E pluribus buffoonum? Congress slams Obama

Lawmakers say president's omitting of God undercuts American history

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Posted: December 07, 2010
6:30 pm Eastern
By Bob Unruh
© 2010 WorldNetDaily

Members of the Congressional Prayer Caucus have written to President Obama asking him to correct a speech he gave in Indonesia incorrectly replacing the nation's motto of "In God We Trust" with "E pluribus unum."
The letter also cites a series of situations in which Obama has failed to include the reference to the "Creator" when quoting the Declaration of Independence.
WND has reported on numerous situations where the president quotations have left out references to God or the Creator.
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In the newest development, U.S. Rep. J. Randy Forbes of Virginia and 42 bipartisan members of the Congressional Prayer Caucus have dispatched a letter over Obama's statement to a Jakarta audience that "E Pluribus unum" is the national motto.
Actually, it's "In God We Trust."
"For the president of the United States to incorrectly state something as foundational as our national motto in another country is unacceptable," said Forbes. "The president is the primary representative of our nation to the world, and whether mistake or intention, his actions cast aside an integral part of American society."
He said, "President Reagan once warned that 'If we ever forget that we're one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under.'"
It was during Obama's expedition to the Far East when he went to Jakarta on Nov. 10.
Speaking at the University of Indonesia, Obama said:

I believe that the history of both America and Indonesia should give us hope. It is a story written into our national mottos. In the United States, our motto is E pluribus unum – out of many, one. Bhinneka Tunggal Ika – unity in diversity. We are two nations, which have traveled different paths. Yet our nations show that hundreds of millions who hold different beliefs can be united in freedom under one flag. And we are now building on that shared humanity – through young people who will study in each other's schools; through the entrepreneurs forging ties that can lead to greater prosperity; and through our embrace of fundamental democratic values and human aspirations.

The letter explains that "In God We Trust" has been foundational throughout the history of the United States, from presidential proclamations to engravings in both House and Senate chambers. In 1956, Congress passed and President Eisenhower signed into law establishing "In God We Trust" as the official national motto of the United States.

White House text of Obama stating national motto is "E pluribus unum"

"'E pluribus unum' is not our national motto," the letter, dated yesterday, said. "As members of the Congressional Prayer Caucus, a bipartisan group of members of the United States House of Representatives, we are dedicated to preserving America's religious heritage and protecting our religious liberty."
Those who signed the document are listed at the bottom of this post.

The letter also noted that on Oct. 18 during a fundraiser Obama omitted the "Creator" from a reference to the Declaration of Independence.
"Once may be a mistake. But twice is a pattern. These omissions and inaccuracies are a part of a larger pattern we are seeing with the president where he is inaccurately reflecting America and undercutting important parts of our nation's history," said Forbes. "Trust in God is embedded in the fabric of society and history in the United States.
"If we allow these threads to be pulled, we will begin to unravel the very freedoms that birthed America," he said.
It was martial arts champion, actor and WND columnist Chuck Norris who noted Obama actually has omitted "Creator" seven times in just the past few months:
His research lists the following:

• On Oct. 21, 2010, at a rally for Sen. Murray in Seattle, Wash.:
  
  "None of us would be here if it weren't for that extraordinary leap of faith that had been taken. Thirteen colonies deciding to start a revolution based on an idea that had never been tried before – a government of and by and for the people. A government based on the simple proposition that all men are created equal. That we're endowed with certain inalienable rights."
  
  
• On Oct. 18, 2010, at a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee dinner in Rockville, Md.:
  
  "It has to do with this idea that was started by 13 colonies that decided to throw off the yoke of an empire, and said, 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that each of us are endowed with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.'"
  
  
• On Oct. 17, 2010 at a reception for Gov. Ted Strickland in Chagrin Fall, Ohio.:
  
  "The idea of America has never been easy. The notion of 13 colonies coming together and overthrowing the greatest empire in the world, and then drafting a document that says, we find these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, endowed with certain inalienable rights – that's hard."
  
