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Keith Ellison (politician)
Encyclopedia
Keith Maurice Ellison is the U.S. Representative
for , serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
. The district centers on Minneapolis. He was re-elected in 2010. Ellison is a co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus
.
He is the first Muslim
to be elected to the United States
Congress
. He is also the first African American
elected to the House from Minnesota.
in Detroit, Michigan
by his parents Clida (née Martinez) and Leonard Ellison, a social work
er and a psychiatrist
, respectively. Ellison and three of his siblings became lawyers while the other became a doctor. One of his brothers is also the pastor of the Baptist
"Church of the New Covenant" in Detroit. Ellison's youth was influenced by the involvement of his family in the civil rights movement
, including the work of his grandfather as a member of the NAACP
in Louisiana
.
He graduated from the University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy
in 1981 where he had been active in sports and the student senate. At age 19, while attending Wayne State University
in Detroit, Ellison converted from Catholicism to Islam
, later giving the following explanation: "I can't claim that I was the most observant Catholic at the time [of my conversion]. I had begun to really look around and ask myself about the social circumstances of the country, issues of justice, issues of change. When I looked at my spiritual life, and I looked at what might inform social change, justice in society... I found Islam."
After graduating with a B.A.
in economics
in 1987, he married his high school sweetheart and moved to Minneapolis to attend the University of Minnesota Law School
. While attending law school, Ellison wrote several articles in support of Louis Farrakhan
of the Nation of Islam
. He graduated with a Juris Doctor
in 1990.
Ellison and his wife Kim, a high school mathematics teacher, have four children born between 1989 and 1997. They have a daughter, Amirah; and three sons, Jeremiah, Elijah, and Isaiah. Kim is not a Muslim, but their four children have been raised in that faith. During Ellison's 2006 campaign, Kim Ellison revealed that she has been living with moderate multiple sclerosis
for several years.
After law school Ellison worked with the firm of Lindquist & Vennum for three years where he was a litigator specializing in civil rights, employment, and criminal defense law. Ellison then became executive director of the nonprofit Legal Rights Center in Minneapolis that specialized in the defense of indigent clients. Upon leaving the Legal Rights Center, Ellison entered private practice with the law firm Hassan & Reed Ltd, specializing in trial practice.
In addition to his work for the Legal Rights Center, Ellison has also been regularly involved in community service. He served as the unpaid host of a public affairs talk program at KMOJ
radio. He has also often volunteered as a track
coach for several organizations, working with youth between the ages of 5 and 18. He said, "It’s a great community-building device because it’s for all ages and all genders. Everyone can find a way to fit in."
serving House District 58B. At the time he took his seat, his party was the smallest House minority in Minnesota history. During this session, Ellison was appointed to the Governmental Operations & Veterans Affairs Policy Committee, the Judiciary Policy & Finance Committee and the Local Government & Metropolitan Affairs Committee. In this session he spearheaded an ethics complaint against Rep. Arlon Lindner
concerning remarks about homosexuals in the Holocaust
.
was filled by Augustine Willie Dominguez, a Latino community activist and fellow member of the DFL
.
. Ellison later announced that Brian Elliott (previously of the Clean Water Action Alliance of Minnesota) would serve as his district director, and Trayshana Thomas (who worked with Ellison in his legal practice and throughout all stages of his political career) was made his district scheduler.
He said he intended to focus on wages and housing for "relief and justice for the middle class". Because of Ellison’s campaign position calling for an investigation for the impeachment of President George W. Bush, his appointment to the Judiciary Committee (which has jurisdiction on these matters) was hailed by those seeking to have the president impeached.
with Raúl Grijalva
of Arizona.
Ellison was appointed to the Financial Services Committee. He will be joined on this committee by fellow Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann
(R).
On January 10, 2007, Ellison was appointed to the Judiciary Committee
by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
(D-CA). This is a position he "had lobbied for" and he called his appointment "an honor and a privilege". He spoke of his goals for this appointment, "I look forward to pursuing a progressive agenda in the committee, including the restoration of American citizens' civil liberties that have come under increasing attack over the past six years." Other issues he intends to focus on while in this post are "community-oriented policing efforts, immigration, intellectual property rights and privacy concerns including the Internet."
, voted for stem cell
research, and voted to allow Medicare
to negotiate pharmaceutical prices.
in opposing President George W. Bush
's plan to increase troop levels in Iraq
. On January 10, 2007, Bush announced his plans for the Iraq War troop surge of 2007
. The gist of this announcement had been known around the Capitol for over a week, and when the Associated Press
asked Ellison for his reaction to the idea on January 8, 2007, he stated that it was "way too late, way too little …So rather than do something small and ineffective, why not get about the business of what we're going to have to do eventually, which is to begin to end the occupation?" Ellison called for an immediate withdrawal in Iraq: "We could describe it as a redeployment or withdrawal, but I think we have run the course in terms of our ability to resolve this conflict militarily. I think we need to have a political and economic and diplomatic engagement, and we need to encourage the forces that are in Iraq to begin to resolve the violence in Iraq." When asked if he would support Bush’s call for an additional $100 billion to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Ellison said, "I want to see [the request] first, I want to actually look at it, but I'm not inclined to continue to support a war or an occupation that he has no plans to get us out of, and which is so costly in terms of dollars and lives of American soldiers but also Iraqis." The White House
, when asked for a reaction to the comments, referred to a previous statement by press secretary Tony Snow
: "Democrats will have to decide where they stand on two issues: ‘No. 1, do you want Iraq to succeed, and, if so, what does that mean? And, No. 2, do you believe in supporting the troops as you say, and how do you express that support?’"
joined with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other top House Democrats in voting "no" to HR 2206 that provided the funding without any timetables. The bill passed the House on a 280 to 142 margin.
On May 3, 2007, Ellison introduced a bill to outlaw universal default
, the practice whereby credit card
companies raise interest rates on customers if they are behind on payments to any other creditors. The bill was also supported by House Financial Services Committee chairman Rep. Barney Frank
. Ellison, who described the bill as "the beginning of a whole credit reform effort we’re going to be pursuing," also announced his interest in limiting high interest rates on credit cards and easing the process for those who have a legitimate need to file bankruptcy
.
saying, "He speaks with a unifying spirit." He said he supports "Obama's message of an open and fair economy, a balanced prosperity and clear opposition to the war in Iraq." When asked about Hillary Clinton, he promised he would support whomever won the Democratic nomination, and felt that at that stage of the campaign Obama would "keep her honest".
(D-OH) to impeach Vice President Dick Cheney
for "high crimes and misdemeanors." Other Democratic representatives sponsoring the bill were William Clay
(MO), Janice Schakowsky (IL), Albert Russell Wynn (MD), Yvette Clarke (NY), Hank Johnson
(GA), and California's Barbara Lee
, Lynn Woolsey
and Maxine Waters
. Ellison's spokesperson said the effort was "largely to send a message" and the representative "has no illusions that this is going anywhere and that's fine. We've got more important things to do that affect people's daily lives. He basically signed on out of principle, as an expression of the importance of the rule of law — that nobody is above the law, not even the vice president."
, where he denounced Bush's commutation of Lewis Libby
's sentence: "If Libby gets pardoned, then he should not have the cover of the Fifth Amendment
. He's going to have to come clean and tell the truth. Now, he could get Gonzales-itis [referring to U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales
], you know, with 71 lapses of memory within a two-hour period." He also criticized Bush's White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives
saying, "This is basically the Department of Religious Outreach ... . It's essentially a public-relations outreach arm for the Bush administration to reach out to the far right of the evangelical Christian
movement. That's really all it is."
to White House Chief of Staff
Joshua Bolten and former White House Counsel
Harriet Miers
for "failure to comply with subpoenas on the firings of several federal prosecutors
". When asked about the president's offer to allow them to testify in private and without a transcript, Ellison stated, "That won't do. There's no point of accountability. They have to be sworn. These kind of measures are necessary to ensure that truth-telling occurs." Having passed the Committee the citations moved on to be voted upon by the full House.
, "U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison has become the first Minnesota elected official to step forward and address the connections between the Summer Olympics and China's foreign policy and domestic human rights policies. The Democratic 5th District congressman issued a remarkably strong statement Friday March 21, 2008 that broadly criticized the Chinese government for its Tibet policy and for its relationship with Sudan's leaders 'as they commit genocide on the citizens of Darfur.' "
, Lynn Woolsey
for civil disobedience in April 2009 when they spoke at the Sudan
ese Embassy in Washington, D.C.
to protest that the president of Sudan
, Omar al-Bashir
, had asked international aid groups bringing food, health care and water, to leave Darfur
.
(D-CA), Tom Lantos
(D-CA), Louise Slaughter (D-NY), Nick Rahall
(D-WV) and Dave Hobson
(R-OH) and was led by Speaker Nancy Pelosi
. The delegation visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
and the Western Wall
. Ellison called his visit to Islam's third-holiest site, the Al-Aqsa Mosque
, as "personally moving". The group met with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert
and discussed the peace plan devised by the Saudis in 2002. The delegation also met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas
. Pelosi also addressed the Israeli Knesset
. The group's visit to Syria
was criticized by the Bush administration, which restated its view that the United States should not have diplomatic relations with state sponsors of terrorism. While there the delegation conveyed a message from Olmert to Syrian President Bashar Assad that "Israel is interested in peace if Damascus stops supporting terrorism". In Lebanon
the group met with Prime Minister Fouad Siniora
and Speaker Nabih Berri
. They also visited the grave of Rafik Hariri
and met with his son Saad Hariri
. In Saudi Arabia
the group spoke to King Abdullah
and his Shura Council
. They praised his peace plan and advocated a greater role for women in his nation's political process. Ellison's inclusion in the delegation was praised by council member Abdul-Rahman al-Zamel. Ellison called the king a "visionary leader" and that "Even being in the same country where Mecca
and Medina
are located was personally uplifting for me." Ellison also said he hoped his presence as a Muslim among the delegation conveyed a message to the Israelis and Palestinians that "people can come together. Reconciliation is possible." He also said he was there to learn and did not consider himself qualified to mediate in the conflict.
and led by Rep. Jerry McNerney
(D-CA). Before the trip Ellison told reporters that he would be stopping over in Germany to visit wounded U.S. soldiers being treated there. He also stated that he respected any politician who visited Iraq, making note of Republican Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty
(who went February 10–11, 2007, with five other governors). Ellison said, "If this country is going to ask these young people to stand in a war zone, their political leadership should visit them." In Iraq the delegation met with Iraqi and U.S. military officials, including Gen. David Petraeus
. The group in flak vests and helmets visited Ramadi
in the Anbar province. Ellison noted "we did see people walking around the streets of Ramadi, going back and forth to the market." He also noted that he was impressed that Maj. Gen. Walter Gaskin, U.S. commander in the Anbar province, greeted people with "as-salama aleikum
". And they would respond back with smiles and waves. I don't want to overplay it. There were no flowers. There was no clapping. There was no parade. But there was a general level of respect and calm that I thought was good. The success in Ramadi is not just because of bombs and bullets, but because the U.S. and Iraqi military and the Iraqi police are partnering with the tribal leadership and the religious leadership. So they're not trying to just bomb people into submission. What they're doing is respecting the people, giving the people some control over their own lives." While in Ramadi, Ellison met "with two sheiks, who oversee several hundred thousand congregants." Ellison told reporters that "They were very upset and concerned that al-Qaeda is misrepresenting Islam. And they were talking to me about what I can possibly do to work with them to give a clearer, more accurate picture of what Islam is all about." Ellison, who assists the State Department's "outreach effort aimed at improving the image of the U.S. in the Muslim world" told them he would help any way he could. Ellison said that local leaders in Ramadi told him of how they "partnered with U.S. and Iraqi military officials to virtually rid al-Qaeda from the city. There have been fewer anti-U.S. sermons as the violence has been reduced and religious leaders meet regularly with U.S. military officials." After the trip, Ellison stated that he was still certain "it was a mistake for the U.S. to invade Iraq. But there are 150,000 American soldiers there now, and I care very deeply about them. I also care about the Iraqi people. I don't want to see them suffer."
(D-MD) led the group and personally invited Ellison to join them for a stay from August 12–18, 2007. The group met with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Ellison's spokesperson told reporters that the trip was "a natural extension of his visit to Iraq" and that "the Middle East peace issue is important to the diverse communities of his Minneapolis-area district — from the Jewish Community Relations Council
to the patrons of the Holy Land Middle Eastern eatery on Lake Street
and Central Avenue. He hears about it every time he goes back to his district." The group traveled to Jerusalem, Tel Aviv
, the northern Galilee
region, and Ramallah
, and viewed the Israeli border with Lebanon.
During this trip, Ellison stated that Israel did not permit him to travel to Gaza
, where a conflict was occurring. In a 2009 interview with reporter Shihab Rattansi
, Ellison expressed his disappointment at his inability to see the humanitarian situation for himself. In the same interview, he called for a more open discussion on Gaza, stating: "The people who have a strong sympathy for the Israeli position... dominate the conversation. And it’s really not politically safe to say, look, there are two sides to this, and Israel has not been a angel in this, and certainly there have been people on the Palestinian side who have not contributed to a constructive solution."
