Trust Issues

A couple of weeks back, I wrote a piece that ran here and at the Huffington Post that decried the inevitable pandering each and every presidential candidate was going to willingly do to America's craven supplicants to Christ as election season really ramped up -- the ridiculous religious purity test they'd all eventually have to take and pass to get elected. Well, at the very least most of those people wouldn't already be in positions of real power -- simply gunning for them. They wouldn't already have the monumental responsibilities of being part of our nation's government the way, say, the current members of the House of Representatives do.

And yet, with 14 million people out of work, millions more underemployed, people taking to the streets in protest, and the United States still at war in a foreign country, what immediately pressing issue did the House debate and vote on yesterday?

Whether or not "In God We Trust" should be "reaffirmed" as our national motto.

The measure, it almost goes without saying, was floated by a southern Republican, the only kind of idiot who would really be deluded enough to firmly hold that political policy and the very good of the country flows top-down from heaven. Rep. Randy Forbes, in speaking on the floor of the House, said this:

"Unfortunately, there are a number of public officials who forget what the national motto is, whether intentionally or unintentionally. There are those who become confused as to whether or not it can still be placed on our buildings, whether it can be placed in our school classrooms."

Once the vote came, the resolution passed 396-9. Of course putting a measure like this before a U.S. lawmaker is like putting an obvious punji spike pit three steps in front of him or her -- you may as well ask Congress to vote on banning the extermination of all puppies and kittens.

Still, this thing got introduced in the first place -- so there you have it. That's what's important to our lawmakers. Not you, not me, not the real-world problems each of us is facing or the jobs millions of us don't have -- but whether or not we're paying enough tribute to God.

You know, speaking of numbers, I've got one for you: 9. That's the percentage of Americans who think Congress is doing a good job. Just 9%. A 9% approval rating. And this kind of horseshit is what they think they have the luxury to debate on company time.

If there's any justice in the universe, not even God will be able to save these assholes come election day.