked Chuck Schumer's office for his position on the Islamic center this morning. All his spokesman would say is that he "not opposed" to the plan. Asked for Schumer's views of the opposition, and asked if he actively supports the right of the center's builders to put it two blocks from Ground Zero, Schumer's spokesman declined to elaborate and said Schumer was declining an interview.

Schumer is also refusing to answer direct questions from reporters about this topic. This isn't good enough.

That's not all. As I noted here yesterday, Dem Rep. Anthony Weiner, who's been widely hailed as a hero on the left for his supposed willingness to engage the opposition, is also refusing to say word boo about his position on the Islamic center.

Weiner wants to be mayor of New York. Last I checked, that city is home to a few Muslims, all of whom would become his constituents. Yet he can't bring himself to stand up for their right to worship two blocks from Ground Zero. The guy he wants to replace, Michael Bloomberg, had the guts to do this very eloquently yesterday. Where's Weiner?

Other members of Congress, such as Jerrold Nadler, have stood up and done the right thing, vocally condemning the opposition for what it is. Yes, Nadler's district includes Ground Zero. But again, Weiner wants to represent the whole city, and Schumer already represents the whole state.

Read the full post at The Plum Line.