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CNN Live Today
Politicians Line Up to Attack Pledge Ruling
Aired June 27, 2002 - 12:06 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Not since September 11 has an issue gathered so many members of Congress on one side of the fence. Ever since the Pledge ruling reached Capitol Hill, lawmakers have lined up to attack it.
CNN's Kate Snow brings us the latest on that -- hi there, Kate.
KATE SNOW, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka. Yes, we are definitely not seeing that 75-24 or 25 percent split up here. What we are seeing is 100 percent.
Check this out. This is about 20 or so documents, statements that we have gotten over our fax machine and by e-mail, statements from various members of Congress across the board. Every single one of these statements saying that they feel that the decision made out in California was absolutely wrong and completely flawed. We have been flooded with these statements since yesterday.
This morning, both chambers took some action, something they do every day anyhow, but this morning they did it a little differently. It was the Pledge of Allegiance. You see now the Senate chamber taking the Pledge being led there by Senator Robert Byrd. They did that about 9:30 this morning with a full house. They had asked everybody to come in especially to be there to say the Pledge. The House did the same thing following suit, and you could have heard the way that they said it, and you could hear a loud moment right as they got to the section when they said "one nation," several of them yelled, "under God."
Republicans and Democrats alike are united in their outrage about the court's ruling.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. TOM DASCHLE (D), MAJORITY LEADER: This decision is nuts. This decision is just nuts.
REP. DICK ARMEY (R), MAJORITY LEADER: It's got to be one of the most asinine things I ever heard of. I am sure America is going to applaud (ph) this court. It is just ridiculous.
SEN. ROBERT BYRD (D), WEST VIRGINIA: I hope the Senate will waste no time in throwing this back in the face of this stupid judge.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have never seen anything so outrageous and so irresponsible as this ruling.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SNOW: And indeed, the Senate wasted no time passing a resolution last night unanimously. The resolution saying that they rejected the court's decision on the Pledge. They noted that it was Congress that made the change in 1954, as James Hattori just mentioned. They also said -- they cited other examples and references to God in various places. They said the Founding Fathers referenced God. It's in patriotic songs. It's even in engravings and even on dollar bills.
Now, the House will take up a similar resolution. We expect that this afternoon, also against the court's decision, and in fact urging the court to take up the matter once again and rehear the case.
As united as they are about this, there has been some politics. Republicans, in an internal memo, were told to play up the fact and to make the point that Senator Tom Daschle, a -- quote -- "liberal Democrat," the memo said, "is responsible in some way for this." They are blaming Democrats for not passing through this Congress enough of Bush's judicial nominees.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. TRENT LOTT (R), MINORITY LEADER: This highlights what the fight over federal judges is all about. Remember, the greatest attack and resistance by the Democrats in the Senate has been on the circuit appellate nominees.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SNOW: Democrats have shot back that there is one little flaw with that argument, and that is that the judge who decided this case in California, Democrats point out, was actually appointed by President Nixon, a Republican -- back to you.
WHITFIELD: All right. Kate Snow from Capitol Hill -- thank you very much.
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