3/10/16

(Photo: ‪No Punches In Unusually Civil GOP Debate So Far‬

‬Miami, Florida)

Republicans Make News With a Civil Debate. Bill Whalen, Hoover, Rick Outzen, Independent Weekly, WCOA. John Fund NRO. David Drucker, Washington Examiner.

U.S. Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump came under fire from his rivals on Thursday for saying Muslims hate the United States at a debate that was relatively free of the gut-punching attacks that have dominated past encounters.

Trump, the front-runner who could tighten his grip on the Republican presidential nomination battle if he wins Florida and Ohio on Tuesday, defended his belief, as stated in television interviews, that followers of Islam "hate us."

"We have a serious problem of hate. There is tremendous hate," Trump said.

But Trump's rivals, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas and Ohio Governor John Kasich said the United States needs to maintain good relations with Muslim countries in the Middle East to help in the fight against Islamic State militants.

"We are going to have to work with people in the Muslim faith even as Islam faces a serious crisis within it," Rubio said.

Rubio also defended American Muslims as patriots.

"If you go anywhere in the world you're going see American men and women serving us in uniform that are Muslims," he said.

"Anyone out there that has the uniform of the United States on and is willing to die for this country is someone that loves America," he added.

Kasich, looking to win his home state of Ohio on Tuesday in order to keep his candidacy going, said Middle Eastern allies in the Arab world are essential.

"The fact is if we're going to defeat ISIS, we're going to have to have those countries," he said, citing Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-idUSKCN0WA19S