keith ellison joins me now. how seriously do we take this threat?hat are local and federal officials telling you? >> it's important to take it seriously but not to panic. the fact is you don't need a large scale operation to create terror. so it's very important to be very vigilant. if you hear of anyone or know anyone who is paying more atejs than they need to weird websites that might be al shabab affiliated tell somebody and be on the alert and let's not forget we live in a country where you have a right to your own opinion and things like that. >> do you think this propaganda is at all appealing to the somali americans or others who have come to this country and many of them are in minnesota in your constituency? >> i would say no it's not appealing but then that would only apply to the overwhelming majority. there could be some limited few handful of people who might find it appealing. we still got to be vigilant. i can assure you, somali americans in my district are starting businesses going to school. we have a somali city council member elec

congressman keith ellison is back. chozick from "the new york times" political beat, and joe klein, from "time." welcome back to all of you. and bill, let me begin with you. rudy giuliani stirring things up. questions the president's love country. doubles down on that. what is he up to? >> i think he's driving the liberal media into a frenzy. i don't know. i think he said what he believes. he decided he believed it so he wasn't going apologize. >> and joe klein, we saw scott walker trying to make the point that all the republican candidates shouldn't have to be asked this question on principle. then saying he doesn't know whether president obama is a christian. is he trying to play a double game here? >> i think he's trying to send two messages. i think with rudy and the other wild statements we've been seeing, it think it works for the disadvantage. one thing i know after 11 presidential campaigns. people don't like to elect an angry president or an angry party. they sound very angry. >> they do sound angry, keith ell

my co-chair keith ellison. that is that we for five or six years, have been talking about a different economic blueprint for this country. one that responds to real americans and their needs. to their insecurity is. we had a dismal election simply because we had no economic message. they didn't feel we on their side. and so today we talked about a unified approach a strategy to stop fast track and the trade agreement. we talked about a unified strategy on an economic agenda. chris van hollen process for all of house of representatives was there and talkedability ideas progressive brought to the table in that budget. we'll develop our owns as well. nancy pelosi came and spoke. 's we have more speakers to come. so my point being that this is not an isolated issue. and when i said we are edgier it's, i think a reflection of the fact we've been saying this sometimes being dismissed and suddenly the american people are saying the same thing we've been saying for five years. you know our brand is good and our message

but yet the president comes out, so does keith ellison -- >> hold on isn't it the most divisive thingould do in the middle of people's fears and paranoia that ethnicity played a role? why would the president do that? >> he don't that. he said there would be an investigation. >> he said no one should be targeted for who they are, what they -- >> let me finish. he is doing an investigation just like there should be in ferguson, just like there should be in any kind of hate crime -- potential hate crime. remember, if this were a muslim killer who killed three innocent white christian boys -- >> then it would be workplace violence. >> no, it wouldn't -- >> no no no. you ask me a question -- >> well, you haven't answered it adequately i would say that. >> how so? because it wasn't what you wanted to hear. >> -- >> that's exactly the problem. the president suggested in that phrase that it was a hate crime without saying it. and that's what he's not supposed to do. he's supposed to remain impartial. the president is supposed to remain impartial. and the facts, that's too far. do not lead us

representative keith ellison of minnesota, the first muslim member of congress, highlighted another concernach to muslim communities is a cover for surveillance >> we reinforce the false narrative that america is at war with islam when we appear to violate our own requirements of the constitution regarding surveillance when we mix surveillance and outreach. this is a very short sighted thing to do. >> woodruff: the summit comes after two high-profile attacks in europe this year. a danish muslim man, radicalized in prison shot up a free speech meeting and a synagogue in copenhagen over the weekend. and ann hidalgo, the mayor of paris, spoke today, her city still reeling from last month's killings at "charlie hebdo" magazine, and a kosher grocery. french-born gunmen claiming allegiance to an al qaeda group and islamic state were responsible. >> ( translated ): regardless of one's religion or one's origin everybody in paris must find a way to success, integration, and fulfillment. >> woodruff: tomorrow, the summit's focus moves to counter- extremism overseas. for more on the conference and the

let's bring in congressman keith ellison, the first muslim elected to congress. thank you for inviting me. >> boy, what a tragedy this whole story is when you hear about the lives of these three students. do you believe that they were targeted because they were muslim? >> i think there are enough facts in the record to pursue that as a line of investigation. there certainly are some facts to indicate that this may -- their religion may have been a factor so i think that it's very important that we pursue this and get to the bottom of it. i am confident based on my review of the facts that the parking answer is certainly not the whole story. >> and when you say -- what are your review of the facts? what are the things that lead you to believe that? >> newspaper articles. newspaper articles i've read and also people i've talked to in north carolina who have told me that there was some history between the people that there may have been comments about -- there may have been some comments referring to you know religious clothing or clothing associated with certain re

