Minnesota sends first Muslim to Congress

[Charlie Brown]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N07465488.htm

MINNEAPOLIS, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Voters elected a black Democrat as the first Muslim in Congress on Tuesday after a race in which he advocated quick U.S. withdrawal from Iraq and made little mention of his faith.

Keith Ellison, a 43-year-old lawyer and state representative, defeated two rivals, television networks said, to succeed retiring Democrat Martin Sabo in a seat that has been held by Democrats since 1963.

Ellison, who converted to Islam as a 19-year-old college student in his native Detroit, won with the help of Muslims among a coalition of liberal, anti-war voters.

Born into a Roman Catholic family in Detroit, Ellison said his values were shaped by both faiths, along with his grandfather's civil rights work in the Deep South.

Opponents focused on Ellison's sloppy handling of his taxes and a slew of unpaid parking tickets, along with his one-time affiliation with the Nation of Islam, whose leader, Louis Farrakhan, has been criticized for making anti-Semitic remarks. Ellison subsequently said he worked with the group largely to promote the 1995 Million Man March.

[TwoHandedLayup]

1. Read the Freepers on this one.

Twisted shit over there.

[wellst0nev0ter]

6. I Can't Believe RimJob Didn't Shut Down That Post Already

"fuck the burqa, buy ammo?!!!" WTF??

[JoFerret]

19. Freepers

- in general - are sick, narrow-minded bigoted, unimaginative people who hate democracy, fear freedom and loathe and despise anyone who is different from their own narrow segment of humanity. I am sure they are treating this victory with racist ignorance, intolerance, fear and loathing. They need to wake up to the world in which they live and work toward peace and democracy, equity and justice, and the American way. The world has women in it. Gays in it. Non-christians in it. Even some non-Americans! Some of those people even have conservative leanings! Shock! Horror!

[IntiRaymi]

2. Cool!

Time to pull this country out of this islamophobic binge!!!

[keopeli]

3. Congratulations, Minnesota! n/t

[greblc]

23. Thanks!

I Voted for Him.

[niallmac]

4. Has sloppy tax returns and doesn't pay his parking tickets?

Hey, this guy represents ME!

[Thegonagle]

14. Laughing my (drunk) ass off.

That's me too. Maybe that's why I voted for him in the primaries and last night.

[Tight_rope]

5. Congratulations....

[Pachamama]

7. Wow! Some representative democracy!!!

:applause:

[Thor_MN]

8. Wait until you get to know Bachman, you won't be thanking us...

She could give Krazy Kate Harris a run for the money in terms of being an insane neocon bobblehead. Toss in her homophobia (that really understates it, it's more like unadulterated hate) and you got one nasty person. I give her less than a year for a "Mean Jean" meltdown.

Fortunately, Ellison's my rep!!!

[RobbinsdaleDem]

10. Ellison's my rep, too. :o)

I'm really disappointed that Bachman beat Wetterling. Bachman is one crazy woman.

[Thegonagle]

15. I'd have loved the opportunity to vote against

that crazy, crazy, crazy Bachman. I really like Patty Wetterling as a candidate and a person. Her son Jacob was abducted and never seen again, for Christ's sake. Her son was only 11 when he was taken and presumably murdered (after God knows what else). I was 15. That was 16 years ago. She was ready to make a stand for all things that are right.

Bachman is just another RW Christian Wing-Nut Crazy.

(EDIT: forgot to say that I'm also in MN's 5th CD, and I'm proud that he's my rep.)

[greblc]

24. Ellison's is my rep too, and I have begun my Bachman apologies too.

Bachman moves fast she'll make a name for herself in short time.

[gristy]

9. Awesome!!!!!!!!!!!

:thumbsup:

[CrazyForKucinich]

11. He joining the Progressive Caucus?

I know Kucinich was here for him.

[truthisfreedom]

12. the only sign in my yard is for Keith.

i didn't feel it was necessary to put signs up for the others... we knew they would win. 8^)

[Eurobabe]

13. Fantastic, that's DEMOCRACY, many voices.

Good on MN.

[Sabriel]

16. I heard him on Al Franken's show

And I wished I could vote for him. He's one person I'm looking forward to hearing more about.

[eppur_se_muova]

17. Not to quibble, but ... first KNOWN Muslim.

There is no formal requirement that candidates publicly state their religion, sexual orientation, or any other personal matter which they do not regard as bearing on their ability to represent the voters.

It may be a matter of pride or progress to some to note the "first Jewish ______" , "first Catholic ______" , "first Atheist ______" , "first gay ______" to be elected, but given the oppression that each of those groups has faced, don't you suppose that perhaps there were others, in the earlier years of the Republic, who belonged to those groups but feared rejection if that knowledge became widely known? So while it's nice to see a more inclusive Congress, remember to add "...that we know of" in each case.

First Atheist to hold national office? Anyone?

[loyalsister]

18. excellent point...

The presence of those optionally stated invisible differences are characteristcs among historical figures has been buried.

[YankeyMCC]

22. It would certainly be wonderful progress to see

a "first atheist" (openly atheist) elected anything.

[greblc]

25. Thomas Jefferson?

Atheist or Agnostic?

[MnFats]

20. Ellison will be under a microscope from the moment he sets foot

...in d.c. well, in fact he already is.
....lots of people will be waiting for him to make some kind of misstep, then wildly extrapolate about how Muslims should not hold office in this Christian nation.....
...i have some reservations myself, but I wish they'd giv him a chance....

[greblc]

26. He has his chance he won!

The world will be watching. That will only add to his influence. He has a good agenda and will get the press he needs to forward it.

[Lindacooks]

21. We were at the fund-raiser for Amy Klobuchar and a bunch of white

kids were protesting against Representative-elect Ellison. We laughed at them then, and we're laughing now!

[PsychoDad]

27. But will he be able to fly to DC?

Isn't he on a no fly list yet? :sarcasm:

Congratulations to this brother :) A Black Dem Muslim. And congrats to the First Woman Speaker of the house, also a Dem.. Indeed, we have arrived to the shores of the promised land.

I can really begin to see a day when we are not judged by our skin, sex or creed, but upon the content of our character.

I think MLK would approve.





Peace.