Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) visits an Arizona Mosque

[moderatevoter]

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Link.

[Mr. Reactionary]

FF

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

Flake strikes me as one of the more generally well-meaning politicians.

[Vosem]

Jeff Flake has always been fantastic.

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

This is pretty awesome and unexpected. I always did like him quite a bit in spite of the low approvals (from Atlas too?). Good job, sad that needs to be said though.

[Taco Truck 🚚]

FF

Freedom fighter?  How about mildly decent human being?  I mean this move is just basic common courtesy after the fascism that was spouted this week.  Our standards have really slipped.

Good to see though... given the direction the GOP has been going as of late.

[Simfan34]

In the context of all that's happened, this is very much a brave thing for an elected officeholder in the Republican Party-- or in general, really-- to do. In a decent, sane political environment, politicians would regularly reach out to the Muslim community like this, remind people of American values of tolerance and liberty, and speak out against those who sought to spread fear or demonize Muslims. Dislike him as some may, no one can deny that G.W. did just that right after 9/11 and has not changed his message since.

Can you imagine what it would be like had Obama had gone to the Washington Islamic Center this past weekend, and given a speech where he called Islam "a religion of peace", quoted a passage of the Koran that read  "evil in the extreme will be the end of those who... rejected the signs of Allah and held them up to ridicule" , said that hijab-wearing women needed to be respected, and called those who intimidated Muslims "the worst of humankind"? Can you even begin to imagine the reaction to a speech like that? Everyone would just go insane!

Yet that is exactly what Bush did a week after 9/11, and those are the very  words Bush said! Isn't that just something! You have to admire that. You also have to feel a bit sad that Obama could never do the same thing without half (more than half, probably) the country losing their minds. Things have changed. It's hard to not call Flake brave.

Now, if a candidate in the Republican primary were to visit a mosque, he (or she) will earn my lifelong respect. That is something that would require real guts (provided one is interested in any kind of political future in the Republican Party). If we're looking for the alpha male candidate, the one who visits a mosque is the real high-energy candidate.

[Zioneer]

The LDS Church gave a statement this week defending the religious liberty of Muslims, and Flake is a Mormon, so it makes sense that he'd feel the same way.

[Taco Truck 🚚]

In a decent, sane political environment, politicians would regularly reach out to the Muslim community like this, remind people of American values of tolerance and liberty, and speak out against those who sought to spread fear or demonize Muslims.

In a sane political environment they wouldn't have to.

Dislike him as some may, no one can deny that G.W. did just that right after 9/11 and has not changed his message since.

Yeah he did that right before he went crazy and destroyed the middle east.  Bush knew he was about to make a lunatic play for Middle Eastern oil.  Him taking the edge off right before he went berserk isn't exactly a shining example of decency.  If he said what he said and then proceeded not to occupy Afghanistan and invade Iraq we could have a conversation about this.

I can't believe I'm saying this but on a certain level Bush is more sophisticated than Trump.  Bush knew we needed the Saudis and our other Middle Eastern Arab/Muslim allies.  I'm not saying Bush was some kind of closeted bigot but really anyone with half a brain that wanted to execute a Machiavellian plan in the Middle East would have said the same exact thing word for word.

Flake and Bush are basically saying the minimum decent men in their position should say.  It's just we have slid so far down into the gutter when we look up that type of behavior looks noble.

[Adam Griffin]

Did he give them two tickets to the gun show?

[Lief 🗽]

The People will take care of Flake in the primary in 2018, once They have kicked out McCain this year.

[user12345]

Flake strikes me as one of the more generally well-meaning politicians.

[KingSweden]

Flake remains, as he always has, a sterling example of actual small-c conservatism, rather than the "look at me! Look how conservative I am! No really, I'm the most conservative!" brand of reactionary politics that passes as conservatism for many GOP politicians in the present day and age. If Republicans want to seek out truly principled conservatives, they should look no further than someone who consistently opposed earmarks as wasteful, acknowledges his mistakes (especially on getting Iraq wrong), has presented numerous immigration solutions that are more than just a blanket amnesty, and seems like a genuinely kind soul. Not to mention his leadership on opening up Cuba relations and his near-persuadability on the Iran deal.

I really like Jeff Flake, if you couldn't tell.

[DC Al Fine]

I really like Jeff Flake, if you couldn't tell.

As do I. He's one of my faves.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

The People will take care of Flake in the primary in 2018, once They have kicked out McCain this year.

The people aren't going to vote for Laura Ingraham when she tries and fails to primary Flake.

[Horsemask]

Awesome. Find myself admiring a lot of what he has been doing lately.

[Badger]

The People will take care of Flake in the primary in 2018, once They have kicked out McCain this year.

The people aren't going to vote for Laura Ingraham when she tries and fails to primary Flake.

Is she really going to try?

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

The People will take care of Flake in the primary in 2018, once They have kicked out McCain this year.

McCain is safe in his primary. His challenger is some gadfly state legislator.

[Citizen (The) Doctor]

Apparently being a decent human being is noteworthy now.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Apparently being a decent human being is noteworthy now.

Unfortunately, it is when you're Republican.

[HAnnA MArin County]

RINO!

[bedstuy]

Flake strikes me as one of the more generally well-meaning politicians.

No, he's a terrible far-right politician.  What are you talking about? 

As for going to a mosque, that's fine.  It's not a incredible step or anything.  George W. Bush did this kind of thing all the time.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Ugh, all of the old Tea Party ladies on Facebook whom I am friends with are sharing this story (with the "Conservative Review" as the publisher) and that article accuses CAIR of "killing Jews with impunity."

[Goldwater]

Flake strikes me as one of the more generally well-meaning politicians.

No, he's a terrible far-right politician.  What are you talking about? 

Having terrible political views and being well-meaning are't mutually exclusive, you know.

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

Jeff Flake has always been fantastic.

Nah, he's a pretty disgusting human being. 

http://www.thewire.com/politics/2013/04/jeff-flake-aurora-victim/64439/