Whiskey Tango Foxtrot Moment

Christine O'Donnell, Republican candidate for Senate, is unaware that the Constitution requires the separation of church and state.  In a debate yesterday, her Democratic opponent Chris Coons argued that he believed the Constitution prohibited the teaching of religious doctrine such as creationism in public schools. As shown here, O'Donnell was shocked when Coons explained that the First Amendment states that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion."  O'Donnell's response:  You're telling me that's in the First Amendment?"  It is fun to laugh at O'Donnell and to think of her as some kind of outlier in the Republican Party.  However, it is really crucial to recognize that she is not alone.  Frank Rich refers to her and the other wacky Republican candidates who are almost certain to be defeated as "political loss leaders."  They allow us to indulge in denial about how extreme the so-called mainstream Republicans are.  As a piece for the website ThinkProgress demonstrates, while Republicans love to wrap their actions in the Constitution, they know little about it and their agenda “is nothing less than a direct assault on America’s founding document.”