Yesterday, Rand Paul’s campaign told me that Paul both thinks the Cordoba House project in New York should be left to local officials and also shouldn’t be built. In addition, his campaign told me, Paul thinks Mulsims should contribute to the 9/11 victims’ memorial fund instead of paying to build the controversial Islamic cultural center.
Today in the Daily Caller, Paul elaborates a bit on that suggestion.
“If the goal of the building’s organizers is to reconcile, Paul thinks there’s a better way to do that,” the Daily Caller’s Alex Pappas reports.
“I think reconciliation is best promoted by — instead of having a multi-million dollar mosque — maybe having a multi-million dollar donation to the memorial site, would be better for all,” Paul told the Pappas.
Interestingly, Paul also doubles down on his view — suggested by his campaign — that his take on property rights extends to the Cordoba House project. He takes a swipe at President Obama for his speech about the project over the weekend — but also offers a subtle rip on politicians of all stripes who are boosting their campaigns for national office with chatter about the Cordoba House.
“I’m not sure I think the federal government should weigh in on it,” Paul told the Daily Caller. “I think it’s probably a mistake for the president to be weighing in on favor of it as well.”
[TPM SLIDESHOW: Welcome To The Neighborhood: A Look At The Area Around The ‘Ground Zero Mosque’]
