Newt Gingrich compares mosque to Nazis
Here’s an item Political Insider’s Jim Galloway surely wouldn’t miss if he weren’t “gone fishin”:
Newt Gingrich, a former House speaker, Georgia congressman and potential 2012 candidate for the White House, is weighing in on the mosque controversy in New York City. Politico.com notes Gingrich compares support for the proposed Islamic center and mosque near ground zero to allowing Nazis to build next to the Holocaust museum.
From Politico:
“Nazis don’t have the right to put up a sign next to the Holocaust museum in Washington,” Gingrich insisted, speaking of the museum where just a year ago a guard was killed by a white supremacist trying to enter the building with a gun.
Gingrich then went on to claim that “we would never accept the Japanese putting up a site next to Pearl Harbor.”
“There is no reason for us to accept a mosque next to the World Trade Center,” he said.
President Barack Obama added fuel to the controversy in recent days when he asserted religious freedom allows the mosque to be built, even near the site of the country’s worst terrorist attack.
Obama later appeared to back track on his position, made in a speech to Muslims at the White House. He insisted he wasn’t commenting on the wisdom of building a mosque two blocks from ground zero.
Political observers expect Gingrich and other Republicans and conservatives to seize on the controversy as an issue in the fall elections.
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104 comments Add your comment
bart
August 16th, 2010
1:50 pm
Newt continues to be a rabble rouser.
Barry
August 16th, 2010
1:52 pm
In this case he NEEDS to be rousing the “rabble.” Keep it up, Newt.
Marlboro Man
August 16th, 2010
2:02 pm
Newt and his followers are full of crap.
Jayne M. Barker
August 16th, 2010
2:03 pm
Abe Lincoln said: “Don’t ever fight but one war at the time”. The GOP
National Governor’s race (election) is now in full course, the Mosque
issue and 2012 Presidential Election. Three issues. Looks like you are
getting all the free publicity you can??? I do consider property near Ground Zero hallowed ground. Mitt Romney and Sarah Palin also want to the national nomination. Mitt will be strong is he decides to run…
America First
August 16th, 2010
2:05 pm
Once this country weens itself off Arab oil, all Muslims should be expelled.
The religion of “peace” is a political movement.
Drew
August 16th, 2010
2:06 pm
Typical intellectual dishonesty from the former Speaker. Islam is a religion followed by a billion people, the vast majority of whom are peaceful and no different than you or I. Nazism is a facist political ideology. If you can equate Islam to that, then I see no reason why Christianity can’t be compared to Nazism as well.
Bryan G.
August 16th, 2010
2:07 pm
The problem with the comparison is that the Nazis had a plan to systematically exterminate people.
The 9/11 hijackers were radicals who just happened to be muslims. No matter what people may think, they represent a small, small section of a group of about 2 billion people.
It’s like saying they can’t build a church in Oklahoma City because McVeigh was a Christian. This is just blatant bigotry by Newt and (sadly) my fellow conservatives.
Rut
August 16th, 2010
2:08 pm
Newt has it right. The era of being obsequeiously “PC” is ending. Those that speak frankly and truthfully will be rewarded. Let the liberals embrace those who detest them, see if they like living under sharia law.
CrooksRunOurState
August 16th, 2010
2:09 pm
I see Newt Gingrich is out pitching his “unChristian” like views and continues to come into his own. He’s out performing Palin 2 to 1 these days.
hnbc
August 16th, 2010
2:12 pm
Newt does not understand the US has religious freedom. Of course, there are many other things Newt does not understand, such as marriage vows, fidelity and honor. So why should we expect any better from him?
Building the mosque near the site of the former Twin Towers may be insenstive but it’s not illegal.
Yeah, I’m all for no longer allowing any Christian Church to be built anywhere because of Timothy McVeigh. Let’s stop ‘em in their tracks.
tigerman
August 16th, 2010
2:13 pm
Someone ought to tell “Mr. Family Values” (”do as I say, not as I do”) that the Japanese don’t need to put up a sign near Pearl Harbor because they already own half the Island.
whatcanyoudo
August 16th, 2010
2:15 pm
Listen, I’m not crazy about the idea, personally. BUT, our religious freedoms do allow for it. newt is not credible
David S
August 16th, 2010
2:20 pm
Here’s some truth. 9-11 was blowback for our foreign policy. Even the 9-11 commission said so. Our foreign policy has not changed one bit and has gotten even worse since 9-11. We can ban any building we want and distract america all that we can, but more blowback like that is inevitable if we do not change our ways in the middle east and all over the world. The new sanctions against Iran will have the same devastating effect on the innocent population as the sanctions against Iraq were (1.5 million dead). Osama binLaden cited those sanctions as one of his many motivators (by the way, he never mentioned that the US was “free” as a motivator).
