Norquist: Islam completely compatible with US Constitution…

….and calls anyone who disagrees Islamophobic!

Grover Norquist (head honcho and really sole founder and sole operative at Americans for Tax Reform) continued to create controversy and chaos at the Conservative Political Action Conference meeting in Washington, DC this week by giving an interview to the far Left George Soros media outlet Think Progress.*

If you are a new reader, please read my earlier posts on the controversy, here and here.

This is the report from Think Progress about what Norquist said to continue to fan the flames on the subject of whether there is an Islamist influence on, or infiltration of, the Republican Party (kind of makes you wonder whose side Norquist is on because when you call someone an Islamophobe it’s tantamount to stirring controversy, trying to shut people up, and certainly not keeping the party together):

It is no secret that Islamophobia has been widely prevalent in the conservative movement, particular since President Obama took office. From Reps. Peter King (R-NY) and Allen West (R-FL) to Newt Gingrich and those hyperventilating against the Islamic community center near Ground Zero, the right is promoting a baseless and irrational fear about Muslim participation in American civil society.

Frank Gaffney is one of the right’s main proponents of anti-Muslim fearmongering. He recently claimed that conservatives are being infiltrated by the Muslim Brotherhood and “radical Islamists,” and he recently attacked Americans for Tax Reform leader Grover Norquist for “credentialing the perpetrators of this Muslim Brotherhood influence operation” at this week’s Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, DC.

At CPAC yesterday, ThinkProgress caught up with Norquist — whose wife is Muslim — and asked him to respond to Gaffney and the general Muslim fearmongering from the right. “It’s very important to recognize that each of these faiths is completely consistent with the U.S. Constitution and a free and open society,” Norquist said, adding it’s also important “for the conservative movement to have many doors open.” He said that the right has to “marginalize” Islamophobia within its ranks and “knock that stuff down and just make it clear that there’s no place for that in the party of Reagan.” Referring to Gingrich’s anti-Muslim fervor, ThinkProgress asked whether there is a place for Islamophobia in the GOP 2012 presidential primaries. “I don’t think there is,” Norquist replied.

Norquist and Gaffney should debate and get it all out in the open once and for all!

If Norquist was sincere in his belief that Muslim goals (shariah!) and our Constitution were perfectly compatible, he would quit calling those who disagree with him names.  He would stand up and tell the truth about his involvement since before 9/11 with Islamists. He would explain how and when he himself became a Muslim.  He would put it all out on the table and urge debate on his apparent belief that the Republican Party should embrace all Muslims and frankly he should agree to debate someone like Frank Gaffney in a public forum for us all to hear all the facts so that we can each decide for ourselves who we agree with.  That is what he should do if he REALLY cares about the Republican Party.

In the Think Progress interview, Norquist went on to praise Democrats  for going to mosques (specifically one in Iowa) and by extension criticize Republicans (other than Bush) who may not want to campaign in mosques.  Be sure to listen to the tape of the exchange.

* Think Progress is a blog funded by the Center for American Progress Action Fund (John Podesta) which in turn is run by the Center for American Progress (John Podesta) and a gaggle of big Leftwing funders led by George Soros.     For Marylanders there are a couple of interesting connections.  One of its early editors, according to Discover the Networks was Judd Legum.  You may recall that he is the “progressive” candidate who tried (but failed) to unseat Republican Delegate Ron George in the last election.

And, then I didn’t know this until I looked at a 2008 Form 990 for the CAP Action Fund, our old Maryland CASA board member and now head of the Civil Rights Division in the Justice Department (sued Arizona, btw) Tom Perez was on the Board of Directors of CAP Action Fund.

Endnote: In researching this post I came across this 2005 article by Frank Gaffney of the Center for Security Policy about Norquist.  Gaffney is one of those Norquist labels an Islamophobe.  Note that Norquist made overtures to George Soros.  So I repeat, whose side is Norquist on?

Update: I see while Norquist was telling Think Progress that Sharia-loving Islamists were not in conflict with the US Constitution, Tom Tancredo was telling Mother Jones the opposite at CPAC, here.

Update 2: Anti-Norquist flyer handed out at CPAC, here.

Update 3: Media Matters (George Soros again) puts in its two cents worth, here.

Update 4: Salon (far lefties too) on Pamela Geller on Norquist and Khan at CPAC, here.