Has Rush even mentioned the Coons/O’Donnell debate that took place earlier?
Not that I know of...
Chris Coons cant name the five freedoms in the First Amendment
By Michelle Malkin October 19, 2010 12:57 PM
Thats right. Delaware Democratic Senate candidate Chris Coons cant name the five freedoms in the First Amendment.
But all youll hear from the MSM today is that Christine ODonnell correctly questioned Coons claim that the phrase the separation of church and state appears in the First Amendment.
Coons ignorance doesnt fit the ODonnell bashers narrative. So theyll pretend this didnt happen:
Read:
Delaware GOP Senate nominee Christine ODonnell questioned on Tuesday whether the Constitution provides for the separation of church and state.
The comment came during a debate on WDEL radio with Democratic opponent Chris Coons, who argued that local schools should teach science rather than religion, at which point ODonnell jumped in. Where in the Constitution is the separation of church and state? she asked.
The audience at Widener Law School was taken aback, with shouts of whoa and laughter coming from the crowd.
Coons then pointed to the First Amendment, which states: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.
Youre telling me the First Amendment does? ODonnell interrupted to ask.
Following the next question, Coons revisited the remark likely thinking he had caught ODonnell in a flub saying, I think youve just heard from my opponent in her asking where is the separation of church and state show that she has a fundamental misunderstanding.
Thats in the First Amendment? ODonnell again asked.
Yes, Coons responded.
ODonnell was later able to score some points of her own off the remark, revisiting the issue to ask Coons if he could identify the five freedoms guaranteed in the First Amendment.
Coons named the separation of church and state, but could not identify the others the freedoms of speech, press, to assemble and petition and asked that ODonnell allow the moderators ask the questions.
I guess he cant, ODonnell said.
Yep, when he got caught with his own intellectual pants down, Coons runs to the moderators for cover.
Listen to the whole radio debate at WDEL here.
Its obvious from ODonnells very specific challenge to Coons during the debate that she knows perfectly well about the establishment and free exercise of religion clauses in the First Amendment.
Its obvious that Coons is not only unfamiliar with the rest of the First Amendment, but also that he is wholly unfamiliar with where the phrase separation of church and state originated.
And its obvious from the warped, gleeful spin on this exchange just how in the tank for Democrats the objective press protected by our precious, poorly understood, and frquently squandered First Amendment really is.
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Ramesh Ponnuru at NRO also agrees: Some bloggers and tv commentators have seized on remarks by Christine ODonnell to suggest that she is unaware that the First Amendment prohibits the establishment of religion. I dont think thats right. What she denies is that the First Amendment requires the separation of church and state.
What it says it that “CONGRESS” cannot establish a religion.
At the time, some of the states did have state sponsored religions. Maryland would be the biggest example