As the dead pile up in Iran and all over the world as a result of US foreign policy, the anger will grow.
We pretend we have religious freedom and property rights, but much like the rest of the constitution, these ideas are also dead in this country. Franklin was right – they gave us a republic, but it was up to us to keep it. A shame we didn’t.
SNM
August 16th, 2010
2:21 pm
If anyone from our country were to go to a Muslim nation and try to build a ‘Christian’ church….we would be denied, if not tortured or killed. I understand our religious freedoms and our freedoms we thoroughly enjoy as citizens of the USA, but there comes a time when something is just not right and wrong….in the case that the Muslims here in the US want to build a Mosque near ground zero…that is totally insensitive to the people of the US…why not just bomb it again!!!!. Why don’t our soldiers start building Church’s in Iran, Libya, Iraq…etc, because Christian beliefs are not welcome in those countries and they don’t want their people to have free ideas and worship differently. I am glad to hear that we have politicians that stand up for what is right….being politically correct all the time is sometimes more hurtful than just telling the plain ole truth!
HDB
August 16th, 2010
2:21 pm
The salamander is a political pyromaniac!! His credibility is just greater than a flea looking for a dog!!
Aquagirl
August 16th, 2010
2:21 pm
Newt’s opinion on Nazis is quite credible. He should know.
America First
August 16th, 2010
2:24 pm
Time to end the PC nonsense and start dealing with the enemies of American life and commerce, starting with the Muslims.
Obama is the Muslim Trojan Horse unleashed on the gullible, American Idol-programmed imbeciles more concerned with Lindsay Lohan and the latest electronic gadget they can’t afford !
WAKE UP , RED BLOODED, PATRIOTIC AMERICANS !
VERITAS
August 16th, 2010
2:27 pm
a military coup is needed, followed by 5 years of martial law. Perhaps then can elections be held, and lawyers will be prevented from holding office.
There is much work to be done …
Real Athens
August 16th, 2010
2:35 pm
What gets built in NYC is the business of NY’ers. The the same folks who would deny the good citizens of NY the opportunity to try the 9-11 planners in a local courtroom there now are telling people what can be built near where the twin towers stood.
A complete non-issue, designed to exert emotional resonance on Main St. U.S.A.
Hence, you can even hear boobs like Herman Cain railing about it.
What gets built in NYC is the business of the good people of the state of New York. Just as what gets sold in a gun shop in Marietta and winds up in an evidence room of the NYPD is the business of the good citizens of Georgia. Right?
I thought tea party-goers and Republicans were about sovereignty, states rights and less government intervention.
Newt Gingrich is the most vapid, soulless and shameless huckster on the national political scene.
Tommy
August 16th, 2010
2:36 pm
Islamic Temple – To put things in perspective. Harry Truman was the President during the same time frame (10 yrs) after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. As Obama is now after 9/11. Do you think Truman would have give Japan the okay to build a Hindu Shrine beside the USS Arizona? Think about it …
ByteMe
August 16th, 2010
2:40 pm
Wow. How many stupid things can Newt say in two paragraphs?
“Nazis don’t have the right to put up a sign next to the Holocaust museum in Washington,”
Of course they have the right. It’s called — wait for it — the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America. Been there a long time. You should read it, Newt.
“we would never accept the Japanese putting up a site next to Pearl Harbor.”
Isn’t Pearl Harbor a Naval/Air base and doesn’t that limit what any foreign nation — or private citizen for that matter — can do on it? Looks like there’s a golf course nearby. If there was money in it, you think the Japanese would not be allowed to buy it, Newt? Hey Newt, have you heard of private property rights? Perhaps you haven’t.
“There is no reason for us to accept a mosque next to the World Trade Center,”
Who says this is about “us” and not about New Yorkers who are reported to be supportive of the development in question? What makes your judgement, Newt, more important than their judgement?
And who except for the geographically impared says this is “next” to the World Trade Center? It’s two blocks away in a part of lower Manhattan near NYC City Hall. This is completely dishonest, since there’s NO location on lower Manhattan that would satisfy the outsiders who are against this.
