Sen. McConnell's Mosque Mendacity

On NBC's Meet the Press yesterday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) refused to take a position on the proposed construction of an Islamic community center and mosque in Lower Manhattan.  During the interview, host David Gregory asked whether the location of the center, Park 51, should be moved.  McConnell dodged the question, saying that the decision should be made locally, and criticized President Obama for escalating the controversy by weighing in on a local matter.  Moments later, though, he argued that local officials should factor public opinion into their decision, suggesting that he opposes the project:

MR. GREGORY: We know it is their right to build a community center and a mosque near Ground Zero. My question for you is, is it the wise thing to do?

SEN. McCONNELL: Well, obviously this is not about freedom of religion in America. Typically, these kinds of decisions are made by local officials. What's been different about this one is you have the president of the United States weighing in on this issue on--actually on each side of the issue within 24 hours, which has helped stimulate a great national debate, not about freedom of religion, about--but about the appropriateness of the location.

MR. GREGORY: What is your view about whether it should be built?

SEN. McCONNELL: Well, ultimately that's going to be decided by the people of New York. But I think we--because of the, the nature of the attack on 9/11, a lot of people, not just in New York, but around the country, have strong views about this. And I hope the people of New York who can actually make the decision will take into account public opinion, not only locally, but around the country, in making a final decision on the location of this facility.

Gregory pressed McConnell to answer one way or the other, but McConnell wouldn't budge.  "Local officials, in the end, are going to make this decision," he said, adding, "I hope they'll weigh public opinion in the United States." Watch:

McConnell is playing a clever little game.  His excuse for punting on the question is that it's a local issue.  Fair enough.  It's also his excuse to blame President Obama for joining the fray — a completely invalid criticism, given that Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich, Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ), and other conservatives elevated the controversy long before Obama mentioned it at all. 

However, if McConnell really believes this is a local issue, then there's no reason national attitudes should prevail.  If President Obama should stay out of local politics, then Palin and her right-wing followers should, too.  But if their hurt feelings are relevant to the final decision, then McConnell doesn't really have any reason to abstain from the conversation. 

In other words, McConnell is trying to make it look like he's taking the high road, while still pandering to a conservative base full of anti-Muslim fervor.  Later on, McConnell used a similar strategy to deflect a question about why so many Republican voters think President Obama is Muslim. "I have no idea, but I take the president at his word," McConnell said.