, (D-WA-03), visited Gaza
to view firsthand the destruction from recent Israel
i air and ground attacks and to meet with international and local relief agencies. Others in the visit included Senator John Kerry (D-MA
). This visit, which did not have the official sanction of the Obama Administration, is the first time anyone from the U.S. government has entered Gaza
in more than three years. Ellison had this to say about Gaza;
Ellison became the first Muslim elected to the Federal Government and the highest Muslim elected official in the United States. Ellison joins Congressman André Carson
(D-IN
), State Rep. Ako Abdul-Samad
(D-IA
), State Del. Saqib Ali
(D-MD
), State Senator Larry Shaw
(D-NC
) and State Rep. Saghir "Saggy" Tahir (R-NH
) as elected Muslim officials in the United States of America as of 2008. Ellison’s election has been seen as inspirational to American Muslims, encouraging civic empowerment through participation in the political process. Ellison generally "downplayed the role of religion in his drive for office," but since his 2006 election he has become active in advocacy for Islamic causes on a national level.
s must be able to provide Muslims with the proper guidance and educate them on the etiquettes of any political involvement within the Islamic context. Questions also arise on whether Imams and Islamic centers should be involved in politics at all and what the extent of this involvement should be, therefore Imams should have the ability to address these concerns. Overall, it is important that Imams are aware and understand the general political climate of their communities and be especially conversant with the issues that affect Muslims." Ellison also took part in "Community Night" with Imam Siraj Wahhaj
, and Imam Dr. Omar Shahin
. This was "for Imams to meet and interact with community members." Some of the participants of this meeting became involved in the Flying Imams controversy
after being removed from an Arizona bound plane for concerning behavior. Ellison became involved in this controversy shortly after it erupted when he attempted to arrange a meeting between parties including US Airways executives, the Metropolitan Airports Commission
, and other legislators and community members.
, Muslim, and Arab-American communities, along with members of the organized labor movement. He told those in attendance that the principles of Islam guide his life, but he has no intention of imposing his faith on others, "I'm not a religious leader, I've never led religious services of any kind. I'm not here to be a preacher, but in terms of political agenda items, my faith informs me." He addressed the Quran Oath controversy of the 110th United States Congress and said that "religion should be something that unites, rather than divide people...'They've never actually tried to explore how religion should connect us, they're into how religion divides us. ...They haven't really explored...how my faith connects me to you.'"
2007 annual convention.
and other top State Department officials to talk about showcasing his story as part of their public diplomacy efforts in the Muslim world." According to the Star Tribune
, Ellison was "profiled three times by the State Department’s overseas press bureau." He also "did a Voice of America
interview from his office, where an American flag was placed conspicuously behind his desk for the cameras." In the interview which was set to play in the Middle East and South Asia, Ellison stressed global inclusiveness and quoted verse 49:13 of the Qur'an "Oh humanity, we created you from a single pair…" Ellison also accepted the Bush administrations request to be part of a "teleconference with Karen Hughes
, the State Department's undersecretary for public diplomacy. The White House has asked that the teleconference promote American values and confront ideological support for terrorism around the world." The Voice of America’s Faiz Rehman, ("a Pakistani native and senior political producer") applauded Ellison's cooperation saying "He is the most famous freshman congressman in the world." It was noted that after he took his oath of office he was surrounded by the foreign press, intrigued in part by the oath controversy, who "had to be ushered out of his office after he took his oath to make room for home-state news crews." Ellison has been "featured in a series of articles written for foreign dissemination by the Department's Bureau of International Information Programs." Including an article that was translated into Persian and Arabic that "highlighted the diversity of his constituents in Minnesota, ranging from Swedes and Norwegians to 'the largest Somali immigrant community in America.'" In his work in cooperation with the state department, Ellison stresses the religious freedom available in the US, saying things like "Religious tolerance has a much longer pedigree in America than some of the intolerance we've seen lately." Even in his work with the State Department he remained critical of President Bush's Iraq policy saying "he wants people around the world to know that 'there are many Americans who want to relate to the rest of the world in terms of cooperation, not military domination.'" Ellison staffers told reporters that "the State Department has shown no signs of squeamishness about publicizing his criticism of the war." When asked about working with elements of the Bush administration Ellison said "Hey, my country first. We can work out our political differences later. I've said I'm willing to do whatever I can to make some friends for America."
. In the articles, he defended Louis Farrakhan
against accusations of antisemitism, and suggested that affirmative action
served as a "sneaky" way of paying reparations
to African Americans for slavery. In another article, he purportedly suggested the creation of a separate state for black residents.
In 1997, when Joanne Jackson, executive director of the Minneapolis Initiative Against Racism (MIAR), allegedly said that, "Jews are among the most racist white people", Ellison, using his religious name Mohammed, read a statement supporting her on behalf of the The Minneapolis-St. Paul Study Group of the Nations of Islam. Ellison later suggested that he used the controversy to "[speak] out in favor of increased dialogue between the Jewish and African-American communities." In 1998, during his Minnesota State Legislature House campaign, Ellison asserted that he "rejected anti-Jewish attitudes".
Questions about Ellison's involvement with the Nation of Islam
arose during his 2006 campaign. After winning the Democratic party nomination in May, he wrote a letter to the local Jewish Community Relations Council where he reportedly "asserted that his involvement with the Nation of Islam had been limited to an 18-month period around the time of the Million Man March in 1995, that he had been unfamiliar with the Nation of Islam's anti-Semitic views during his involvement with the group, and that he himself had never expressed such views." He also stated that he was never a member of the Nation of Islam, but only worked with it to organize the Minnesota contingent to the Million Man March
, and has insisted he is a Sunni Muslim
.
In Ellison's letter, he denounced the Nation of Islam and Farrakhan, writing "I wrongly dismissed concerns that they [Farrakhan's remarks] were anti-Semitic. They were and are anti-Semitic and I should have come to that conclusion earlier than I did." He explained his previous views, saying that he, "did not adequately scrutinize the positions and statements of the Nation of Islam, Louis Farrakhan, and Khalid Muhammed." He also stated that "any kind of discrimination and hate are wrong. This has always been my position".
, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations
(CAIR) and James Yee
, the former Muslim chaplain at Guantanamo Bay, spoke at an August 25 fundraiser for Ellison. According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune Ellison accepted thousands of dollars from Nihad Awad and another leader of CAIR; Ellison responded that he had fully disclosed all contributions and asserted that he had "nothing to hide". Ellison stressed that he was supported by individuals, and that the organization CAIR itself did not endorse him. His Republican opponent in the race, Alan Fine, criticized Ellison for accepting these contributions. Fine said that CAIR was "a group that Democrats say has deep ties to terrorism". The Fine campaign quoted Sens. Charles Schumer
(D-NY) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) alleging CAIR's "ties to terrorism" and "its association with groups that are suspect." Many conservatives and Jewish groups claim CAIR is rooted in the Hamas
movement and that its leaders also secretly support Hezbollah in Lebanon. Fine went so far as to say "CAIR is to Muslims as the Ku Klux Klan is to Christians." During the 2006 election Independence Party candidate Tammy Lee also accused CAIR of having secret ties to Hamas. CAIR director Nihad Awad has known Ellison since they both attended the University of Minnesota.
In response to Ellison's opponents, CAIR leaders Parvez Ahmed
and Nihad Awad wrote "We are proud of our personal donations to Ellison's campaign" and derided any 'guilt by association' arguments. During this time the "Not in the Name of Islam" paid advertisement began appearing on Minnesota television channels for the first time, with Communications Director of CAIR, Florida Ahmed Bedier, coordinating the ad campaign.
During October 2006, Ellison traveled to Florida on a fundraising tour that "included a party hosted by Altaf Ali, CAIR's state director there". The party had a suggested donation of $100. Since winning the 2006 election, Ellison and CAIR have continued their association.(see above)
Ellison also failed to pay all or part of his income taxes in five separate years between 1992 and 2000, forcing the state and Internal Revenue Service
to put lien
s on his home. He later paid in excess of $18,000.
of CNN Headline News
said to Ellison, "I have been nervous about this interview with you, because what I feel like saying is, 'Sir, prove to me that you are not working with our enemies.' And I know you're not. I'm not accusing you of being an enemy, but that's the way I feel, and I think a lot of Americans will feel that way." Ellison replied that his constituents, "know that I have a deep love and affection for my country. There's no one who's more patriotic than I am, and so you know, I don't need to — need to prove my patriotic stripes."
When asked by Beck about his opinion on "Muslim extremists" Ellison replied, "They're criminals. But I think that people who commit criminal acts should be treated like criminals, regardless of their faith." Ellison has also said, "Osama bin Laden
no more represents Islam
than Timothy McVeigh
represented Christianity
."
Asked about the incident later, Ellison dismissed it, "It's just shock TV. Some pundits think they have to ask the most outrageous questions." On January 2, 2007, Beck said on his radio program
that Ellison did not take offense at the comments and the two had a friendly chat off the air. On January 9, 2007, at the Television Critics Association's semiannual press tour, Beck said it was "Quite possibly the poorest-worded question of all time." He clarified by saying, "My point to Keith Ellison ... is the same point that I make to my own faith, and that is — you must stand up before things get out of control ... And it's important for people of all faiths, when someone is hijacking their religion, to stand and say, 'That is not what we do. That is not who we are."'
Because Ellison stated an intent to use the Quran instead of a Bible
at his photo-op reenactment of the swearing in ceremony (the official ceremony is done en masse without any books), Conservative columnist Dennis Prager
wrote a column criticizing him. This drew responses from organizations such as the Council on American-Islamic Relations
(CAIR), the American Family Association
, and the Anti-Defamation League
.
Fifth-term Rep. Virgil Goode
(R-VA
), responding to "scores and hundreds of emails" from his constituents after the Prager articles, has also stated his view that Ellison's decision to use the Quran is a threat to "the values and beliefs traditional to the United States of America". He also wrote, "...if American citizens don’t wake up and adopt the Virgil Goode position on immigration there will likely be many more Muslims elected to office and demanding the use of the Quran."
CNN
reported that on January 4, 2007 (the opening day of Congress), Ellison met Goode on the House floor to shake hands and Goode accepted an offer to talk over coffee.
That same day during his oath reenactment, Ellison used a two volume Quran published in London
in 1764 that was once owned by Thomas Jefferson
and loaned to Ellison by "the rare book and special collections division at the Library of Congress
". According to Ellison, "It demonstrates that from the very beginning of our country, we had people who were visionary, who were religiously tolerant, who believed that knowledge and wisdom could be gleaned from any number of sources, including the Quran." Historian Kevin J. Hayes in his book How Thomas Jefferson Read the Qur'an explains that Jefferson purchased the book in 1765 while studying for the bar exam to become a lawyer (when he began questioning British Common Law after the Stamp Act Crisis
).
President Barack Obama
in an address to nations with a majority Muslim population made in Cairo
, Egypt
on June 4, 2009 cited this event as an example of the continual positive impact Muslims have had on America, saying, "And when the first Muslim-American was recently elected to Congress, he took the oath to defend our Constitution using the same Holy Quran that one of our Founding Fathers—Thomas Jefferson—kept in his personal library."
asserts it is "beneath his dignity in order for him to answer any questions from the citizens of the United States. That is the very definition of totalitarianism
, authoritarianism
and dictatorship
." He went on to say, "It's almost like the Reichstag fire
, kind of reminds me of that. After the Reichstag was burned, they blamed the Communists for it and it put the leader of that country Hitler in a position where he could basically have authority to do whatever he wanted. The fact is that I'm not saying September 11 was a U.S. plan, or anything like that because, you know, that's how they put you in the nut-ball box — dismiss you."
Fox News picked up the story and their commentator John Gibson
categorized Ellison's comments as accusing "Bush
of planning and executing the 9/11 attacks". In the Congress Reps. Eric Cantor
(R-VA) and Zach Wamp
(R-TN
) wrote House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
demanding she "swiftly and immediately" reprimand Ellison for his remarks. The letter said "Even if Ellison asserts that he was not implying that 9/11 was orchestrated by the administration, the comparison he draws between Hitler and the president of United States is disgraceful. These comments inflame hatred and division at a time when we should be promoting our unity and reconciliation." The Anti-Defamation League
also stated "Whatever his views may be on the administration's response to 9/11 and the conduct of the war on terrorism
, likening it to Hitler's rise to power and Nazism
is odious and demeans the victims of 9/11 and the brave American men and women engaged in the war on terror
. Furthermore, it demonstrates a profound lack of understanding about the horrors that Hitler and his Nazi regime perpetrated."
When later questioned about his comments, Ellison told a reporter that Osama bin Laden, and not the Bush administration, was responsible for the attacks. Ellison also said, "In the aftermath of a tragedy, space is opened up for governments to take action that they could not have achieved before that." He pointed to the Iraq War and provisions granting greater arrest and surveillance powers within the USA PATRIOT Act
as examples. Ellison also "In response to a question, I stated that the Bush Administration exploited post-9/11 fears to advance a policy agenda that has undermined our civil liberties. I stand by this statement. ...I want to be clear that the murderous Nazi regime is historically distinct and the horror of the Holocaust must be acknowledged as a unique event in human history. I did not intend any direct comparison between the totalitarian state of Nazi Germany and the current administration. I have taken consistent and strong stands against Holocaust denial
throughout my life in public service."
