John writes:

Since the Newdow decision, there has been a slew of liberal commentary ridiculing the Pledge of Allegiance.

In an effort to defuse public support for the Pledge, they claim the Pledge was promoted by a socialist (Francis Bellamy), the Ku Klux Klan, the Knights of Columbus, Joe McCarthy, etc.

Here are two of many such recent examples. NY Times and New Yorker.

However, not one of these articles has seen fit to mention where the phrase "nation under God" actually came from - the Gettysburg address!

Andy says the solution to the Newdow decision is a constitutional amendment. So far, the following proposed amendments have been introduced:

S.J.Res. 39 (Landrieu) `Article--

`SECTION 1. A reference to God in the Pledge of Allegiance or on United States currency shall not be construed as affecting the establishment of religion under first article of this Constitution.

`SECTION 2. Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.'.

H.J.Res. 102 (Pickering) `Article --

`SECTION 1. The first article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States shall not be construed to prohibit the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.'.

H.J. Res. 103 (Green of TX) `Article --

`Nothing in the first amendment to this Constitution shall be construed to prohibit the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: `I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all'.'.

H.J. Res. 103 (Lucas of OK) `Article --

`It is not an establishment of religion for teachers in a public school to recite, or to lead willing students in the recitation of, the following pledge : `I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.'.'.

H.R. 5064, a bill introduced by Todd Akin, would insert the following new statute into the Judiciary Act (Title 28 of U.S. Code):

`Sec. 1632. Jurisdiction limitation `No court established by Act of Congress shall have jurisdiction to hear or determine any claim that the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance, as set forth in section 4 of title 4, violates the first article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States.'.