90% of Red Skelton's Pledge of Allegiance presentation--a word-by-word breakdown of the Pledge's historical significance and continued relevance--was cool as shit. And it was effectively ruined when he concluded with a teary-eyed reflection about the words "Under God" being added to the Pledge and, "Wouldn't it be a pity if someone said that the Allegiance is a prayer, and it would be eliminated from school's too?"

In that last minute or so of his monologue Red is doing the same thing most of the posters in this thread are doing: appropriating a cool, solemn moment as some type of lame-ass homage to the good ole' days when everybody said their prayers and drank their castor oil. The United States of America is STILL a great country. And there are a lot of people, conservative and liberal, who STILL think that. We know we're stronger united than divided. Not to mention, we believe in things like freedom, justice, and liberty--what's more, we exemplify those beliefs MUCH more so than our parents and grandparents. When my father was growing up, nobody engaged in active discussions about the Bill of Rights. When my grandfather was a kid, nobody saw blacks or women as equals. Through the 1950s, if you were a white American male, you could essentially get away with being a dickhead, and more often than not society rewarded your efforts. The Greatest Generation--yeah yeah yeah. Defending democracy might make you a hero, but living democracy is the only thing that makes that heroism worth a damn.

As for my Bush/First Amendment quip, that's hardly spin. In the words of President George W. Bush himself,

You come from many backgrounds and faith traditions, yet united in this common belief: Marriage is the most fundamental institution of civilization, and it should not be redefined by activist judges. You are here because you strongly support a constitutional amendment that defines marriage as a union of a man and a woman, and I am proud to stand with you. This week, the Senate begins debate on the Marriage Protection Amendment, and I call on the Congress to pass this amendment, send it to the states for ratification so we can take this issue out of the hands of over-reaching judges and put it back where it belongs -- in the hands of the American people.

Is there any secular basis for the Marriage Protection Amendment? The GOP can "spin" this issue any way it wants, the fact remains this amendment is firmly and singularly rooted in Judeo-Christian theology--and thus, violates the First Amendment.

How about the Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform bill, which made it a crime for non-profit advocacy groups simply to mutter the name of a national candidate within the last sixty days before a general election? Very briefly, Congress passed a bill abridging the freedom of speech when the First Amendment says, "Congress shall make no law...abridging the freedom of speech" and Bush signed it into law.

Respecting an establishment of religion, abridging the freedom of speech...what else we got? Forbidding the press from taking pictures of flag-draped caskets returning home maybe? Ladies and gentlemen, the First Amendment trifecta!!!