Posted on 06/28/2002 11:37:41 AM PDT by kattracks
Congressman Gary Ackerman, D-N.Y., stepped into a political hornet's nest Friday morning while explaining why he voted "present" yesterday on a House resolution to keep the words "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Asked about Wednesday's bombshell appeals court ruling that the Pledge was unconstitutional, Ackerman said he thought the decision had a "tremendous amount of merit."
"I think there was a tremendous amount of merit in what the court decided," the liberal Democrat contended to WABC Radio's Curtis and Kuby.
"Some of the people I represent and some people in America are nonbelievers," Ackerman added, then joked, "God bless them."
"But I don't think that God needs my help or needs to be put into a country's affirmation that He's out there - or She's out there - in order to exist. God's doing fine without the Congress of the United States endorsing Him."
So why didn't he vote his conscience instead of "present"?
Ackerman said basically that he thought the court ruling was none of Congress' business.
"Every time there's some wacko - not that this is wacko; people have very strong feelings, but we can't do anything about [the court decision]," he said. The New York liberal predicted that the ruling would be overturned by the Supreme Court no matter what Congress did.
Ackerman was one of just 11 Democrats to vote "present" on the Pledge resolution. His New York colleague, Jerry Nadler, initially voted against it but then changed his mind at the last minute and also voted "present," according to the New York Post.
The only actual no votes on the pro-Pledge measure came from Reps. Bobby Scott, D-Va., Mike Honda, D-Calif., and Pete Stark, D-Calif.
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It is very typical that these types don't get it.
Congressman, it is not and has never been about US endorsing GOD. It is and always has been about GOD endorsing US.
and some are communists and anarchists. Should we overthrow the government so they don't feel left out?
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