I could hardly care less that Keith Ellison is Moslem.   Oh, I think he’s going to be a terrible representative – as, indeed, pretty much any dogmoleftist will be – but his faith really has nothing to do with it.
This, however, could be useful:

Now, two months in office, the Minnesota Democrat plans to meet with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and other top State Department officials to talk about showcasing his story as part of their public diplomacy efforts in the Muslim world.

“Hey, my country first. We can work out our political differences later,” said Ellison, an outspoken critic of the Iraq war. “I’ve said I’m willing to do whatever I can to make some friends for America.”

Adding to the cachet he’s built since taking his oath of office on Thomas Jefferson’s Qur’an, Ellison has been profiled three times by the State Department’s overseas press bureau.

I’m not so sure that he’s “adding to his cachet” as he is “finding something he’s useful at”.  A little bird in Washington tells me Ellison and his staff are developing a reputation for being “less gifted” than most other staffs. 

But let’s leave that aside for now.  Good for Representative Ellison.  This is the sort of thing I and many other conservatives – people who believe that there is a moderate wing to Islam – have been wanting Moslems, especially leading American Moslems, to do.

On Monday he did a Voice of America interview from his office, where an American flag was placed conspicuously behind his desk for the cameras.

He’s scheduled to follow up on Thursday in a teleconference with Karen Hughes, the State Department’s undersecretary for public diplomacy. The White House has asked that the teleconference promote American values and confront ideological support for terrorism around the world.

I haven’t seen any other comment on this – and while I’m sure there’s an ulterior motive behind it, whatever.  So let me be the first to say it; kudos to you, Rep. Ellison.