Utah Senator Orrin Hatch has come out publicly in favor of the Park 51 Islamic Center.
(This has been on Huffpo and TPM, but I can't seem to find a mention of it here. If this has been diaried already I will take this down.)
Yesterday Orrin Hatch stated his support for the Park 51 Islamic center in New York. On a local Fox affiliate no less!
During the interview with Salt Lake City's Fox 13 news he said:
Let's be honest about it, in the First Amendment, religious freedom, religious expression, that really express matters to the Constitution. So, if the Muslims own that property, that private property, and they want to build a mosque there, they should have the right to do so. The only question is are they being insensitive to those who suffered the loss of loved ones? We know there are Muslims killed on 9/11 too and we know it's a great religion. I know a lot of Muslim people who I have a very great regard for, not the least of which is Muhammad Ali. He's a great friend of mine. But as far as their right to build that mosque, they have that right.
The question is, should they? Is it insensitive not to, in the eyes of the majority of New Yorkers? It's going to come down to New York and what New York decides to do.
Aside from the slightly bizarre reference to Muhammed Ali, that is a pretty darn unequivocal statement in favor of both First Amendment religious freedoms and private property rights.
Not to mention making it quite clear that the center is a New York issue (well non-issue actually, but it's too late) and the rest of the country really has no right to be sticking their nose into it.
And unlike many of his fellow Republicans Hatch seems to understand geography too:
There's a question of whether it's too close to the 9/11 area, but it's a few blocks away, it isn't right there.
I'm sure Hatch made a few heads explode in Salt Lake City last night.
On the other hand I think he understands, unlike his co-religionists (I'm looking at you Harry and Mitt) that there are a lot of fundamentalist Christians in this country who believe that Mormons are a heretical cult. And that the "mosque" they are opposing today may be the Mormon temple they are opposing tomorrow. But to be honest, I can't blame him for wanting to look out for his own interests as well as religious freedom in general.
UPDATE: Talking Points Memo now has video of the interview up.