For precisely the reason to which nossy alluded to in her response to you. Obama said, IMHO, exactly what he should've; I think the mosques location is a HORRIBLE mistake, but it wouldn't be American to deny them the right to build it on private property (if 911 is the deep and painful scar on Americas psyche that so many seem to think, should any part of the area(s) attacked that day BE private property rather than a national memorial? Is Disney still doing that "Gettysburg Battlefield Carnage and Kiddie Ride" thing...?) As President, of course, anything he says will about anything will be under multiple microscopes in nanoseconds, and this isn't great timing for him, but he said what he should've.