Tom Delay says "no guarantee of separation of church and state".

[Richardo]

Well, I guess that settles THAT! Thanks Tom, you apparently illiterate constitutional scholar, you. :eyes::thumbsup:

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/3063337

DeLay says U.S. need not separate church, state
Associated Press

WASHINGTON - House Majority Leader Tom DeLay said today there is no constitutional guarantee of separation of church and state as the Supreme Court prepared to take up a case challenging the display of the Ten Commandments on the Texas Capitol grounds.

"I hope the Supreme Court will finally read the Constitution and see there's no such thing, or no mention, of separation of church and state in the Constitution," said DeLay, a Republican from Sugar Land.

The First Amendment of the Constitution says "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof ..."

<snip>

You may now resume your posting day, secure in the knowledge that our Republican leaders are looking out for YOU, as long as you're a white fundy whack job.

[Bunny]

1. Well, now that that's settled!

He sure is a big steaming pile, isn't he?

:hi: Richardo - how are you feeling, little sickie?

[Richardo]

6. Much better, thanks

I'll not have to use the :puke: or :hurts: smilies to indicate my condition anymore. ;-) (Only my reaction to Tom DeLay (R) Steaming Pile, TX.)

[Bunny]

26. Awww , pobrecito.

Glad to see you back on your feet! :hug:

[GiovanniC]

2. Woo Hoo!

My dream of living in a soul-crushing theocratic dictatorship and going to federally-mandated religious ceremonies three times a week can now be realized!

[Reverend_Smitty]

3. wow...just...wow...

have I mentioned this morning how much I hate these people?!?

[underpants]

5. This is a fundamental belief of the right

at least of the Reagan Revolution Right.

[elehhhhna]

4. WHo cares about Thomas Jefferson and James Madison's writings...

They were so "Old America".

[Jack Rabbit]

7. What part of the First Amendment does he not understand?

If Mr. DeLay wants to argue that a display of the Ten Commandments is not a violation of the First Amendment prohibition of the establishment of religion, he may. However, to say no such prohibition exists is absurd.

[GOPisEvil]

8. He's going down!

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2005/03/01/texas_trial/index.html


Even a Republican says his PAC broke the law.

[Richardo]

9. I would forego every Christmas, birthday and Arbor Day gift for life...

...if he gets nailed.

[asjr]

16. I hope you are correct. That man is a

blight on our country.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

33. Thanks for the link.

I hadn't see that article yet and I much happier having read it. :)

[trof]

10. The president has no authority over the Marines.

Nor the Coast Guard, nor Air force, for that matter.
If you follow Delay's line of "reasoning".


Section. 2.
Clause 1: The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States
http://www.house.gov/Constitution/Constitution.html

[aden_nak]

11. Cool. Can I be in charge of the Air Force then?

I have a few domestic targets in mind already.

[WildClarySage]

14. I'll take the coast guard!

[Jack Rabbit]

12. The Marine Corps is a branch of the Navy

It's covered.

[trof]

17. But it's not specifically mentioned in the constitution.

Just like separation of church and state.
This is more fun than playing with bible verses.
;-)

[3lefts]

13. I believe the Marines are under the jurisdiction of the Navy.

The Air Force and Coast Guard, I don't know.

[vonSchloegel]

19. The Air Force

Is part of the Army. The coast guard, I believe, is a branch of the Navy.

[Bridget Burke]

22. Nope.

The Air Force has been a separate service since 1947. And the Coast Guard is also independent.

[vonSchloegel]

24. Whoops

You're right.

The Air Force was separated from the Army in 1947.

The Coast Guard is a law enforcement branch who has served under the Department of Treasury, Department of Transportation, and now, the Department of Homeland Security. (They WERE part of the Navy during WWII).

[trof]

15. And then there's this:

Article. VI
Clause 3: The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.

[goodboy]

18. Why would anyone want to turn this country into the Christian equivalent

Of Iran?

