President Obama and daughter Sasha swimming in Florida on Saturday
EDITORIAL CARTOONS
QUOTES
“Recently, attention has been focused on the construction of mosques in certain communities — particularly New York. Now, we must all recognize and respect the sensitivities surrounding the development of Lower Manhattan. The 9/11 attacks were a deeply traumatic event for our country. And the pain and the experience of suffering by those who lost loved ones is just unimaginable. So I understand the emotions that this issue engenders. And Ground Zero is, indeed, hallowed ground.
As a citizen, and as president, I believe that Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as everyone else in this country. That includes the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in lower Manhattan, in accordance with local laws and ordinances. This is America, and our commitment to religious freedom must be unshakable.” – President Obama, weighing in on Friday for the first time on a controversy that has riveted New York City and the nation.
“Barack Obama has abandoned America at the place where America’s heart was broken nine years ago, and where her true values were on display for all to see. … Now this president declares that the victims of 9/11 and their families must bear another burden. … We are stunned … We will honor the memory of our loved ones. We will protect our children, whose lives will never be the same. We will not stand silent.” – Debra Burlingame, Co-founder of 9/11 Families for a Safe & Strong America, in Response to President Obama’s Remarks about the Ground Zero Mosque.
“I applaud President Obama’s clarion defense of the freedom of religion.” New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
“My intention was to simply let people know what I thought. Which was that in this country, we treat everybody equally in accordance with the law. Regardless of race. Regardless of religion. I was not commenting on and will not comment on the wisdom of making a decision to put a mosque there. I was commenting very specifically on the right that people have that dates back to our founding. That’s what our country’s about and I think it’s very important that as difficult as some of these issues are, we stay focused on who we are as a people and what our values are all about.” – President Obama speaking to CNN’s Ed Henry on Saturday in Florida.
“Neither my staff nor I engaged in any improper behavior, and we did not influence anyone, and we did not gain any benefit.” – Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) on charges that she had used her influence to aid a bank in which her husband has a financial interest.
“I’ve got to pass Wilt Chamberlain in scoring. I would like to win at least one more championship.” – Boston Celtics center Shaquille O’Neal when asked by a reporter why he doesn’t retire from the NBA with four championships.
“I never said s**t bout my girl Miley. I love that ho!” – Singer Katy Perry’s tweet refuting a rumor that she’d dissed fellow singer Miley Cyrus.
NEWS
Reacting to President Obama’s forceful defense of Muslims’ rights to build a new Islamic community center near Ground Zero, Rep. Peter King (R-NY) — who believes there are “too many mosques in this country” — said, “It is insensitive and uncaring for the Muslim community to build a mosque in the shadow of ground zero.” King’s statement underscores one of the least understood facts of the new project: there is already a mosque near Ground Zero.
Today, the New York Times reports on Masjid Manhattan (located four blocks from Ground Zero) and Masjid al-Farah (located 12 blocks from Ground Zero):
But what the two mosques have in common — besides the sense of celebration and camaraderie that comes at the beginning of Ramadan, the holiest month of the Islamic calendar, in which Muslims fast from sunup to sundown, give alms and focus on self-improvement — is that both have existed for decades, largely unnoticed, blocks from the World Trade Center site.
The Times goes on to note, “Both mosques — essentially one-room operations — routinely turn people away for lack of space.” And thus, the need for a new, larger location.
N.Y. Congressman Peter King Accuses Obama Of ‘Trying To Have It Both Ways’ On Ground Zero Mosque
Op-Ed Columnist – No Love From the Lefties – NYTimes.com
Larry Bird’s zingers and more from the Hall of Fame weekend – Jack McCallum – SI.com
Larry Bird and Scottie Pippen share a laugh at the roundtable reunion Friday during the Hall of Fame weekend. What many people don’t know is that Larry Bird was one of the all-time trash talkers of his era.
RANDOM THOUGHTS
If I read or hear the words “teachable moment” again, I’ll scream! And that goes for “playing the race card” too.
It’s real easy for those on the far left to criticize President Obama for not doing enough (in their opinion) because, except for a few instances, none of them either hold or are running for an elective office. Anyone can say what “I would do” when there’s no chance of them ever having to back those words up with real action.
Many Republicans never accepted Bill Clinton as president so why are we surprised that they don’t accept Barack Obama as CINC?
The GOP’s strategy for taking back Congress should be called “The Fear Factor” because they seem determined in trying to scare Americans into voting for them come November.
MC Michael Steele, where are you?
Whether you believe her or not, one can’t argue that Congresswoman Maxine Waters didn’t come out swinging on Friday Maxine Waters ethics: Maxine Waters speaks against ethics charges – latimes.com in stating her case against the ethics charges she’s facing in the House.
Am I the only one who doubts very seriously that if these had been 3 children of “color” 3 kids buy airplane tickets, fly alone to Tenn. – Yahoo! News , they would have never been allowed to board this plane?
It’s starting to look more and more like infamous Jet Blue flight attendant Steven Slate might have some explaining to do JetBlue nut does about-‘face’ – NYPOST.com which is what usually happens to liars.
Are Katie Couric (CBS), Diane Sawyer (ABC) and Brian Williams (NBC) the last of the big-time broadcast evening news anchors?
Why does LOTTERY TICKET seem like a hodge-podge of a bunch of movies – Friday, All About The Benjamins, The Cookout, etc – that we’ve already seen?
While it’s not Omar Minaya’s fault that Francisco Rodriguez beat up his common-law wife’s father (allegedly), it is his fault that since he became the Mets’ general manager in 2005, the team has been a failure on the field – making the playoffs just once – and I wonder how much longer the team’s owners will keep him in that position.
Was the recent auction of the Texas Rangers in bankruptcy court a harbinger for Dodger fans based on the financial shenanigans Dodgers’ finances include an unusual revenue-generating plan: ‘Own to rent’ – latimes.com of the McCourts and their divorce proceedings?
Well, it sure didn’t take long for “Stephen Strasburg Fever” to die down.
Guys like Francisco Rodriguez need somebody to whip their ass just once.
For those of you out there who keep saying/writing disparaging remarks about LeBron “King” James: he announced last week that he’s keeping “mental notes” on each and every one of you.
Speaking of “mental notes”, raise your hand if you think a guy by the name of Kobe Bean Bryant is doing the same thing out in Newport Beach, CA every morning when he sweats his way through another workout – “Let’s see, who else picked the Heat to win the title this season? Put that name on the list too.”
Maybe it’s just me, but I think both the NY Jets and the Miami Heat are doing an awful lot of talking for two teams that haven’t won anything recently. I mean, it’s been FORTY YEARS since the J.E.T.S ‘s only Super Bowl appearance and unless I missed it during summer league, the newly constructed Heat haven’t played even one game together yet.
If you had any doubts about one of the reasons why Chris Bosh left Toronto for the Heat, think about this: without playing a single game for the Heat, he’s already been on more national television talk shows this summer than in all his previous years in the NBA.
How long does Tiger Woods remain a “story” without winning?
THE DR LAURA “N-WORD” CONTROVERSY
As long as we continue using this word in comedy routines, hip-hop songs and casual conversations that others can hear, there will be people who think that they too, can use this word. I’ve been around a lot of Jewish people during my years in the entertainment industry and not once have I ever heard them use the word “Kike” in any form or fashion. I know this might not be a popular thing to say but, sometimes we are our own worst enemy.
The Freeman Flyer 