(R-ID
) drew criticism for his comments in an August 8, 2007 interview with the conservative Christian
-based American Family News Network. Sali, an outspoken Evangelical Christian, denounced the Senate leadership for allowing a Hindu
to lead the opening prayer. He held that invoking a non-Christian god in the Senate threatened to endanger America by removing "the protective hand of God." He then went on to say "We have not only a Hindu prayer being offered in the Senate, we have a Muslim member of the House of Representatives now, Keith Ellison from Minnesota. Those are changes and they are not what was envisioned by the Founding Fathers. The principles that this country was built on, that have made it great over these centuries, were Christian principles derived from Scripture. You know the Lord can make the rain fall on the just and the unjust alike." Former Idaho Democratic congressman Richard Stallings
, among others, demanded that Sali either apologize or resign. In response Sali sent Ellison an e-mail saying he "meant no offense." At the time Ellison was in Iraq
with a congressional delegation, his spokesperson said "The congressman just doesn't respond to comments like that." Sali stressed to reporters that he was not calling for Ellison to be removed, "He got elected the same way I did. People certainly have the right to elect anyone they want." Sali defended his claim about America's founding principles, saying, "The idea that somehow we can move to multiculturalism
and still remain the same — I think that's a little dangerous, too. From my standpoint, I believe the Founding Fathers were overwhelmingly Christian and the God they were talking about is the God of the Bible." When asked about his policy discussions with those of other faiths he stated, "I would say, 'These are principles that I think are important,' and if he agrees with those, great. At the end of the game, maybe it does get down to religious beliefs and how they impact how you make public policy." It has been noted in a New York Sun
editorial that claims dogging Ellison that the founders of the US did not anticipate Muslim legislators are incorrect. The specific subject was brought up in many of the State conventions to ratify the Constitution, including remarks by William Lancaster in the North Carolina
Ratifying Convention in 1788.
published an article describing comments participants in Jihadist chat rooms made about Ellison and his election victory. The News based their article on a report from the SITE Institute
, a non-profit organization that monitors chat rooms frequented by terrorist supporters and sympathizers. According to the Daily News, messages were found in two jihadi chat rooms, including Al-Hesbah, which is "solidly tied to Al Qaeda Central, Bin Laden's network," and where many "Al Qaeda communiques" were first released. Participants in chat rooms called Ellison, "the first Jewish Muslim that goes to Congress", a "fool" trying to "deceive us," and "one of them, [a] one-way ticket to Hell." Another characterized the election as "a comedy". One said, "My God, if you have 1 billion Muslims like him, we shall [continue to] fight you as the Muslim fights the infidel
." Ellison’s campaign spokeswoman, Bridget Cusick, said, "Why would Al Qaeda embrace Keith's success? He's the opposite of what they're about."
visionary in 2011.
Ellison's House seat was previously held by Martin Olav Sabo
, whose announcement of his intention to retire precipitated Ellison's candidacy. The 5th district is one of eight congressional districts in Minnesota
.
At the DFL Convention on May 6, 2006, Ellison won the party endorsement over 9 other candidates, leading 2-to-1 on the first ballot, and winning endorsement on the 4th ballot.
In the primary, Ellison faced former state senator Ember Reichgott Junge
, Minneapolis city council member Paul Ostrow, and Sabo's chief of staff Mike Erlandson
, whom Sabo had endorsed. Ellison won the primary on September 12, 2006, with 41% of the vote.
In the November 2006 election, Ellison faced Republican
Alan Fine, the Green Party
's Jay Pond, and Tammy Lee of the Independence Party
. Ellison won the seat with 56% of the vote. However, the 5th is so heavily Democratic (it has been in DFL hands since 1963) that it was generally understood Ellison had assured himself of victory by winning the primary. Ellison is only the fourth person to represent the district since 1943.
Ellison received three times as much money from individuals as he has from PACs
($541,079 v. $166,855). Ellison has received twice as much money from out-of-state donors than in-state donors ($223,117 v. $79,819) and received more in contributions from health care industry donors this year than from any other economic sector. Ellison has received slightly more money from labor PACs than business PACs in the 2008 election cycle. Of the 10-member Minnesota delegation, Ellison ranked seventh in the amount of earmarked dollars he secured.
retired after 26 years in the House. Keith Ellison, also a DFLer, replaced him. Although Ellison was endorsed by the DFL convention, three non-endorsed candidates ran strong campaigns against him in the DFL primary: Mike Erlandson
, Ember Reichgott Junge
, and Paul Ostrow. Ellison won the primary with 41% of the vote. In the general election, he won with 56% of the vote against Jay Pond of the Green Party
, Tammy Lee of the Independence Party
and Alan Fine
of the Republican Party
. Ellison is the first Muslim
member of the U.S. Congress.
|-
! Name
! Votes
! Percent
|-
|Keith Ellison
|29,003
| 41.21%
|-
|Mike Erlandson
|21,857
| 31.06%
|-
|Ember Reichgott Junge
|14,454
| 20.54%
|-
|Paul Ostrow
| 3,795
| 5.39%
|-
|Andrew Vincent Favorite
| 470
| 0.67%
|-
|Gregg A. Iverson
| 448
| 0.64%
|-
|Patrick J. Wiles
| 347
| 0.49%
|}
|-
! Name
! Votes
! Percent
|-
| Keith Ellison (Democratic-Farmer-Labor)
| 10,796
| 84.1%
|-
| Jay Cyril Mastrud (Republican)
| 1,988
| 15.5%
|}
|-
! Name
! Votes
! Percent
|-
| Keith M. Ellison (Democratic-Farmer-Labor)
| 5,714
| 66.54%
|-
|Larissa Presho (Republican)
|1,212
| 14.11%
|-
|Duane K. Reed (Independent)
| 726
| 8.45%
|-
|Bonnie Jean Smith (Green)
| 480
| 5.59%
|-
|J. Thomas Lijewski (Independence)
| 440
| 5.12%
|}
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
for , serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
The Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party is a major political party in the state of Minnesota and the state affiliate of the Democratic Party. It was created on April 15, 1944, with the merger of the Minnesota Democratic Party and the Farmer–Labor Party...
. The district centers on Minneapolis. He was re-elected in 2010. Ellison is a co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus
Congressional Progressive Caucus
The Congressional Progressive Caucus is the largest caucus within the Democratic caucus in the United States Congress with 83 declared members, and works to advance progressive issues and positions....
.
He is the first Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
to be elected to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
. He is also the first African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
elected to the House from Minnesota.
Early life, education and career
Keith Ellison, the third of five sons, was born and raised a Roman CatholicRoman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
in Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
by his parents Clida (née Martinez) and Leonard Ellison, a social work
Social work
Social Work is a professional and academic discipline that seeks to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of an individual, group, or community by intervening through research, policy, community organizing, direct practice, and teaching on behalf of those afflicted with poverty or any real or...
er and a psychiatrist
Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy...
, respectively. Ellison and three of his siblings became lawyers while the other became a doctor. One of his brothers is also the pastor of the Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
"Church of the New Covenant" in Detroit. Ellison's youth was influenced by the involvement of his family in the civil rights movement
African-American Civil Rights Movement (1955-1968)
The African-American Civil Rights Movement refers to the movements in the United States aimed at outlawing racial discrimination against African Americans and restoring voting rights to them. This article covers the phase of the movement between 1955 and 1968, particularly in the South...
, including the work of his grandfather as a member of the NAACP
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, usually abbreviated as NAACP, is an African-American civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909. Its mission is "to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to...
in Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
.
He graduated from the University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy
University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy
The University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy, founded in 1877, is one of two Jesuit high schools in the city of Detroit, Michigan...
in 1981 where he had been active in sports and the student senate. At age 19, while attending Wayne State University
Wayne State University
Wayne State University is a public research university located in Detroit, Michigan, United States, in the city's Midtown Cultural Center Historic District. Founded in 1868, WSU consists of 13 schools and colleges offering more than 400 major subject areas to over 32,000 graduate and...
in Detroit, Ellison converted from Catholicism to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, later giving the following explanation: "I can't claim that I was the most observant Catholic at the time [of my conversion]. I had begun to really look around and ask myself about the social circumstances of the country, issues of justice, issues of change. When I looked at my spiritual life, and I looked at what might inform social change, justice in society... I found Islam."
After graduating with a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
in 1987, he married his high school sweetheart and moved to Minneapolis to attend the University of Minnesota Law School
University of Minnesota Law School
The University of Minnesota Law School, located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, is a professional school of the University of Minnesota. The school offers a Juris Doctor , Masters of Law for Foreign Lawyers, and joint degrees with J.D./M.B.A., J.D./M.P.A, J.D./M.A., J.D./M.S., J.D./Ph.D.,...
. While attending law school, Ellison wrote several articles in support of Louis Farrakhan
Louis Farrakhan
Louis Farrakhan Muhammad, Sr. is the leader of the African-American religious movement the Nation of Islam . He served as the minister of major mosques in Boston and Harlem, and was appointed by the longtime NOI leader, Elijah Muhammad, before his death in 1975, as the National Representative of...
of the Nation of Islam
Nation of Islam
The Nation of Islam is a mainly African-American new religious movement founded in Detroit, Michigan by Wallace D. Fard Muhammad in July 1930 to improve the spiritual, mental, social, and economic condition of African-Americans in the United States of America. The movement teaches black pride and...
. He graduated with a Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
in 1990.
Ellison and his wife Kim, a high school mathematics teacher, have four children born between 1989 and 1997. They have a daughter, Amirah; and three sons, Jeremiah, Elijah, and Isaiah. Kim is not a Muslim, but their four children have been raised in that faith. During Ellison's 2006 campaign, Kim Ellison revealed that she has been living with moderate multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...
for several years.
After law school Ellison worked with the firm of Lindquist & Vennum for three years where he was a litigator specializing in civil rights, employment, and criminal defense law. Ellison then became executive director of the nonprofit Legal Rights Center in Minneapolis that specialized in the defense of indigent clients. Upon leaving the Legal Rights Center, Ellison entered private practice with the law firm Hassan & Reed Ltd, specializing in trial practice.
In addition to his work for the Legal Rights Center, Ellison has also been regularly involved in community service. He served as the unpaid host of a public affairs talk program at KMOJ
KMOJ
KMOJ, 89.9 FM, is a community-oriented station located in Minneapolis, Minnesota airing a predominantly Urban AC format. It began in 1976 as WMOJ, a very low-power AM station at 1200 kHz that reached only a few blocks from its studios and transmitter in the Sumner-Olson and Glenwood-Lyndale...
radio. He has also often volunteered as a track
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
coach for several organizations, working with youth between the ages of 5 and 18. He said, "It’s a great community-building device because it’s for all ages and all genders. Everyone can find a way to fit in."
83rd Minnesota Legislative Session
In November 2002, Ellison was elected to his first public office, as a member of the Minnesota House of RepresentativesMinnesota House of Representatives
The Minnesota House of Representatives is the lower house in the Minnesota State Legislature. There are 134 members elected to two-year terms, twice the number of members in the Minnesota Senate. Each senate district is divided in half and given the suffix A or B...
serving House District 58B. At the time he took his seat, his party was the smallest House minority in Minnesota history. During this session, Ellison was appointed to the Governmental Operations & Veterans Affairs Policy Committee, the Judiciary Policy & Finance Committee and the Local Government & Metropolitan Affairs Committee. In this session he spearheaded an ethics complaint against Rep. Arlon Lindner
Lindner Ethics Complaint of the 83rd Minnesota Legislative Session
In 2004 then State Rep. Keith Ellison and a group of fellow Democratic-Farmer-Labor members of the Minnesota State House of Representatives filed an ethics complaint against State Rep...
concerning remarks about homosexuals in the Holocaust
The Holocaust
The Holocaust , also known as the Shoah , was the genocide of approximately six million European Jews and millions of others during World War II, a programme of systematic state-sponsored murder by Nazi...
.
84th Minnesota Legislative Session
Ellison carried 84% of the votes and was re-elected to the seat for Minnesota’s House District 58B in the 2004 election. He began to serve in the 84th Minnesota Legislative Session (January 2005–January 2007). During the 84th session, Ellison served on the Civil Law & Elections Committee, and the Public Safety Policy & Finance Committee. With his election to Congress, Ellison's seat in the Minnesota House of RepresentativesMinnesota House of Representatives
The Minnesota House of Representatives is the lower house in the Minnesota State Legislature. There are 134 members elected to two-year terms, twice the number of members in the Minnesota Senate. Each senate district is divided in half and given the suffix A or B...
was filled by Augustine Willie Dominguez, a Latino community activist and fellow member of the DFL
Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
The Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party is a major political party in the state of Minnesota and the state affiliate of the Democratic Party. It was created on April 15, 1944, with the merger of the Minnesota Democratic Party and the Farmer–Labor Party...
.