Of course, none of what I write is going to matter to those who refuse to look at facts. Facts are just a liberal plot, dontcha know?
Real Athens
August 16th, 2010
2:42 pm
Harry truman wouldn’t allow blacks to serve equally alongside whites in the military, attend public school together, etc.
Japanese are predominantly Buddhist — but don’t let knowledge, fact or perspective get in the way of a good discussion or argument.
georgedawg
August 16th, 2010
2:43 pm
for all you progressive liberal idiots. people in the middle east have been killing each other from the beginning of time. america has been saving everyones bacon since ww1. what about that don’t you understand. they are our enemies and seek to destoy us.
WTF
August 16th, 2010
2:44 pm
It’s sad to see people’s comments on this site. The Constitution has been trampled enough by the Patriot Act so please stop the nonsense. The Bill of Rights is something we need not play around with b/c it will lead to a road we don’t want to travel.
There’s a mosque 2 blocks away no one is complaining about nor has anyone complained about the Mosque inside the Pentagon!!! That same guy wants to build a mosque 2 blocks from the WTC. 2 blocks away isn’t hallowed ground, it’s now an empty building where the Burlingotn Coat Factory was. In the beginning we were against Al-Queda and now people are falsely accusing Islam of hating everyone else despite the fact that the Muslims who will build this are American citizens. I’m sure I’ll get I have a Muslim friend, I’m not racist or anti-Islam. The Mayor of NY himself said this was not a problem and that they have a constitutional right to do it so why should everyone else who doesn’t live in NY complain? Elections? This is a political stunt and nothing more. Newt you’re a family values politician who does nothing short of disappoint those with intellect. Keep up the hypocrisy and marry your 4th wife before you’ve asked for a divorce again.
Nice Guy
August 16th, 2010
2:45 pm
Hey ByteMe: Just why do believe the Mosque should be built there? There are a ton of Mosques already in NY, including one 10+ blocks aways from this site run by the SAME imam. But nevermind, just continue to stroke your own ego and think that your are mentally superior to us all.
Barack Hussein Obama
August 16th, 2010
2:46 pm
The public school system and its low set of educational standards is the machine that creates an ignorant electorate, which upon fruition, creates more government dependents and permanent supporters of the Democrat Party.
Why should Democrats care if your brat can read or write, or pass some test? Keep the teachers unions happy, give them their token raises, as long as they can crank out masses of mindless boobs that become dependent on big government, from cradle to grave. Karl Marx could not have planned it any better.
Ray
August 16th, 2010
2:48 pm
HIROSHIMA UNION CHURCH
“We wish to offer both foreigners and Japanese a warm welcome. Hiroshima Union Church is an evangelical, English-speaking church serving the international and local communities in the Hiroshima, Japan area. We seek to provide a place of worship and ministry for those coming to Hiroshima for a shorter period of time as well as for long-term residents of the area. We enjoy the diversity of the different nationalities, denominations and traditions represented within our group.
We are a group of Christians gathered together to provide a place of understanding, hope and renewal in a continuously changing and uncertain world. We work together to experience and share the benefits of the Christian faith with others – and invite you to discover the acceptance, love, and life that we have found in Jesus Christ.
HUC seeks to serve you in a variety ways by addressing the personal, cultural and spiritual needs that we all encounter in our lives.”
Directions:
HUC is held in the main sanctuary inside “The Church of the Resurrection”. It is a brown brick building on Jonan Dori, diagonally across from the Royal Host restaurant. Take the #9 streetcar (Hakushima Line) to the Jogakuin stop and walk East 5 minutes along Jonan Dori. The church is on the left-hand side, before the bridge to Hiroshima Train Station.
Wonder what that bridge looked liked August 7, 1945?
Real Athens
August 16th, 2010
2:48 pm
The 9-11 hijackers were Saudi Arabians first and Muslims second.
The largest Muslim country in the world isn’t in the Middle East it’s in Asia — Indonesia.
Don’t let facts get in the way.
JF McNamara
August 16th, 2010
2:49 pm
The Nazi’s were a German political party with a philosophy of exterminating Jews. The September 11th bombers were 20 guys on the fringe of the Islamic religion and were not endorsed by a government or even the mainstream part of their own religion.
