Today MDE posted a letter from American Jewish World [which endorsed Keith Ellison], by Fred M.B. Amram. Professor Amram is certainly a distinguished individual, so I write this with all due respect - the main reason he cites for not supporting Keith Ellison is, in my humble opinion, factually incorrect:

Ellison has not denied that he was allied with the anti-Semitic Louis Farrakhan and the racist Nation of Islam.

Keith was never a member of the Nation of Islam, and has never had anything to do with Louis Farrakhan. He wrote about Farrakhan in law school, and now has repeatedly said he no longer holds the beliefs expressed in that writing - it was many years ago. Bottom line: Keith helped raise money for African-American Minnesotan men to go to the Million Man March. The MMM, far from being an anti-semitic hate-fest, was an event focused on:

efforts to register African Americans to vote in US Elections and increase black involvement in volunteerism and community activism. Speakers also offered a strong criticism of the conservative offensive of Republicans after the 1994 congressional elections (most notably the Contract with America), characterized as an attack on programs like welfare, Medicaid, housing programs, student aid programs and education programs.

Voters of the 5th need to understand that the Swiftboating of Keith Ellison is nothing more than guilt by association. Alan Fine, Michael Brodkorb, Ron Carey, and Ken Mehlman want you to believe that because of his MMM activities, Keith is unfit for Congress.

Professor Amram contends that Keith has never said he was not allied with Farrakhan , I would respectfully direct his attention to the TPT debate a while back…
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Fine : …the question is, these people called for the destruction of the United States. These people called for violence against other people
Wurzer : But this was in his past…
Ellison : …it was never in my past. It simply isn’t true…it was no part of my past. I’ve never supported anything but the total improvement of our country, I’ve never been a part of any sort of hate group, it’s just a complete distortion and misrepresentation of the truth…this is all a matter of taking the people of the 5 Congressional District off the issues in this race.
Alan Fine : Is Louis Farrakhan a racist?
Keith Ellison : Yes, I think so…
Alan Fine : Good.
Keith Ellison : I organized people to go to the million man march which was an event to help African-American men improve themselves, as family men, as fathers…millions of people participated in that event, Alan, and I will never apologize for being a part of that event. It was a good event, it was a positive event.
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Forget for a moment the undertones of race-baiting in Fine’s remarks over the past few weeks, which I consider reprehensible, here are some individuals that spoke at the Million Man March - I wonder if these individuals are also unfit for public service because of their “affiliation” with Farrakhan?
Rosa Parks
Congressman Charlie Rangel
Maya Angelou
Cornel West
Rev. Jesse Jackson
Benjamin Chavis
Stevie Wonder
Isaac Hayes
Kurt Schmoke - Mayor of Baltimore
Marion Barry - Mayor of Washington, D.C.
Hammer

Ok, Hammer is probably not a good fit for Congress.

I honestly believe that if Professor Amram sat down with Keith and asked the tough questions, he might feel differently about this issue - I encourage him to do so, regardless of the outcome.