[bvw]

Obama saith: 57 states, PLUS Alaska, PLUS Hawaii, PLUS one state not visited.

That's 60 states, according to The Obamessiah. Still. It is suitable to have a Lapel Pin of 57, because that is the count which His Selfitude deigned worthy of visitude.

[Ed Condon]

Actually, I think the U.S. consists of 46 states, 4 commonwealths, several territories,and some protectorates.