Emmanuel Calls on Bush to Denounce Goode

Rep. Rahm Emmanuel (D-IL), the Majority Leader-designate for the next Congress, called on President Bush to denounce comments made by Rep. Virgil Goode (R-VA).

Goode had criticized the decision of Rep.-elect Keith Ellison (D-MN) to take the oath of office on the Quran. 

“Tolerance for different religions speaks to the very character of this country and the precepts on which it was founded,” Emanuel said in a prepared statement. “President Bush has reminded us time and again that freedom of religion is a fundamental American value. As such, I call on President Bush to be consistent and denounce Congressman Goode’s intolerance.”Goode has drawn fire for claiming that Ellison’s decision stems in part from too much immigration and claiming to have told a Muslim student that “[a]s long as I have the honor of representing the citizens of the 5th District of Virginia in the United States House of Representatives, The Koran is not going to be on the wall of my office.