If The Words Fit...

On the heels of their recent problems with editorial writers "borrowing" material from the New Yorker, it looks like the Star Tribune has decided on a new editorial policy that imitation is indeed the sincerest form of flattery. How else to explain this editorial from Friday?

You've gotta hand it to Keith Ellison, Minneapolis' congressman-elect: He's not even in the House yet, and he's got wingnuts falling out of the trees on their empty heads.

When Ellison announced that he would take the oath of office on the Qur'an, right-wing radio gasbag Dennis Prager went into high indignation mode. Ohmygod, Prager fumed, Ellison can't be allowed to do that; it "undermines American civilization." Using the Qur'an is akin to a racist taking the oath on a copy of Adolf Hitler's "Mein Kampf," he fulminated: "Insofar as a member of Congress taking an oath to serve America and uphold its values is concerned, America is interested in only one book, the Bible. If you are incapable of taking an oath on that book, don't serve in Congress."

And Prager was just warming up, not to mention the acolytes who responded to him. He was over the top, but they were over the moon. Did you know, voters of Minneapolis, that Ellison's campaign was financed by terrorists?

Is this what passes these days for serious commentary from the "institutional voice of the newspaper"? Other than the notable absence of ubiquitous, gratuitous profanity, this name-calling little juvenile rant could easily have been lifted from almost any mediocre left-wing blog in the country.

It's also a bit rich seeing the Star Tribune ask voters of Minneapolis what they know about Keith Ellison, since the newspaper did their damndest to let only information about Ellison that they approved of reach the public during the campaign.

By the way, today on his talk radio show, that noted "gasbag" Dennis Prager
challenged ANY member of the Star Tribune editorial board to come on his show for AS LONG AS WANT to discuss this issue. Given their past history of ducking such invitations, a Strib editorial writer appearing on Prager's show seems about as likely as a well-reasoned, respectful editorial appearing in the newspaper.