[trof]

31. I could name a dozen in my neighborhood.

They would be ecstatic over a Christian Taliban in this country.
I'm dead serious.
One couple, when I told them I was a Dem and voting for Kerry, told me they'd pray for me.
I felt ever so much better.

[goodboy]

37. I'm praying for you too....to have the strength to deal with those fundie

WACKOS!

[redqueen]

20. He's a criminal.

And he doesn't even understand his religion, so he should STFU.

[Bouncy Ball]

21. FUCK HIM!!!!

FUCK HIM FUCK HIM FUCK HIM.

When my ancestors came to this country, it wasn't even a country, but a collection of backwater colonies owned by Mother England.

But since we've found records that they were Protestant, in a time and place when it was dangerous to be Protestant, we have a LOT of reason to believe they came here for FREEDOM. For a government not telling them how they were to worship. For no state-sponsored church.

They left their home (Wales and England) knowing full well they would probably never see it again (and many generations later, we never have), knowing full well they might not even survive the trip and knowing even if they DID survive the trip, they might not survive the first winter in this new land. But the risks were obviously worth the risk of staying in England and being burned at the stake for being heretics.

I don't mean to go all history lesson or maudlin on anyone, BUT FUCK YOU TOM DELAY YOU CROWN PRINCE OF ALL ASSHOLES.

[vonSchloegel]

23. He's technically right

There is no separation of Church and State mentioned in the Constitution, it is implied. The First Amendment only prohibits Congress from writing a law establishing or prohibiting religion. It does not forbid individual States from establishing religion.

[tigereye]

25. however, subsequent Supreme Court rulings and lots of other

laws have continued to support and uphold the contention that there is a separation, no? I'm not a lawyer, so.

The guy is a scary creep. Nuff said. And these are the guys who get to nominate future Supreme Court justices. Sigh.

[vonSchloegel]

27. Yes,

But there's no "guarantee." Meaning that it's not in the Constitution. Laws and Rullings can simply be overwritten with new Laws and Rulings.

Like it or not, he's right.

[tigereye]

28. ah but I think there are constitutional scholars who would

disagree, and the argument over interpretations, actuality of language and constructionism will continue.


This is a card that the Scalias, Thomases, Borks and those who support that view have played numerous times, to mixed reviews and effect. I would not agree that DeLay is right, about pretty much anything. ;)

[vonSchloegel]

38. There are Constitutional scholars

who would agree with me too. The debate on whether the Constitution means what it says, or means what you want it to say, has been raging for almost a century. But calling someone "illiterate," for interpreting the Constitution literally, is intellectual dishonesty.

[WeRQ4U]

32. Not sure you're completely right on that one.

As far as I know, the entire bill of rights has been applied to states via the 14th Amendment.

[vonSchloegel]

34. I was actually rebutting

those who say that the First Amendment guarantees separation of Church and State. It doesn't.

However, the Fourteenth Amendment only guarantees the rights of every US citizen, regardless of the State he resides. It prohibits State legislatures from infringing on those rights. It does not prohibit the States from establishing a religion, provided citizens of that State are free to worship any religion of their choosing.

[Wapsie B]

29. Please Tommy Boy make it so!

If there's no wall of separation, that means religion can be a part of government. But that also means that government can now be a part of religion. I'm getting goosebumps at the thought of being able to tax and regulate the living hell outa these right wing PACs masquerading as Christian groups, ie: Focus on the Family. You want religion regulated by the government? Take that wall down.

[CO Liberal]

30. I Guess That As The Bug Man Sees It.....

...it's also constitutional for him to be a corrupt asshole.

[Zomby Woof]

35. I suppose he questions "checks and balances" too

The ignorant fascist right-wing politicos rely on these literalist falsifications and dismissals of the CONCEPTUAL framework of the document, either deliberataly to hold their constituents in thrall to idiocy, and therefore, their hot-button votes, or because they really ARE that dumb.

Whatever it takes to theocratize the nation in the name of jebus.

The word "implied" is important here.

[Left Is Write]

36. Tom DeLay is an idiot.