Pelosi Wants Probe Into Mosque Opponents' Financing

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is one of the few House Democrats to accept the open invitation to the "Ground Zero" mosque party, which many Republicans hope to keep raging all the way to election day in November. Speaking to a San Francisco radio station yesterday, Pelosi said, "Speaking of urban development in my district, I have an opinion on almost every subject, but in New York, I'm sure the New Yorkers would like to make their own urban development decisions themselves." But then she did something special and "flipped it" on right-wingers like Rick Lazio, who has demanded that Attorney General Andrew Cuomo investigate the funding for the Islamic community center planned for Lower Manhattan.

"There is no question that there is a concerted effort to make this a political issue by some," said Pelosi (who has just issued the requisite "clarification.") "And I join those who have called for looking into how is this opposition to the mosque being funded? How is this being ginned up?" One place to start might be blogger Pamela Geller and her group, Stop Islamization of America (SIOA), which has purchased advertisements on city buses against the "Ground Zero" mosque and the Islamic faith. But really, an "issue" this provocative probably funds itself; all you need is a steady diet of misinformation and barely-concealed xenophobia. In an excellent op-ed in today's Times, Ross Douthat frames the controversy as part of a longstanding American dialectic:

This is typical of how these debates usually play out. The first America tends to make the finer-sounding speeches, and the second America often strikes cruder, more xenophobic notes. The first America welcomed the poor, the tired, the huddled masses; the second America demanded that they change their names and drop their native languages, and often threw up hurdles to stop them coming altogether. The first America celebrated religious liberty; the second America persecuted Mormons and discriminated against Catholics.

Mayor Bloomberg had a great response to a mosque question yesterday during a press conference to the Democratic candidate for Senate in Pennsylvania, Rep. Joe Sestak. The Wall Street Journal reports that after an audience member and mosque opponent, Robert B. Sklaroff, began asking Bloomberg questions about whether some organizers of the mosque project had made anti-American statements, the mayor replied: "Look, I would suggest you go from here directly to the library. Get a copy of the Bill of Rights and you'll realize that everybody has a right to say what they want to say."

As reported yesterday, it's believed that Governor Paterson will meet with the project's developer this week to discuss a proposal to build the Islamic center somewhere else, on state-owned property. During interviews with NY1 and the Observer, developer Sharif El-Gamal insisted while he was happy to discuss the issue with the Governor, he would not relocate. "I don't give up," El-Gamal told the Observer. "I don't quit. It's just not in my DNA." However, when asked if he'd reconsider if he was offered a "tidy sum" for the property, El-Gamal replied, "It's not about money. But everything does have a price. But it's not about money." (CBS 2 reads the tea leaves in the project's Twitter feed and predicts they'll be relocating.)

And a new Siena College poll [pdf] shows that opposition remains strong against building the Islamic center—which was not described as the "Ground Zero" mosque by pollsters making the calls—by a margin of 63-27 percent, which is essentially unchanged since their last survey earlier this month. However, a margin of 64-28 percent voters say that the developers have a Constitutional right to build it. And nearly one-quarter of voters say the position of the gubernatorial candidates on this issue will have a major effect on which candidate they support.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By John Del Signore in News on August 18, 2010 1:33 PM

Comments [rss]

rdayk

There is already a mosque on Warren Street which is maybe two blocks from Ground Zero. But it was built long before 9/11. So I wonder why everyone isn't rallying to get that mosque ousted from the neighborhood? Or mosques located near the Pentagon which was also targeted on 9/11? Pelosi is right - the rest of the country should back off and let the local community make this decision.

exnyer

nasty bitch!!!!!!!! If she was my own mother I`d smack her down!!!!

SP's Ghost

I just LOVE it how the "conservative" trolls above have got their panties in a twist over this, freaking out and generally shitting themselves, pulling the victim card, bringing up Nazi Germany etc. Hilarious! They can dish it out, but can't take the heat, and as usual, showing what hypocrites they are.

EastRiver

I just LOVE it how the "liberal" trolls like yourself spent eight year shitting yourselves, pulling the victim card, bringing up Nazi Germany etc. Hilarious! Then you use the same tactics showing what hypocrites you are.

SP's Ghost

HAHA!!! Seriously, you're killing here. Smallest violin in the world playing. Have any teabaggers been waterboarded? Have they been forced to watched their children get sodomized? Has anyone actually BEEN investigated? Get back to me when you can answer yes to these questions. Until then shut the fuck up, cry yourself to sleep, you delusional, dishonest little cretin.

glennQNYC

I don't agree with her politics, but Nancy looks like she may have been physically attractive at some point in her life.

EastRiver

You are so on the list now.

George

Go find a worthy cause to align your voices, people. How about getting those first responders some medical attention?

