On July 19th the U.S. House of Representatives passed 2nd District Missouri Congressman Todd Akin’s Pledge Protection Act (PPA) which protects the Pledge of Allegiance from attempts by federal courts to declare it unconstitutional because of the phrase “under God.” The PPA was overwhelmingly passed by a vote of 260 for the bill and 167 against it with 5 people not voting.
    Congressman Akin issued the following statement regarding the passage of his bill: “I am thankful for the support that the House Republican leadership displayed during the passage of the Pledge Protection Act. I am also encouraged that my colleagues were not persuaded by the hand wringing of liberal activists who show no concern at the court’s desire to create some imagined utopia at the expense of the separation of powers and the Constitution itself. For federal courts to suggest that the Pledge of Allegiance is unconstitutional because of the words “under God” and to therefore prohibit children from reciting it would be to turn the First Amendment upon its head to use it as an instrument of censorship. The House today acted within its authority to check the judiciary as it ignores its proper constitutional role.”
    The bill itself states: “...no court created by Act of Congress shall have any jurisdiction, and the Supreme Court shall have no appellate jurisdiction, to hear or decide any question pertaining to the interpretation of, or the validity under the Constitution of, the Pledge of Allegiance, as defined in section 4 of title 4, or its recitation.”
    What was really awesome was Congressman Akin’s closing speech on the House floor during the debate. You can listen to his speech on his web site at www.house.gov/akin. For those without access to the internet the following is a transcript of that speech.

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    Let's get right to the point: the Hollywood elite have had it in for Mel Gibson for quite a while. First, he abandoned their penchant for promoting big government by starring in a truer-than-most-want-to-admit movie thriller, Conspiracy Theory. He then further alienated Hollywood leftists by starring in the hugely popular Vietnam war movie, We Were Soldiers. And I'm sure Mel's wonderful movie about America's fight for independence, The Patriot, didn't sit well with them, either. 
    However, it was the production of his phenomenally successful film, The Passion Of The Christ, that no doubt took the Hollywood elite over the edge. That a Hollywood legend would dare to produce a movie that exalted, not denigrated, Christ's redemptive work on the cross was more than they could stomach. They have had Gibson in their sights ever since. 
    Unfortunately, Mel Gibson provided the Hollywood elite with the hammer and nails they needed to crucify him. His extremely foolish misconduct was just what his enemies were looking for. Now, they are attacking him with a vengeance! In fact, he has been castigated by almost everyone in the industry.  [Gibson was arrested on July 25th in Malibu, Calif., on suspicion of drunk driving, after officers pulled him over for allegedly driving at 87 mph in a 45 mph zone. According to the police report of the incident, Gibson made anti-Semitic remarks to the arresting officer. ]
    For example, according to press reports, ABC has already announced the cancellation of a planned miniseries about the Holocaust it was developing with Gibson's Icon Productions. 
    In addition, Michael Levine, an agent who has represented super-stars such as Michael Jackson and Charlton Heston, said, "It's a nuclear disaster for him [Gibson]. I don't see how he can restore himself." Throughout the industry, the sentiment is the same: "Gibson has committed vocational suicide and is dead in the water. It's all over for him." 

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