in case someone on the internet hasn't heard it yet

[rivendellrose]

No, Christine O'Donnell (the Tea Party senate candidate for Delaware) really haven't got the slightest fricking clue what's in the Constitution.

Quoted from the Washington Post description of the situation:

"Where in the Constitution is the separation of church and state?" O'Donnell asked [her Democratic opponent, Chris Coons].

When Coons responded that the First Amendment bars Congress from making laws respecting the establishment of religion, O'Donnell asked: "You're telling me that's in the First Amendment?"

If you listen to the audio or watch the video, you will notice that she sounds utterly flabbergasted at this revelation. I can only imagine she was thinking "That isn't what Glenn Beck told me!"

If you want to be in the Senate, please at least demonstrate a vague awareness of what that Constitution that you will be swearing to uphold actually says, dumbass.

Comments

[cyranocyrano.livejournal.com]

I think you may be misunderstanding me. Her original statement was "show me in the Constitution where it says separation of church and state" or something similar. Now, her opponent responded with the statement that the First forbade Congress to make a law respecting an establishment of religion.

But. The phrase "separation of church and state" was in one of the Jeffersonian epistles, with a link to Wikipedia. He felt the first amendment created that separation.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Separation_of_church_and_state

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Lol. I see what you mean. And yet, I doubt O'Donnell was going for anything so informed or specific as the source of the exact wording. ;)

Also, ♥ for Jefferson. Some flaws, definitely, but he was fantastic in a lot of ways, not least of which is for pissing off conservatives with all his liberal wackiness.

[cyranocyrano.livejournal.com]

I have no doubt that she's ill-informed and poorly trained in the art of critical thinking, but I suspect that's the battle line that she'll fall back to if her advisors are the least bit up to snuff. (:

[darthparadox.livejournal.com]

I'd like to see them try.

When Coons responded that the First Amendment bars Congress from making laws respecting the establishment of religion, O'Donnell asked: "You're telling me that's in the First Amendment?"

That puts the lie to that idea pretty easily. It's not a word-choice issue - she's actually that incompetent.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

It's even more overtly absurd when you hear the audio. She's clearly just plain dumbfounded. This was not a question that got the result that she expected in the slightest.