Right-Wing Radio Host Fabricates Controversy To Attack First Muslim Congressman

[trumad]

Right-wing radio host Dennis Prager wrote a column earlier this week claiming that Rep.-elect Keith Ellison (D-MN), the first Muslim elected to Congress, had “announced that he will not take his oath of office on the Bible, but on the bible of Islam, the Koran.” Prager claimed this “act undermines American civilization,” and compared it to being sworn in with a copy of Hitler’s “Mein Kampf.”

Bloggers on the left and right — including Taylor Marsh, Steven Bennen, Eugene Volokh, Stephen Bainbridge — have torn apart Prager’s argument on constitutional grounds.

But Prager’s column is based on one other glaring error: the swearing-in ceremony for the House of Representatives never includes a religious book. The Office of the House Clerk confirmed to ThinkProgress that the swearing-in ceremony consists only of the Members raising their right hands and swearing to uphold the Constitution. The Clerk spokesperson said neither the Christian Bible, nor any other religious text, had ever been used in an official capacity during the ceremony. (Occassionally, Members pose for symbolic photo-ops with their hand on a Bible.)

Below, House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL) is sworn in last year by Rep. John Dingell (D-MI) with his hand on the rostrum:


http://thinkprogress.org/2006/11/30/koran-bible-prager-ellison/

[quiet.american]

1. Why do right-wing lunatics think they get to decide what is American?

Fanatics like Prager are an embarrassment to any nationality.

[blm]

12. Because every time they MANUFACTURE a controversy, corpmedia helps them out

by furthering the storyline.

If this was BEFORE te election, the media would be pushing it like crazy.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

2. This whole thing is so abominably stupid.

Does the right really believe this shit is going to resonate with the average voter?

WE

ARE

LOSING

A

WAR.

It really boggles the mind. This is all they have.

Edit to add:

This, and the War on Christmas.

[ComerPerro]

5. you're damn right this is gonna resonate with the average voter

the Republicans know how to pander to the scared and stupid, and they have done it quite successfully over these recent ten or fifteen years

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

7. In my opinion...

...shit like this (and the Schiavo episode, etc) only serve to reinforce the weird religious freaks in the Republicans' base. But it annoys the hell out of "ordinary" Americans. They're acting like they want to be everybody's goddamn chaperone.

[ComerPerro]

11. yeah, but it with moderates, they are always content to hear "dems are worse"

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

15. Yes.

This strategy worked so well for the Republicans in the last election.

[ComerPerro]

19. well, lets see: Despite being do-nothing morons with an incompetent president

they still managed to keep us to a very small margin, still have veto power with the WH, and still can fillibuster...

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

20. What the fuck are you talking about?

This was the biggest fucking blowout in fifty years.

[ComerPerro]

21. blowout? We should have swept, as piss poor as Repigs have been doing

but, their propaganda and lies still keep them afloat.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

22. Sweep?

The Republicans didn't gain a single seat anywhere on the country.

Don't take this the wrong way, but you're starting to sound like Carville on this issue.

[niceypoo]

25. This is why they lost the election

The country is sick and tired of this kind of bullcrap from them. They have absolutely nothing to offer this country except Archie Bunker mentality hatred.

[Nikki Stone1]

29. They need something to yelp about now that real issues are not going their way

:kick:

[countryjake]

37. It should resonate with the average Jewish voter...Prager is not Christian.

The things he's written that blatantly attack religious freedoms in this country should resonate with every conscientious person.

Congressman Faulted for Quran at Oath
By FREDERIC J. FROMMER, Associated Press Writer
Fri Dec 1, 2006
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061202/ap_on_go_co/ellison_quran

~snips~

The decision by Ellison, D-Minn., to use the Muslim holy book for the ceremony instead of the Bible triggered an angry column by Dennis Prager on the Web site Townhall.com this week.

Headlined, "America, Not Keith Ellison, decides what book a congressman takes his oath on," Prager argued that using the Quran for the ceremony "undermines American civilization."

"Insofar as a member of Congress taking an oath to serve America and uphold its values is concerned, America is interested in only one book, the Bible," he wrote. "If you are incapable of taking an oath on that book, don't serve in Congress."

Prager argued that the issue wasn't about freedom of religion.

