A late contender sneaking in just before the year ends

It looks like the award for Most Hateful Congressman will go to a late entry this year, Rep. Virgil Goode of Virginia, who is, natch, a Republican.

This “gentleman” was outraged by a newly elected Democratic Congressman, Keith Ellison of Minnesota, who happens to be Muslim (and who will be the only Muslim in the Congress). And the sin that so offended the delicate sensibilites of Congressman Goode? Ellison plans to use a Koran during his private swearing-in ceremony in January.

Goode sent an angry letter to his contituents when he heard about the new Congressman's plans. In his letter, according to The Times: “Mr. Goode said that Americans needed to “wake up” or else there would “likely be many more Muslims elected to office and demanding the use of the Koran.”

“I fear that in the next century we will have many more Muslims in the United States if we do not adopt the strict immigration policies that I believe are necessary to preserve the values and beliefs traditional to the United States of America and to prevent our resources from being swamped,” said Mr. Goode, who vowed to use the Bible when taking his own oath of office.”

Unfuckingbelievable.

First, just subsitute the word Jew or Black for Muslim and imagine the outcry.

And, of course, there is no religious test for office in this country. In fact, when Congressmen are officially sworn in on the floor of the House, there is no bible used. They give an oath to defend the Constitution and that's it. Any pictures you see of them with their hand on a bible are ceremonial photos taken later in private ceremonies.

So this nasty piece of work – did I mention he was a Republican, by the way? - is mad because a Congressman of another faith won't use a Christian bible for a ceremonial picture that means nothing anyway.

It's offensive on so many levels.

But that's Virginny for you. This is the state, after all, which came thisclose to re-electing Sen. George Allen, even after all his racist crap came out during the campaign.

And this is today's Republican party for you.