Community Corner

Ellison: I Am Not a 'Far-Left Kook'

The 5th District congressman shot down Bill O'Reilly's claims that the Congressional Progressive Caucus wants to end capitalism.

Fifth District Rep. Keith Ellison went on MSNBC Wednesday to counter Fox talk show host Bill O’Reilly’s claims the night before that members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) are “far-left kooks.”

O’Reilly criticized the proposals for decreased defense spending and increased spending on job creation, science, energy, the environment and education—adding “some conservatives claim that’s what the far-left wants: a collapse of the entire capitalist system.”

On MSNBC’s Martin Bashir’s show, CPC co-chairman Ellison said the proposals enjoy widespread support and that he isn’t pushing for a collapse of capitalism. Watch the full interview in the video above.

Find out what's happening in Hopkinswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

 

Iraq War

Find out what's happening in Hopkinswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Ellison also released the following statement on the 10th anniversary of the Iraq War:

“Ten years ago, our leaders made the costly and tragic decision to invade Iraq. Today, we commemorate the sacrifice of American troops and commit ourselves to never again send our men and women into war without a plan worthy of their sacrifice.

“In 2003, the Bush administration took us to war in Iraq claiming that Saddam Hussein had ties to al Qaeda and possessed weapons of mass destruction.  They were wrong. No weapons of mass destruction were ever found in Iraq, and Saddam Hussein's alleged ties to al Qaeda have been disproven. Because of the Bush Administration's decision, more than 1.5 million Americans were sent into harm’s way, and 4,500 American military men and women lost their lives. 

“The American taxpayer will be paying for the Iraq War for decades to come. We will ultimately spend roughly $2.2 trillion on the war, and up to $4 trillion including interest payments, over 3,000 percent more than the Bush Administration’s initially estimates. Along with the war in Afghanistan and the Bush tax cuts, the Iraq War remains one of the largest contributors to our deficit.                                                                                                                               

“It is our responsibility as Americans and public officials to make sure our leaders never again take us into a war of choice without adequate public debate and discussion. And it is our responsibility to make sure every veteran is able to find a job when they return from war. With the unemployment rate for veterans after September 11 higher than the overall rate, too many of our troops still struggle to find work.

“As we wind down a decade of wars and turn to nation-building at home, we must never forget the lessons of Iraq.”

 

The Congressional Art Competition

There is still time for high school students to submit works to The Congressional Art Competition.

Since 1982, the House of Representatives has sponsored a nationwide high school arts competition for students in grades nine through 12 and seventh and eighth graders who attend schools with grades seven through 12.

The overall winner of each participating district will be displayed for one year in the U.S. Capitol. The 5th District winner will be displayed in the Capitol’s Cannon Tunnel.

Artwork must be dropped off by Friday at Keith Ellison’s Minneapolis office (2100 Plymouth Ave N. Minneapolis, MN 55411). Click here for full details.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here