WHAT WOULD THE US DO WITHOUT KEITH ELLISON? On March 7, USA Today reported on how helpful it was going to be to have a Muslim in Congress.

Of course the Government would be happy to have Ellison available:

The State Department is turning to Rep. Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to Congress, to help burnish the country's image in the Muslim world -- despite Ellison's outspoken criticism of the Bush administration's foreign policy.

Ellison himself was only too happy to help:

"I plan to talk to people in the State Department and anywhere I can to help try to improve America's image in the Muslim world, make friends for our country," Ellison, a freshman Minnesota Democrat, said in a telephone interview Wednesday. "I want to help win friends for our country and to isolate true enemies."

Ibrahim Cooper of CAIR assured us of Ellison's special capabilities:

"I think Keith Ellison is in a unique position to demonstrate the true nature of religious diversity in the United States to the Muslim world," Hooper said. "I don't think the State Department will ask him to endorse foreign policy -- it will be a more generic, pro-American endeavor."

In reality though, Ellison has shown that he is more intent on tarnishing than on 'burnishing' the country's image:

"It's almost like the Reichstag fire, kind of reminds me of that. After the Reichstag was burned, they blamed the Communists for it and it put the leader of that country [Hitler] in a position where he could basically have authority to do whatever he wanted. The fact is that I'm not saying [Sept. 11] was a [U.S.] plan, or anything like that because, you know, that's how they put you in the nut-ball box -- dismiss you."

Muslims around the world looking for verification that Muslims were not responsible for 9/11 will be thrilled to read what Ellison has to say.

UPDATE: Captain's Quarters has more on Ellison's sloppy historical comparison.

[Hat tip: Powerline]

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