President Barack Obama responded to Republicans who want us to shut out Syrian refugees. He said Republicans "think they're so tough. . . . At first, they were too scared of the press being too tough on them in the debates. Now they are scared of three year old orphans. That doesn't seem so tough to me."
The latter was a reference to Chris Christie's saying that not even refugee children should be allowed into the United States. Obama also said that Republicans advocating the acceptance of Syrian refugees who are Christian, but not those who are Muslim, was "offensive." He didn't name them, but that was Jeb Bush and Ted Cruz.
The president added: "I cannot think of a more potent recruitment tool for ISIL than some of the rhetoric that's been coming out of here during the course of this debate."
Obama is absolutely right. The right-wing, both here and in France, are just playing right into the hands of the Islamic State's plan: turn us against each other, alienate Muslims in Western countries, and provoke a massive invasion of their caliphate.
However, Mike Huckabee and Ted Cruz, who court evangelical groups, may have misjudged their base on this issue. A number of evangelical Christian groups, as well as Roman Catholic groups, are only increasing their determination to help refugees.
And President Obama has threatened to veto legislation that stops our refugee programs.
Ralph
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