LT. GOV. DEBATES LEFTIST LOON OVER CHRISTIAN TAGS

The heated debate over South Carolina’s spiffy new “I Believe” license plates has recently made its way to the national media where it is garnering major headlines.

That attention multiplied last month when the Americans United for Separation of Church and State teamed up with the Hindu American Foundation to file a federal lawsuit on behalf of two Christian pastors, a humanist pastor and a rabbi (no, that’s not the start of a joke) to prevent South Carolina from becoming the first state to issue the tags.

That lawsuit is still ongoing, but last night Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer took to the Glenn Beck Program on CNN Headline News to discuss the “offending” tags. His sparring partner? None other than Americans United for Separation of Church and State Executive Director Barry Lynn.

Here’s an excerpt:

BAUER: If, in fact, Christians were the only ones allowed to get this tag, then I would say his claim was legitimate. But the fact that no other group has asked for one, no other group has gone through the steps to try to get one, no other group has even expressed that they would like to get one, I don`t really think you have a case here for that.

LYNN: Oh, that`s nonsense.

PAGLIARULO: Reverend, go ahead. Go ahead. I know that you`re champing at the bit. Go ahead.

LYNN: Yes. I mean, that`s nonsense, because of course you could go to the Department of Motor Vehicles if you have $4,000 or 400 people who want a plate, but it can only say the name of your organization and any specific logo of your organization.

You couldn`t, for example, go to the Department of Motor Vehicles and get a plate that said, “I do not believe anything.” That would be illegal. And the lieutenant governor knows that this is the only plate (ph) promoted by the state.

Bauer also sort of “bet [his] entire political career” on Lynn and company losing in court. With some of the latest rulings coming from activist judges, that may be a pretty bad bet for Bauer.

Regardless, I’m hopeful that this will teach us a lesson about having 800,000 stupid, pointless license plates in this state. Probably not, but a guy can hope…