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To Rep. Virgil Goode, R-Va., radio talk show host and sometimes-Fox-TV contributor Dennis Prager, and any others attempting to make an issue over Rep.-elect Keith Ellison, D-Minn., and his decision to use the Quran at his ceremonial swearing-in.

First, Prager criticized Ellison, the first Muslim elected to Congress, for choosing to use the Quran instead of the Bible. Next, Goode sent a letter to constituents warning that unless the U.S. clamps down on immigration, “many more Muslims” will be elected and want to place their hand on the Quran.

These anti-Muslim, anti-tolerant messages are downright silly. To expect a Muslim to want to engage in a swearing-in ceremony with a Bible taking center stage is as rational as expecting a Christian to prefer placing a hand on the Quran. Certainly, the Bible has always been used until now. But until now, we hadn’t had a Muslim in Congress. Why is that so hard for some to understand?



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To the Federal Communications Commission for enacting rules that will add competition in the cable television market.

The regulatory change would ease the way for telephone companies, such as Verizon and AT&T; to offer television services, by preventing cities from denying them a franchise.

Many communities have only one cable television provider. A FCC report on prices of cable service indicates the lack of competition has driven up the cost of basic cable higher than is reasonable.

The problem can be particularly acute for customers living in larger cities. That’s because telephone companies often serve only a portion of a large city, but those cities’ local governments often require a TV provider to offer the service to the entire city. Adding the necessary infrastructure to do that is often cost prohibitive, leaving the phone companies unable to get a franchise.

Giving competitors access to the markets they serve should help to hold down the costs of television service.



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To the failure to adequately and fairly fund public schools. The U.S. federal government, according to a report issued this week by the Education Trust, a Washington-based children’s advocacy group, continues to shortchange poor students in aid policies.

Meanwhile, closer to home, Minnesota legislators continue hearing from frustrated school superintendents and parents from all over the state complaining about an inadequate funding system that makes it hard for rural schools to keep up with their more economically-blessed big-city neighbors.

It is important that students both in small schools and larger schools get what they need to compete in an ever-more complex world. This is important for Minnesota and for the rest of the nation.

Education Trust charged that states that spend more get more from Washington, rewarding wealthy states and shortchanging poorer states with higher concentrations of poor students. Why should Maryland, with fewer poor students than Arkansas, for instance, get almost 50 percent more federal aid per poor student?

We must demand more equality in our public education system.



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To Congressman-elect Tim Walz for urging a House oversight committee to call hearings on the DM&E;’s $2.3 billion federal loan application when the new Congress convenes.

Walz isn’t wasting any time bringing top issues of his district to the forefront. And he is being strategic about his plan as well. Walz, D-Mankato, has recruited a veteran member of the House Committee on Government Reform to ask committee chairman-designate Henry Waxman to hold the hearings on the taxpayer-financed loan. Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., co-signed a letter with Walz that outlined concerns about the loan and asked that more public scrutiny be applied to the application process. The loan, if approved, would be the largest federal loan to a private company in U.S. history.

South Dakota Sen. John Thune had earmarked money for the $2.3 billion expansion loan in the 2005 federal transporation bill. The Republican senator had been a lobbyist for DM&E.;

The DM&E; expansion is an ongoing controversy in the 1st District, which includes Rochester and Mankato. When Thune tucked the loan money into the transportation bill, a lot of people shook their heads in disgust that taxpayers would be expected to finance the expansion.

Walz is pushing for long overdue scrutiny on the DM&E; loan. We hope Waxman gives the Walz-Maloney memo the serious consideration that it deserves.