VP Candidates On Church-State Separation

CBS Evening News: Biden And Palin Answer Katie Couric's Vice-Presidential Questions

(CBS)  Sen. Joe Biden and Gov. Sarah Palin have put in some very long days reparing for their Thursday night debate. To give voters a better sense of who they these candidate are, and where they stand on a number of issues, CBS News anchor Katie Couric asked Biden and Palin some "Vice Presidential Questions." This installment: "Thomas Jefferson wrote about the First Amendment: 'building a wall of separation between Church and State.' Why do you think that is so important?"

Click here to read more of what the vice-presidential candidates had to say and see our series, "Presidential Questions."

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Katie Couric: Thomas Jefferson wrote about the First Amendment, building a wall of separation between church and state. Why do you think that's so important?

Sarah Palin: His intention in expressing that was so that government did not mandate a religion on people. And Thomas Jefferson also said never underestimate the wisdom of the people. And the wisdom of the people, I think in this issue is that people have the right and the ability and the desire to express their own religious views, be it a very personal level, which is why I choose to express my faith, or in a more public forum.

And the wisdom of the people, thankfully, engrained in the foundation of our country, is so extremely important. And Thomas Jefferson wanted to protect that.

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Watch the candidates discuss their views on Roe v. Wade

Read the transcript of the candidates' interviews on Roe v. Wade

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Biden: The best way to look at it is look the every state where the wall's not built. Look at every country in the world where religion is able to impact ... the governance. Almost every one of those countries are in real turmoil.

Look, the founders were pretty smart. They had gone through, you know, several hundred years of wars - religious wars. And they were in the midst of religious wars in Europe. And they figured it out: The best way to do this is to keep the government out of religion. They took religion out of government. But they didn't mean religion couldn't be in a public place, in the public square.

[uneasydem]

Hmmm. Some of you that are humiliating yourselves by talking down about her education and intelligence should do some history research. Thomas Jefferson was very devout, and in his letter to a Baptist church, he mentioned this "wall" to reassure the church members that the govt would never encroach on their right to worship freely. Period. Thomas Jefferson was known to hold church in the Capitol bldg and other govt buildings. Check it out.Again----Hmmmm.

[uneasydem]

Hmmm. Some of you that are humiliating yourselves by talking down about her education and intelligence should do some history research. Thomas Jefferson was very devout, and in his letter to a Baptist church, he mentioned this "wall" to reassure the church members that the govt would never encroach on their right to worship freely. Period. Thomas Jefferson was known to hold church in the Capitol bldg and other govt buildings. Check it out.Again----Hmmmm.

[uneasydem]

Hmmm. Some of you that are humiliating yourselves by talking down about her education and intelligence should do some history research. Thomas Jefferson was extremely devout, and in his letter to a Baptist church, he mentioned this "wall" to reassure the church members that the govt would never encroach on their right to worship freely. Period. Thomas Jefferson was known to hold church in the Capitol bldg and other govt buildings. Check it out.Again----Hmmmm.

[uneasydem]

Hmmm. Some of you that are humiliating yourselves by talking down about her education and intelligence should do some history research. Thomas Jefferson was extremely devout, and in his letter to a Baptist church, he mentioned this "wall" to reassure the church members that the govt would never encroach on their right to worship freely. Period. Thomas Jefferson was known to hold church in the Capitol bldg and other govt buildings. Check it out.Again----Hmmmm.

[uneasydem]

Hmmm. Some of you that are humiliating yourselves by talking down about her education and intelligence should do some history research. Thomas Jefferson was extremely devout, and in his letter to a Baptist church, he mentioned this "wall" to reassure the church members that the govt would never encroach on their right to worship freely. Period. Thomas Jefferson was known to hold church in the Capitol bldg and other govt buildings. Check it out.Again----Hmmmm.

[uneasydem]

Hmmm. Some of you that are humiliating yourselves by talking down about her education and intelligence should do some history research. Thomas Jefferson was extremely devout, and in his letter to a Baptist church, he mentioned this "wall" to reassure the church members that the govt would never encroach on their right to worship freely. Period. Thomas Jefferson was known to hold church in the Capitol bldg and other govt buildings. Check it out.Again----Hmmmm.

[uneasydem]

Hmmm. Some of you dissing her education and intelligence should do some history research. Thomas Jefferson was extremely devout, and in his letter to a Baptist church, he mentioned this "wall" to reassure the church members that the govt would never encroach on their right to worship freely. Period. Thomas Jefferson was known to hold church in the Capitol bldg and other govt buildings. Check it out.Again----Hmmmm.

[uneasydem]

Hmmm. Some of you dissing her education and intelligence should do some history research. Thomas Jefferson was extremely devout, and in his letter to a Baptist church, he mentioned this "wall" to reassure the church members that the govt would never encroach on their right to worship freely. Period. Thomas Jefferson was known to hold church in the Capitol bldg and other govt buildings. Check it out.Again----Hmmmm.

