Thu, Oct 2, 2008 10:39pm ET

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NBC's Todd falsely claimed 9th Circuit "wants to get rid of the Pledge" of Allegiance

Summary: On Hardball, Chuck Todd falsely claimed that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit "wants to get rid of the Pledge" of Allegiance. In fact, in Newdow v. U.S. Congress, a 9th Circuit panel did not decide that the entire Pledge of Allegiance was unconstitutional, but rather "h[e]ld that ... the 1954 Act adding the words 'under God' to the Pledge ... violate[s] the Establishment Clause" of the First Amendment.
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Well, that's the most important part, those two words added by some commie-fearing bedwetters. All the rest is just filler.

Posted by eweston8542983 in reply to Col. Harlan Sanders

Heard somewhere those words came from a socialist col. Go figure.

Posted by archae in reply to eweston8542983

Actually the original author was a socialist.

The Pledge of Allegiance was written in 1892 by Francis Bellamy (1855-1931), a Baptist minister, a Christian Socialist, and the cousin of Socialist Utopian novelist Edward Bellamy (1850-1898). Bellamy's original "Pledge of Allegiance" was published in the September 8th issue of the popular children's magazine The Youth's Companion as part of the National Public-School Celebration of Columbus Day, a celebration of the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's discovery of America, conceived by James B. Upham.

Bellamy's original Pledge read, "I Pledge Allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

(From Wikipedia)

The 1954 addition of "under God" was pushed forward by a rabid anti-Communist.

"We is gonna show dem Godless Commies!"

Posted by archae in reply to archae

Forgot the URL for the "under God."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pledge_of_Allegiance#Addition_of_the_words_.22under_God.22

Posted by mary59

http://www.sanilacdistrictlibrary.lib.mi.us/Pages/Children's%20Programs%20Pictures.htm

Posted by mary59 in reply to mary59

My friends, think of the cheeldrun, if that godless 9th circuit rips out the under-god out of their pledge and removes all the flags and takes away all the apple pies right out from under their window sills.  Don't liberals ever think?

Posted by mescal in reply to mary59

Mmmmmmmm... apple pie.

Posted by worrierking in reply to mary59

A few of those young communists in the picture are slauting with their left hand. 

That's how you can spot a commie. 

Posted by nerzog

Well, according to Caribou Barbie ..... if it was good enough for the Founding Fathers, it should be good enough for the rest of us.

Posted by albertsenj

You might have thought that the Governor of Alaska might remember the decision in Baker v Exxon ( http://www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/07pdf/07-219.pdf ) that took the punitive damages which had ALREADY been halved (from $5b to $2.5b) and cut them down to $500m. (remember what Exxon made last quarter?)

Since this decision involved both Alaska AND energy, which she claims as her 'area of expertise', it should have been especially memorable to her.

Of course, SCOTUS decided this case way back in June of this year so, it may be too long ago for her to remember.