I am so proud of my representative. I even got a chance to tell him that about a week ago at a senate district picnic (quite a personable guy!).
As a freshman in congress Ellison created quite a stir (even internationally), but then he got down to business and has stayed focused throughout this term. You may recall his firm questioning of the Bush administration's wiretapping policy. His key issues include health care (supports a universal, national, single-payer health care system), vets issues, environmental sustainability (he got a 100% positive voting record from the League of Conservation Voters), consumer rights (he introduced the Universal Default Reform Act to stop predatory credit card practices), peace initiatives, and human and civil rights. In the House he serves on the House Financial Services Committee (Bachmann also has a seat on this committee), and the House Judiciary Committee.
This week he did us proud!
Clearly and with the facts on his side, Keith Ellison rebutted the right-wing talking points about the cause of the financial mess spewed by Michele Bachmann (also MN).
From Think Progress via Rollcall:
Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) sharply criticized Bachmann and other conservatives who have been trying to pin the economic crisis on minorities:
I personally am not going to just sit by and let people trash programs that helped folks get into housing who have been struggling to get in.
Fannie and Freddie — I don’t think are failed models. CRA certainly isn’t a failed program. These are important and good programs and should be protected. And If you want to find blame somewhere, let’s look at Gramm-Leach-Bliley. Let’s look at the very deregulation that so many people called for and clamor for and now we see what deregulation, lack of corporate responsibility put together with flat declining wages for the American people will bring about. It’s brought about this.
Bachmann was quoting from an article in Investors Business Daily, which puts the blame on the CRA for pushing mortgages on low-income minorities.
Keith responded to this meme with this:
I even heard things like the Community Reinvestment Act is the cause of this current crisis, even though the Community Reinvestment Act applies only to commercial banks. It does not apply to mortgage originators, who were the ones who originated the overwhelming number of these subprime loans. The fact is, CRAs probably reduced the impact of this problem because they limited the ability for a subprime loan to be issued through banks because they were regulated.
And he was on the ball earlier this week, also - from the Minnesota Independent:
"This is the height of chutzpah," said Rep. Keith Ellison in a scathing statement on Tuesday. "To suggest that the greatest financial crisis we face since the Great Depression was caused by legislation that was created to help PREVENT low-income individuals from assuming high-cost, subprime loans that have caused the crisis today is absurd."
"To suggest that struggling families trying to keep their homes brought down the ‘Titans of Commerce,’ ‘The Masters of the Universe’ on Wall Street, is ludicrous. To suggest someone who is raising three children while holding down two minimum-wage jobs on a high school education was able to stall one of the greatest economic engines on earth needs their head examined," Ellison said.
and further:
"Irresponsible and unregulated free-market lending run amok got us into this fix today," Ellison said Tuesday. "Executive salaries the size of Third World economies, coupled with enormous compensation packages, epitomizes the laissez faire policies of the past eight years under George W. Bush. We are living a textbook example of a free and unfettered market failure. It is a crisis that can only be addressed by government oversight and regulation."
Keith is and has been working hard to address usury rates, unfair lending and trying to bring prosperity back to the inner city neighborhoods. His seat is considered a safe seat, so he is working to turn out 20,000 new voters in CD5, which will pull along votes both up and down the ticket. Nevertheless, Keith is up for re-election and would be happy to have some support, from door-knocking to cash. I have to say that knocking on doors and GOTV was a great experience in Keith's neighborhoods - folks were delighted to vote for him! I'm signed up again. But in the meantime -
Show the man some love!