I suspect that if bibles or American flags were being burned, we might hear more from them.
On the other hand, I have heard both conservative and liberal commentators state that the same constitutional rights that protect the rights of property owners to build an Islamic Community Center (not a Mosque) at Ground Zero also protect any citizens right to burn a Quran. They almost all go on to say that just because we have the right to do something doesn't mean we should do it. Mayor Bloomberg has made a similar statement:
NYC mayor defends Pastor Terry Jones’ Quran-burning rally
Here are two final points, regarding you taking this opportunity to bash Republicans with an awful bit of political opportunism (and there are plenty of good things to bash Republicans with at this time that don't involve a firestorm debate about the exercise of free speech.
1) from "Burning the Koran is no way to tackle radical Islam" by Con Coughlin of the U.K. Telegraph (
SOURCE):
"That is why Mrs Clinton’s forthright denunciation is so welcome. But what about Mr Obama? He was quick to justify the right of Muslims living in New York to build a mosque next to Ground Zero. But when it comes to protecting American service personnel fighting in defence of American liberty he appears strangely reticent."
2) from "Americans rallying against Qur’an burning" by Mitch Potter of The Toronto Star (
SOURCE):
“What is most striking today is how effective a very small group can be in leveraging the media to get so much attention. This is a very tiny group. Let’s all remember that.”