Powerline has been running an extensive attack on him on that basis, with the most recent post in a series here.   See also here.

First ever Muslim in Congress or only current Muslim member of Congress?

I've supported Ellison ever since he received the endorsement at the District Convention last May. When we had Precinct Caucuses last March, Martin Olav Sabo had not yet announced his retirement, he's held the seat since 1978 -- and before that Don Fraser held it for 16 years. The District is solid DFL, Sabo usually won it by margins in the low and mid 70's. Ellison emerged out of a field of perhaps eleven candidates. Mike Erlandson, former chief of staff to Sabo, and two term DFL party chair had Sabo's support, and many believe Sabo's delay in announcing his retirement was designed to give Erlandson a bump. Didn't work.

The coalition that backed Ellison was put together by Wellstone Action people, and virtually all of Wellstone activists got on board early. Progressive Jewish leadership were strongly involved, and many of the pre-primary forums were held in Synagogues. Keith got significant Labor support, and virtually all the recent immigrant organizations got involved in the grass roots campaign. In this region that is the Hmong, the Vietnamese, Bosnians, Indians, and the Somali community. (Minneapolis hosts the largest Somali community in the country, though many have a year or so before they can become citizens. But that doesn't mean they can't help with the campaign.) In a state where the Republicans elected the former Chair of the Christian Coalition as their current State Chair, and then had a purge of the remains of moderate Republicanism, I think this assures the DFL of long term support from most new Americans. St. Paul DFL has already elected a Hmong woman lawyer to the State Senate, and assuming she wins again, she will be positioned to move into leadership of a committee. We also have a DFL immigrant from India representing a suburban district in the State Senate.

For the DFL, all this represents a good change. Part of the DFL's problem in the 1980's and more recently was an epidemic of nominating the children and grandchildren of the founders of the DFL from 1944 -- if you were not named Humphrey or Freeman for example -- you didn't stand much of a chance getting endorsed, particularly for state wide and federal offices. Well when we lost control of the state House, and the constitutional offices, at least a few people realized we could not sing the praises of Hubert and Orville forever, and we had to change -- We still are following the cultural pattern of promoting up the ladder, but we are clearly looking for much greater diversity.

Ellison's success yesterday, and the decisions last night on the part of Sabo and Erlandson to come on board the Ellison Campaign in a very positive way, bodes very well for the near future. Ellison is as much as elected, and his coalition will soon fold into another one, the plan to oust Norm Coleman in 2008 with the DFL candidate, Al Franken. The idea to run Al started at a board meeting of Wellstone Action about three years ago, and the germ of the idea came from Molly Ivans. (Molly used to cover the State Capitol for the old Minneapolis Star back in the 1960's). Al moved back home (Home is St. Louis Park) last winter, and besides doing his Air America show, he is campaigning for everyone with DFL after their name, raising money, marching in summer parades, helping out at the DFL State Fair booth, in all sorts of ways paying dues and gathering chits for 2008. The key to winning that Senate Race -- in fact any Statewide Race --for the DFL is to maximize the vote in the 5th, 4th (St. Paul) and 8th (Duluth and the Iron Range) districts, (75-80% can be DFL) and then cut into Republican majorities in other parts of the state. Doing well there is anything over about 40%. So to understand the Ellison campaign, one must understand it as a piece of the project to take back the Wellstone Seat in the US Senate. Ellison's success brings to the DFL thousands of votes from many who have never participated in politics.

Anyhow, it is going to be interesting, so stay tuned.

first ever

Your description of the DFL problems is spot on, at least I think so. I still have reservations about Al Franken, especially how that'll play in the Greater MN area where I'm from (i.e. don't forget us totally!) but if he really is working his butt off down there then it addresses my biggest concern with him.

u

Yes, I too found Allen Fine's remarks to be over the top. Particularly,when he said that he was 'offended as a Jew, to have someone like Ellison running for office'

I was like, should people take offense that Fine is running and  is Jewish?

Then I said, maybe he feels that Ellison's bkgrd is somewhat like Byrd, in the Senate, a former KKK member.

The fact that Ellison is being associated with the remarks of Farrakhan may be unfair, but then we are always tainted by our previous associations, even if we mature later. Yet, the level of anti-semitic remarks by Farrakhan does not raise to the level of bigotry and hatred practiced by the KKK in terms of lynching and raping blacks. So Fine is really stretching this point.

I thought that Fine,leaves himself open to others asking whether he believes in Zionism.

It simply is not wise,to start challenging people politically based on their religious views.

Particularly, when many Americans have issues with our foreign policy being so biased towards Israel.

I wondered why Fine was not willing to accept that the Kaplans and other Jewish organizations are not only supporting Ellison, but Ellison has had a number of political rallies in synagoues.

Fine needs to raise the level of his political opposition beyond the level of religious beliefs.

Don't you think Fine's only purpose is to fuel the right wing hate machine? Ellison was just interviewed on Hardball but I only caught the last few seconds. I doubt Matthews was fascinated by his views on universal health care.

The 5th district must have the lion's share of the Jews in Minnesota. Ellison won the primary against two other competent Democrats. Where's the beef?