One of these days, atheists both here in the state of California and nationwide, will realize that some things are not to messed with: the wording on paper currency and the Pledge of Allegiance.

And curiously enough, it took a court in the most liberal of cities – San Francisco – to render the ruling that has atheists cursing coast-to-coast.

A federal appeals court upheld on Thursday the use of the words “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance and “In God We Trust” on U.S. currency, rejecting arguments that the phrases violate church and state.

According to Judge Carlos Bea in the 2-1 ruling:

“The Pledge is constitutional.”

“The Pledge of Allegiance serves to unite our vast nation through the proud recitation of some of the ideals upon which our Republic was founded.”

A common sense ruling for a not-so-common argument by the losing party.

In addition, the court on Thursday ruled 3-0 and upheld the inscription of the national motto “In God We Trust” on coins and currency, saying that the phrase is ceremonial and patriotic, not religious.

In the interest of full disclosure and outing an atheist, the plaintiff is Michael Newdow, a resident of Sacramento. He won a couple rulings in local courts back in 2002 and in 2005 – all because students of the school that his daughter attended recited the Pledge of Allegiance. And as luck would have it, a judge in Sacramento back in 2005 ruled in the atheist’s favor.

Nonetheless, he got a legal smackdown from the court, and hopefully, Newdow will just shrink, wither and just go away.

California’s credit rating was just lowered. Like the Titanic, the unsinkable ship, California was supposed to be the unsinkable state. What does the lower credit rating mean for California? More than you know.

Jim sent this in:

Nearly 300 foreign nationals with criminal records have been removed from the United States or are facing deportation following an enforcement surge in California, making it the biggest operation targeting at large criminal aliens ever carried out by the federal government.

Some recent events of interest as reported by Rep. Dan Lungren (CA-03):

As the first session of the 111th Congress comes to a close this month, there is still work to be done in Washington, D.C. and back home in California.  Before we officially wrap up the first session of this Congress, I want to update you on some current events.

Sheldon Interchange Opening 
It was great to participate in the grand opening for the new interchange at Sheldon Road and Highway 99 in Elk Grove when I was home in the District last week.  This project will allow our neighbors in Elk Grove and Sacramento to travel that section of the road with less congestion and safer traffic flows thanks to the new bike lanes, medians and sidewalks.  I was pleased to be able to collaborate with the state and local authorities to see this important project to completion by securing federal funding that went toward the $80 million project cost.  Also, as Mayor Pat Hume pointed out, “Improvements are vital to the region’s economic prosperity and the quality of life.”  Browse my photo album of the event here.

Climate Control
Climate change entered the news with a new dynamic late in November when it was reported that top climate change researchers withheld and manipulated data in order to bolster the case for man-made climate change.  Although the investigation is ongoing, it is in this environment that the President travels to Copenhagen to meet with United Nations’ members on a climate change treaty.  Please read my past e-newsletter on cap and trade policies here.

Additionally, this week the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it would begin to regulate carbon dioxide (CO2) as a pollutant.  This move by a federal agency allows the unelected organization to circumvent the legislative process and enact regulations on carbon dioxide without the consent of Congress or the American people.  Watch my address to Congress on this decision here. 

I believe that we need to take care of our environment, but that we can do so in innovative ways that expand rather than restrict our freedom and our economy.  Please read about some of my environmental initiatives here.

Afghanistan
President Obama recently charted the future course of the war against al Qaeda and the Taliban in the Afghanistan theater.  It is my view that the President correctly assessed the threat posed to the safety and security of the United States and our allies when he said:  

I am convinced that our security is at stake in Afghanistan and Pakistan.  This is the epicenter of violent extremism practiced by al Qaeda.  …this danger will only grow if the region slides backwards, and al Qaeda can operate with impunity.  We must keep the pressure on al Qaeda, and to do that, we must increase the stability and capacity of our partners in the region.

Based on this assessment, the decision to deploy an additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan was appropriate.  Furthermore, his call for our NATO allies to increase their commitment to the war effort is also necessary. 

At the same time the decision to announce a planned troop withdrawal after 18 months raises questions.  General McCrystal has outlined plans for the implementation of a counter-insurgency strategy.  This entails the need to convince Afghans to extricate the Taliban and al Qaeda and to reestablish traditional social structures. 

If Afghans believe that our commitment to them is limited to a specific date, the knowledge that the Taliban has no such limitation will make our objectives more difficult to accomplish.  Although the ambivalent nature of the new Afghanistan strategy may work against its eventual success, Congress should do its part to make the implementation of the new plan successful.

In California, like in a lot of places across the U.S., young adults are the most likely to be uninsured.

Over 30 percent of those between the ages of 18 and 34 in the Golden State have no health insurance coverage, according to the New America Foundation.

The healthcare bill recently passed by the House has a big surprise for younger folks who may want to avoid the expense of costly health coverage: Buy the Democratic version of insurance or go to jail for five years.

A letter from the non-partisan Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) obtained by the office of Republican House member Dave Camp confirmed that the failure to comply with the individual mandate to buy health insurance contained in the Pelosi healthcare bill (H.R. 3962, as amended) could land you behind bars.

The letter says that citizens who don’t have “acceptable health insurance coverage” and who choose not to pay the individual mandate tax (generally 2.5 percent of income) can be slapped with civil and criminal penalties, including criminal fines of up to $250,000 and five years in jail.

I will say this again, for the sake of being repetitive: contact your local Congressman/woman and Senator and inform them that you do not approve of Pelosi’s health care bill. If you don’t, trust me – the U.S. Senate will ensure that you get stuck with taxpayer-financed universal health coverage. Another instance of the federal government in a power grab.

The Coast Guard is still searching for nine servicemembers involved in a mid-air collision off the coast of California.

Geoff Morrell comments on recent deaths in Iraq.

Search teams in California are looking for nine people following a mid-air collision of a Coast Guard transport plane and a Navy helicopter.

An update on Afghan election preparations.

The clock is ticking for up to six million children in California public schools as Arnold Schwarzenegger decides whether to sign or veto “Harvey Milk Gay Day” by his Oct. 11 deadline.

SB 572 pressures every California K-12 government school to teach students to honor the extreme homosexual-bisexual-transsexual agenda of San Francisco gay icon and sexual predator Harvey Milk.

That’s the bad news. But the good news is, if you take action right away, there’s a realistic chance to kill this terrible bill.

Be encouraged that SaveCalifornia.com is fighting very hard to urge Schwarzenegger to veto “Harvey Milk Gay Day.”

On behalf of the California children and families we serve, SaveCalifornia.com’s work against this perverse bill has been featured in WorldNetDaily, the LA Times, New York Times, Sacramento Bee, San Jose Mercury News, CNN.com and more.

Now, with only 6 days from today until Schwarzenegger’s deadline to sign or veto, we need him to receive a FLOOD of phone calls demanding that he veto SB 572.

Will Schwarzenegger listen to his lesbian chief of staff and actor Sean Penn? Or will he hear from tens of thousands of pro-family Californians and decide to veto “Harvey Milk Gay Day” like he did last year? It’s time to ring his phones, day and night!

There’s still time to ensure that Harvey Milk Gay Day does not get signed into law:

Call the Governor right now. Please drop everything and call his State Capitol office at 916-445-2841 to register your opposition to SB 572. You can call 24/7, day or night, because Schwarzenegger is conducting his own “poll” on where Californians stand on “Harvey Milk Day.”