Keith Ellison (first Muslim elected to Congress) Says 'No' to Bush

[sabra]

http://www.thenation.com/blogs/thebeat?bid=1&pid=142746

A New Congressman Says 'No' to the President

Most freshman Democratic members of the House of Representatives attended last week's reception at the White House with President Bush, Vice President Cheney, White House political czar Karl Rove and others who had just finished plotting and executing unrelenting attacks campaigns on the newcomers. But the target of some of the campaign season's crudest attacks, Minnesota's Keith Ellison, had better things to do.

Ellison, the first Muslim to ever be elected to Congress, skipped the private reception at the White House in order to attend a reception organized by the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations.

"I went to the AFL-CIO reception, because I wanted to meet and greet leaders of labor, and get to know them," explained Ellison, who won an intense Democratic primary and then the general election with strong union backing. "Those are the people who I came here to support." Was it hard to give up a chance to rub elbows with the president and vice president?

"It wasn't even a close call," Ellison told the Associated Press. "Maybe one day I'll get to meet the president. He's the president, and I respect him in his role as the president, but I have exceedingly sharp differences with him on a policy level."

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. Sounds like this guy might be a mover and a shaker

I am very impressed with him so far.

[Crankie Avalon]

2. BRAVO!!! At last, someone real and not a two-faced hack (for now, anyway). n/t

[xchrom]

3. that's all i ask for.

someone to be really loyal to the people who sent them there.

and not to apologise for it.

[cyclezealot]

4. I could not face that jerk and

make nicey , nicey . Particularily, when he used lies to bring about unnecessary war. Bankrupted the country. Bush bad enough, can't imagine having to sit across from a smug faced Cheney and act normal. When, in fact Rove/he has been the countries Darth Vader.
The irony. Republicans have so sickened the country of in your face politics/ we have to act nice. Attacks on Repugs will have to be done tactfully or else, we'll be the bad guy. Stick to issues, explaining how anti labor/people Repukes are, or they will turn on we, Democrats.

[Fierce]

5. More important than saying no to Bush,

he said yes to labor. And labor appreciates it.

[jwirr]

6. As a Minnesotan I am proud of our new congressman. Thank you

Keith.

[Nikki Stone1]

7. I wonder what Junior's administration will do to avenge the slight?

They are evil about crap like this.

I like this guy, but somebody has to watch his back