Ellison won a strong majority but amid controversy over his past links to a radical Muslim group, his support was well down on the 70 percent won by his Democratic predecessor who retired from the House of Representatives. Republican rival Alan Fine fought a relentless campaign attacking Ellison's past association with the controversial Nation of Islam group, seeking to use it as a sign of anti-Semitism.
Ellison, who said he converted from Roman Catholicism to Islam in college, was supported by the National Jewish Democratic Council as well as a prominent Minneapolis Jewish newspaper, which endorsed him over Fine, who is Jewish. The Reverend Jesse Jackson, a former candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, also campaigned for Ellison, who ran on a populist platform.
He has called for an immediate pullout of US troops from Iraq, greater reliance on renewable fuels, and for a universal, government-paid health care system. His election has "huge symbolism", said Larry Jacobs, a professor of political science at the University of Minnesota. "The message goes out from the United States that Muslims can be included in the political process and welcomed in Congress - that America is not at war with Islam," Jacobs said.
http://www.keithellison.org/
At the moment I wrote this, Democrat beats Republican in all races (House, Senate and Governor). Hopefully, Democrat is gonna win the majority at the end of the counting process and some changes in the US policies over other nations especially the Gulf states can be seen. Even if Democrat doesnt win, at least they'll have some control over the absurd policy makers from the Republican. Now, Bush is going to pay for all his actions and it seems that his tactics eg announce the death sentence on Saddam prior to the election, does not work. Truly Bush is the actual treat to this world. If a former Iraqi president has to face a trial for what he did in his own country, why him and the Israel are immune to the consequences of what they are doing on other nations (under what they called fight against terrorism). They should keep their noses out of other nations!
