The Koran War

Terry Jones, the Florida pastor who has threatened to burn copies of the Koran on September 11 - tomorrow - knows something's happening here. Unfortunately, Mr. Jones doesn't know what it is. After planning to burn copies of the Islamic holy book, Jones agreed to cancel the event when he was told that the "mosque" (it's a cultural center!) at Ground Zero (It's two blocks away from it, actually!) would be moved, and that he planned to fly to New York to meet the imam involved and discuss the deal he made through a Florida imam. Except that there is no deal, and Jones believes he's been lied to. But he's not going to burn Korans - not right away, anyway - and he still hopes to have a dialogue with the Manhattan imam overseeing the construction of the cultural center.

Meanwhile, Republican leaders refused to condemn Jones's proposed actions, suggesting that both Jones and the Muslims in New York have the right to follow through on their plans. Republicans, sensing an opportunity to consign the Democratic party's hopes of minimizing their losses in the midterm elections, likened both proposals as morally equivalent to each other, suggesting that offending Muslims by burning Korans is no worse than offending Christians with an Islamic cultural center in Lower Manhattan.

Jones does have the freedom to burn Korans, but he has no legitimate reason to do so, and because of the First Amendment - the scope of which is underappreciated elsewhere - no one can stop him. President Obama has been very skillful, though, at speaking up for the rights of Muslims in America and against Jones, virulently differentiating Muslims from al-Qaeda extremists who blasphemed the faith with their attacks on 9/11. He also singled out George Walker Bush for praise in making that point repeatedly throughout his own time in the White House. But the mere idea of someone burning Korans has sparked protests all over the Muslim world.

Even if nothing happens this weekend, this is not going to play out very well. Republicans, beginning to be on the receiving end of Democratic counterattacks on the economy, are ready to change the subject and drive a wedge between the voters.