Quote of the Day

"The dust is settling on the 'bipartisan' stimulus bill and one thing is clear: It is anti-religious. ... You would think the ACLU drafted this bill. For all of the talk about bipartisanship, this Congress is blatantly liberal."—GOP presidential reject Mike Huckabee, giving me another "If Only!" moment.

Steve explains the raison d'être for Hucks' latest bit of brazen mendacity:

[T]his myth has been making the rounds in right-wing circles for about a week. Originally, the American Center for Law and Justice, a right-wing legal group formed by TV preacher Pat Robertson, said the stimulus bill includes a provision that would prohibit "religious groups and organizations from using" buildings on college campuses. Soon after, religious right groups and right-wing blogs were up in arms, demanding that lawmakers fix the "anti-Christian" language of the bill. Fox News and the Christian Broadcasting Network helped get the word out to the far-right base about the nefarious measure. Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) actually tried to have the provision removed from the bill.

There was, however, one small problem: there was no such measure. The ACLJ doesn't know how to read legislation, and didn't realize that the standard language in the bill simply blocks spending for on-campus buildings that are used primarily for religion (like a chapel, for example). This same language has been part of education spending bills for 46 years. It's just the law, and it's never been controversial.

Eh. Facts schmacts! Liberals hate Jesus!