Glen Urquhat, Teahadi Republican candidate for Delaware's lone Congressional seat, wants to know why Americans who constantly harp about the separation of church and state are such Nazis.
No, really.
Urquhart's full comment:
"Do you know, where does this phrase separation of Church and State come from? Does anybody know? ... Actually, that's exactly, it was not in Jefferson's letter to the Danbury Baptists. He was reassuring that the federal government wouldn't trample on their religion. The exact phrase 'separation of Church and State' came out of Adolph Hitler's mouth, that's where it comes from. Next time your liberal friends talk about the separation of Church and State ask them why they're Nazis."
As The Hill notes, Urquhart's spokesman said Urquhart has apologized for the comments. The candidate "believes 100 percent in religious freedom for all Americans," the spokesman said, and was speaking against the "oppression of religious freedom in the name of separation of church and state."
That's the CBSNews.com coverage of the events surrounding this video:
Now it must be noted that CBS did take the time to report (or rather, report that The Hill had reported) that Urquhart's spokesperson said Urquhart apologized for the comments. Interestingly, they did not take the time to mention that Jefferson did, in fact, discuss the separation of church and state in his letter.
Why not simply look it up and print it alongside the story, so that they would have grounds to give readers a definitive conclusion on the matter, i.e., Urquhart is full of it. Maybe they thought Urquhart's comment was so self-evidently nutty that they didn't need to. But believe me, in today's environment, you need to:
Gentlemen, — The affectionate sentiments of esteem and approbation which you are so good as to express towards me, on behalf of the Danbury Baptist Association, give me the highest satisfaction. My duties dictate a faithful and zealous pursuit of the interests of my constituents, and in proportion as they are persuaded of my fidelity to those duties, the discharge of them becomes more and more pleasing.
Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legislative powers of government reach actions only, and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," thus building a wall of separation between church and State. Adhering to this expression of the supreme will of the nation in behalf of the rights of conscience, I shall see with sincere satisfaction the progress of those sentiments which tend to restore to man all his natural rights, convinced he has no natural right in opposition to his social duties.
I reciprocate your kind prayers for the protection and blessing of the common Father and Creator of man, and tender you for yourselves and your religious association, assurances of my high respect and esteem.
A favorite American Talibani argument, of course, is that Jefferson didn't mean the same thing by it that their nasty, socialist enemies mean. But that's not what Urquhart says. He says the phrase isn't in Jefferson's letter, but it is. Yes, it's worse that he says it really came from Hitler (and that people who use it are Nazis), but don't you think that's the part of the story that should be treated as self-evidently wrong? I sure do. Hell, even Urquhart does. At least, that's what CBS says The Hill says his spokesman said Urquhart said.
But what do I know about quality journamalisms? I'm just a Cheeto-muncher.
This fool's considerably worthier opponent, by the way, is John Carney. I feel safe in guessing you'll notice fewer attempts to assign basic American tenets of good governance to Hitler in his positions. He's probably a little more pro-Jefferson.