Yesterday, Democratic Rep. Keith Ellison fought back against criticism of his well documented cozy relationship with Louis Farrakhan. You see, he barely even knows Farrakhan!
a post from @keithellison on Farrakhan https://t.co/EZI4SxSuCP pic.twitter.com/Wy3h7RXKSM
— Adam Serwer? (@AdamSerwer) March 19, 2018
Holding Ellison accountable for his associations is just part of the Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy, you guys.
https://twitter.com/ebruenig/status/975439781646741504
Uh, excuse us?
https://twitter.com/Kaycee_314/status/975781104274886657
If Ellison indeed wasn’t aware of Farrakhan’s anti-Semitism and homophobia until after the Million Man March in 1995, then he’s far too stupid to be in a position to make laws. But more likely, Ellison is just hoping the rest of us are too stupid to know that he’s completely full of it.
This is rich. There was ample media coverage of Farrakhan's anti-Jewish beliefs both before the march and in the decades leading up to it. Ellison publicly defended Farrakhan from those charges months after the march. https://t.co/8sXvYyUs7O
— Alex Griswold (@HashtagGriswold) March 19, 2018
Ellison was defending Farrakhan for years afterwards, according to the right-wing hacks at Mother Jones https://t.co/urTmKGOVkF pic.twitter.com/dap7gJnqrc
— Alex Griswold (@HashtagGriswold) March 19, 2018
As Twitchy told you last month, Ellison and Farrakhan broke bread together in 2013 (long after the Million Man March) at a dinner honoring Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. Ellison claims he didn’t even know Farrakhan was there:
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I do not have and have never had a relationship with Mr. Farrakhan, but I have been in the same room as him. About a decade ago, he and I had a brief, chance encounter in Washington, D.C. In 2013, I attended a meeting in New York City with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and nearly 50 others where I advocated for the release of an American political prisoner. I didn’t know Mr. Farrakhan would be there and did not speak to him at the event. Contrary to recent reports, I have not been in any meeting with him since then, and he and I have no communication of any kind.
Suuuuure, buddy. Moreover, that “no communications” line is contradicted by Farrakhan himself, who said that Ellison and Rep. Andre Carson had visited him in his hotel suite in the summer of 2015. So.
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Update:
New post: "Keith Ellison's mendacity on Louis Farrakhan" https://t.co/hjjHjodoaU
— Philip Klein (@philipaklein) March 19, 2018
In 1984, Farrakhan called Judaism a "gutter religion" & was condemned by U.S. Senate.
Ellison expects us to believe Farrakhan's anti-semitism only became clear to him after 1995. https://t.co/hjjHjodoaU— Philip Klein (@philipaklein) March 19, 2018
No amount of photo ops with liberal rabbis should distract us from recognizing Ellison's true record. https://t.co/hjjHjodoaU
— Philip Klein (@philipaklein) March 19, 2018
In 1991, Nation of Islam released shoddy book perpetuating idea that Jews were disproportionately responsible for the slave trade. Ellison, as an adult lawyer, worked with them to help organize march anyway https://t.co/hjjHjodoaU
— Philip Klein (@philipaklein) March 19, 2018
Bottom line: Ellison defended Farrakhan & worked with NOI at a time when Farrakhan was already one of the most famous anti-semites in America https://t.co/hjjHjodoaU
— Philip Klein (@philipaklein) March 19, 2018
Farrakhan 1984: "Hitler was a very great man"
Ellison 1989: Defends Farrakhan.
NOI/Farrakhan 1991: Blame Jews for slavery.
Ellison 1995: Work with NOI.
Candidate Ellison in 2006: Yeah, so maybe this Farrakhan guy is bad news. https://t.co/hjjHjodoaU— Philip Klein (@philipaklein) March 19, 2018
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