Bob Turner is trying to keep the conversation going about the so-called “Ground Zero Mosque” attacking David Weprin, the Democrat his challenging in the 9th Congressional District in Brooklyn and Queens, to show “leadership” on the issue.

“Career politician David Weprin has, almost unbelievably, managed to waffle again,” said Turner campaign spokesman William O’Reilly. “Now he says he doesn’t want the mosque built at the controversial site, but he won’t say why he feels that way – and he is invisible on the issue of taxpayer funding for the Mosque.  As congressman, Bob Turner will stand up to the Obama Administration so that not one red cent of taxpayer money goes into that project; what will weak-kneed David Weprin do?”

He adds, ”As congressman, Bob Turner will stand up to the Obama Administration so that not one red cent of taxpayer money goes into that project; what will weak-kneed David Weprin do?”

According to The New York Post, Weprin has defended the developers right to build the mosque, but has said that he would prefer it be built elsewhere.

This sounds like not-so-much a waffle as a nuanced position, and one that Weprin has had since last year so The Politicker reached out to O’Reilly for an explanation.

He wrote back:

“Until now he has refused to say he doesn’t want the mosque at that site, and he won’t call it an inappropriate location (but he prefers it somewhere else now, why?) He also refuses to take a stance on taxpayer funding for the Mosque. He shows no leadership on that issue.”

It seems hard to be believe that this issue has come up in a political conversation again, especially after Rick Lazio beat it like a drum last year in his gubernatorial race, back when it was a major news issue, and Lazio still got crushed. But perhaps polling shows otherwise?

Follow David Freedlander via RSS.