U.S. House of Representatives
Tenure
On December 1, 2006, Ellison announced he had hired Kari Moe as his chief of staff. Moe had previously served in the same position for the late Minnesota U.S. Senator Paul WellstonePaul Wellstone
Paul David Wellstone was a two-term U.S. Senator from the state of Minnesota and member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, which is affiliated with the national Democratic Party. Before being elected to the Senate in 1990, he was a professor of political science at Carleton College...
. Ellison later announced that Brian Elliott (previously of the Clean Water Action Alliance of Minnesota) would serve as his district director, and Trayshana Thomas (who worked with Ellison in his legal practice and throughout all stages of his political career) was made his district scheduler.
He said he intended to focus on wages and housing for "relief and justice for the middle class". Because of Ellison’s campaign position calling for an investigation for the impeachment of President George W. Bush, his appointment to the Judiciary Committee (which has jurisdiction on these matters) was hailed by those seeking to have the president impeached.
Committee assignments
Ellison co-chairs the Congressional Progressive CaucusCongressional Progressive Caucus
The Congressional Progressive Caucus is the largest caucus within the Democratic caucus in the United States Congress with 83 declared members, and works to advance progressive issues and positions....
with Raúl Grijalva
Raul Grijalva
Raúl M. Grijalva is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Democratic Party.The district includes half of metro Tucson, all of Yuma and Nogales, and some peripheral parts of metro Phoenix.-Early life, education and career:...
of Arizona.
- Committee on Financial ServicesUnited States House Committee on Financial ServicesThe United States House Committee on Financial Services is the committee of the United States House of Representatives that oversees the entire financial services industry, including the securities, insurance, banking, and housing industries...
- Subcommittee on Capital Markets and Government-Sponsored Enterprises
- Subcommittee on Oversight and InvestigationsUnited States House Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and InvestigationsThe U.S. House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations is a subcommittee of the House Committee on Financial Services.-Jurisdiction:The Subcommittee conducts oversight of the agencies, departments, and programs under the Committee’s jurisdiction...
Ellison was appointed to the Financial Services Committee. He will be joined on this committee by fellow Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann
Michele Bachmann
Michele Marie Bachmann is a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, representing , a post she has held since 2007. The district includes several of the northern suburbs of the Twin Cities, such as Woodbury, and Blaine as well as Stillwater and St. Cloud.She is currently a...
(R).
On January 10, 2007, Ellison was appointed to the Judiciary Committee
United States House Committee on the Judiciary
The U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary, also called the House Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. It is charged with overseeing the administration of justice within the federal courts, administrative agencies and Federal law enforcement...
by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro Pelosi is the Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives and served as the 60th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011...
(D-CA). This is a position he "had lobbied for" and he called his appointment "an honor and a privilege". He spoke of his goals for this appointment, "I look forward to pursuing a progressive agenda in the committee, including the restoration of American citizens' civil liberties that have come under increasing attack over the past six years." Other issues he intends to focus on while in this post are "community-oriented policing efforts, immigration, intellectual property rights and privacy concerns including the Internet."
Votes with party in 100-Hour Plan
In his first week as a congressman, Ellison voted with the majority of other Democrats to raise the minimum wageMinimum wage
A minimum wage is the lowest hourly, daily or monthly remuneration that employers may legally pay to workers. Equivalently, it is the lowest wage at which workers may sell their labour. Although minimum wage laws are in effect in a great many jurisdictions, there are differences of opinion about...
, voted for stem cell
Stem cell
This article is about the cell type. For the medical therapy, see Stem Cell TreatmentsStem cells are biological cells found in all multicellular organisms, that can divide and differentiate into diverse specialized cell types and can self-renew to produce more stem cells...
research, and voted to allow Medicare
Medicare (United States)
Medicare is a social insurance program administered by the United States government, providing health insurance coverage to people who are aged 65 and over; to those who are under 65 and are permanently physically disabled or who have a congenital physical disability; or to those who meet other...
to negotiate pharmaceutical prices.
Opposition to increasing troop levels
Ellison joined fellow Minnesota freshman Democrat Tim WalzTim Walz
Timothy James Walz is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party .The district comprises the state's southern end, running along the entire border with Iowa...
in opposing President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
's plan to increase troop levels in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. On January 10, 2007, Bush announced his plans for the Iraq War troop surge of 2007
Iraq War troop surge of 2007
In the context of the Iraq War, the surge refers to United States President George W. Bush's 2007 increase in the number of American troops in order to provide security to Baghdad and Al Anbar Province....
. The gist of this announcement had been known around the Capitol for over a week, and when the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
asked Ellison for his reaction to the idea on January 8, 2007, he stated that it was "way too late, way too little …So rather than do something small and ineffective, why not get about the business of what we're going to have to do eventually, which is to begin to end the occupation?" Ellison called for an immediate withdrawal in Iraq: "We could describe it as a redeployment or withdrawal, but I think we have run the course in terms of our ability to resolve this conflict militarily. I think we need to have a political and economic and diplomatic engagement, and we need to encourage the forces that are in Iraq to begin to resolve the violence in Iraq." When asked if he would support Bush’s call for an additional $100 billion to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Ellison said, "I want to see [the request] first, I want to actually look at it, but I'm not inclined to continue to support a war or an occupation that he has no plans to get us out of, and which is so costly in terms of dollars and lives of American soldiers but also Iraqis." The White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
, when asked for a reaction to the comments, referred to a previous statement by press secretary Tony Snow
Tony Snow
Robert Anthony "Tony" Snow was an American journalist, political commentator, television news anchor, syndicated columnist, radio host, musician, and the third White House Press Secretary under President George W. Bush. Snow also worked for President George H. W. Bush as chief speechwriter and...
: "Democrats will have to decide where they stand on two issues: ‘No. 1, do you want Iraq to succeed, and, if so, what does that mean? And, No. 2, do you believe in supporting the troops as you say, and how do you express that support?’"
Iraq War military funding vote
After President Bush vetoed HR 1591 that provided military funding for the Iraq War because it contained timetables for withdrawal, Ellison and fellow Minnesota Rep. Betty McCollumBetty McCollum
Betty Louise McCollum is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2001. She is a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party ....
joined with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other top House Democrats in voting "no" to HR 2206 that provided the funding without any timetables. The bill passed the House on a 280 to 142 margin.
Credit reform
Universal default
Universal default is the term for a practice in the financial services industry in the United States for a particular lender to change the terms of a loan from the normal terms to the default terms Universal default is the term for a practice in the financial services industry in the United States...
, the practice whereby credit card
Credit card
A credit card is a small plastic card issued to users as a system of payment. It allows its holder to buy goods and services based on the holder's promise to pay for these goods and services...
companies raise interest rates on customers if they are behind on payments to any other creditors. The bill was also supported by House Financial Services Committee chairman Rep. Barney Frank
Barney Frank
Barney Frank is the U.S. Representative for . A member of the Democratic Party, he is the former chairman of the House Financial Services Committee and is considered the most prominent gay politician in the United States.Born and raised in New Jersey, Frank graduated from Harvard College and...
. Ellison, who described the bill as "the beginning of a whole credit reform effort we’re going to be pursuing," also announced his interest in limiting high interest rates on credit cards and easing the process for those who have a legitimate need to file bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
.
Obama endorsement
On Feb. 20, 2007, Ellison endorsed the 2008 presidential campaign of Sen. Barack ObamaBarack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
saying, "He speaks with a unifying spirit." He said he supports "Obama's message of an open and fair economy, a balanced prosperity and clear opposition to the war in Iraq." When asked about Hillary Clinton, he promised he would support whomever won the Democratic nomination, and felt that at that stage of the campaign Obama would "keep her honest".
Bill to impeach Cheney
On June 28, 2007, Ellison became a cosponsor with Rep. Dennis KucinichDennis Kucinich
Dennis John Kucinich is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1997. He was furthermore a candidate for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States in the 2004 and 2008 presidential elections....
(D-OH) to impeach Vice President Dick Cheney
Dick Cheney
Richard Bruce "Dick" Cheney served as the 46th Vice President of the United States , under George W. Bush....
for "high crimes and misdemeanors." Other Democratic representatives sponsoring the bill were William Clay
William Lacy Clay, Jr.
William Lacy Clay, Jr., usually known as Lacy Clay is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2001. He is a member of the Democratic Party....
(MO), Janice Schakowsky (IL), Albert Russell Wynn (MD), Yvette Clarke (NY), Hank Johnson
Hank Johnson
Henry C. "Hank" Johnson Jr. is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district is based in DeKalb County, a largely suburban county east of Atlanta. It also includes portions of Gwinnett and Rockdale counties.-Life, education and...
(GA), and California's Barbara Lee
Barbara Lee
Barbara Jean Lee is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1998. She is a member of the Democratic Party. She is the first woman to represent that district. Lee was the Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus and was the Co-Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus...
, Lynn Woolsey
Lynn Woolsey
Lynn C. Woolsey is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993. She is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes all of Marin County and most of Sonoma County. She is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and its co-chair...
and Maxine Waters
Maxine Waters
Maxine Waters is the U.S. Representative for , and previously the 29th district, serving since 1991. She is a member of the Democratic Party....
. Ellison's spokesperson said the effort was "largely to send a message" and the representative "has no illusions that this is going anywhere and that's fine. We've got more important things to do that affect people's daily lives. He basically signed on out of principle, as an expression of the importance of the rule of law — that nobody is above the law, not even the vice president."
Critique of Bush administration policies
On July 8, 2007, Ellison gave a speech in Edina, MinnesotaEdina, Minnesota
Edina is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and a first-ring suburb situated immediately southwest of Minneapolis. Edina began as a small farming and milling community in the 1860s. The population was 47,941 at the 2010 census.-Geography:...
, where he denounced Bush's commutation of Lewis Libby
Lewis Libby
I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby is a former adviser to Vice President Dick Cheney, later disbarred and convicted of a felony....
's sentence: "If Libby gets pardoned, then he should not have the cover of the Fifth Amendment
Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which is part of the Bill of Rights, protects against abuse of government authority in a legal procedure. Its guarantees stem from English common law which traces back to the Magna Carta in 1215...
. He's going to have to come clean and tell the truth. Now, he could get Gonzales-itis [referring to U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales
Alberto Gonzales
Alberto R. Gonzales was the 80th Attorney General of the United States. Gonzales was appointed to the post in February 2005 by President George W. Bush. Gonzales was the first Hispanic Attorney General in U.S. history and the highest-ranking Hispanic government official ever...
], you know, with 71 lapses of memory within a two-hour period." He also criticized Bush's White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives
White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives
The White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, formerly the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives is an office within the White House Office that is part of the Executive Office of the President of the United States.-Under George W. Bush:OFBCI was...
saying, "This is basically the Department of Religious Outreach ... . It's essentially a public-relations outreach arm for the Bush administration to reach out to the far right of the evangelical Christian
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
movement. That's really all it is."
Votes for contempt citations
On July 25, 2007, Ellison joined fellow Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee in voting 22–17 to issue citations of Contempt of CongressContempt of Congress
Contempt of Congress is the act of obstructing the work of the United States Congress or one of its committees. Historically the bribery of a senator or representative was considered contempt of Congress...
to White House Chief of Staff
White House Chief of Staff
The White House Chief of Staff is the highest ranking member of the Executive Office of the President of the United States and a senior aide to the President.The current White House Chief of Staff is Bill Daley.-History:...
Joshua Bolten and former White House Counsel
White House Counsel
The White House Counsel is a staff appointee of the President of the United States.-Role:The Counsel's role is to advise the President on all legal issues concerning the President and the White House...
Harriet Miers
Harriet Miers
Harriet Ellan Miers is an American lawyer and former White House Counsel. In 2005, she was nominated by President George W. Bush to be an Associate Justice of the U.S...
for "failure to comply with subpoenas on the firings of several federal prosecutors
Dismissal of U.S. attorneys controversy
The dismissal of U.S. Attorneys controversy was initiated by the unprecedented midterm dismissal of seven United States Attorneys on December 7, 2006 by the George W. Bush administration's Department of Justice. Congressional investigations focused on whether the Department of Justice and the White...
". When asked about the president's offer to allow them to testify in private and without a transcript, Ellison stated, "That won't do. There's no point of accountability. They have to be sworn. These kind of measures are necessary to ensure that truth-telling occurs." Having passed the Committee the citations moved on to be voted upon by the full House.
Criticism of China's human rights policies
According to MinnPost.comMinnPost.com
MinnPost.com also known as MinnPost is a non-profit news website in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with a focus on Minnesota news. Its mission is "to provide high-quality journalism for news-intense people who care about Minnesota."...
, "U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison has become the first Minnesota elected official to step forward and address the connections between the Summer Olympics and China's foreign policy and domestic human rights policies. The Democratic 5th District congressman issued a remarkably strong statement Friday March 21, 2008 that broadly criticized the Chinese government for its Tibet policy and for its relationship with Sudan's leaders 'as they commit genocide on the citizens of Darfur.' "
Hardship and genocide in Darfur
Ellison was arrested along with seven other people including U.S. Representatives James McGovern, John Lewis, Donna EdwardsDonna Edwards
Donna F. Edwards is the U.S. Representative for , serving since a special election in 2008. She is a member of the Democratic Party...
