Demagogue

Rep. Virgil Goode (R-Va.) is one of several conservatives who are all bent out of shape by the fact that Congressman-elect Keith Ellison has decided to take the oath of office on the Koran, not the Bible.

But if it weren't silly enough for Goode to criticize Ellison's decision, Goode has gone one ridiculous step further by trying to link Ellison's decision to immigration. (Ellison is not an immigrant.)

Goode has sent a letter to many of his constituents, and CNN posted these excerpts of the letter:

"When I raise my hand to take the oath on Swearing In Day, I will have the Bible in my other hand. I do not subscribe to using the Koran in any way.

"The Muslim representative from Minnesota was elected by the voters of that district and if American citizens don't wake up and adopt the Virgil Goode position on immigration there will likely be many more Muslims elected to office and demanding the use of the Koran.

"We need to stop illegal immigration totally and reduce legal immigration and end the diversity visas policy pushed hard by President Clinton and allowing many persons from the Middle East to come to this country.

"I fear that in the next century we will have many more Muslims in the United States if we do not adopt the strict immigration policies that I believe are necessary to preserve the values and beliefs traditional to the United States of America ....

"The Ten Commandments and 'In God We Trust' are on the wall in my office. A Muslim student came by the office and asked why I did not have anything on my wall about the Koran.

"My response was clear, 'As long as I have the honor of representing the citizens of the 5th District of Virginia in the United States House of Representatives, the Koran is not going to be on the wall of my office.'"

You can put whatever you want on your wall, congressman. Just don't expect every other congressman to do the same.