The Minnesota Independent covered a variety of issues this week, from in-depth looks at U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann’s inner circle to a state Senate special election primary in Minneapolis.
Ellison responded that efforts to ban Sharia aren’t based in reality—there are no Sharia-run communities in the United States—but are a “thin-disguised effort at religious persecution.”
Jan Markell, an end-times preacher and longtime friend of Michele Bachmann, defended anti-Islam statements by Lynne Torgerson, Rep. Keith Ellison’s first announced challenger for the 2012 election. In late-June, Torgerson launched her campaign at Tea Party Nation by calling Ellison a “radical Islamist” who “fails to oppose banning Islamic Sharia law in the United States.” Ellison responded by accusing her of running a campaign “based on hate, division, and fear.” In an interview on Friday, Markell defended Torgerson.
MSNBC’s The Ed Show on MSNBC turned its focus on Minnesota’s Fifth Congressional District race as candidate Lynne Torgerson spoke with Rev. Al Sharpton about incumbent Rep. Keith Ellison last night. The contentious back and forth centered on Torgerson’s claim that Ellison, a Muslim, doesn’t hold the U.S. Constitution “supreme” over Shariah law. Her beef: Ellison said the U.S. Constitution is the “bedrock” of American law, but didn’t say it was “supreme.”
Rep. Keith Ellison sent a fundraising pitch to supporters on Monday calling out his newly announced challenger Lynne Torgerson for her comments calling him a “radical Muslim fundamentalist.” Torgerson, who announced her campaign at Tea Party Nation on Thursday, garnered only 3 percent against Ellison’s 69 percent in the last election.
Lynne Torgerson announced on Thursday that she intends to challenge Rep. Keith Ellison for Congress in 2012 and noted that she based her decision on Ellison’s Muslim faith. Torgerson became a lightning rod in the 2010 campaign cycle for her controversial statements about Islam. Calling Ellison a “radical Islamist” yesterday, she announced her intention to run for the seat on Tea Party Nation.
None facing a serious challenger, Reps. Keith Ellison (D), Betty McCollum (D) and John Kline (R) will all be returning to Congress after the Associated Press called those contests early Tuesday night. Following heavy losses by Democrats around the country, Kline is expected to ascend to chairman of the House Education Committee as Republicans assume leadership of that chamber.
Judson Phillips, the founder of the Tea Party Nation, sent supporters an email last night defending his decision to endorse independent Lynne Torgerson based on Rep. Keith Ellison’s faith. “Should Muslims be denied the right to run for office because of their religion? No,” wrote Phillips. “The Constitution specifies that no religious test can be used to exclude someone from public office. But when someone adheres to an ideology that says kill people who disagree with you, that is something voters should seriously consider when they vote.”
Tea Party Nation founder Judson Phillips sent an email to members on Saturday that said voters should pick independent Lynne Torgerson over Rep. Keith Ellison in the 5th Congressional District race because, “He is the only Muslim member of congress.” Torgerson, who has been very critical of Muslims in general and Ellison in particular, spoke out about the issue on a Christian radio show last week.
Corrected (see end of post): Last time independent congressional candidate Lynne Torgerson had problems with photography, it was for using a stock image of the U.S. Supreme Court building — instead of the House wing of the Capitol…
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