He wants Muslims out of the U.S., and he’s Blakeman’s opener

This post was originally published on Politico.

Tennessee Republican Rep. Andy Ogles will be receiving an award at the Metropolitan Republican Club's annual gala.

THE ISLAMAPHOBE & BLAKEMAN: As Nassau County Executive, Republican Bruce Blakeman has welcomed Muslim residents with open arms.

He’s eaten at their Ramadan Iftar dinners, appointed the first Muslim chaplain to the county’s police force and talked about the value of Muslims as Nassau County county residents and Americans.

But as he tries to win a statewide race for governor, Blakeman is now aligning himself with a leader of the anti-Muslim faction of the national GOP — and he’s not responding to questions about it.

On Friday night, Blakeman will appear with Rep. Andy Ogles — the Tennessee Republican who