Quote of the Day

"This is a place where you’re supposed to be able to practice your religion without the government telling you can’t."

Charlie Crist, on the Cordoba Initiative mosque to be built near Ground Zero.

I agree with blogger Peter Schorsch. Crist should be appauded for not pandering to xenophobic voters for political gain. Crist has done his share of flip flopping in his career. He has stood (so far) firm on the issue of the Ground Zero mosque.

MSNBC anchor Joe Scarborough took on his former caucus leader Newt Gingrich. The latter compare the moderate Muslims building the mosque to Nazis.

"Nazis don't have the right to put up a sign next to the Holocaust Museum in Washington," Gingrich said on Fox News. "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.

Scarborough and former Bush administration official Mark McKinnon were appalled by Gingrich's remarks.

Reflecting on Gingrich's comments, Scarborough didn't know where to begin. "To suggest that someone trying to build a -- a tolerant center for moderate Muslims in New York is the equivalent of killing six million Jews is stunning to me," he said.

"It's stunning and it is so contrary to our country's principle and the Republican party," McKinnon agreed, then added, "I'm glad to see we're together on this and unfortunately I think we may get our membership revoked at the Pachyderm Club."

"Screw 'em," interrupted Scarborough.

"I agree," said McKinnon.

Screw 'em indeed.