Whenever he speaks, U.S. Rep. Bill Sali, R-Idaho, reveals a bit more about his shortcomings.
Sali's latest foray into foot-in-mouth territory could reopen questions from afar about whether Idahoans really have rejected the bigotry they were tarred with for years because of a neo-Nazi group that had a compound in North Idaho.
Last week, Rep. Sali delved into the minds of the Founding Fathers to interpret their thoughts of more than 200 years ago: He declared that they did not envision a Hindu prayer being said in Congress or a Muslim being elected to the U.S. House—both of which have occurred.
It's worth noting that the Founding Fathers didn't envision the Internet or man's landing on the moon either. It was Congressman Sali's final word that the Founders' vision was for a Christian nation.
If that were the case, Sali needs to explain Article IV of the U.S. Constitution, which states that "no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States."
If the Founders explicitly created a Christian nation, why didn't they insist all office holders be Christian? And, moreover, why didn't those masters of the printed word put it in the Constitution?
Sali worsened matters when he also expressed his fear of multiculturalism, which he called "dangerous." In the 1960s during the civil rights protests, people like Sali used a different phrase--they feared "mixing of the races."
Sali's statements do not represent the attitudes of most Idahoans. He should retract his statements and offer an emphatic apology to everyone.
