Since Newdow did not have standing, the SCOTUS did the only thing that they could do, for now. But, count on it. Another case will soon be brought, in the 9th Circuit's jurisdiction, using the same points that got the case this far, but without that technical flaw. If it is sufficiently similar, it will fly through the lower courts and be back to the SCOTUS in relatively short order and we will be going through all of this again.
It's not over till it's over. Until the SCOTUS actually rules, we are in sudden death overtime. Once they actually rule, no further cases will get this far for at least 20 years, when there will be a mostly different court. But for now, another case could pop out of the 9th any day. You don't celebrate when the game goes into overtime. All you do is take a deep breath and a swig of water, because the toughest part of the game is still ahead. I don't mean to dampen your spirits. That's just the way it is.
That is correct. In fact, just a couple of hours ago I got a copy of a mass emailing canvassing for a better plaintiff. The next time around, they'll have the perfect case; and since I think the conservative justices would have pushed for a real decision on Newdow had they thought they had five sure votes, I'd say this is a very temporary victory for those who support the post-1954 POA.