Is it me, or is Virgil Goode a total fool for raising such a stink about Keith Ellison being sworn using the Koran instead of the Bible? I understand his emotions on the issue, but isn't his position the very definition of anti-American?

Either way, Ellison got the drop on Virgil this time (from www.washingtonpost.com):


But It's Thomas Jefferson's Koran!

By Amy Argetsinger and Roxanne Roberts
Wednesday, January 3, 2007; C03

Rep.-elect Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to Congress, found himself under attack last month when he announced he'd take his oath of office on the Koran -- especially from Virginia Rep. Virgil Goode, who called it a threat to American values.

Yet the holy book at tomorrow's ceremony has an unassailably all-American provenance. We've learned that the new congressman -- in a savvy bit of political symbolism -- will hold the personal copy once owned by Thomas Jefferson.

"He wanted to use a Koran that was special," said Mark Dimunation, chief of the rare book and special collections division at the Library of Congress, who was contacted by the Minnesota Dem early in December. Dimunation, who grew up in Ellison's 5th District, was happy to help.

Jefferson's copy is an English translation by George Sale published in the 1750s; it survived the 1851 fire that destroyed most of Jefferson's collection and has his customary initialing on the pages. This isn't the first historic book used for swearing-in ceremonies -- the Library has allowed VIPs to use rare Bibles for inaugurations and other special occasions.

Ellison will take the official oath of office along with the other incoming members in the House chamber, then use the Koran in his individual, ceremonial oath with new Speaker Nancy Pelosi. "Keith is paying respect not only to the founding fathers' belief in religious freedom but the Constitution itself," said Ellison spokesman Rick Jauert.

One person unlikely to be swayed by the book's illustrious history is Goode, who released a letter two weeks ago objecting to Ellison's use of the Koran. "I believe that the overwhelming majority of voters in my district would prefer the use of the Bible," the Virginia Republican told Fox News, and then went on to warn about what he regards as the dangers of Muslims immigrating to the United States and Muslims gaining elective office.

Yeah, but what about a Koran that belonged to one of the greatest Virginians in history? Goode, who represents Jefferson's birthplace of Albemarle County, had no comment yesterday.

Yeah it was pretty stupid, but hey, George Allen almost won with his antics before the election, so maybe Goode is honing his skills.

let him do what he wants. Will it hurt?

What do you expect from a muslim American? They are muslim first and American second. Remember back when we had to go into Afghanistan? Our muslim soldiers had to ask permission from some mucky muck in Saudi Arabia.

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What else would you expect a Muslim to swear on? You are supposed to swear on something you hold dear as a symbol of your sincerity. Who would want him to swear on the Bible?

I can't stand the new breed of religious bigots attacking our freedom of religion.

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Whatever his true feelings and beliefs, he is putting our freedon of religion and separation of church and state concepts to the test. I think it's great.

I also wonder what the radical fundmentalist Muslims we are fighting in the ME would have to say about this. Oh, right! They are not really big on being rational anyhow. Oh well, just a thought.

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Yes, what you say is true. This is one incident. But as Black55 pointed out, there is a little more to it. It shows a pattern.

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Great line - I'll have to remember this one

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"The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane."
Marcus Aurelius

I think the point of the thread was that it was a dumb move for Goode to make an issue out of it--not whether Ellison is a douchebag--I took that as an assumed fact already in evidence.

You are correct about the point of the thread, but I was not aware that Ellison is a female hygiene device. Are you basing that on his using the Koran to be sworn? Or on that other stuff mentioned by BlackE55?

Based on the little bit I know about this Ellison thing, I don't see anything wrong with his being sworn using the Koran. Like Old300D said, it would be odd for him to use the Bible when that book doesn't represent his beliefs. Either way, Virgil Goode has clearly demonstrated that he is a douchebag and doesn't understand who the enemy is.

I was surprised by BlackE55's comment that Ellison is affiliated with the Nation of Islam. Seems like it would be hard to get elected when you are affiliated with a group as controversial as them.

How about swearing-in on a Marvel Comic Book?

In other words, it ain't who you swear to, it's what you do.

B

Why do you say that? People know more about the KKK than the nation of islam. Remember David Duke?

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Uhh, would it change my right to have an opinion about the guy, no matter my source? This guy was closely watched nationally before the elections and got a lot of press. I think we have discussed him here before even, but not positive. What Ted typed was not suprising to me at all. What do you like about him, or are you basing your apparent defense of him just to take the freaky radical's side?

I always side with the freaky radical.

I don't know enough about him to like or dislike him. I saw him on TV a few times and found him articulate and appealing, but that's all I know. My question was whether you thought that his using the Koran made him a douchebag. I would disagree with that. I don't know about his other issues.

He made a darn clever move getting the Library of Congress to lend him TJ's Koran. That was very nice work, IMHO.

That's true. Crazy people do get elected from time to time - Cynthia McKinney, for example.