  
• On Sept. 22, 2010, at a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee dinner in New York, N.Y.:
  
  "And what was sustaining us was that sense that – that North Star, that sense that, you know what, if we stay true to our values, if we believe that all people are created equal and everybody is endowed with certain inalienable rights and we're going to make those words live, and we're going to give everybody opportunity, everybody a ladder into the middle class,…"
  
  
• On Sept. 15, 2010, at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute's 33rd annual awards gala in Washington, D.C.:
  
  "But over the centuries, what eventually bound us together – what made us all Americans – was not a matter of blood, it wasn't a matter of birth. It was faith and fidelity to the shared values that we all hold so dear. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, endowed with certain inalienable rights: life and liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
  
  
• On Sept. 11, 2010, at the Pentagon Memorial in Arlington, Va.:
  
  "For our cause is just. Our spirit is strong. Our resolve is unwavering. Like generations before us, let us come together today and all days to affirm certain inalienable rights, to affirm life and liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
  
  
• On Sept. 10, 2010, at the president's press conference at the White House:
  
  "With respect to the mosque in New York, I think I've been pretty clear on my position here, and that is, is that this country stands for the proposition that all men and women are created equal; that they have certain inalienable rights – one of those inalienable rights is to practice their religion freely."

When WND's correspondent at the White House, Les Kinsolving, raised the question about the omissions, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said, "I haven't seen the comments, Lester, but I can assure you the president believes in the Declaration of Independence."
In a second commentary on the subject, Chuck Norris continued, "The truth is, if you want an accurate religious history of America, you're no longer going to get it from our president, our progressive society or secular schools, at least not without unbiased trained teachers or the induction of a religious curriculum that hasn't tampered and twisted history."
At the time the declaration was adopted, however, the concept of all being created "equal" was a rare idea.
The Declaration states: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

Original wording from Declaration of Independence

One of the incidents is on tape, with the reference appearing shortly past the 22-minute mark:

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On the Gunny G blog, there was outrage.
"I'm surprised this has not created a stir – perhaps lost in the election results," he wrote.
And at American Thinker, which was among those bringing the incident to national attention, Jason McNew reported on the "long pause" Obama inserted after saying, "created equal."
The report cites him scowling and blinking.
"For once, he may actually have opted to not read something that was on the teleprompter," the commentary said. "It looks like he is disgusted and decided it would be better not to read what the preamble actually says."
"President Obama, if our Creator is not the purveyor of our rights, then who is? The government?" the commentary questioned.

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Those who signed the document are:
Reps. J. Randy Forbes of Virginia
Mike McIntyre of North Carolina
Paul Broun of Georgia
Steve King of Iowa
John Shadegg of Arizona
Louie Gohmert of Texas
Donald Manzullo of Illinois
John Boozman of Arkansas
Joseph Pitts of Pennsylvania
David Reichert of Washington
Gregg Harper of Mississippi
Jason Chaffetz of Utah
Robert Aderholt of Alabama
Jim Jordan of Ohio
Glenn Thompson of Pennsylvania
Steve Austria of Ohio
Jeff Miller of Florida
Mike Pence of Indiana
Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington
Scott Garrett of New Jersey,
Joe Wilson of South Carolina
Doug Lamborn of Colorado
John Kline of Minnesota
Phil Roe of Tennessee
Peter Roskam of Illinois
John Carter of Texas
K. Michael Conaway of Texas
W. Todd Akin of Missouri
Zach Wamp of Tennessee
Randy Neugebauer of Texas
Todd Tiahrt of Kansas
Robert Wittman of Virginia
Vernon Ehlers of Michigan
Tom Price of Georgia
Spencer Bachus of Alabama
Roscoe Bartlett of Maryland
Mike Rogers of Alabama
Virginia Foxx of North Carolina
Thaddeus McCotter of Michigan
Trent Franks of Arizona
Phil Gingrey of Georgia
Michele Bachmann of Minnesota