| New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, often touted as a Tea Party favorite for the Republican presidential nomination, is turning heads with his spirited defense of an Indian-born Muslim lawyer Sohail Mohammed, who he has nominated as judge for the Superior Court in PassaicCounty.
Questioned at a town hall meeting why he had nominated an “Islamist” who had defended “GuantanamoBay inmates,” Christie responded, “Now, I have to tell you something, If it is disqualifying for the bench to be an Arab American (sic) in New Jersey who represents innocent people and gets them released, then this isn’t the state I believe it is.” He described Mohammed as a “good, decent American and New Jerseyan.” The Philadelphia Inquirer noted: “On the face of it, the comments weren’t extraordinary. But given the way some Republicans have recently characterized Muslims, what he said was remarkable to hear from a GOP darling.”
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