, Lynn Woolsey
Lynn Woolsey
Lynn C. Woolsey is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993. She is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes all of Marin County and most of Sonoma County. She is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and its co-chair...
for civil disobedience in April 2009 when they spoke at the Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
ese Embassy in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
to protest that the president of Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
, Omar al-Bashir
Omar al-Bashir
Lieutenant General Omar Hassan Ahmad Al-Bashir is the current President of Sudan and the head of the National Congress Party. He came to power in 1989 when he, as a brigadier in the Sudanese army, led a group of officers in a bloodless military coup that ousted the government of Prime Minister...
, had asked international aid groups bringing food, health care and water, to leave Darfur
Darfur
Darfur is a region in western Sudan. An independent sultanate for several hundred years, it was incorporated into Sudan by Anglo-Egyptian forces in 1916. The region is divided into three federal states: West Darfur, South Darfur, and North Darfur...
.
Israel, Syria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and the Palestinian territories
In late March and early April 2007 Ellison was a member of a congressional delegation on a "fact-finding trip to the Middle East." The group included Reps. Henry WaxmanHenry Waxman
Henry Arnold Waxman is the U.S. Representative for , serving in Congress since 1975. He is a member of the Democratic Party. He is considered to be one of the most influential liberal members of Congress...
(D-CA), Tom Lantos
Tom Lantos
Thomas Peter "Tom" Lantos was a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from 1981 until his death, representing the northern two-thirds of San Mateo County and a portion of southwest San Francisco...
(D-CA), Louise Slaughter (D-NY), Nick Rahall
Nick Rahall
Nick Joe Rahall II is the U.S. Representative for West Virginia's 3rd congressional district, serving since 1977. Rahall is currently Ranking Member of the House Resources Committee. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes much of the southern portion of the state, including...
(D-WV) and Dave Hobson
Dave Hobson
David Lee Hobson is an American politician of the Republican Party who served as a U.S. representative from the seventh congressional district of Ohio.Hobson was born in Cincinnati, Ohio and graduated from Withrow High School in 1954...
(R-OH) and was led by Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro Pelosi is the Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives and served as the 60th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011...
. The delegation visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
Church of the Holy Sepulchre
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, also called the Church of the Resurrection by Eastern Christians, is a church within the walled Old City of Jerusalem. It is a few steps away from the Muristan....
and the Western Wall
Western Wall
The Western Wall, Wailing Wall or Kotel is located in the Old City of Jerusalem at the foot of the western side of the Temple Mount...
. Ellison called his visit to Islam's third-holiest site, the Al-Aqsa Mosque
Al-Aqsa Mosque
Al-Aqsa Mosque also known as al-Aqsa, is the third holiest site in Sunni Islam and is located in the Old City of Jerusalem...
, as "personally moving". The group met with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert
Ehud Olmert
Ehud Olmert is an Israeli politician and lawyer. He served as Prime Minister of Israel from 2006 to 2009, as a Cabinet Minister from 1988 to 1992 and from 2003 to 2006, and as Mayor of Jerusalem from 1993 to 2003....
and discussed the peace plan devised by the Saudis in 2002. The delegation also met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas
Mahmoud Abbas
Mahmoud Abbas , also known by the kunya Abu Mazen , has been the Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organisation since 11 November 2004 and became President of the Palestinian National Authority on 15 January 2005 on the Fatah ticket.Elected to serve until 9 January 2009, he unilaterally...
. Pelosi also addressed the Israeli Knesset
Knesset
The Knesset is the unicameral legislature of Israel, located in Givat Ram, Jerusalem.-Role in Israeli Government :The legislative branch of the Israeli government, the Knesset passes all laws, elects the President and Prime Minister , approves the cabinet, and supervises the work of the government...
. The group's visit to Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
was criticized by the Bush administration, which restated its view that the United States should not have diplomatic relations with state sponsors of terrorism. While there the delegation conveyed a message from Olmert to Syrian President Bashar Assad that "Israel is interested in peace if Damascus stops supporting terrorism". In Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
the group met with Prime Minister Fouad Siniora
Fouad Siniora
Fuad Siniora is a Lebanese politician, a former Prime Minister of Lebanon, a position he held from 19 July 2005 to May 25, 2008 the date of the election of the new President of Lebanon; he was renominated to the post on 28 May 2008 and held the post as Acting President between those...
and Speaker Nabih Berri
Nabih Berri
Nabih Berri is the Speaker of the Parliament of Lebanon. He heads the mostly Shi'a Amal Movement.-Biography:He was born in Bo, Sierra Leone to Lebanese parents. He went to school in Tebnine and Ain Ebel in southern Lebanon and later studied at the Makassed and the Ecole de la Sagesse in Beirut...
. They also visited the grave of Rafik Hariri
Rafik Hariri
Rafic Baha El Deen Al-Hariri , was a business tycoon and the Prime Minister of Lebanon from 1992 to 1998 and again from 2000 until his resignation, 20 October 2004.He headed five cabinets during his tenure...
and met with his son Saad Hariri
Saad Hariri
Saad-eddine Rafiq Al-Hariri is a Saudi-Lebanese billionaire who served as the Prime Minister of Lebanon from 2009 until 2011. He is the second son of Rafiq Hariri, the former Lebanese Prime Minister who was assassinated in 2005...
. In Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
the group spoke to King Abdullah
Abdullah of Saudi Arabia
Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, is the King of Saudi Arabia. He succeeded to the throne on 1 August 2005 upon the death of his half-brother, King Fahd. When Crown Prince, he governed Saudi Arabia as regent from 1998 to 2005...
and his Shura Council
Shura Council
The Shura Council is the upper house of Egyptian bicameral Parliament. Its name roughly translates into English as "the Consultative Council". The lower house of parliament is the People's Assembly....
. They praised his peace plan and advocated a greater role for women in his nation's political process. Ellison's inclusion in the delegation was praised by council member Abdul-Rahman al-Zamel. Ellison called the king a "visionary leader" and that "Even being in the same country where Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
and Medina
Medina
Medina , or ; also transliterated as Madinah, or madinat al-nabi "the city of the prophet") is a city in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, and serves as the capital of the Al Madinah Province. It is the second holiest city in Islam, and the burial place of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, and...
are located was personally uplifting for me." Ellison also said he hoped his presence as a Muslim among the delegation conveyed a message to the Israelis and Palestinians that "people can come together. Reconciliation is possible." He also said he was there to learn and did not consider himself qualified to mediate in the conflict.
Iraq
On July 28 and 29, 2007, Ellison was among an "all-freshman bipartisan congressional delegation" visiting Iraq, arranged by Defense Secretary Robert GatesRobert Gates
Dr. Robert Michael Gates is a retired civil servant and university president who served as the 22nd United States Secretary of Defense from 2006 to 2011. Prior to this, Gates served for 26 years in the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Council, and under President George H. W....
and led by Rep. Jerry McNerney
Jerry McNerney
Gerald "Jerry" McNerney is an engineer, energy specialist, and the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party...
(D-CA). Before the trip Ellison told reporters that he would be stopping over in Germany to visit wounded U.S. soldiers being treated there. He also stated that he respected any politician who visited Iraq, making note of Republican Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty
Tim Pawlenty
Timothy James "Tim" Pawlenty , also known affectionately among supporters as T-Paw, is an American politician who served as the 39th Governor of Minnesota . He was a Republican candidate for President of the United States in the 2012 election from May to August 2011...
(who went February 10–11, 2007, with five other governors). Ellison said, "If this country is going to ask these young people to stand in a war zone, their political leadership should visit them." In Iraq the delegation met with Iraqi and U.S. military officials, including Gen. David Petraeus
David Petraeus
David Howell Petraeus is the current Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, sworn in on September 6, 2011. Prior to his assuming the directorship of the CIA, Petraeus was a four-star general serving over 37 years in the United States Army. His last assignments in the Army were as commander...
. The group in flak vests and helmets visited Ramadi
Ramadi
Ramadi is a city in central Iraq, about west of Baghdad. It is the capital of Al Anbar Governorate.-History:Ramadi is located in a fertile, irrigated, alluvial plain.The Ottoman Empire founded Ramadi in 1869...
in the Anbar province. Ellison noted "we did see people walking around the streets of Ramadi, going back and forth to the market." He also noted that he was impressed that Maj. Gen. Walter Gaskin, U.S. commander in the Anbar province, greeted people with "as-salama aleikum
As-Salamu Alaykum
As-Salāmu `Alaykum is a traditional Muslim greeting, often translated as Peace be upon you.-Usage:*In Arabia, the greeting is associated with shaking right hands and then possibly two or three light cheek to cheek kisses....
". And they would respond back with smiles and waves. I don't want to overplay it. There were no flowers. There was no clapping. There was no parade. But there was a general level of respect and calm that I thought was good. The success in Ramadi is not just because of bombs and bullets, but because the U.S. and Iraqi military and the Iraqi police are partnering with the tribal leadership and the religious leadership. So they're not trying to just bomb people into submission. What they're doing is respecting the people, giving the people some control over their own lives." While in Ramadi, Ellison met "with two sheiks, who oversee several hundred thousand congregants." Ellison told reporters that "They were very upset and concerned that al-Qaeda is misrepresenting Islam. And they were talking to me about what I can possibly do to work with them to give a clearer, more accurate picture of what Islam is all about." Ellison, who assists the State Department's "outreach effort aimed at improving the image of the U.S. in the Muslim world" told them he would help any way he could. Ellison said that local leaders in Ramadi told him of how they "partnered with U.S. and Iraqi military officials to virtually rid al-Qaeda from the city. There have been fewer anti-U.S. sermons as the violence has been reduced and religious leaders meet regularly with U.S. military officials." After the trip, Ellison stated that he was still certain "it was a mistake for the U.S. to invade Iraq. But there are 150,000 American soldiers there now, and I care very deeply about them. I also care about the Iraqi people. I don't want to see them suffer."
Second trip to Israel and the Palestinian territories
Soon after returning home from his trip to Iraq, Ellison joined with 19 other Congress members (mostly freshmen Democrats) on a week-long trip to Israel sponsored by the America Israel Education Federation. House Majority Leader Steny HoyerSteny Hoyer
Steny Hamilton Hoyer is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1981. The district includes a large swath of rural and suburban territory southeast of Washington, D.C.. He is a member of the Democratic Party....
(D-MD) led the group and personally invited Ellison to join them for a stay from August 12–18, 2007. The group met with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Ellison's spokesperson told reporters that the trip was "a natural extension of his visit to Iraq" and that "the Middle East peace issue is important to the diverse communities of his Minneapolis-area district — from the Jewish Community Relations Council
JCRC
Jewish Community Relations Council is a generic term for local public affairs organizations which operate under the Jewish Council for Public Affairs umbrella organization.-See also:* Jewish Council for Public Affairs...
to the patrons of the Holy Land Middle Eastern eatery on Lake Street
Lake Street (Minneapolis)
Lake Street is a major east-west thoroughfare in Minneapolis, Minnesota which is located between 29th and 31st Streets in south Minneapolis. It was named such because it runs through the Chain of Lakes area on the west side of town and passes over a small channel linking Lake Calhoun and Lake of...
and Central Avenue. He hears about it every time he goes back to his district." The group traveled to Jerusalem, Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
, the northern Galilee
Galilee
Galilee , is a large region in northern Israel which overlaps with much of the administrative North District of the country. Traditionally divided into Upper Galilee , Lower Galilee , and Western Galilee , extending from Dan to the north, at the base of Mount Hermon, along Mount Lebanon to the...
region, and Ramallah
Ramallah
Ramallah is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank located 10 kilometers north of Jerusalem, adjacent to al-Bireh. It currently serves as the de facto administrative capital of the Palestinian National Authority...
, and viewed the Israeli border with Lebanon.
During this trip, Ellison stated that Israel did not permit him to travel to Gaza
Gaza
Gaza , also referred to as Gaza City, is a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip, with a population of about 450,000, making it the largest city in the Palestinian territories.Inhabited since at least the 15th century BC,...
, where a conflict was occurring. In a 2009 interview with reporter Shihab Rattansi
Shihab Rattansi
Shihab Rattansi works for Al Jazeera English as a lead news anchor in their Washington, DC Broadcast Center. He regularly anchors the Al Jazeera Newshour presenting news and conducting interviews primarily relating to the Americas....
, Ellison expressed his disappointment at his inability to see the humanitarian situation for himself. In the same interview, he called for a more open discussion on Gaza, stating: "The people who have a strong sympathy for the Israeli position... dominate the conversation. And it’s really not politically safe to say, look, there are two sides to this, and Israel has not been a angel in this, and certainly there have been people on the Palestinian side who have not contributed to a constructive solution."
Visit to Gaza
On February 19, 2009, Ellison, together with fellow congressman Brian BairdBrian Baird
Brian Norton Baird is a former U.S. Representative for , serving from 1999 until 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district comprises the counties of Thurston, Lewis, Pacific, Wahkiakum, Cowlitz, Clark, and Skamania....
