the Scottish clergyman who petitioned Eisenhower to add "Under God" (leading to the change by Congress in 1954) looked to the ending of Lincoln's G-burg Address for inspiration: "...that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain; that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom; and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

Problem is, the way Lincoln said it, it's a prayer, i.e. "God Willing" not "Under God" the way it was construed in 1954 and since.

I always ask the courageous defenders of the Pledge if they think America is more or less "God-fearing" than in 1954.

Hi.

Trolling the websites of libs, I see? Want to make comments? I see. Be a good idea if if you learned critical thinking, which is in short-supply amongst youse red-Palin/Rogue staters.

Sen Tom Harkin (D. IA) said there are 5 Dems who don't support the public option. I can think of 6.

Blanche Lincoln (AR)

Ben Nelson (NE)

Jim Webb (VA)

Max Baucus (MT)

Kent Conrad (ND)

Harry Reid (NV)

Look 'em up, email 'em, and tell Mr Maj Ldr Reid we need a Leader worthy of LBJ, not his milquetoast approach.

(you might think I erred when I directed you back to point #1 . . but that was just a ruse to get you to actually read...)

(I’LL WRITE THIS FON-ET-IC-LLY – SO YOU CAN UNDERSTAND IT…)

President Obama renounced Carter & Pelosi? Really? When/Where? The only thing I saw was a YouTube video where the President called a jackass a jackass.

(just so you can keep count, that’s your point #1)

(and, just so you can keep up, here’s #2)

…except that, these protests on the right are bought and paid for by the corporate interests that oppose reform. Sorry about the big words like “corporate” and “reform”. Webster’s should come in handy. While you’re there, look up “Fascism”.

(here’s #3)

People – a la – the voting electorate, bought into Reagan’s formulation that “Govt is the problem, not the solution” However true that may have been in 1980 doesn’t fly in 2009. People have had enough of Republicrap propaganda on this point. In fact, the more you write, the less you have to say, factually. Support for Health Insurance Reform has gone up since the President spoke, despite those unfortunate and undecorous interruptions from shitheel southerners. Mind you, the govt run health programs, Tricare, Medicare, etc., are less costly administratively, than private insurance.

As fpr #4, I wont answer points that are cribbed from Chuck CabbageMallet. It’s still horseshit.

#5. You know who doesn’t care? The f’ng GOP! For all of their theatrics, they don’t actually have a bill, legislation, policy to enact. Know why? Because they don’t know why they are in government. (see #1). Because they hate it and don’t understand it. This why I say let the MBAs run the Chamber of Commerce (badly) and let the smart kids in school try to tackle the problems facing society.

#6. Carter is right about racism informing formerly privileged white opposition to President Obama. Period.

I consider this assessment of this issue by a law professor both cogent and mercifully brief.

"All we hear is Radio Ga-Ga, Radio Goo-Goo".

With this clown, it is all "Goo-Goo"

Actually, it would be a great idea - for passage of the Health Care Reform package, with a public option - if we let the GOP curmudgeons filibuster and show their true colors. Dontcha think?

After all, even LBJ had to endure a filibuster of 83 days on the Civil Rights Act (or the Voting Rights Act - cannot recall) didnt he? Ultimately, wouldn't Olympia Snowe or Susan Collins vote to shut it down?

What is a "uniformed . . . shout"?

@SoberInput

“What this article is basically saying, as I explain in my blog, is that adultery is a defining characteristic of liberalism.”

Hey SoberInput, is English your third-language? Because that is the only way you could interpret Conason’s article the way you have.

I guess Reading Comprehension was the first discipline to go when your school needed a new stadium.

-- I believe you've confused Robert Reich (Sec'y of Labor under Pres. Clinton) with Robert Rubin (Sec'y of the Treasury under Pres. Clinton).

What…Daniel Patrick Moynihan didn’t have stature or command respect?

“This country seriously needs a 28th amendment, pronto: ‘No person shall occupy an office under the Constitution of the United States which has previously been occupied by that person's parent, spouse, sibling or child’.”

--please allow me to retort (as Al Franken used to say on Air America): “Re-aallly?”

One of the virtues of having a open democracy is that we refuse to impose such tests on candidates for office (basic age requirements aside). While dynasties may (or may not) be offensive to democracy, this suggestion is actually more so, because otherwise well-qualified individuals would be prohibited from office for reasons beyond their control (except spouses – who could, I guess, obtain a quickie divorce).

The amendment we need is one abolishing the electoral college; barring that, states should adopt Maine and Nebraska’s method of allocating EVs.

okay - fine

I disagree - two individual humans are not "like a pair of pants or a team of horses". Having done my homework, respecting the primacy of the individual, the preferred subj/verb agreement should be "pair are", at least when writing or speaking about people. E.g. Led Zeppelin are Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and John Bonham.

the pair are not yet married

who. fucking. cares?

my name tag says:

Hello, I'm

Not a Supply Side Shithead

why is the lameduck Congress selecting/electing the new leadership positions and committee chairs now? - shouldnt the new congress-people get a say?

It is my fondest wish that "Vorenus" will push, cajole or otherwise scare Sandra Oh off a balcony. (of course my vehemence against her acting probably means she's "made it", somehow).

Joe L. is a pompous windbag