game, set and match

first his fellow board members at the Holocaust Museum convinced Dennis Prager that demonizing members of a minority religion might not be perfectly consistent with their message

Now Rep. Ellison, the muslim gentleman from Virginia, covers the american values angle

Rep.-elect Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to Congress, found himself under attack last month when he announced he'd take his oath of office on the Koran -- especially from Virginia Rep. Virgil Goode, who called it a threat to American values.

Yet the holy book at tomorrow's ceremony has an unassailably all-American provenance. We've learned that the new congressman -- in a savvy bit of political symbolism -- will hold the personal copy once owned by Thomas Jefferson.

"He wanted to use a Koran that was special," said Mark Dimunation, chief of the rare book and special collections division at the Library of Congress, who was contacted by the Minnesota Dem early in December. Dimunation, who grew up in Ellison's 5th District, was happy to help.

Jefferson's copy is an English translation by George Sale published in the 1750s; it survived the 1851 fire that destroyed most of Jefferson's collection and has his customary initialing on the pages. This isn't the first historic book used for swearing-in ceremonies -- the Library has allowed VIPs to use rare Bibles for inaugurations and other special occasions.

Ellison will take the official oath of office along with the other incoming members in the House chamber, then use the Koran in his individual, ceremonial oath with new Speaker Nancy Pelosi. "Keith is paying respect not only to the founding fathers' belief in religious freedom but the Constitution itself," said Ellison spokesman Rick Jauert.

But don't worry, Mr. Goode. Nobody in Virginia cares too much about Jefferson. You can say he was unamerican too.

well played, Mr. Ellison.

edit: damn. I  missed the part where Goode promised to have Ellison deported.

oooooh.

via Rox, artists in SF are getting together an auction to benefit the family of James Kim.

Go take a look.

I know I couldn't dream of affording what it is eventually going to go for, but I lust seriously after this.