let me put that to congressman king. you know, the truth is there was a great column today in one of your local papers up there that said if this is not built, if this mosque is blocked, then the terrorists do win. do you worry, because there is a huge difference, which i imagine most people are opposed to this understand, that we were not attacked by islam. we were attacked by those who would twist islam perhaps, but not by a religion itself. and aren t we really going against a basic principle on which this country was founded? i have a great respect for jerry nadler but i really disagree with that opinion. the reason i say that is the attack was carried out in the name of islam. and i visited many mosques before september 11th and i was one of the first to defend the muslim community after september 11th. but i ve been extremely disappointed since then by so many leaders in the muslim community who do not denounce al qaeda, for instance, even this imam himself that wants to
supported it. you look at the poll. there is a sensitivity to that area. yeah, we have the freedom, build a mosque, build more than one mosque, but don t build it there. there are other places to build them. i think that s really what america is saying. can i ask you, given those polls i just cited of overwhelmingly in each party people who are opposed to this, is this something you can take to the polls in november? well, i think it s an overriding issue. the number one issue is going to be in this election, look, the democrats have been in power in the house and the senate for four years. are people better off than they were four years ago? this is going to be about jobs. this is the first congress for the last since the depression, for the entire two years where unemployment has been above 9%. it s an overwhelming issue that s going to be about jobs but this is just another example is why isn t the president spending the time debating about jobs instead of moving into new york
construct the mosque at ground zero, he said the united states was an accessory to 9/11. he refuses to denounce them as a terrorist organization. so the record is not clear on this. so no doubt to have a 13-story, hundred million dollar edifice within two blocks of ground zero, in fact parts of the jets that crashed into the world trade center actually crashed into this building as well does open the wounds, and does put salt in the wounds. and, again, it s the fact that so many people who are involved, i would disagree with jerry. i think the overwhelming majority of 9/11 families are opposed to it. these are good people, not bigoted, not biased. i m getting calls from jimmy boil, rosemary cane, go down the list, these wounds are just being torn apart for them now and they are heart broken over this. that is what i think the imam and muslim leadership should take into account. i do think as government officials we have the right to speak out. i agree i don t believe there s a role f
saying i supported it, that s up to the people. this is the kind of thing, i think, that people look and think what are they saying. you seem to be saying the same thing. so let me ask you directly because i know you don t want to speak for the president, what do you think about the idea of putting a mosque two blocks away from ground zero? candy, i agree with the president. i think the issue is one for the people of new york city. and that s why the mayor of new york city, mayor bloomberg, put together an interfaith group. again, christians, jews, muslims, and on the 9/11 families, some have been in favor of it, some have been against it. i think it s up to the people of new york. they are obviously the folks that are right there at the site of the attack, of 9/11, and it s a question for them. i think in the congress, frankly, where we did have a decision and jerry nadler mentioned this, you didn t pursue it, where a decision was before us, the united states congress, not the peopl
i think the president, by the way, is trying to have it both ways. i don t know that anyone is saying muslims do not have the right to practice their religion, but with rights go responsibilities and that s the part of it the president didn t comment on. congressman nadler, i do want to talk to you about what the president is saying, but doesn t congressman king have a point and this isn t about laws and freedom of religion, this is about sensitivities. a number of the 9/11 families that i listened to said about what our sensitivity. we understand there s sensitivity to religion and allowing freedom of religion, but what about the sensitivities of those who were primarily the injured ones on this? well, first of all, it started off very much about law. i mean newt gingrich said, for instance, a few days ago that no mosque should be built in the united states until churches and synagogues were permitted in saudi arabia. now, we all desire that saudi arabia should have religious libe