first elected muslim-american in america comes from my hometown, my congressman and good friend keith ellison. >> thanks so much for your work today and the work you have been doing in minneapolis. also much thanks to our community panel who i am so proud of and our local law enforcement members who did an excellent job, and our imams. thank you for your spiritual leadership and everything that you do. yeah that's right. [applause] and our senators, who are so very well engaged. we are here to discuss countering violent extremism. in order to counter the violent extremists we have to understand what the violent extremist is saying. what is their case? phenomenal alluded to it, saying out about a saying come get some action come do something right? the violent extremist argument is that america is at war with islam and muslims. we have got to start with that idea in mind. that is their case, that is their argument. all people in the room know this is absolutely false. the united states either favors or is against any religious community. we have a freedom of religion, and any muslim in the uni

first elected muslim-american in america comes from my hometown my congressman and good friend keith ellison. >> thanks so much for your work today and the work you have been doing in minneapolis. also much thanks to our community panel, who i am so proud of and our local law enforcement members who did an excellent job, and our imams. thank you for your spiritual leadership and everything that you do. [applause] yeah, that's right. [applause] and our senators, who are so very well engaged. we are here to discuss countering violent extremism. in order to counter the violent extremists, we have to understand what the violent extremist is saying. what is their case? phenomenal alluded to it, about a saying, come get some action come do something, right? the violent extremist argument is that america is at war with islam and muslims. we have got to start with that idea in mind. that is their case that is their argument. all people in the room know this is absolutely false. the united states neither favors or is against any religious community. we have a freedom of religion, and any muslim in th

talk about much here and i talked to a jordanian counterterrorist at the event and the president keith ellison to do horrible events and hope for a backlash against muslims in the u.s. demonize us hate crimes and it marginalizes us and makes us ripe for picking by the al qaeda and isis recruiters out there because they know marginalization equals radicalization. >> i'll ask you to stand by. secretary kerry is speaking about this. >> president obama from the day he became commander in chief, a very few months after he took office he spoke at the university of cairo and stated clearly that on his watch the united states would, quote, relentlessly confront violent extremists who pose a grave threat to our security because we reject the same thing that people of all faiths reject, the killing of innocent men, women and children. he continued. it is my first duty as president to protect the american people. in the years since president obama has proven that he understands the best way to do that is to protect not only the american people but also innocent people everywhere and to work together as a

. >> keith ellison is a vocal point of voter i.d.calling republicans who support voter i.d. laws racist. >> it is fat tuesday today. the streets of new orleans ready for a big day of celebrations. let's take a live look at bourbon street. it's a little quiet now. that we're told will change. revelers have been dancing and partying for days. today more floats and costumes and beads the big party leading up to ash wednesday tomorrow and the start of lent. that remind is me. >> don't give up the headlines. >> don't stop believing. >> we're going to go outside in a little while because of mardi gras fat tuesday today. >> why not? it's cold enough. folks around the country feeling a bitter chill in the air but it isn't stopping tourists at niagra falls in new york. >> right now it is 1 degree there. maria molina is outsidetracking what's ahead for today. are you predicting the waterfall will be stopped eventually at niagra falls? >> technically it can't ever totally freeze. there's water flowing beneath it. it has been a big myth and it i

. >> congressman keith ellison, we appreciate you being here. >> rudy was the mayor of a city known allstrong point. >>> in other news a bomb killing at least two people at a peaceful protest in eastern ukraine raises the question what cease-fire? 15 others hurt in another city. suspects trained in russia have been arrested a counter terror operation under way right now. this protest came under protests of ukraine's tie with russia. >>> a man hailed as a hero after taking down a palestinian teenager who stabbed an orthodox. >> on a palestinian street. this whole thing was caught on video. the mayor says he and his guards were in his car and noticed the knife wielding attacker and jumped out and took him down until the police got there. the man who was stabbed was only slightly injured. >>> the parents of slain american aide worker kayla mueller are speaking out. she was killed by isis in syria. her parents say they believe the president put his policy not to negotiate with terrorists before their daughter's life. >> any parents out there would understand that you would want anything and