Ask a Congressional Candidate: Keith Ellison

[barondave]

My guest on the next Shockwave Radio will be Keith Ellison, Congressional Candidate. If he wins, he'll be my representative. Brief background: Minnesota's Fifth Congressional district (roughly South Minneapolis) is a safe, Scandahoovian-liberal Democratic stronghold. Our current Rep., Martin Olav Sabo, is stepping down after 28 years. Ellison is a comparatively young (42) lawyer currently in the MN legislature. He impressed the Democrats at their convention and was endorsed over several others. Party endorsement is a plus in Minnesota politics, but hardly a guarantee that he will win the primary.

I don't know much about Ellison, so I'm asking LJ people: What questions would YOU ask?

Ellison is making big news since Jesse Jackson is coming to town on Friday for an Ellison rally. He had a fairly critical write-up in today's conservative Mpls Star Tribune, Ellison's past views, ties drawing scrutiny. Ellison is black and Muslim, and had ties to Louis Farrakhan's Nation of Islam. He has distanced himself from those days, but questions linger.

Ellison would be Congress' first Muslim member, which I regard as a great plus, and would be proud to have him as a representative... if I agreed with his positions and he convinced me that the anti-semitism that permeates the black community had worn off. Further, at this point, I think I'd vote for anyone, even a Republican, if they promised that their first act would be to impeach Bush.

Thoughts on Ellison? Questions?

Comments

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

If I were to post this question to the Minneapolis Issues mailing list, you'd sure get a lot of responses.

K. [knows without looking that the link is to a column by Katherine Kersten, who is practically Ann Coulter, as far as I am concerned]

[barondave.livejournal.com]

The story is not by Kersten (though she did a hatchet job on him earlier).

How do I post to the Minneapolis Issues mailing list?

I like your two questions.

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

Oh, I missed the "today's".

I wonder if Erlandson's cronies are behind the Strib's criticism.

K.

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

Look around at http://forums.e-democracy.org/ and join the list. Read the rules, they are quite strictly enforced.

K.