Irresponsible Response of the Day

Asked at a press conference today in Louisiana about the persistent belief among many Americans that President Obama is a Muslim, Newt Gingrich said he personally takes the commander-in-chief "at his word" concerning his Christianity, but understands why some do not.

"Why does the president behave the way that people would think that [he’s Muslim]?" Gingrich told reporters. "You have to ask, why would they believe that? It's not cause they're stupid. It's because they watch the kind of things I just described to you."

According to Politico, those "things" included the president's "excessive sensitivity" toward non-Judeo-Christian faiths. Gingrich has also accused the Obama administration of "anti-religious bigotry" and slammed the president for "apologizing" to Muslims.

"The fact is I take him at his word," Gingrich is quoted as saying, "but I think it is very bizarre that he is desperately concerned to apologize to Muslim religious fanatics while they are killing young Americans while at the same time going to war against the Catholic Church and against every right to live Protestant organization in the country. I just think it's a very strange value system."

Maggie Haberman notes that, in a radio interview yesterday, Gingrich admonished the media for "going easy on coverage of Obama's 'Muslim friends'."

[politico / photo: tpm.]