Ellison’s warped notion of criminals and cop killers as freedom fighters might strike some as a disqualification for office, but apparently not here in Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District. The Star Tribune has generally treated Ellison with kid gloves, airing some of the stories of his questionable conduct (not focusing on the gang and domestic terrorist affiliations, though), but their columnists and Editorial writers have generally dismissed criticisms of Ellison as evidence of racism (Ellison is black) and religious bigotry (Ellison is Muslim).

Alan Fine, Ellison’s Republican opponent, has been vilified as a crank and a bigot for criticizing Ellison’s ties to CAIR and the Nation of Islam (read for instance Nick Coleman’s column). And in a district in which the Republican vote rarely exceeds 25%, it is difficult to see how he could cobble together a coalition of Republicans and Democrats to defeat Ellison.

Not all Democrats are sanguine about Ellison’s views, however. The incumbent Congressman Martin Sabo has implicitly endorsed Independence Party candidate Tammy Lee, taking a picture with her last week, and allowing his District Director to endorse her in a blast email to Democrats. Some business executives, nervous about an Ellison victory, have also jumped on board. John Stanoch, President of Qwest Communications for Minnesota, has held a fundraiser for Lee and getting other businessmen to invest in her campaign.

Lee has an advantage that Alan Fine lacks: Democrat credentials in a largely Democrat district. Lee was spokesman for the 1998 Gubernatorial campaign of Skip Humphrey (son of Hubert), and was Press Secretary for U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan. What Lee lacks is a Party apparatus to help drive voters to the polls this November.

So while it is clear that Ellison’s ties to criminals and admiration for domestic terrorists makes some very prominent Democrats nervous enough to jump ship and endorse the Independence Party candidate, it is not certain that the defections will be enough to doom Ellison’s campaign. Ellison won his primary contest because the establishment vote was split between two other candidates, and that is his formula for victory in the general election.

Unless something changes soon for Fine or Lee as part of a bid to stop an Ellison victory, it’s quite likely that gang members and domestic terrorists will finally break into the big time in national politics. Ellison will become the nation’s first Congressman who represents their interests.