Bungled Pledge Of Allegiance At Health Care Protests [UPDATE]

Via Amanda Terkel at Think Progress, here's video of representative Todd Akin (R-MO) treating today's Teabachle to the Pledge of Allegiance. Akin led off with a brief oration on the importance of the words "under God" in the pledge, because someone has to stop Nancy Pelosi from killing God, with death panels. Perhaps the overemphasis on that mid-20th century drop-in was what led Akin to leave out another important word of the pledge: "indivisible." Though the setting strongly suggests that this may have been a Freudian slip.

[WATCH]

The upshot is that now Chief Justice John Roberts will have to get everybody together later to say the pledge again, you know...so it counts.

UPDATE:
Today's rally isn't exactly going down as the most coherent gathering of patriotic Americans ever assembled! Via Politico's Glenn Thrush, here's video of John Boehner getting the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence mixed up:

Boehner only had several days to prepare for this! But, then, if you recall, he doesn't go in for a lot of that readin' stuff.

Boehner's spokesman Michael Steel responded by saying: "Both texts are vital to the liberty beloved by every American." Very true. So vital, that many actually learn them!

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Comments

[kunzler]

06:47 AM on 11/12/2009

If he wasn't so eager to push his god onto people maybe he wouldn't have screwed up.

[pepper47]

04:17 AM on 11/09/2009

Rush said the exact same thing during his speech at the RNC earlier this year !
Watch :http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNTq_mrXNrE

[weatherwaxx]

01:03 AM on 11/09/2009

Anyone dumb enough to vote for this clown is too ignorant to realize he blew it.

[SharonaMonk]

11:04 PM on 11/08/2009

These are the people who think that nazis_fascists_marxists_communists_socialists are all the same thing. Practically interchangeable. So what's it matter if they merge the Constitution and DoI? It's all the same!!

[MaryanneAZ]

05:48 PM on 11/08/2009

Happily, their entire event was a wasted effort. House vote: 220 to 215, and one Republican! I'll take my good news where I can get it. I say let 'em waste their time and money shouting at the wind, and we'll just keep plugging away on the agenda that we voted to be enacted.

[roshni]

05:40 PM on 11/08/2009

He hit the bottle early, it seems, not that he would know the difference even if sober.

[StatueOfLiberal]

04:06 PM on 11/08/2009

What's more is that he is SURROUNDED by many of the top Republicans and they stood by and nodded and made no attempt to correct him or stop him.

NONE OF THEM had any idea.

These are the top ranking Republicans and they don't know even the basics of American history 101.

[fireW]

07:03 PM on 11/08/2009

They don't have to know; they simply claim to be the guardians of all that is patriotic & holy. They've said so & therefore it must be true . . .

[clover2]

02:39 PM on 11/08/2009

It's too bad the GOP doesn't have the sense to be embarassed at the fact their minority leader appalling ignorance.I just hope he has a Democratic opponent in 2010 makes a point of this incident to the voters. If Boehner that uneducated, he doesn't belong in office.

[caterpol]

02:24 PM on 11/08/2009

No wonder so many people mispronounce his name.

[chicagurl]

03:02 PM on 11/08/2009

Or, in my opinion, how so many people pronounce it correctly, but not the way he's decided to pronounce it to make it more palatable.

[SDindependent]

01:57 PM on 11/08/2009

It is a shame he is not smart enough to understand it.

[den1953]

12:55 PM on 11/08/2009

Good thing Boehner don't work at Mickey D's he would screw upi that order too!

[UncleJimbo]

12:15 PM on 11/08/2009

These Republicans are the Laughing Stocks of the World my British,Canadian,Australian and European Friends simply cannot believe these people actually hold elected office and have any political power! There are no Political Parties in those Countries that so Blatantly support the Corporations over the intrests of the Citizens!

[roshni]

05:41 PM on 11/08/2009

there is no exuse for anyone voting for them.

[phredralf]

11:55 AM on 11/08/2009

As I stand here with pride, representing the welfare of all Americans, created equal, I ask you to join me to oppose healthcare. Huh!!??

P.S. Zug zug, abortion bad, unwanted, maladjusted children populating the world, good.

[brady61995]

11:47 AM on 11/08/2009

agent orange had to have fired someone that works for him. he is not smart enough to talk on his own. so some staffer fed him these docs left him out to dry. which makes him look even worse in my book. I would say 2010 would be the end of him but the area he represents they will have a freedom lover pancake fundraiser for him in freedom park. yes its called freedom park in westchester ohio

[hrholmes]

10:32 AM on 11/08/2009

Well it has been decades since 5th grade gubmint civics class... that is no longer taught and it's not like he is actually representing... anyone.... in congress... and ... needs.. to know.... oh crap. never mind