The KKK seized the property of my great grand parents and used Christianity as a guise. Am I supposed to hate all Christians and White people because of that? No, I’m supposed to understand that all people are different, and just because a few Christians or Whites did something wrong to you doesn’t mean all Christians or White people are bad. If I were to even use that as an excuse for things in my life, I would quickly, and rightly, be told that I was wrong by these very same right wing nuts and that I need to move on.
This whole argument is stupid. We’re America!!! Religious freedom!!! Individual Liberty!!!! What’s wrong with otherwise smart people like Newt on this issue.
WTF
August 16th, 2010
2:50 pm
georgedawg. If that statement held any water would we not have enlisted the help of Oppenheimer to build the first A-bomb or used Albert Einstein’s intellect to advance our own cause? They were both born in Germany, had citizenship and worked for their Gov’t before coming to the US.
ByteMe
August 16th, 2010
2:50 pm
Nice Guy: I’m mentally superior to you and that’s all that should matter to you. To answer your question: It’s not up to me where any mosque should go in NYC, just as it’s not up to you or Newt or Palin or anyone else. It’s up to New Yorkers and they have approved the site for the use the current owners want. It’s called “private property rights”. Perhaps you’ve heard about them?
Nice Guy
August 16th, 2010
2:51 pm
Hey WTF:
There’s a mosque 2 blocks away no one is complaining about nor has anyone complained about the Mosque inside the Pentagon!!!
–Its not a mosque, its an available place to give the muslims a place
to pray.
People are falsely accusing Islam of hating everyone else despite the fact that the Muslims who will build this are American citizens.
–So if these muslims are American citizens then all must be ok, huh? Your ignorance is over the top on this one bud….
The Mayor of NY himself said this was not a problem and that they have a constitutional right to do it so
–the mayor us a flaming liberal…what do you expect. And second, the heart of the argument is not over the RIGHT to build…its the fact that everyone must show sensitivity when dealing with the muslims while the muslims show ZERO sensitivity when dealing with anyone…
Shark Punch!
August 16th, 2010
2:53 pm
SNM wrote: “If anyone from our country were to go to a Muslim nation and try to build a ‘Christian’ church….we would be denied, if not tortured or killed.”
If this is correct, then denying a mosque on our soil means that we’re NO BETTER than those Muslim nations.
@Tommy: Less than 1/10,000 of a percent of Japanese are Hindu.
Honestly people, think BEFORE you post.
Nice Guy
August 16th, 2010
2:54 pm
ByteMe;
Again, your ego stroking skills are definitley superior to mine. Whatcha gonna do? FYI here, so pay attention, the mosque argument isn’t about rights, no matter how many time you blog that it is about rights, it still is not going to be….ok, stay with me….its about the provocation by the muslims who want to build it in that location…got it?
aladawg
August 16th, 2010
2:55 pm
ByteMe, Your opinion is worth nothing. You must be a damn foul smelling liberal and you need to take you ass to Iran and have your stupid head cut off. I know one thing for sure, you are a moron.
WTF
August 16th, 2010
2:56 pm
Nice Guy. My question to you would be why do I have 8 churches within a mile distance of my home? All are Christian so it would seem that 1-3 churches would suffice, right?
It’s called the 2nd amendment. We can’t extend freedom to some citizens and not all. It doesn’t work that way in common sense land but I see you’re point. Don’t let anyone else in b/c they may taint our future with their recreational center and worship hall. No one would ever want to bring that kind of insanity into the fold. It doesn’t matter what you think or what I think. We don’t live in NY and since the Mayor of NY is cool with, the board that voted on it then I think it’s a done deal. I mean the jobs the construction project will bring mean nothing in a bad economy and why shouldn’t we leave a vacant building that hasn’t been used in years to just sit there and rot. I mean no one is out of work especially in NY so not a big deal, right?
The mosque is 2 blocks away. not on the site, not right beside the site but 2 blocks away. They haven’t even begun to build there yet.
WTF
August 16th, 2010
2:59 pm
Nice Guy. As someone who has actually spent itme in the Middle East fighting extremists I would say I am probably not the ignorant one considering I have actually studided the Koran. To think every Muslim is a terrorist is the same as saying every Catholic is a pedophile so your logic is quite off. I understand never leaving your home town and actually seeing the world is one thing but stop watching Hannity, Beck and whoever else and actually get out there.
So the mayor of a city you don’t live in and only know of him by watching sound bites is a liberal. Another strong feather in your cap. You’re making this far too easy.
