Ellison Report: Urges Obama Take 'Bold Action' on Jobs

, Fridley's representative in Congress, co-wrote a letter Thursday asking President Obama to do something big about the unemployment problem.

Ellison and his Progressive Caucus co-chair Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva wrote:

Specifically, we urge you to support emergency jobs legislation that will immediately put Americans back to work. With 14 million Americans still looking for work, this is not the time to tinker around the edges. We must take bold action, and that requires federal emergency jobs legislation.

More on Religion
CNN's Belief Blog posted a video and article Thursday about Ellison's religious faith.

Ellison (D-MN) was the first Muslim elected into Congress when he won Minnesota's fifth district seat in 2006. At the time, he said, he was surprised that his faith was discussed so much.

“When I started running for Congress it actually took me by surprise that so many people were fascinated with me being the first Muslim in Congress,” said Ellison, who is now serving his third term in the House.

“But someone said to me, ‘Look Keith, think of a person of Japanese origin running for Congress six years after Pearl Harbor—this might be a news story.’”

Ellison grew up Catholic but said he never really felt comfortable with that faith.

“I just felt it was ritual and dogma. Of course, that’s not the reality of Catholicism, but it’s the reality I lived. So I just kind of lost interest and stopped going to Mass unless I was required to.”

Today, he said he is comfortable being a Muslim and added he doesn't let campaign attacks centered around his faith bother him.

“I would caution [opponents] that it doesn't work. People are not hateful like that," Ellison said. "If you come up saying, ‘Vote for me because Ellison is a Muslim and I’m not,’ nine out of ten voters are going to see that as the silliness that it is.”

“It doesn't hurt my feelings at all," he said. "In fact I actually feel sorry for these people.”