The hallowed ground ends where the trash fence begins. Beyond that, it's just New York City.

It is becoming painfully obvious that any opposition to this build is rooted in a general ignorance, hubris, xenophobia and political motive. It is not a political issue. Proximity has no weight in your arguments. If you don't understand the freedoms guaranteed by our founding fathers, educate yourself. Quit tossing NYC about like a two bit whore.

ides_of_march

Dissent with the administration, get investigated.

Nice.

nik13

Just ask Snooki. She criticized tan tax & was arrested next day for disturbing a peace. Coincidence? Maybe, but her whole existence consists of creating disturbances. Why arrest her now?

JayNYC

Really, REALLY scary, McCarthy like shit goin on.

Has Kanye Twatted about this yet?

glennQNYC

I keep hearing the shrill voice of Hillary Clinton in my head... While campaigning for the Democrat presidential nomination, absolutely yelling "WE HAVE A RIGHT TO DISAGREE!"

S.D.

(sigh)

That was a great rebuttal by the Mayor...

paulie

Quick fire question: Where's the closest mosque to Ground Zero?

Don't know? Then shut...the...fuck...up.

Homer2323

Where is the Mosque getting money? From terrorist front groups like CAIR, who was an unindicted co-conspirator in the conviction of the Muslim Holy Land Foundation in Texas. DOJ under Bush shut down a bunch of these 'charities' and thankfully the DOJ under Obama has done the same.

really!?!?

They are getting hundreds of hours of free PR on every media outlet in the world, that is how they are raising the money. Want to shut off their funding....STOP TALKING ABOUT THIS PLAYED OUT TOPIC

Petey

How is the opposition being funded? Uh self. Transportation to site, and posterboard and magic markers. Not quite as expensive as building a building in downtown manhattan. What an idiot she shows herself to be nearly every time she opens her mouth.

BTW NYers have spoken, and a majority do not want the mosque down there.

really!?!?

Another fact I just read, 64% of voters believe developers of the mosque have a constitutional right to build. So no, the majority don't oppose it, they might think it is in bad taste, but agree that it has the right to be built.

jpeditor

Nice try, they understand the right to build, BUT THEY OPPOSE IT BEING BUILT THERE.

The only people supporting it being there are the same ones supporting more welfare, more taxes, more bowing to and ass-kissing of chavez, castro, the Norks and Iran.

glen glenn

Racist.

jpeditor

Islamic arabs sold most of the African slaves to America. YOU'RE THE RACIST.

really!?!?

oh and those who believe in property rights and freedom of religon, but i guess those people don't fit into your nice little scary box

jpeditor

This mosque is a victory monument to jihad. Muslims have been building them in every city in the world where they battled.

While most sane American's believe the Constitution isn't a suicide pact, no one is saying they don't have the legal right to build there.

However, EVERYONE with a brain and a soul, and love for America is saying THEY SHOULDN'T BUILD THERE.

You and the rest who are pushing this 13 story islamic outhouse on the graves of the innocents INCINCERATED by the mosque-buiilders' co-religionists are either muslims who put islam before America, or are useless-infidels who feel that anything that tears at the heart and soul of America will help in the "radical transformation" of America into some unicorn and lollipops new-world, "no borders" BS utopia

really!?!?

That's great, I don't want that TGIFriday's in Union Square, so can the City step in and void that lease, the majority of New Yorkers don't want that TGIFridays. I mean if property rights don't mean anything then lets only allow development and leasing of space by ballot initiative.

Forget about freedom of religion for a min (though I would venture to guess you would prefer it to be much longer) 90% of those arguing for gvm't intervention to stop the development would sh*t a brick if they were told they couldn't build what they want on their personal property.

Argue all you want that it is insensitive and inappropriate, I have no issue with those claims, but to ask a gvm't entity to step in and dictate property use outside of what is set forth in the zoning code is just flat wrong.

MT

Bloomie's on fire!

henryhamilton

No republican here, but christ what a hag.

kane

This sounds productive. Maybe we can get on that whole "helping out victims of 9/11 bill" that no one seems to want to vote for in the House?

jpeditor

Then tell Queen Nancy not to load the bill with so much extra pork, and not put it in "suspension" so it required 2/3 instead of a simple majority (she couldn't get the simple majority because even DEMOCRATS saw the bill was BS).

THATS WHY IT DIDN'T PASS, not because of the "evil repubs".

grandzu

Pork? Like allowing illegal aliens sickened by Ground Zero dust healthcare?

Pork like to pay the bill's estimated $7.4 billion cost over 10 years, the legislation would have prevented foreign multinational corporations incorporated in tax haven countries from avoiding tax on income earned in the U.S?

Republicans went ape shit over companies getting a tax loophole close and Democrats are pussies.

Essentially the entire Congress is in it for the corporations, not people.