Opinion

Bam’s bent knee . . .

The Obama administration’s mugging of the First Amendment continues apace.

The State Department was all over the airwaves in Pakistan yesterday, spending tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars pleading with Muslims not to blame the US government — that is, Barack Obama — for that anti-Islam video.

The 30-second spots feature the president citing America’s long tradition of religious tolerance.

They might also have included Obama talking about this nation’s equally long and cherished tradition of free speech.

But they don’t.

Indeed, they might even have pointed out that Americans enjoy a right to speak their minds — whenever they choose, whatever their opinions — and that most Pakistanis don’t.

Instead, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is seen condemning the YouTube video and insisting that Washington had nothing at all to do with it.

Please, please don’t blame us, is the message — it wasn’t our fault.

Though that’s precisely what Pakistan — Washington’s putative ally in fighting terrorism — is doing.

Astonishingly, today has been declared a national holiday by the Islamic republic’s government — in order to allow Pakistanis to take to the streets to “peacefully” protest the video.

As tens of thousands did yesterday in trying to storm the US Embassy in Islamabad before they were turned away by Pakistani police firing tear-gas cannisters.

Fine. That’s how Muslim mobs roll.

But for the White House to kowtow to the crazies is something else altogether.

Remember that the administration’s first instinct — as it was in Cairo when a raging rabble had targeted the US Embassy there — is to apologize.

Case in point: In Islamabad yesterday, the embassy was pumping out mass e-mails containing a link to a video of ordinary Americans condemning the film.

There’s no reason not to stress to Pakistanis that Americans show tolerance for all religions, including Islam.

That’s how we roll.

But to do so with no reference at all to the fact that free speech is a bedrock American principle reduces a teachable moment to a pathetic grovel.

And that won’t make Americans any safer, nor bring peace any closer.