The Congressman and Jefferson's Koran

Despite a cynical campaign by those who would establish a religious test for holding office in these United States, newly elected Minnesota Congressman Keith Ellison will swear his oath of office tomorrow on the Koran.

And despite foolish attempts to cast Ellison's choice as somehow anti-American, as John Nichols writes in The Online Beat, it's Ellison himself who will be paying tribute to the Founding Fathers, in part by declaring his loyalty to the Constitution while clutching a copy of a Koran that was once owned by Thomas Jefferson.

If you're in the Washington, DC area tomorrow, January 4, you can see Nichols speak as part of the "Voices for Impeachment" forum at the National Press Club at 7:00pm along with Michael Ratner, Cindy Sheehan, David Swanson, Debra Sweet and Gore Vidal (via a video message.)

And wherever you are, you can check out Nichols' new book. THE GENIUS OF IMPEACHMENT: The Founders' Cure for Royalism has been hailed for its meticulous research into the intentions of the founders and embraced by activists for its groundbreaking arguments on behalf of presidential accountability.

From The Notion
Uncle Sam Wants You Now
Richard Kim | As the pool of new military recruits dries up, the Pentagon is giving up its aversion to gays.

Join the Marines... for the Summer
Tom Engelhardt | A recruitment e-mail sent to a young woman reveals what expanding the US military really means.

America's Complicity in Saddam's Crimes
Jon Wiener | The execution of Saddam Hussein prevents a trial for his real crimes.

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