, (D-WA-03), visited Gaza
Gaza
Gaza , also referred to as Gaza City, is a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip, with a population of about 450,000, making it the largest city in the Palestinian territories.Inhabited since at least the 15th century BC,...
to view firsthand the destruction from recent Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i air and ground attacks and to meet with international and local relief agencies. Others in the visit included Senator John Kerry (D-MA
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
). This visit, which did not have the official sanction of the Obama Administration, is the first time anyone from the U.S. government has entered Gaza
Gaza
Gaza , also referred to as Gaza City, is a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip, with a population of about 450,000, making it the largest city in the Palestinian territories.Inhabited since at least the 15th century BC,...
in more than three years. Ellison had this to say about Gaza;
Advocacy for American Muslims
With his victory to the United States House of RepresentativesUnited States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
Ellison became the first Muslim elected to the Federal Government and the highest Muslim elected official in the United States. Ellison joins Congressman André Carson
André Carson
André D. Carson is the U.S. Representative for , serving since the special election in 2008. He is a member of the Democratic Party....
(D-IN
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
), State Rep. Ako Abdul-Samad
Ako Abdul-Samad
Ako Abdul-Samad is the Iowa State Representative from the 66th District. He has served in the Iowa House of Representatives since 2007. Previously, he had been a member of the Des Moines school board....
(D-IA
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
), State Del. Saqib Ali
Saqib Ali
Saqib Ali is a former State Delegate in the Maryland House of Delegates, having been elected in 2006 to represent the 39th District. Ali is an American of Pakistani descent.-Background:...
(D-MD
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
), State Senator Larry Shaw
Larry Shaw (politician)
Larry Shaw is a Democratic member of the North Carolina General Assembly representing the state's twenty-first Senate district, including constituents in Cumberland County. A corporate executive from Fayetteville, North Carolina, Shaw is currently serving in his seventh term in the North Carolina...
(D-NC
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
) and State Rep. Saghir "Saggy" Tahir (R-NH
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
) as elected Muslim officials in the United States of America as of 2008. Ellison’s election has been seen as inspirational to American Muslims, encouraging civic empowerment through participation in the political process. Ellison generally "downplayed the role of religion in his drive for office," but since his 2006 election he has become active in advocacy for Islamic causes on a national level.
North American Imams Federation
On November 18, 2006 Ellison gave a speech called "Imams and Politics" to the Fourth Annual Body Meeting of the North American Imams Federation. The Federation's materials presented the issues to be outlined in Ellison's speech as follows: "Many Muslims around the United States are involved in political activities at different levels. Recognizing the sensitivity of political issues and the potential for divisiveness within the communities as a result of divergent political views, ImamImam
An imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...
s must be able to provide Muslims with the proper guidance and educate them on the etiquettes of any political involvement within the Islamic context. Questions also arise on whether Imams and Islamic centers should be involved in politics at all and what the extent of this involvement should be, therefore Imams should have the ability to address these concerns. Overall, it is important that Imams are aware and understand the general political climate of their communities and be especially conversant with the issues that affect Muslims." Ellison also took part in "Community Night" with Imam Siraj Wahhaj
Siraj Wahhaj
Siraj Wahhaj is an African-American convert to Islam. He is imam of Al-Taqwa mosque in Brooklyn, New York and the leader of The Muslim Alliance in North America .-Early life:...
, and Imam Dr. Omar Shahin
Omar Shahin
Sheikh Omar Shahin is a Jordanian native, living in the United States. He came to the United States in 1995, and became a U.S. citizen in 2003. He was Imam at the Islamic Center of Tucson in Arizona from 2000 until 2003, when he joined the board of directors and executive committee of the North...
. This was "for Imams to meet and interact with community members." Some of the participants of this meeting became involved in the Flying Imams controversy
Flying Imams controversy
On November 20, 2006, 6:30pm, six Muslim imams were removed from US Airways Flight 300 to Phoenix, Arizona, at Minneapolis airport, because several passengers and crew members became alarmed by what they felt was suspicious behavior. The airport police and Federal Air Marshal agreed the...
after being removed from an Arizona bound plane for concerning behavior. Ellison became involved in this controversy shortly after it erupted when he attempted to arrange a meeting between parties including US Airways executives, the Metropolitan Airports Commission
Metropolitan Airports Commission
The Minneapolis-Saint Paul Metropolitan Airports Commission is the owner and operator of Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport in Minnesota as well as six other reliever airports in the Twin Cities region, which primarily provide service to private individuals and businesses, but also have...
, and other legislators and community members.
MOSES interfaith group
On December 27, Ellison spoke at a meeting in Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Detroit for Metropolitan Organizing Strategy Enabling Strength (MOSES). The meeting was with leaders from the CatholicCatholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
, Muslim, and Arab-American communities, along with members of the organized labor movement. He told those in attendance that the principles of Islam guide his life, but he has no intention of imposing his faith on others, "I'm not a religious leader, I've never led religious services of any kind. I'm not here to be a preacher, but in terms of political agenda items, my faith informs me." He addressed the Quran Oath controversy of the 110th United States Congress and said that "religion should be something that unites, rather than divide people...'They've never actually tried to explore how religion should connect us, they're into how religion divides us. ...They haven't really explored...how my faith connects me to you.'"
ISNA luncheon speaker
Ellison was listed as the keynote speaker for the Community Service Recognition Luncheon on September 1, 2007 during the Islamic Society of North AmericaIslamic Society of North America
The Islamic Society of North America , based in Plainfield, Indiana, USA, is a Muslim umbrella group. It has been described in the media as the largest Muslim organization in North America.-History:...
2007 annual convention.
Promoting US with the State Department
Two months after taking office Ellison met "with Secretary of State Condoleezza RiceCondoleezza Rice
Condoleezza Rice is an American political scientist and diplomat. She served as the 66th United States Secretary of State, and was the second person to hold that office in the administration of President George W. Bush...
and other top State Department officials to talk about showcasing his story as part of their public diplomacy efforts in the Muslim world." According to the Star Tribune
Star Tribune
The Star Tribune is the largest newspaper in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is published seven days each week in an edition for the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area. A statewide version is also available across Minnesota and parts of Wisconsin, Iowa, South Dakota, and North Dakota. The...
, Ellison was "profiled three times by the State Department’s overseas press bureau." He also "did a Voice of America
Voice of America
Voice of America is the official external broadcast institution of the United States federal government. It is one of five civilian U.S. international broadcasters working under the umbrella of the Broadcasting Board of Governors . VOA provides a wide range of programming for broadcast on radio...
interview from his office, where an American flag was placed conspicuously behind his desk for the cameras." In the interview which was set to play in the Middle East and South Asia, Ellison stressed global inclusiveness and quoted verse 49:13 of the Qur'an "Oh humanity, we created you from a single pair…" Ellison also accepted the Bush administrations request to be part of a "teleconference with Karen Hughes
Karen Hughes
Karen Parfitt Hughes is the Global Vice Chair of Burson-Marsteller. She served as the Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs in the U.S. Department of State with the rank of ambassador. She resides in Austin, Texas.-Early life:Born in Paris, France, she is the daughter...
, the State Department's undersecretary for public diplomacy. The White House has asked that the teleconference promote American values and confront ideological support for terrorism around the world." The Voice of America’s Faiz Rehman, ("a Pakistani native and senior political producer") applauded Ellison's cooperation saying "He is the most famous freshman congressman in the world." It was noted that after he took his oath of office he was surrounded by the foreign press, intrigued in part by the oath controversy, who "had to be ushered out of his office after he took his oath to make room for home-state news crews." Ellison has been "featured in a series of articles written for foreign dissemination by the Department's Bureau of International Information Programs." Including an article that was translated into Persian and Arabic that "highlighted the diversity of his constituents in Minnesota, ranging from Swedes and Norwegians to 'the largest Somali immigrant community in America.'" In his work in cooperation with the state department, Ellison stresses the religious freedom available in the US, saying things like "Religious tolerance has a much longer pedigree in America than some of the intolerance we've seen lately." Even in his work with the State Department he remained critical of President Bush's Iraq policy saying "he wants people around the world to know that 'there are many Americans who want to relate to the rest of the world in terms of cooperation, not military domination.'" Ellison staffers told reporters that "the State Department has shown no signs of squeamishness about publicizing his criticism of the war." When asked about working with elements of the Bush administration Ellison said "Hey, my country first. We can work out our political differences later. I've said I'm willing to do whatever I can to make some friends for America."
Farrakhan and Nation of Islam ties
While a law student in 1989 and 1990, Ellison wrote several columns as Keith E. Hakim in the student newspaper, the Minnesota DailyMinnesota Daily
The Minnesota Daily is the campus newspaper of the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, published Monday-Thursday while school is in session, and published weekly on Wednesdays during summer sessions. Published since 1900, the paper is one of the largest student-run and student-written newspapers...
. In the articles, he defended Louis Farrakhan
Louis Farrakhan
Louis Farrakhan Muhammad, Sr. is the leader of the African-American religious movement the Nation of Islam . He served as the minister of major mosques in Boston and Harlem, and was appointed by the longtime NOI leader, Elijah Muhammad, before his death in 1975, as the National Representative of...
against accusations of antisemitism, and suggested that affirmative action
Affirmative action
Affirmative action refers to policies that take factors including "race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation or national origin" into consideration in order to benefit an underrepresented group, usually as a means to counter the effects of a history of discrimination.-Origins:The term...
served as a "sneaky" way of paying reparations
Reparations for slavery
Reparations for slavery is a proposal that some type of compensation should be provided to the descendants of enslaved people in the United States, in consideration of the coerced and uncompensated labor their ancestors performed over several centuries...
to African Americans for slavery. In another article, he purportedly suggested the creation of a separate state for black residents.
In 1997, when Joanne Jackson, executive director of the Minneapolis Initiative Against Racism (MIAR), allegedly said that, "Jews are among the most racist white people", Ellison, using his religious name Mohammed, read a statement supporting her on behalf of the The Minneapolis-St. Paul Study Group of the Nations of Islam. Ellison later suggested that he used the controversy to "[speak] out in favor of increased dialogue between the Jewish and African-American communities." In 1998, during his Minnesota State Legislature House campaign, Ellison asserted that he "rejected anti-Jewish attitudes".
Questions about Ellison's involvement with the Nation of Islam
Nation of Islam
The Nation of Islam is a mainly African-American new religious movement founded in Detroit, Michigan by Wallace D. Fard Muhammad in July 1930 to improve the spiritual, mental, social, and economic condition of African-Americans in the United States of America. The movement teaches black pride and...
arose during his 2006 campaign. After winning the Democratic party nomination in May, he wrote a letter to the local Jewish Community Relations Council where he reportedly "asserted that his involvement with the Nation of Islam had been limited to an 18-month period around the time of the Million Man March in 1995, that he had been unfamiliar with the Nation of Islam's anti-Semitic views during his involvement with the group, and that he himself had never expressed such views." He also stated that he was never a member of the Nation of Islam, but only worked with it to organize the Minnesota contingent to the Million Man March
Million Man March
The Million Man March was a gathering of social activists, en masse, held on and around the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on October 16, 1995...
, and has insisted he is a Sunni Muslim
Sunni Islam
Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam. Sunni Muslims are referred to in Arabic as ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah wa āl-Ǧamāʿah or ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah for short; in English, they are known as Sunni Muslims, Sunnis or Sunnites....
.
In Ellison's letter, he denounced the Nation of Islam and Farrakhan, writing "I wrongly dismissed concerns that they [Farrakhan's remarks] were anti-Semitic. They were and are anti-Semitic and I should have come to that conclusion earlier than I did." He explained his previous views, saying that he, "did not adequately scrutinize the positions and statements of the Nation of Islam, Louis Farrakhan, and Khalid Muhammed." He also stated that "any kind of discrimination and hate are wrong. This has always been my position".
CAIR campaign contributions
During the 2006 election Nihad AwadNihad Awad
Nihad Awad is the Executive Director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations .- Early life :Nihad Awad was born in Amman New Camp, a Palestinian refugee camp in Amman, Jordan. He studied at Second Amman Preparatory School for Boys, located at the camp and belongs to UNRWA, and at Salaheddine...
, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations
Council on American-Islamic Relations
The Council on American-Islamic Relations is America's largest Muslim civil liberties advocacy organization that deals with civil advocacy and promotes human rights...
(CAIR) and James Yee
James Yee
James J. Yee is an American former United States Army chaplain with the rank of captain...
, the former Muslim chaplain at Guantanamo Bay, spoke at an August 25 fundraiser for Ellison. According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune Ellison accepted thousands of dollars from Nihad Awad and another leader of CAIR; Ellison responded that he had fully disclosed all contributions and asserted that he had "nothing to hide". Ellison stressed that he was supported by individuals, and that the organization CAIR itself did not endorse him. His Republican opponent in the race, Alan Fine, criticized Ellison for accepting these contributions. Fine said that CAIR was "a group that Democrats say has deep ties to terrorism". The Fine campaign quoted Sens. Charles Schumer
Charles Schumer
Charles Ellis "Chuck" Schumer is the senior United States Senator from New York and a member of the Democratic Party. First elected in 1998, he defeated three-term Republican incumbent Al D'Amato by a margin of 55%–44%. He was easily re-elected in 2004 by a margin of 71%–24% and in 2010 by a...
