Extremists attack Quran

PRAGER CONTINUED TO BASELESSLY ATTACK MUSLIM REP.-ELECT - TOP Media Matters, 12/5/06
http://mediamatters.org/items/200612060001
On the December 4 edition of MSNBC's Tucker, conservative radio host and Townhall.com columnist Dennis Prager continued to accuse incoming Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) of "imperil[ing]" America because of Ellison's reported intention to use a copy of the Quran during the ceremonial photo op on the day he is sworn in. Prager acknowledged, as the weblog Think Progress reported, that Ellison would use the Quran for "a photo op" and not the actual swearing-in, which is conducted in a large group. Ellison is the first Muslim ever elected to Congress. (MORE)---OLBERMANN: SAVAGE "WORST PERSON" RUNNER-UP FOR ATTACK ON ELLISON - TOP Media Matters, 12/5/06
http://mediamatters.org/items/200612060002
On the December 4 edition of MSNBC's Countdown, host Keith Olbermann awarded nationally syndicated radio host Michael Savage runner-up in his nightly "Worst Person in the World" segment for asking -- as Media Matters for America documented -- in response Rep.-elect Keith Ellison's (D-MN) reported intention to use a copy of the Quran during the ceremonial photo op on the day he is sworn in: "What's next, a witch gets elected, and she says she's only going to be sworn in with her hand over a pentagram?" Olbermann then observed that "members of Congress are not officially sworn in on a Bible, a Quran, or even a copy of the Worst Person in the World book." Savage is a frequent honoree during Olbermann's "Worst Person" segment and recently received "worst person" honors for claiming that his anti-gay comments would appear "in several of the blogs run by gays -- and they think only of that 'cause they're like drug addicts," as Media Matters also noted. (MORE)---MN: WORRY ABOUT THE OATH, NOT THE BOOK - TOP St. Paul Pioneer Press, 12/6/06
http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/news/editorial/16171052.htm
Allow us to interrupt a swell food fight over U.S. Rep.-elect Keith Ellison and his official swearing-in with a fact.No Good Book is required by the United States government for a person to take the oath of office and become a member of Congress. Members raise their hands together on the House floor on the first day of the session and are sworn in by the speaker of the House.So, the coast-to-coast gyrations over whether Ellison, a Minneapolis Democrat whose Muslim faith is a first for a member of Congress, should use the Quran instead of the Bible is a fight over symbolism, not law and policy.It is a fight over a photo opportunity.Ellison's Muslim faith was a complicating factor in his difficult race to succeed retiring U.S. Rep. Martin Sabo. Ellison, a lawyer who has served in the Minnesota House for four years, won despite his unpaid parking tickets, his dalliance with the Nation of Islam and his failure to file campaign finance documents on time.Shortly after winning, he told the Star Tribune newspaper that he planned to use the Quran, Islam's holy book, at his swearing-in. In a later interview with the Minnesota Monitor blog, he said: "The Constitution guarantees for everyone to take the oath of office on whichever book they prefer. And that's what freedom of religion is all about.'' His office could not be reached to comment further.An influential conservative talk-radio host, Dennis Prager, wrote on the townhall.com blog last week: "When all elected officials take their oaths of office with their hands on the very same book, they all affirm that some unifying value system underlies American civilization. If Keith Ellison is allowed to change that, he will be doing more damage to the unity of America and to the value system that has formed this country than the terrorists of 9-11.''Whoa.Salley Collins, press secretary for the U.S. House Committee on House Administration, said the official swearing-in does not involve a good book of any kind. Next Jan. 4, she said, the newly elected speaker, expected to be Nancy Pelosi, of California, will ask all members to raise their right hands and take the oath. (MORE)