Nice Guy
August 16th, 2010
3:00 pm
WTF: Jobs? Please, no argument there.
Re: Churches. Not sure what your point is here, makes no sense. This isn’t about Christianity or the number of chruches by your house.
Re: 2nd Amendment. Again, you Libs keep wanting to make this about Constitutional rights, that’s not what this is about. Its just not.
Nice Guy
August 16th, 2010
3:03 pm
WTF:
Ha! Never said anything about all muslims being terrorist, b/c that simply isn’t true and I don’t think that for one second. You’ve managed to twist my printed words to fit your agenda, classic Lib.
WTF
August 16th, 2010
3:03 pm
Is having higher standards in our country a bad thing? I guess being more tolerant than Saudi Arabia is unAmerican. Also I have been to a Christian Church in Baghdad so yes there are Christian churches in Muslim countries. And as somoene pointed out the largest Muslim population is in Asia.
WTF
August 16th, 2010
3:04 pm
Nice Guy. Actually your writing did that so I didn’t mess with any of your words but nice try.
Nice Guy
August 16th, 2010
3:06 pm
“Is having higher standards in our country a bad thing?”
If you think allowing the mosque to be built there is somehow going to show the world that we are morally superior to everyone, you are sadly mistaken. Life will go on, islamic extremism will continue laughing at us, and the ground zero mosque opening cermony will be a big hit…which will take place on 9/11.
WTF
August 16th, 2010
3:06 pm
This is about COnstitutional rights. When did anyone care about sensibilities and the Church aspect hit another one of your points where you completely fell off your orginal train of thought. The Church aspect went back to the Muslim mozque all over NY comment earlier.
Obama Bin Lyin
August 16th, 2010
3:08 pm
this mosque will be our latest holy shrine to the martyrs that exterminated the 3,000 capitalist infidels and show America that the world’s oppressed will no longer sit by and be plundered of its natural and human resources.
Alihu, Akbar !
WTF
August 16th, 2010
3:08 pm
Actually yes. Why do you thin I had to give medical care to a guy who almost killed me in Iraq? Did I want too? No but did I, yes? I did it b/c we have a higher standard then most other countries.
And this is not on Ground Zero. It’s 2 blocks away. Should there be an anti-Muslim force field set up? How many blocks should it cover then?
ByteMe
August 16th, 2010
3:09 pm
@aladawg: Yawn. Really, you need to read more if you want to get better arguments than what you present. Perhaps Archie Comics is more your speed.
@Nice Guy: It really really really is about private property rights that you want the government to take by force from another citizen of my great country. You, sir, are a credit to Saudi Arabia.
BigB
August 16th, 2010
3:10 pm
Although I differ with his politics, I must admit that Newt usually makes intellectual arguments – However, this rationale is completely asinine.
The Japanese and Germany (the dominant political party was Nazi) were both easily identifiable countries that attacked and declared war on the US, so it’s easy to say that members of those Countries would be precluded from erecting buildings on consecrated grounds. The most basic point is that Japan is a foreign nation that is not afforded constitutional freedoms that US Citizens (i.e., the islamic cultural center folks) so Newt’s example is flawed on its face. Secondly, the Holocaust Museum in D.C is surrounded by Federal Buildings that could probably never be leased or purchased for this to ever be an issue – However, if there was an empty building and members of any non-threatening, peaceful, lawfully incorporated group with the correct licenses needed to move in next to the Museum (even if a group of Nazis) what could constitutionally stop them?
It’s dangerous to lump all Muslims into the same category of those lunatics who despise the culture of the US and the global influence of the US. The proposed center is not even at Ground Zero, it’s around the corner, at least two blocks away and by making an issue of this, we are offending the very nature of our Constitution.
Nice Guy
August 16th, 2010
3:10 pm
The Church aspect went back to the Muslim mozque all over NY comment earlier.
That was simply to point out it wasn’t as if there is no place for the muslims to worship, there are mosques all over the freakin place up there. And the only reason to build one at ground zero is slap the US in the face. Its the location…again, its the location. Nobody care is another curch is built by your house…your comparison doesn’t make sense…
WTF
August 16th, 2010
3:11 pm
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
WTF
August 16th, 2010
3:12 pm
Which is why I made the comment about 8 churches within a mile. You’re starting to get it.
Also it’s not at ground zero. It’s 2 blocks away in an abandoned building.