Keith Ellison (of Quran swearing in fame) redux

[Crapshoot]

Virgil B. Goode, a GOP representative from Virginia, pulled of this particular piece of brilliance:

Va. Lawmaker's Remarks on Muslims Criticized
Republican Had Decried the Use of the Koran for Congressman's Oath of Office

By Zachary A. Goldfarb
Special to The Washington Post
Thursday, December 21, 2006; Page A11

Rep. Virgil H. Goode Jr. (R-Va.) is coming under sharp criticism for lashing out against the decision by Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), who will become the first Muslim member of Congress next month, to use the Koran during a swearing-in ceremony.

In a recent letter to constituents, Goode, a five-term congressman from Rocky Mount, wrote that he does "not subscribe to using the Koran in any way" and added: "The Muslim Representative from Minnesota was elected by the voters of that district and 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 Koran."



The Council on American-Islamic Relations condemned Goode's remarks and called on him to apologize.

"Congressman Goode's ignorant and divisive statements are an affront to Muslims in his district and to Americans of all faiths who believe in our nation's longstanding traditions of religious tolerance and diversity," said Nihad Awad, executive director of the council.

Goode wrote the letter to constituents who had e-mailed him with concerns about Ellison using the Koran, he said in a written response to questions from The Washington Post. That letter was obtained by the C-Ville Weekly, a Charlottesville newspaper, and posted on its Web site.

"We need to stop illegal immigration totally and reduce legal immigration and end the diversity visas policy . . . allowing many persons from the Middle East to come to this country," Goode said in the letter. "I fear that in the next century we will have many more Muslims in the United States if we do not adopt the strict immigration policies that I believe are necessary to preserve the values and beliefs traditional to the United States of America."

When members of Congress are sworn in, they simply raise their right hand. In a ceremony afterward, they may take the oath of office on a Christian Bible, another religious book or no book at all.

In his written response, Goode said he will not apologize and does not see why his comments could be offensive to some Muslims. "The voters of each Congressional district select the representative that they choose to represent them, and perhaps voters in all districts will now ask prospective candidates whether they will use the Bible, the Koran, or anything else," Goode said.

Ellison, who was born in Detroit, could not be reached to comment.

Rep. William J. Pascrell Jr. (D-N.J.), who represents a congressional district with a large Muslim community, yesterday sent Goode a letter challenging his remarks.

"I was greatly disappointed and in fact startled by your recent constituent letter addressing the issue of Representative-elect Keith Ellison using a Koran for his swearing-in ceremony," Pascrell said in the letter. "Your letter also wrongfully equates the issue of immigration with a fear of Muslim integration in our society. I take your remarks as personally offensive to the large community of Muslim-Americans I represent.

[flere-imsaho]

Heaven forbid these guys get around to doing some real work.

[Subby]

He's from Rocky Mount - he's just pandering to his base.

[JPhillips]

If you read Goode's full letter you can see how he blames all of this on Bill Clinton!

[ISiddiqui]

Pfft... freedom of religion is overrated anyway.

[cartman]

So, lemme get this straight. He states that if we stop all immigration, that would keep the nation from falling under Sharia law. How does that reconcile with the fact that Ellison was born and raised in the US?

[Crapshoot]

Originally Posted by cartman

So, lemme get this straight. He states that if we stop all immigration, that would keep the nation from falling under Sharia law. How does that reconcile with the fact that Ellison was born and raised in the US?

Well duh, you can kick the Muslims out after that!

[Buccaneer]

Originally Posted by flere-imsaho

Heaven forbid these guys get around to doing some real work.

Yes, heaven forbid. Please let this be the most newsworthy thing Congress does.

[Rizon]

I don't need to read any further than "Republican from Virginia". All I need to know is in those 3 words; that the guy probably nailed his sister against the gun-rack of his 82 Ford pickup.

[albionmoonlight]

After the 2006 GOP election losses, a split seemed to emerge concerning the reason that they lost, which some people saying that they pulled too far to the right and alienated the moderates, and others saying that they had tacked too far to the middle and lost their "conservative values."

This statement (assuming that it is not renounced by GOP leadership) may be an indication that the GOP has decided that the 2006 election losses were a function of them getting too far away from conservative values and the beginnings of an attempt to re-establish themselves as the party of the unflinching, uncompromising right wing.

[John Galt]

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

After the 2006 GOP election losses, a split seemed to emerge concerning the reason that they lost, which some people saying that they pulled too far to the right and alienated the moderates, and others saying that they had tacked too far to the middle and lost their "conservative values."

This statement (assuming that it is not renounced by GOP leadership) may be an indication that the GOP has decided that the 2006 election losses were a function of them getting too far away from conservative values and the beginnings of an attempt to re-establish themselves as the party of the unflinching, uncompromising right wing.

I feel like I've heard that somewhere before. It certainly sounds like the democrats after the 2000, 2002, and 2004 elections.

[King of New York]

Originally Posted by Rizon

I don't need to read any further than "Republican from Virginia". All I need to know is in those 3 words; that the guy probably nailed his sister against the gun-rack of his 82 Ford pickup.

It's not quite that bad:
1) George Allen lost in his senatorial bid
2) There hasn't been a Republican governor since Jim Gilmore--his would-be successors all tried to run as George Allen wanns-bes, and lost
3) The most prominent Republican politician in the state, Sen. John Warner, is a classy guy, one of the last independent-minded statesman left.

Granted, a lot of the local reps. (like Virgil Goode) conform to the popular image, but Virginia is on the cusp of becoming a purple state and a bellweather like Ohio and Michigan, all on account of the growth of the Washington, DC suburbs and immigration from the northeast.

[-Mojo Jojo-]

Hey, that's my US representative! Way to make the 5th district proud. Ugh...

[Vegas Vic]

Originally Posted by Buccaneer

Yes, heaven forbid. Please let this be the most newsworthy thing Congress does.

I'm with you, Bucc. Divided government is a good thing.