"I want Jews like myself to take the oath on the Bible, even though the New Testament is not our Bible," he said.

Asked if it would be a problem for a Jewish lawmaker to take the oath on a Bible that included only the Old Testament, Prager responded, "Yes, it would," because he said the point is to honor the "Bible of this country."

[Initech]

3. Dennis Prager is an asshole.

If he'd read the first amendment, he would know that part of it includes the right to freedom of religion, thereby giving the Congressman his right to swear on the Koran. Of course, it also gives the right to assholes like Dennis Prager free speech. So...

[dogfacedboy]

8. A-holes like Prager, and his ilk, serve a very important purpose.

They are constant reminders that there is a very dangerous radical-right underworld that is doing it's damnedest to destroy the US. Although their numbers are smaller than they themselves believe, the Malcontent Minority has a seemingly endless cash flow, and a very loud megaphone. Fortunately, most of those who follow in lock-step with the Right-tard way of "thinking" are old and powerless and will die off within the next several years.

[Initech]

10. Of course, they do get crazier and crazier every year.

I hope stuff like this is the worst of it. Otherwise I'd hate to think what we'll be up against four years from now!

[atreides1]

4. First Glen Beck

Now Dennis Prager! Makes you wonder if the Nazis did lose that European War, especially when you take into consideration some of the comments made by these two and their fellow commentators?

[The Stranger]

6. That is malicious, and it constitutes defamation.

Ellison should sue Prager for defamation and sue every media outlet that published the piece.

[Ha Ha Ha Oh Wow]

9. .

radio people hyping fake stories?
SHOCKING!

[cascadiance]

13. Haul Prager off to Guantanamo for an act of Christofacist terrorism!

[Hatalles]

14. Stay strong, Keith.

There is going to be a relentless, concerted effort by racists and Islamophobes to try and slander and marginalize Ellison -- in fact, he's yet to take office and it's already started.

[AspenRose]

16. They're doing it with Barack Obama, too.

Emphasizing his middle name 'Hussein.' Never mind that he's a convert to Christianity....the right wingnuts get a two-fer in that both Keith and Barack are black as well. So it feeds into their racist, xenophobic base even more.

[IWantAChange]

40. Thank goodness we are the most civilized nation on Earth and

the guiding light for freedom and democracy - not to mention tolerance and Christian values. HUH?????????????????????????

:sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm:

[BuyingThyme]

17. D-bag.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

18. I haven't listened to Prager in years

He used to be on radio station KABC in Los Angeles over 10 years ago. He had good taste in music and used to play Georg Frideric Handel compositions on his talk show. I can also remember that he used to tell his audience that he was neither left nor right but instead a "passionate centrist" and that he used to be a Democrat. That was a lot of baloney. My awakening about him came when I discovered that he was virtually turning cartwheels on the air when the Republicans had their strong showing in the 1994 elections. That's when I stopped listening. So, what I know of this guy is that he's a pathological liar.

[H2O Man]

23. I want elected officials

to uphold the Constitution. They should keep their religion private.

[dorktv]

24. someone get a copy of the constitution and smack him over the head

with it. There shall be no religious test required of any office holder dipwad!

[Buzz Clik]

26. "swearing-in ceremony ... never includes a religious book" LOL!

Jackass.

[kegler14]

27. In case anybody wants to see Freeper ignorance

and intolerance at it finest, here's the link for their "discussion" on it. A couple of folks do note that the Congressmen don't actually swear on anything or that they don't swear to God, but mostly it's craziness.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1744979/posts?q=1&&page=51

[Initech]

33. Yikes!

:yoiks:

At least there's some people there smart enough to realize that this controversy is in fact, fabricated.

[marmar]

43. They're like a bunch of crazed, rabid dogs.....

And you know what they do with rabid dogs? :think:

[Nikki Stone1]

28. So Dennis Prager LIED. Maybe that's why atheists are so angy (as Prager contends)...

Because the "religious" right has no problems bearing false witness, regardless of those little tablets of Moses.

[Roland99]

30. Ah, what kind of Christian would he be if he didn't have something challenging his faith?

Even if it was completely batshit insane figment of his imagination...

[bobsputer]

31. Prager

The funny thing is Prager is Jewish. He should be more sensitive to the fact that we don't all necessarily swear on the testament of Jesus.

