Dear Hollywood: The above is the title of my enclosed reality-show "treatment" (that's what they call proposals on the Left Coast.)
Please send by return mail (self-addressed, stamped envelope enclosed) a six-figure check as soon as possible. You're welcome.
Episode One: Our First Contestant is six-term Republican Representative Ron Lewis, of Kentucky's Second District. Lewis is infamous for two things:
- Getting personally plucked out of rural obscurity to run for Congress by none other than the Godfather of Kentucky Republican politics, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
- Earning a "power ranking" near the bottom of Congressional republicans in 2006, despite 10 years in office.
But don't think for a minute that Rep. Lewis is not on top of the issues that matter most to his constituents in the Second District, which is plagued by both rural and urban poverty, low education and high dropout levels, epidemics of both methamphetamine AND oxycontin abuse, high unemployment, growing crime, an agricultural economy flat on its back and no hope for alleviation of any of the former.
No, indeedy, Rep. Lewis knows exactly what the good people of the Second District need:
More mentions of god in government documents! (More after the jump.)
Oh, Hallelujah and praisethelord that Rep. Lewis was there to chastise the godless commies of the federal government for trying to take god away from an Eagle Scout!
(From the email sent today to Rep. Lewis' constituents:)
Earlier this month, Andrew Larochelle, a 17-year-old Eagle Scout from Dayton, OH, requested a flag flown over the U.S. Capitol as a gift for his grandfather. Andrew asked that the official certificate accompanying his flag read: "This flag was flown in honor of Marcel Larochelle, my grandfather, for his dedication and love of God, country and family." However, the Architect of the Capitol, who oversees flag requests, chose to remove God from the inscription, citing a recent policy to ban religious and political expressions on official certificates. Upon learning of this, I joined many of my colleagues in demanding that this policy be changed. It is an outrage that bureaucrats are able to unilaterally eliminate references to faith from public institutions. Each daily session of Congress begins with a recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance, affirming that we are One Nation Under God. I believe that the traditions of the U.S. House of Representatives should continue to reflect that truth.HA! Let's see YOUR Wingnut Freakazoid Congress-scum beat THAT!
Rep. Lewis greets Andrew Larochelle during his visit to the Capitol and to discuss changes in the Architect of the Capitol's policy on flag certificates
The acting Architect of the Capitol, Stephen Ayers, has since agreed to revise guidelines on Capitol flag certificates. Employees of the Architect of the Capitol's office raise and lower flags flown over the U.S Capitol Building during sessions of Congress to meet an estimated 100,000 requests per year. Constituents can purchase these flags at a nominal cost through their Member of Congress. I was honored to meet Andrew Larochelle and his grandfather Marcel at the U.S. Capitol Tuesday morning as they were finally presented with a flag and amended certificate that included God. The American flag is the unique symbol embodying this nation’s culture, values and history. I commend Andrew for successfully fighting to restore an important tradition that has endured in the U.S. Congress for generations.
OK, in the first place, I do not believe this bullshit for a minute. I guarantee you that if anyone requested their U.S. Capitol-flown flag certificate mention god, Buddha, the Flying Spaghetti Monster or even Allah, no one would so much as blink, much less object.
In the second place, shame on them for NOT objecting. Anyone who thinks or even imagines that any mention of any deity whatsoever belongs anywhere within spitting distance of any federal, state or local government entity of any kind, shape or form should be stripped of the right to vote and made to write 1,787 times on the blackboard:
I will not violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Cross-posted at BlueGrassRoots
