Nancy Pelosi, house speaker, wants investigation into "Ground Zero mosque" opposition funding

[LynneSin]

My apologies for putting "Ground Zero Mosque" in the title - that was from the headlines and I added the quotes. It is a community center, built by muslims with a prayer room inside that happens to be near where 9/11 happened.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2010/08/18/2010-08-18_nancy_pelosi_house_speaker_wants_investigation_into_ground_zero_mosque_oppositio.html

Nancy Pelosi, house speaker, wants investigation into Ground Zero mosque opposition funding

Nancy Pelosi wants some answers.

The house speaker is calling for an investigation into groups protesting the building of the Ground Zero mosque.

"There is a concerted effort to make this a political issue by some," she told San Francisco's KCBS radio on Tuesday.

Pelosi added that she joins "those who have called for looking into how is this opposition to the mosque being funded."

Notice on the poll with the Daily News that 71% think this is religious bigotry.

I'm also not phased about Harry Reid's opinion. I know many of you have issues overall with Reid; however, the concept of Sharron Angle as a US Senator is pretty damn scary. It was safe that Reid backed away from this fight.

[hlthe2b]

1. How many ignorant Americans really believe this is a "mosque"

built right next door--"feet away" from the WTC? The press that I have seen and read have been incredibly irresponsible in not clearing up the propaganda. It pisses the living shit out of me... Even Scab and company, who supposedly have been fighting against the RETHUG assery on this issue, keep referring to it as the 911 Mosque and never (at least when I've heard) set the record straight.

[spanone]

3. the media has repeated the lie 24/7...we can no longer trust the media. period.

they are in the profit business, not the news business.

[Posteritatis]

7. Enough people on DU are stupid enough to think that

Off-site it seems practically unanimous.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

2. Heck yes, there is a "concerted effort to make this a political issue"

Cornyn and Angle, among others, have already telegraphed as much. Good for Pelosi going on the offensive against this "manufactroversy".

[mmonk]

4. I support one two though we know the players.

[malaise]

5. I want to know how the fugg

all these states rights, pro-constitution hacks are interfering with a local New York matter. Fuck all of them.

[Douglas Carpenter]

6. well good for her for saying that...

and shame on Harry Reid

[Brickbat]

8. While I'm not usually a zero-sum game person, I guess I'd rather they worry about jobs than play

"chase the made-up scandal down the hole."

[KharmaTrain]

9. Follow Da Money...It Leads To Fauxrage©

Wanna bet folks like the Kochs, the Mellon-Scaifes and other high rolling GOOPers have pumped money into these "grassroot protests"? Somebody's gotta be paying for the porta potty rentals.

This is a classic case of the "mighty wurlitzer" at work...led by Faux noise...to create a wedge issue, a distraction and play on fear and hatred to energize a rabid base. It's playing the corporate media (who gladly plays along) and making Democrats look bad. Wanna bet if we did some digging you'd find slimeballs like Breitbart and his ilk are getting money funneled to them.

Here's hoping the Speaker follows through on this...time to blow the lid off this syndicate.

[glitch]

10. Agreed, yay Pelosi!

I love her when she fights.

[Vogon_Glory]

11. Foreign Relations Issue: Investigate the Anti-Mosque Paymasters

My opinion is that Congress should firm up their collective backbones and investigate just WHO is funding the anti-mosque campaign. This is not just a matter of civil liberties, this is not just a zoning issue, it is not just a constitutional issue, but it is also an issue that affects US diplomatic and economic relations with other countries, particularly Islamic countries.

I think that most DU'ers know about as much about Islam as most non-believers (Like me, I'm nominally Christian) need to know to get by. They know that there are two major divisions within Islam--Sunni versus Shi'a. They probably also know that there are several different divisions within Sunni Islam, notably between the Sufis and the Wahabbis, that the Saudis are Wahabbis and that al Qaeda and the Taliban are derived from Wahabbi roots.

They probably also know that the people who want to build the cultural center are Sufis, NOT Wahabbis.

But this is also a foreign relations and economic relations issue as well as a domestic issue. As is typical of them, the right-wing American bigots promoting the issue and the right-wing politicians, pundits, and bloggers pandering to them are playing the Wahabbis', the Iranian ayatollahs' and the Taliban's game by giving the image of America as a nation of anti-Islamic bigots weight and credibility. (Does anyone else besides me remember how Osama in Laden played rope-a-dope with Gee Dubya Bush back in 2004?) DU'ers should ask themselves as to whether this will help or hurt the safety and employment of Americans living and working abroad, and whether it will help the safety of their dependents.

This is also an economic issue. While many Islamic countries are dictatorships or monarchies and the ruler can let his personal dislikes dictate who his people can buy from or do business with, the more democratic countries (Notably Malaysia and Indonesia) are likely to put pressure on their governments not to do business with anti-Islamic American bigots.

This has an impact on Americans here in the US. It determines whether they have work or whether they're unemployed, hungry, or living on the street.

The Rethuglies used to hammer Democrats for being anti-business and for lacking any sense of economics. I think that the reverse is truer these days--that today's Republican Party, controlled by the Radical Right, is the party that lets ideology override economic sense.

[MajorChode]

12. It's simply manufactured outrage from Faux

If you dare, tune into Faux, I guarantee you will not be able to go 5 minutes before the mosque is mentioned. If they are not panning back to the manufactured rage about it, they have some dipshit criticizing Obama on the subject, or they will have an advertisement for Hannity dedicating his entire program to the subject.

The central issue is that Faux is somehow considered "mainstream" by the other news organizations, so when Faux does a full court press on any issue, the other networks feel obliged to mention the topic now and again (or be subject to allegations by Faux of not being "balanced"). The reality is Faux is not mainstream at all. They are simply a mouthpiece for the GOP, and this very issue IS a fundraising and campaign issue for a variety of their candidates. What's truly fucked up about all this is the entire issue is blatant and outright bigotry. Next they will be doing stories on how many interracial marriages are going on in Alabama and Georgia and asking the question what can be done to stop it.