(D-NY) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) alleging CAIR's "ties to terrorism" and "its association with groups that are suspect." Many conservatives and Jewish groups claim CAIR is rooted in the Hamas
Hamas
Hamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...
movement and that its leaders also secretly support Hezbollah in Lebanon. Fine went so far as to say "CAIR is to Muslims as the Ku Klux Klan is to Christians." During the 2006 election Independence Party candidate Tammy Lee also accused CAIR of having secret ties to Hamas. CAIR director Nihad Awad has known Ellison since they both attended the University of Minnesota.
In response to Ellison's opponents, CAIR leaders Parvez Ahmed
Parvez Ahmed
Syed Parvez Ahmed is a First class and List A cricketer from Bangladesh. He was born on 2 February 1978 in Sylhet, Chittagong and is a right-handed batsman and occasional right arm bowler...
and Nihad Awad wrote "We are proud of our personal donations to Ellison's campaign" and derided any 'guilt by association' arguments. During this time the "Not in the Name of Islam" paid advertisement began appearing on Minnesota television channels for the first time, with Communications Director of CAIR, Florida Ahmed Bedier, coordinating the ad campaign.
During October 2006, Ellison traveled to Florida on a fundraising tour that "included a party hosted by Altaf Ali, CAIR's state director there". The party had a suggested donation of $100. Since winning the 2006 election, Ellison and CAIR have continued their association.(see above)
Campaign finance violations
Campaign finance has also been an issue for Ellison. In early 2006, the Minnesota State Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board reprimanded Ellison for unreported contributions, discrepancies in cash balances, and misclassified disbursements. These transgressions occurred in the years 2002–2004. In 2005 when the board tried to get more information about the problems in Ellison's reports, they got no response from Ellison or his treasurer (his wife Kim). When the board heard nothing, they opened the investigation. Ellison was subpoenaed and fined. The board has also fined Ellison numerous times for late filings been sued twice by the attorney general, and has been warned many times for absent or incomplete disclosure.Nonpayment of fines and taxes
Ellison's license to drive an automobile has been suspended multiple times for failure to pay tickets and fines. When asked in 2006 how many times his license has been suspended, he said, "I don't know how many prior suspensions I've had; I don't keep count."Ellison also failed to pay all or part of his income taxes in five separate years between 1992 and 2000, forcing the state and Internal Revenue Service
Internal Revenue Service
The Internal Revenue Service is the revenue service of the United States federal government. The agency is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury, and is under the immediate direction of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue...
to put lien
Lien
In law, a lien is a form of security interest granted over an item of property to secure the payment of a debt or performance of some other obligation...
s on his home. He later paid in excess of $18,000.
CNN interview with Glenn Beck
On November 14, 2006, Glenn BeckGlenn Beck
Glenn Edward Lee Beck is an American conservative radio host, vlogger, author, entrepreneur, political commentator and former television host. He hosts the Glenn Beck Program, a nationally syndicated talk-radio show that airs throughout the United States on Premiere Radio Networks...
of CNN Headline News
CNN Headline News
HLN, formerly known as CNN Headline News and CNN2, is a cable television news channel based in the United States and a spinoff of the cable news television channel, CNN. Initially airing tightly-formatted 30-minute newscasts around the clock, since 2005, the channel has increasingly aired long-form...
said to Ellison, "I have been nervous about this interview with you, because what I feel like saying is, 'Sir, prove to me that you are not working with our enemies.' And I know you're not. I'm not accusing you of being an enemy, but that's the way I feel, and I think a lot of Americans will feel that way." Ellison replied that his constituents, "know that I have a deep love and affection for my country. There's no one who's more patriotic than I am, and so you know, I don't need to — need to prove my patriotic stripes."
When asked by Beck about his opinion on "Muslim extremists" Ellison replied, "They're criminals. But I think that people who commit criminal acts should be treated like criminals, regardless of their faith." Ellison has also said, "Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
no more represents Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
than Timothy McVeigh
Timothy McVeigh
Timothy James McVeigh was a United States Army veteran and security guard who detonated a truck bomb in front of the Alfred P. Murrah Building in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995...
represented Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
."
Asked about the incident later, Ellison dismissed it, "It's just shock TV. Some pundits think they have to ask the most outrageous questions." On January 2, 2007, Beck said on his radio program
Glenn Beck Program
The Glenn Beck Program is an American talk radio show hosted by commentator Glenn Beck on Premiere Radio Networks. Since its inception as a nationally syndicated show in 2002, the program has become one of the highest rated radio programs...
that Ellison did not take offense at the comments and the two had a friendly chat off the air. On January 9, 2007, at the Television Critics Association's semiannual press tour, Beck said it was "Quite possibly the poorest-worded question of all time." He clarified by saying, "My point to Keith Ellison ... is the same point that I make to my own faith, and that is — you must stand up before things get out of control ... And it's important for people of all faiths, when someone is hijacking their religion, to stand and say, 'That is not what we do. That is not who we are."'
Quran Oath Controversy of the 110th United States Congress
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
at his photo-op reenactment of the swearing in ceremony (the official ceremony is done en masse without any books), Conservative columnist Dennis Prager
Dennis Prager
Dennis Prager is an American syndicated radio talk show host, syndicated columnist, author, and public speaker. He is noted for his conservative political and social views emanating from conservative Judeo-Christian values. He holds that there is an "American Trinity" of essential principles,...
wrote a column criticizing him. This drew responses from organizations such as the Council on American-Islamic Relations
Council on American-Islamic Relations
The Council on American-Islamic Relations is America's largest Muslim civil liberties advocacy organization that deals with civil advocacy and promotes human rights...
(CAIR), the American Family Association
American Family Association
The American Family Association is a 501 non-profit organization that promotes conservative Christian values, such as opposition to same-sex marriage, pornography, and abortion, as well as other public policy goals such as deregulation of the oil industry and lobbying against the Employee Free...
, and the Anti-Defamation League
Anti-Defamation League
The Anti-Defamation League is an international non-governmental organization based in the United States. Describing itself as "the nation's premier civil rights/human relations agency", the ADL states that it "fights anti-Semitism and all forms of bigotry, defends democratic ideals and protects...
.
Fifth-term Rep. Virgil Goode
Virgil Goode
Virgil Hamlin Goode, Jr. , is an American politician, last serving as a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives. He represented the 5th congressional district of Virginia from 1997 to 2009...
(R-VA
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
), responding to "scores and hundreds of emails" from his constituents after the Prager articles, has also stated his view that Ellison's decision to use the Quran is a threat to "the values and beliefs traditional to the United States of America". He also wrote, "...if American citizens don’t wake up and adopt the Virgil Goode position on immigration there will likely be many more Muslims elected to office and demanding the use of the Quran."
CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
reported that on January 4, 2007 (the opening day of Congress), Ellison met Goode on the House floor to shake hands and Goode accepted an offer to talk over coffee.
That same day during his oath reenactment, Ellison used a two volume Quran published in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1764 that was once owned by Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
and loaned to Ellison by "the rare book and special collections division at the Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
". According to Ellison, "It demonstrates that from the very beginning of our country, we had people who were visionary, who were religiously tolerant, who believed that knowledge and wisdom could be gleaned from any number of sources, including the Quran." Historian Kevin J. Hayes in his book How Thomas Jefferson Read the Qur'an explains that Jefferson purchased the book in 1765 while studying for the bar exam to become a lawyer (when he began questioning British Common Law after the Stamp Act Crisis
Stamp Act 1765
The Stamp Act 1765 was a direct tax imposed by the British Parliament specifically on the colonies of British America. The act required that many printed materials in the colonies be produced on stamped paper produced in London, carrying an embossed revenue stamp...
).
President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
in an address to nations with a majority Muslim population made in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
on June 4, 2009 cited this event as an example of the continual positive impact Muslims have had on America, saying, "And when the first Muslim-American was recently elected to Congress, he took the oath to defend our Constitution using the same Holy Quran that one of our Founding Fathers—Thomas Jefferson—kept in his personal library."
Rights of individuals
In an interview with the BBC's Program Outlook, on Nov. 12th 2010, Ellison was asked the sort of people he represents. He answered: "The district I represent is the kind of district where you can have a Member of Congress stand up for religious tolerance and against religious bigotry, against anyone, but also stand up for the rights of gays too."Comments: Reichstag fire and 9/11
On July 8, 2007, Ellison discussed the power of the executive branch in the US currently in a speech before the organization Atheists for Human Rights. He stated that Dick CheneyDick Cheney
Richard Bruce "Dick" Cheney served as the 46th Vice President of the United States , under George W. Bush....
asserts it is "beneath his dignity in order for him to answer any questions from the citizens of the United States. That is the very definition of totalitarianism
Totalitarianism
Totalitarianism is a political system where the state recognizes no limits to its authority and strives to regulate every aspect of public and private life wherever feasible...
, authoritarianism
Authoritarianism
Authoritarianism is a form of social organization characterized by submission to authority. It is usually opposed to individualism and democracy...
and dictatorship
Dictatorship
A dictatorship is defined as an autocratic form of government in which the government is ruled by an individual, the dictator. It has three possible meanings:...
." He went on to say, "It's almost like the Reichstag fire
Reichstag fire
The Reichstag fire was an arson attack on the Reichstag building in Berlin on 27 February 1933. The event is seen as pivotal in the establishment of Nazi Germany....
, kind of reminds me of that. After the Reichstag was burned, they blamed the Communists for it and it put the leader of that country Hitler in a position where he could basically have authority to do whatever he wanted. The fact is that I'm not saying September 11 was a U.S. plan, or anything like that because, you know, that's how they put you in the nut-ball box — dismiss you."
Fox News picked up the story and their commentator John Gibson
John Gibson (media host)
John David Gibson is an American radio talk show host. As of September 2008, he hosts the syndicated radio program The John Gibson Show on Fox News Radio. Gibson was formerly the co-host of the weekday edition of The Big Story on the Fox News television channel.-Early career:Gibson earned a BA...
categorized Ellison's comments as accusing "Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
of planning and executing the 9/11 attacks". In the Congress Reps. Eric Cantor
Eric Cantor
Eric Ivan Cantor is the U.S. Representative for Virginia's 7th congressional district, serving since 2001. A member of the Republican Party, he became House Majority Leader when the 112th Congress convened on January 3, 2011...
(R-VA) and Zach Wamp
Zach Wamp
Zachary Paul "Zach" Wamp is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 1995 to 2011. He is a member of the Republican Party...
(R-TN
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
) wrote House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro Pelosi is the Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives and served as the 60th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011...
demanding she "swiftly and immediately" reprimand Ellison for his remarks. The letter said "Even if Ellison asserts that he was not implying that 9/11 was orchestrated by the administration, the comparison he draws between Hitler and the president of United States is disgraceful. These comments inflame hatred and division at a time when we should be promoting our unity and reconciliation." The Anti-Defamation League
Anti-Defamation League
The Anti-Defamation League is an international non-governmental organization based in the United States. Describing itself as "the nation's premier civil rights/human relations agency", the ADL states that it "fights anti-Semitism and all forms of bigotry, defends democratic ideals and protects...
also stated "Whatever his views may be on the administration's response to 9/11 and the conduct of the war on terrorism
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
, likening it to Hitler's rise to power and Nazism
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
is odious and demeans the victims of 9/11 and the brave American men and women engaged in the war on terror
War on Terror
The War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...
. Furthermore, it demonstrates a profound lack of understanding about the horrors that Hitler and his Nazi regime perpetrated."
When later questioned about his comments, Ellison told a reporter that Osama bin Laden, and not the Bush administration, was responsible for the attacks. Ellison also said, "In the aftermath of a tragedy, space is opened up for governments to take action that they could not have achieved before that." He pointed to the Iraq War and provisions granting greater arrest and surveillance powers within the USA PATRIOT Act
USA PATRIOT Act
The USA PATRIOT Act is an Act of the U.S. Congress that was signed into law by President George W. Bush on October 26, 2001...
as examples. Ellison also "In response to a question, I stated that the Bush Administration exploited post-9/11 fears to advance a policy agenda that has undermined our civil liberties. I stand by this statement. ...I want to be clear that the murderous Nazi regime is historically distinct and the horror of the Holocaust must be acknowledged as a unique event in human history. I did not intend any direct comparison between the totalitarian state of Nazi Germany and the current administration. I have taken consistent and strong stands against Holocaust denial
Holocaust denial
Holocaust denial is the act of denying the genocide of Jews in World War II, usually referred to as the Holocaust. The key claims of Holocaust denial are: the German Nazi government had no official policy or intention of exterminating Jews, Nazi authorities did not use extermination camps and gas...
throughout my life in public service."
Sali remarks
Rep. Bill SaliBill Sali
William Thomas "Bill" Sali served a single term in the United States House of Representatives, representing from 2007 to 2009. Sali previously served in the Idaho Legislature as a member of the House....
