Congressman (aka "Keith X") Ellison makes his pilgrimage to Mecca

Minneapolis StarTribune (aka The Red Star) ^ | 12/15/08 | Mitch Anderson - Staff Reporter

[MplsSteve]

Back home, he's one of the 535 most powerful lawmakers in America, but last week, on the holiest week in Islam's holiest city, U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison was just one among the estimated 3 million travelers making the pilgrimage to Mecca.

Ellison, D-Minn., and the first Muslim elected to Congress, also became the first sitting member to make the hajj, the journey that all able-bodied Muslims are obligated to make once in their lifetime.

Ellison had been planning the weeklong pilgrimage since a trip to Saudi Arabia almost a year ago, said his spokesman, Rick Jauert, and hadn't expected the lame-duck session and contentious battle taking shape in Congress over whether to provide financial aid to U.S. carmakers.

"The plans were made not anticipating there would be a lame-duck session at all, and if there was, it wouldn't be this late," Jauert said. "He had let the speaker and majority leader know that he was going, and they were OK with that. If they knew they were going to bring up something on which his vote was essential, he probably wouldn't have gone."

[MplsSteve]

You know, I have to give the Red Star and the local MSM a little bit of credit over this story. They haven't been falling all over themselves to report on this story or laud Rep Ellison's "diversity". The story was reported in a straight-out manner pretty much across the board.

Comments or opinions - anyone?

[MplsSteve]

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[mgc1122]

A pity Ellison didn’t stay in Mecca ...

[lilylangtree]

Hopefully, he’ll stay and be blown up by his fellow islamic bombers in Mecca.

[Egon]

I wonder if his luggage gets inspected on the way back.

[OCCASparky]

Ellison wasn’t the first Muslim elected to Congress. Someone with a middle name of “Hussein” was elected to the Senate back in 2004...

[AbeKrieger]

Regardless what he “says” his loyalty is clear - hajj over service to country. There is no further need to discuss.

[TexasRepublic]

I and my dogs are so offended having a mudslime in power that I would love to fling a few shoes in his direction.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

I’m surprised the Strib didn’t send a reporter with him.

[JimmyMc]

Just hope this is not a fact finding trip that the American tax payers are paying for. I think speration of church (religion) and state would come into play here.

[rmlew]

And we should let him back in?