Ellison Report: Speeches at the Fair

U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN), Fridley's representative in Congress, hit the Great Minnesota Get-Together on Friday to meet constituents and discuss economic issues:

• Speech on Jobs and Job Creation, 1:30-2 p.m., AFL-CIO Booth; Cooper Street and Dan Patch Avenue
• Speech at DFL Booth, 2-2:30 p.m., Cooper Street and Dan Patch Avenue
• Visit with Veteran Service Groups, 2:30-3 p.m., Dan Patch Avenue and Cosgrove Street

CNN Commentary
Ellison penned a commentary about Libya that appeared at CNN.com Friday morning. An excerpt:

America had to get involved. Without U.S. and NATO engagement, Gadhafi would have hunted protesters, as he threatened, "house by house" in Benghazi. He would have squashed the rebels and sought revenge against those who dared to question his rule. A Gadhafi victory would have been tragic for the people of Libya, and it would have dimmed hopes for greater freedom in the Middle East.

Power Line Nod
The conservative, Minnesota-based Power Line blog includes Ellison's views in a post on the 2010 payroll tax cut.

Iftar Regrets
Ellison was invited to an iftar ceremony to break Ramadan fast on Thursday that was hosted by the Israeli ambassador in Washington, D.C., but he declined due to an injury, according to the Huffington Post.

LGBT-friendly Mosque
Ellison is among those set to speak at an Oct. 24 forum on Islam and LGBT issues at the new Light of Reform Mosque in Washington, D.C., according to The Washington Blade.

New Job for Super Committee?
Ellison asked the co-chairs of the new Congressional "super committee" to pursue job-creation as well as deficit reduction, Minnesota Public Radio reported.

Townhall Report
Ellison went from a "No" to a "Yes" on a No Labels report about which members of Congress were holding townhall-style meetings in their home districts during Congress' August recess. In a tweet, he disputed the report's original claim that he had not held a public constituent meeting.