Jeb Bush: Let’s Focus On Helping The Christian Syrian Refugees, Rather Than

President Obama wrapped up his remarks at the G20 summit in Turkey this morning with a searing indictment of American unwillingness to take in Syrian refugees – and, in particular, the idea (increasingly popular among Republicans) that the U.S. should only take in refugees if they’re Christians.

“Bringing people into this country from that area of the world I think is a huge mistake, because why wouldn’t they infiltrate them with people who are ideologically opposed to us?”

Despite the staggering figures, fellow Republicans have agreed with Cruz, including Jeb Bush, who said on CNN’s State of the Union that America should “focus efforts…on the Christians that are being slaughtered”. “We don’t have religious tests to our compassion”.

I am reminded over and over during this presidency of the importance of us voters properly “vetting” the candidates to assure that we elect a person who has the qualifications whether or not he or she is a consummate speaker.

Co-host John Heilemann asked about President Obama’s denunciation of a religious preference for accepting Christian refugees as “not American”. “It would be foolish for them not to do that”. “There’s a broader issue at stake here, and it is the fact that there’s a group of people that have declared war on Western civilization and on our country”, Bush said. “But to bring them here under these circumstances is a suspension of intellect”.

KARL [TO CRUZ]: And you don’t think it’s un-American to say, only Christians, no Muslims? “They’ll be either executed or imprisoned either by [Syrian dictator Bashar al-] Assad or by ISIS”.

DONALD TRUMP: The problem is, we don’t know if they’re Christian or not and I would certainly say that would be a superior, but we don’t know if they’re Christian or not.

“When Pope Francis came to visit the United States and gave a speech before Congress, he didn’t just speak about Christians who were being persecuted”, Obama said.

And Trump’s close second in the polls, Ben Carson, did not escape Obama’s wrath after saying last week that perhaps his sources on Syria were better than the White House’s after he said China is involved in Syria. “With his excuse-laden and defensive press conference, President Obama removed any and all doubt that he lacks the resolve or a strategy to defeat and destroy ISIS”, said Reince Priebus, chairman of the Republican National Committee. He didn’t call on Catholic parishes just to admit to those who were of the same religious faith. Ted Cruz, and though Obama did not name Cruz, he made it very clear he was infuriated with the GOP firebrand.

“I can not think of a more potent recruitment tool for ISIL than a few of the rhetoric coming out of here in the course of this debate”.

Its not our obligation to take in all of the challenges of the world, Bush said following an appearance at Wholly Smokin BBQ here Tuesday afternoon. The presidential hopeful has also said Christians from war-torn Syria are victims and do not pose a risk of terrorism, whereas letting in Muslim refugees would be “lunacy”. On this, they should follow his example. It was the right impulse.