(R-ID
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
) drew criticism for his comments in an August 8, 2007 interview with the conservative Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
-based American Family News Network. Sali, an outspoken Evangelical Christian, denounced the Senate leadership for allowing a Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
to lead the opening prayer. He held that invoking a non-Christian god in the Senate threatened to endanger America by removing "the protective hand of God." He then went on to say "We have not only a Hindu prayer being offered in the Senate, we have a Muslim member of the House of Representatives now, Keith Ellison from Minnesota. Those are changes and they are not what was envisioned by the Founding Fathers. The principles that this country was built on, that have made it great over these centuries, were Christian principles derived from Scripture. You know the Lord can make the rain fall on the just and the unjust alike." Former Idaho Democratic congressman Richard Stallings
Richard H. Stallings
Richard Howard Stallings represented the Idaho Second District in the House of Representatives from 1985 to 1993. Stallings also served in several other state and local political offices over the course of a 22-year political career.Stallings earned degrees from Weber State College, Utah State...
, among others, demanded that Sali either apologize or resign. In response Sali sent Ellison an e-mail saying he "meant no offense." At the time Ellison was in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
with a congressional delegation, his spokesperson said "The congressman just doesn't respond to comments like that." Sali stressed to reporters that he was not calling for Ellison to be removed, "He got elected the same way I did. People certainly have the right to elect anyone they want." Sali defended his claim about America's founding principles, saying, "The idea that somehow we can move to multiculturalism
Multiculturalism
Multiculturalism is the appreciation, acceptance or promotion of multiple cultures, applied to the demographic make-up of a specific place, usually at the organizational level, e.g...
and still remain the same — I think that's a little dangerous, too. From my standpoint, I believe the Founding Fathers were overwhelmingly Christian and the God they were talking about is the God of the Bible." When asked about his policy discussions with those of other faiths he stated, "I would say, 'These are principles that I think are important,' and if he agrees with those, great. At the end of the game, maybe it does get down to religious beliefs and how they impact how you make public policy." It has been noted in a New York Sun
New York Sun
The New York Sun was a weekday daily newspaper published in New York City from 2002 to 2008. When it debuted on April 16, 2002, adopting the name, motto, and masthead of an otherwise unrelated earlier New York paper, The Sun , it became the first general-interest broadsheet newspaper to be started...
editorial that claims dogging Ellison that the founders of the US did not anticipate Muslim legislators are incorrect. The specific subject was brought up in many of the State conventions to ratify the Constitution, including remarks by William Lancaster in the North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
Ratifying Convention in 1788.
New York Daily News & SITE Institute
After the 2006 election, the New York Daily NewsNew York Daily News
The Daily News of New York City is the fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 605,677, as of November 1, 2011....
published an article describing comments participants in Jihadist chat rooms made about Ellison and his election victory. The News based their article on a report from the SITE Institute
SITE Institute
The Search for International Terrorist Entities Intelligence Group is an organization that tracks the online activity of terrorist organizations. The SITE Institute was founded in 2002 by Rita Katz and Josh Devon, who had left the Investigative Project...
, a non-profit organization that monitors chat rooms frequented by terrorist supporters and sympathizers. According to the Daily News, messages were found in two jihadi chat rooms, including Al-Hesbah, which is "solidly tied to Al Qaeda Central, Bin Laden's network," and where many "Al Qaeda communiques" were first released. Participants in chat rooms called Ellison, "the first Jewish Muslim that goes to Congress", a "fool" trying to "deceive us," and "one of them, [a] one-way ticket to Hell." Another characterized the election as "a comedy". One said, "My God, if you have 1 billion Muslims like him, we shall [continue to] fight you as the Muslim fights the infidel
Infidel
An infidel is one who has no religious beliefs, or who doubts or rejects the central tenets of a particular religion – especially in reference to Christianity or Islam....
." Ellison’s campaign spokeswoman, Bridget Cusick, said, "Why would Al Qaeda embrace Keith's success? He's the opposite of what they're about."
Awards
Ellison was chosen by the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee for its Trailblazer Award. The group said Ellison "has established a career of advocacy focused on promoting civil and human rights, peace, and prosperity for working families." He was named an Utne ReaderUtne Reader
Utne Reader is an American bimonthly magazine. The magazine collects and reprints articles on politics, culture, and the environment from generally alternative media sources, including journals, newsletters, weeklies, zines, music and DVDs...
visionary in 2011.
2006 campaign
Martin Olav Sabo
Martin Olav Sabo is an American politician and member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and a former United States Representative for , which includes Minneapolis; the district is one of eight congressional districts in Minnesota.Sabo was born of Norwegian immigrant parents in Crosby, North...
, whose announcement of his intention to retire precipitated Ellison's candidacy. The 5th district is one of eight congressional districts in Minnesota
Minnesota Congressional Districts
Minnesota currently has eight congressional districts. There were 9th and 10th districts but they were eliminated in 1963 and 1933 respectively...
.
At the DFL Convention on May 6, 2006, Ellison won the party endorsement over 9 other candidates, leading 2-to-1 on the first ballot, and winning endorsement on the 4th ballot.
In the primary, Ellison faced former state senator Ember Reichgott Junge
Ember Reichgott Junge
Ember Reichgott Junge is an attorney, radio personality, and former State Senator from Minnesota, representing New Hope and surrounding communities. A Democrat, she was elected to the Senate at age 29 and served for a total of eighteen years. She served as a majority whip from 1991 to 1994, and as...
, Minneapolis city council member Paul Ostrow, and Sabo's chief of staff Mike Erlandson
Mike Erlandson
Michael "Mike" Erlandson is Vice President Government Affairs for SuperValu Corporation, based in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Prior to joining SuperValu, he served as chief of staff to U.S. Congressman Martin Olav Sabo from 1993 until Sabo retired in 2007...
, whom Sabo had endorsed. Ellison won the primary on September 12, 2006, with 41% of the vote.
In the November 2006 election, Ellison faced Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Alan Fine, the Green Party
Green Party (United States)
The Green Party of the United States is a nationally recognized political party which officially formed in 1991. It is a voluntary association of state green parties. Prior to national formation, many state affiliates had already formed and were recognized by other state parties...
's Jay Pond, and Tammy Lee of the Independence Party
Independence Party of Minnesota
The Independence Party of Minnesota , formerly the Reform Party of Minnesota, is the third largest political party in Minnesota, behind the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and Republican Party . It is the political party of former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura , and endorsed former U.S...
. Ellison won the seat with 56% of the vote. However, the 5th is so heavily Democratic (it has been in DFL hands since 1963) that it was generally understood Ellison had assured himself of victory by winning the primary. Ellison is only the fourth person to represent the district since 1943.
2008 campaign
Ellison faced prison chaplain Barb Davis White in the November election and won handily. He was overwhelmingly favored for a second term, given the district's heavy Democratic tilt.Ellison received three times as much money from individuals as he has from PACs
Political action committee
In the United States, a political action committee, or PAC, is the name commonly given to a private group, regardless of size, organized to elect political candidates or to advance the outcome of a political issue or legislation. Legally, what constitutes a "PAC" for purposes of regulation is a...
($541,079 v. $166,855). Ellison has received twice as much money from out-of-state donors than in-state donors ($223,117 v. $79,819) and received more in contributions from health care industry donors this year than from any other economic sector. Ellison has received slightly more money from labor PACs than business PACs in the 2008 election cycle. Of the 10-member Minnesota delegation, Ellison ranked seventh in the amount of earmarked dollars he secured.
2010
2008
2006
Congressman Martin Sabo, DFLMinnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
The Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party is a major political party in the state of Minnesota and the state affiliate of the Democratic Party. It was created on April 15, 1944, with the merger of the Minnesota Democratic Party and the Farmer–Labor Party...
retired after 26 years in the House. Keith Ellison, also a DFLer, replaced him. Although Ellison was endorsed by the DFL convention, three non-endorsed candidates ran strong campaigns against him in the DFL primary: Mike Erlandson
Mike Erlandson
Michael "Mike" Erlandson is Vice President Government Affairs for SuperValu Corporation, based in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Prior to joining SuperValu, he served as chief of staff to U.S. Congressman Martin Olav Sabo from 1993 until Sabo retired in 2007...
, Ember Reichgott Junge
Ember Reichgott Junge
Ember Reichgott Junge is an attorney, radio personality, and former State Senator from Minnesota, representing New Hope and surrounding communities. A Democrat, she was elected to the Senate at age 29 and served for a total of eighteen years. She served as a majority whip from 1991 to 1994, and as...
, and Paul Ostrow. Ellison won the primary with 41% of the vote. In the general election, he won with 56% of the vote against Jay Pond of the Green Party
Green Party (United States)
The Green Party of the United States is a nationally recognized political party which officially formed in 1991. It is a voluntary association of state green parties. Prior to national formation, many state affiliates had already formed and were recognized by other state parties...
, Tammy Lee of the Independence Party
Independence Party of Minnesota
The Independence Party of Minnesota , formerly the Reform Party of Minnesota, is the third largest political party in Minnesota, behind the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and Republican Party . It is the political party of former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura , and endorsed former U.S...
and Alan Fine
Alan Fine
Minnesota's 5th congressional district election, 2006 was an election for the United States House of Representatives for the open seat of incumbent Martin Olav Sabo , who retired after serving the Minneapolis-based district for 28 years....
of the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
. Ellison is the first Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
member of the U.S. Congress.
- 2006 Race for U.S. House of Representatives — Minnesota 5th District (Democratic-Farmer-Labor Primary)
-
- {| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name
! Votes
! Percent
|-
|Keith Ellison
|29,003
| 41.21%
|-
|Mike Erlandson
Mike Erlandson
Michael "Mike" Erlandson is Vice President Government Affairs for SuperValu Corporation, based in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Prior to joining SuperValu, he served as chief of staff to U.S. Congressman Martin Olav Sabo from 1993 until Sabo retired in 2007...
|21,857
| 31.06%
|-
|Ember Reichgott Junge
Ember Reichgott Junge
Ember Reichgott Junge is an attorney, radio personality, and former State Senator from Minnesota, representing New Hope and surrounding communities. A Democrat, she was elected to the Senate at age 29 and served for a total of eighteen years. She served as a majority whip from 1991 to 1994, and as...
|14,454
| 20.54%
|-
|Paul Ostrow
| 3,795
| 5.39%
|-
|Andrew Vincent Favorite
| 470
| 0.67%
|-
|Gregg A. Iverson
| 448
| 0.64%
|-
|Patrick J. Wiles
| 347
| 0.49%
|}
- 2004 Race for Minnesota House of Representatives — District 58B
-
- {| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name
! Votes
! Percent
|-
| Keith Ellison (Democratic-Farmer-Labor)
| 10,796
| 84.1%
|-
| Jay Cyril Mastrud (Republican)
| 1,988
| 15.5%
|}
- 2002 Race for Minnesota House of Representatives — District 58B
-
- {| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name
! Votes
! Percent
|-
| Keith M. Ellison (Democratic-Farmer-Labor)
| 5,714
| 66.54%
|-
|Larissa Presho (Republican)
|1,212
| 14.11%
|-
|Duane K. Reed (Independent)
| 726
| 8.45%
|-
|Bonnie Jean Smith (Green)
| 480
| 5.59%
|-
|J. Thomas Lijewski (Independence)
| 440
| 5.12%
|}
External links
- Congressman Keith Ellison official U.S. House site
- Re-Elect Keith Ellison for U.S. Congress official campaign site
- Profile at SourceWatchSourceWatchSourceWatch is an internet wiki site that is a collaborative project of the liberal Center for Media and Democracy...
- Campaign 2006: Keith Ellison profile from Minnesota Public RadioMinnesota Public RadioMinnesota Public Radio , is the flagship National Public Radio member network for the state of Minnesota. With its three services, News & Information, Classical Music and The Current, MPR operates a 42-station regional radio network in the upper Midwest serving over 8 million people...
Interviews
- CD 5 Candidate Forum, October 17 (Minnesota Public Radio)
- CD 5 Candidate Forum, October 10 (Minnesota Public Radio)
- CD 5 Candidate Forum, September 21 (Minnesota Public Radio)
- First Muslim Congressman (Interview with Kheith Ellison) IslamOnline.net
- Ellison on Tea Party Anti-Muslim Bigotry – video by Democracy Now!Democracy Now!Democracy Now! and its staff have received several journalism awards, including the Gracie Award from American Women in Radio & Television; the George Polk Award for its 1998 radio documentary Drilling and Killing: Chevron and Nigeria's Oil Dictatorship, on the Chevron Corporation and the deaths of...
Articles
- Profile: Keith Ellison (Star Tribune)
- Ellison wins Dem. primary (MN Daily)
- St. Paul Pioneer Press Article on 5th District Congressional Race
- Washington Times Op-ed piece
- "Louis Farrakhan's First Congressman" article in The Weekly StandardThe Weekly StandardThe Weekly Standard is an American neoconservative opinion magazine published 48 times per year. Its founding publisher, News Corporation, debuted the title September 18, 1995. Currently edited by founder William Kristol and Fred Barnes, the Standard has been described as a "redoubt of...
- Islamic Biography of Keith Ellison
- "The Lessons of Keith Ellison", alt.muslim editorial
- Katherine Kersten: Ellison's positions on crime clear