[uneasydem]

Hmmm. Some of you dissing her education and intelligence should do some history research. Thomas Jefferson was extremely devout, and in his letter to a Baptist church, he mentioned this "wall" to reassure the church members that the govt would never encroach of their right to worship freely. Period. Thomas Jefferson was known to hold church in the Capitol bldg and other govt buildings. Check it out.Again----Hmmmm.

[krlang1-2009]

`I guess we could attribute it all to her outstanding formal education...she is a victim of a failing educational system (did any of you buy that?)

[medmom04]

Posted by gretagreen at 02:17 PM : Oct 02, 2008

exactly. they have both stated their intent to do so. so strip us of the right to privacy, the protection of our civil rights, but still singing ''country first''? only if you agree with them and are in their tax bracket.

[medmom04]

Palin''s statements on separation of church and state say more than plenty about how unintelligent she is. She doesn''t know what separation of church and state are. rather, Palin describes freedom of religion. not at all the same concept. this woman has zero interest in national or international affairs, & every time she opens her mouth, she screams her disinterest.

[gretagreen]

The next president will most certainly appoint one (or maybe even two or three) Supreme Court Justices. Justice Stevens is in his 90''s. He is one of the five that supports Roe v. Wade. If he retires, and McCain-Palin appoint someone who shares their anti-choice, anti-equal rights philosophy, we will most certainly see Roe v. Wade overturned. Do not doubt it for one second!

[gretagreen]

We might not know the names of many U.S. Supreme Court cases, but we''re not running for VP -- and we weren''t governor of Alaska who is incharge of the Alaska Attorney General and who has a lot of power with regard to which suits they proceed with and which they defend against. She should know something about this! It''s her job!

[gretagreen]

Interesting article about vindictive Palin''s abuse of power in stopping workman''s comp benefits for former brother-in-law. That''s not the action of a reformer! I''d like more info about trooper-gate and the big deficit she left in Wassila!

http://www.pubrecord.org/politics/366-troopergate-witness-insists-palins-office-interfered-in-workers-comp-case.html

[gretagreen]

Interesting web-site about Palin:

http://www.grizzlybay.org/SarahPalinInfoPage.htm

[annjo1]

These candidates are running for Vice-President, not for the Supreme Court. Granted that whoever is elected could become President some day and nominate a future Supreme Court justice, that''s as close as they get to writing Supreme Court opinions.

There''s no way even the President can overturn Roe v. Wade or interpret the 1st Amendment''s religion clauses, so why not ask a question about what qualities they would look for in a potential Supreme Court nominee and whether they would insist a nominee state his or her position on whether Roe v. Wade should be overturned.

Frankly, these questions seem designed more to play into the hysteria on the left over Palin''s pro-life personal views and Christian beliefs than to elicit useful information for undecided voters.

Palin casts herself as a reformer and the Obama/Biden ticket talk about "change" all the time. Why not some questions about how each of them has changed the instititions in which they''ve served - Palin the Alaska State Government and Biden the U.S. Senate. Oh, wait a minute - that wouldn''t work. Palin''s been in office two years and made major strides in reforming Alaskan government, tackling corruption and getting Alaska''s next big project, the gas pipeline, off the dream list and into reality; Biden''s been in the U.S. Senate for 36 years, and hasn''t changed a thing except his hairline.

[pensacola98]

The debate tonight doesn''t give much opportunity for either Palin or Biden to crush eachother. This debate is apples vs. oranges when it comes to likability. I predict each side will attempt to be as likable as possible and give direct answers. When either the confrontation or opening eventually comes, we will see one side take a confident punch at the other. The high road comes with responsibility and the candidate who can stay there and be likable will win. The S-O-B or B-I-T-C-H factor doesn''t help anyone be likable or win confidence that the candidate will actually do what they said, when the opportunity comes. The high road image with authenticity does.

[future121]

Separation of church and state means in governing no one church authority belongs in governance. Power mixed with religion is toxic. The Reformation, Inquizition, Holy Wars, and terriorism are the horrific results of mixing them. Mans need for power and abuse of it by using religion as justification to use that power is the best reason to keep them separate. We can keep them separate and yet honor all religions Holidays since we are a melting pot of all religions and peoples. That is what helps to make us a great nation.

[likeitis5050]

To really observe the separation of church and state all elected officials, state and federal, should have to work all religious holidays...that would mean the House couldn''t shut down to observe the Jewish holiday they just got. Everyone yells about separation but then clocks out for a paid holiday on Christmas, Easter, and all other religious holidays.

At the same time the Jehoviah Witnesses gladly take the days off with pay and but refuse to observe the holidays at all....they should HAVE to work!!!