The Daily Background

Pretty much everybody on this side of the blogosphere has heard of Congressman Virgil Goode, re-elected to a sixth term this past November. The Virginia Republican, who nobody had ever heard of before, was perhaps over-stressed in recent weeks at the prospect of being in the minority for the first time in his Congressional career (he was first elected in 1996).

Well, Congressman Goode (pronounced “Gooooo-de”) got all in a huff about the swearing in ceremony of fellow Congressman Keith Ellison, a first term Democratic Congressman from Minnesota- and the first Muslim to be elected to Congress. Ellison won a landslide victory in his first bid for Congressional office last November. Goode blasted Ellison’s plan to use the Koran in the public mock-swearing in reenactment which occurred earlier today. In the actual swearing in ceremony, which is conducted in private beforehand, no religious texts are allowed.

Goode used the opportunity to push his own ideas about immigration- that the US should have laws against allowing too many people of certain religions (i.e. Islam) into the country. Entirely bigoted and unconstitutional? Yes. Below the Republican Representative from Virginia? No.

Never mind the fact that Representative Ellison (D-MN) is an African American and his family has been in the United States since the 1700s- hardly what you’d call recent immigrants (in fact, his ancestors likely were slaves who came to the US in chains- likely pre-dating Congressman Goode’s own ancestral arrival in the States). No, it seemed like the perfect political opportunity to boost Goode’s bigoted immigration ideology. “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,” Goode said in a letter to his constituents recently. (Ellison reacted calmly and went on CNN to urge tolerance and celebration of diversity and greater religious understanding.)

Never mind the fact that Ellison used Thomas Jefferson’s 200 year old personal copy of the Koran in the unofficial swearing in ceremony for reporters, family and distinguished guests.

Well, on the same day that Congressmen Ellison and Goode were sworn in (neither one used holy scripture in the official swearing in as it is not allowed, but Goode used The Bible in his unofficial ceremony and Ellison used Jefferson’s Koran), it was reported that Congressman Goode’s office in the fifth district of Virginia was vandalized in a minor way: the word “BIGOT” was stenciled in gold spray paint below his name on his street-level office window- as if it were an addendum to his credentials as a US Congressman.

Because the gold-colored spray paint almost matches the original window stenciling, it almost looks official. Has Goode’s office noticed? According to his press secretary, he hasn’t (maybe he thinks it’s a good credential to have). According to the The Hook, a local weekly, the stencilling has been there since at least late December and hasn’t been removed.

Immature? Yes. Sophomoric? Yes. Funny? Depends on who you talk to (I’d say yes). But at least it shows some of his constituents don’t support his bigoted “let’s limit immigration by religion” ideology.

By the way, as an addendum to this whole drama, CNN reports about a moment Ellison and Goode shared on the House floor after both of their swearing-ins today:

Ellison asked another Democratic member to introduce him to Rep Virgil Goode, R-Virgina, who spoke out against Ellison in a letter to constituents last month. Ellison told CNN that he approached Goode on the House floor and the brief meeting went well.

“I shook his hand and shook mine. We greeted each other.” Ellison asked Goode to grab a cup of coffee with him soon and Goode accepted.

Asked if he was felt singled out as the first Muslim member, Ellison said no and added, “By reaching out to Congressman Goode I’m not trying to be accepted, I’m trying to build bridges. In this world there are too many misunderstandings. I want to put a human face on things.”

Filed under: Little Noticed News, Z-TDB Blog