[Roland99]

32. Oh, that's too rich. Wonder if he's as much in the closet as Medved is?

He should want people swearing on the Torah or at least a Bible sans New Testament. :P

[countryjake]

36. "I want Jews like myself to take the oath on the Bible,"...

even though the New Testament is not our Bible," he said.

Asked if it would be a problem for a Jewish lawmaker to take the oath on a Bible that included only the Old Testament, Prager responded, "Yes, it would," because he said the point is to honor the "Bible of this country."

Congressman faulted for Quran at oath
By FREDERIC J. FROMMER, Associated Press Writer Fri. Dec. 1, 2006
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061202/ap_on_go_co/ellison_quran


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just read that article. Absolutely shocking! Hopefully, plenty will be disgusted by such statements.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

First they came for the Communists, and I didn’t speak up,
because I wasn’t a Communist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I didn’t speak up,
because I wasn’t a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.

Then they came for the Catholics,
and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant.

Then they came for me,
and by that time no one was left to speak up.

[Up2Late]

34. Oh PLEASE! Another retarded RW "controversy." And even Think Progress is not...

...completely right here either.

It's "Do you Swear or Affirm..."

Even the Traffic Court Judge in Atlanta, Georgia said that when I got a Bogus Traffic Ticket a few years ago.

[xchrom]

35. the tried and true method of scaring americans!

and lying to do it.

well, never let it be said americans let a lie stand in the way of frightening them selves into stupidity.

[Blix Krieg]

38. Thanks for the Votes Dennis!!!!!

This creature has single handedly alienated, at
least 1 million Muslim Americans, with his inane
interference in affairs of State. It is said he
referred to the Koran as Mein Kampf. This will
insure the wrath of most Muslim Americans towards
the Republicans, and drive them en masse to the
Progressive Party. We should all encourage the
Rightwing Pundits, to continue the HateTalk 24x7.
The majority of the American people have learned
to detest their Swiftboat tactics, and have
started voting accordingly.

This little slime machine hit on an innocent
Muslim Congressman has completely blown up in
their faces. They are desperate to frame the
agenda before the "Over Site" hearings start
in January.

This silly farce reeks of Hysteria on their part. :banghead:

[IWantAChange]

39. Prager and his ilk are posterboys for separtation of church and state

IF they are speaking for mainstream America I have to check and see if my parents came from Mars.

[marmar]

44. .... and the need for birth control.

:crazy: :crazy: :crazy:

[KharmaTrain]

41. They're Doing The Same To Barack Obama

The Salem network...which Prager, Weiner, Ingraham, Medved, Bennet and others are spewed over are doing their best to slime any and all "brown-skinned" types. If it's not the "alien" immigrants (Hispanic and Mexican bashing), it's demonizing Arab terrirsts who want to over-run Europe with babies and then drive up into Mohammed grasp to it demonizing of Democrats...especially those are evil just because they're Democrats.

I heard some spewer on WLW out of Cincinatti the other night blowing crap about Barack Obama's middle name...Hussein and wonderin' aloud if he was a "Muslim"...well not wonderin'...he already assumed and how could someone with the name "Hussein" be considered as a Presdiential candidate.

Look for the GOOP to run to the far right fringes as they feel beseiged by us "traitors" and heathen who somehow won the election, but surely has no "mandate". I expect the hate to ratchet up next year as the Repugnican party panders more and more to the Hate America crowd.

[countryjake]

42. What's "the Salem network"?

Do you mean as in "witch" hunters?

[KharmaTrain]

45. Here Ya Go...

Check out their website and you decide:

http://www.srnonline.com/

And here's a list of their many stations:

http://www.salem.cc/sitesStationLinks.htm

[countryjake]

46. Jeez...now I have to go clean my computer!

Thanks for the info...I was unaware.

This is all I was familiar with and it's quite enough:

http://townhall.com/columnists/DennisPrager/2006/11/28/america,_not_keith_ellison,_decides_what_book_a_congressman_takes_his_oath_on

[Danger Mouse]

47. Yeah,

Cause Christianity is the state religion and its 'the Bible of our country,' right?
Fuckin prick.
Stop trying to forcefully ram your narrow-minded beliefs down the throats of every American.