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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsDem. Ellison and Rep.McCain denounce Michelle Bachmann's witch-hunt for Muslims in U.S. gov't
Democrat Keith Ellison fired back today at his fellow Minnesota lawmaker, Republican Michele Bachmann, with a letter excoriating her for failing to provide evidence to support her witch-hunt against Muslims in the U.S. Government. Meanwhile, Sen. John McCain became the first Republican to speak out against Bachmanns McCarthyite campaign, delivering a bold and moving floor speech on her specious charges.
Ellison had earlier requested documentation to support Bachmanns claim that there is deep penetration of Muslim Brotherhood agents into national security agencies, but he wrote today, A careful review of your 16-page response reveals that you fail to provide any credible evidence for your claims, engage in guilt by association, and continue to rely on discredited sources. Bachmanns lengthy missive, sent last Friday, simply rehashes claims that have existed for years on anti-Muslim websites, he wrote.
Bachmann had targeted by name Huma Abedin, a top aide to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the wife of former Congressman Anthony Weiner. Ellison notes, you provide absolutely no information about Ms. Abedin herself and fail to explain your claims regarding Ms. Abedins mother and brother, whom Bachmann had also implicated without explanation. Indeed, the allegations against Abedin are wildly tangential, at best.
¬snip¬
Meanwhile, across the Capitol, McCain said from the floor, To say that the accusations made in both documents are not substantiated by the evidence they offer is to be overly polite and diplomatic about it
It is far better, and more accurate, to talk straight: These allegations about Huma, and the report from which they are drawn, are nothing less than an unwarranted and unfounded attack on an honorable citizen, a dedicated American and a loyal public servant.
more;http://www.salon.com/2012/07/18/bachmann_under_fire/
pinboy3niner
(53,339 posts)And we don't need a return to McCarthyism.
Skittles
(153,193 posts)tblue37
(65,483 posts)led the charge in an attempt to rehabilitate McCarthy as a "patriotic" Republican hero. McCarthyism is in the bloodstream of this Republican Party, and they desperately want to be free to let it out in all its glory.
Scurrilous
(38,687 posts)K & R
JustAnotherGen
(31,879 posts)Her district will send her back again - because that is where their heart are at. She's the symptom- her consituents that voted for her are the disease/problem.
HooptieWagon
(17,064 posts)No wonder the Texas GOP wants to pass a bill banning the teaching of critical thinking.
BumRushDaShow
(129,440 posts)Seriously. Maybe that will wake her ass up.
no_hypocrisy
(46,182 posts)I didn't see this one coming.
barbtries
(28,811 posts)he must be remembering what honorable means.
sinkingfeeling
(51,471 posts)obamanut2012
(26,137 posts)Good grief, she's American and her parents are preppy Ivy leaguers.
Tailgunner Shelly.
Good for McCain -- more GOPers need to publicly denounce her, too.
hifiguy
(33,688 posts)the nuts hunt the squirrels.
GoCubsGo
(32,088 posts)I'm not holding my breath on that one, however. Given the number of times they have returned this whacko to office, that nice quite place needs to be a really roomy place, to boot.
ljm2002
(10,751 posts)...Ellison is expected, of course; McCain is more surprising but not completely -- he does have an adopted Pakistani child. I'm glad they both went on the record against Bachman's xenophobic craziness.
Douglas Carpenter
(20,226 posts)of course Rep Keith Ellison is doing the honorable thing too.
Lifelong Protester
(8,421 posts)in that party, NOW is the time for them to start stepping up to the plate and decrying some of this racist and xenophobic crap that now seems to be the trademark of the republicans.