Newt Gingrich Doesn't Get It.

Newt Gingrich is an asshole, there I said it. I mean it. The guy has done nothing but pander and lie throughout most of his life. Well apparently, someone pulled his string (emphasis is mine):

Newt Gingrich said Tuesday the Obama administration is "intensely secular" and "anti-religious," the former House Speaker's second hard-hitting criticism of the new administration this week.

In an interview with FOX News, Gingrich said he strongly disagreed with Obama's choice of Harry Knox — an outspoken activist for gay rights — to the White House advisory council on faith-based initiatives.

"I think their goal is to have a very secular America in which government dominates everything," he said. "Why wouldn't you put an anti-religious, left-wing zealot on a faith-based group? It's a perfect pattern for this administration."

Well, Mr. Gingrich - our nation is secular. Our government is a secular entity. While I would not characterize the Obama administration as "intensely secular", I am happy to have a President that does not believe he was chosen by God to lead our nation.

Here's some fun from tonight's Hardball on this subject:

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Newt Gingrich Doesn't Get It.

Title? I Don't Need No Stinkin' Title

In National News:
New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson has signed a bill banning the death penalty in his state.

"Faced with the reality that our system for imposing the death penalty can never be perfect, my conscience compels me to replace the death penalty with a solution that keeps society safe," Richardson told a news conference in the state Capitol."

I completely agree with Gov. Richardson. Kansas "sort-of" debated getting rid of the death penalty recently, based primarily on the cost to the state. This seems like a much more persuasive argument. To me the potential for the state to make a mistake and MURDER an innocent person far exceeds any sort of catharsis that would be gained by execution. The purpose of the criminal justice system, is just that justice. I'm not sure that revenge or vengeance fit into that.

In Local News:
Thanks to a local blogger (h/t Bagyants) it came to my attention that the House was debating exempting the "In God We Trust" license plates from the development fee that is generally required for "special" license tags.

1) Why is this state (or any of the others: Florida, Ohio, South Carolina) seeking to not only explicitly promote Christianity, but to sponsor it by relieving it of it's obligation for the license tag?

2) How do I get signed up for the Atheist tag, or the FSM (Flying Spaghetti Monster, for the uninitiated) tag?

Why doesn't this bother people? Please don't give me that "Christian Nation" crap, it's a fallacy. Wouldn't these same people that want to "proudly display their religion" bitch and moan if someone wanted a tag that identified them as a Muslim, a Jew, a Pagan?

Think I'm wrong? In 2002 the state of Florida revoked a gentleman's personalized license tag due to complaints that it was obscene. Guess what it said.... ATHEIST. (As far as I can find the guy was able to keep his tag after a lengthy appeal). Since when is the word Atheist obscene?

I wholeheartedly believe that these type of standard, non-personalized tags are unconstitutional. The license tag is state property and should be treated as such.

Now I probably should explain...I am one of the 10% that believe that "In God We Trust" should be removed from our money and that "under God" should be removed from the pledge. These phrases were not born with our country, they were added by people that had an agenda. Putting fear into the "godless" communists is not exactly a compelling reason to keep it.

The quicker we can re-build the eroding wall separating church and state, the better.

Title? I Don't Need No Stinkin' Title