Congressman omits 'under God' from Pledge of Allegiance

http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/04/28/house.pledge.ap/index.html

Congressman omits 'under God' from Pledge of Allegiance
Spokesman says omission was mistake
Wednesday, April 28, 2004 Posted: 5:16 PM EDT (2116 GMT)

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Rep. Jim McDermott, a Washington Democrat who criticized President Bush while visiting Baghdad, omitted the words "under God" as he led the House in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance this week.

McDermott, of Seattle, was one of seven lawmakers who voted against a House resolution last year condemning a federal appeals court ruling that reciting the pledge in public schools is unconstitutional because of its reference to God....

A spokesman for McDermott said Wednesday that McDermott, 67, made a mistake in his recitation of the pledge Tuesday on the House floor.

Spokesman Mike DeCesare said McDermott told him that as a child he had learned the pledge without the phrase "under God." The phrase was added to the pledge in 1954....

Who else thinks that the Congressman shouldn't have backed down? There once was a time in this country when people believed in freedom of and from religion

A simple solution.

And, no, he shouldn't have backed down.

At the John Kerry rally last Sunday we recited the Pledge of Allegiance. I omitted the "under God" though in an auditorium with 3,000 attending I was drowned out. Then an old coot in an American Legion uniform led us in singing "God Bless America," for which I remained silent.