Earlier today the New York City landmarks commission voted unanimously to clear the way for construction of an Islamic center nearby the site where the World Trade Center once stood. In doing so, the commission stood up for the interests of New Yorkers, and not for those of the intolerant right-wing minority that perniciously conflated “Muslim” with “terrorist” in loudly opposing the Islamic center's existence.

As a progressive, I find it unavoidable to experience a little Schadenfreude whenever the militant right's online foot-stamping and high (im)moral dudgeon comes to naught. But this one is particularly satisfying.

The saga surrounding the “Ground Zero mosque,” as it came to be called, brought out the very worst of the right-wing's many unsavory traits: terrorism exploitation, religious intolerance and bigotry, a limitless capacity for lies and venom. But it was all wasted as cooler headed tolerance won the day.

And after two years of seeing our public discourse derailed by death panels, New Black Panthers, and ACORN videos, it's comforting to know that we can still, even in small ways, get to the business of strengthening American values without having to make concessions to the backward right-wing rage machine.