Howard Dean's comments on the proposed Muslim community center in Manhattan's financial district

Here's the story. I've always been a big fan of Howard Dean, but he's being frightfully stupid here. Two points:

1. Rationalizing his proposal that the Muslim group find another place for its center, Dean says "That site doesn't belong to any particular religion, it belongs to all Americans and all faiths." Apparently Dean does not realize that there are already Christian churches and Jewish synagogues all around the Ground Zero site. Moving the Muslim community center would be a loud statement that the site does NOT belong to all Americans and all faiths.

2. On MSNBC last night Dean called for a dialogue between supporters and opponents. They should talk to each other, he said, hear each other out, come to some kind of understanding. Well, precisely that has been happening in Manhattan already. The local Community Board held a meeting in May at which people on both sides of the issue spoke for four hours. Families of 9-11 victims, firefighters, local Muslim leaders, priests and ministers, Tea Party members, all had their chance to express their views. The Community Board voted to approve the project. The project's organizers say the community center will be open to people of all faiths and pledge to use the facility to continue the dialogue.