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Palin Buys Into Coin Conspiracy
The U.S. Mint is not keeping God where Sarah Palin does—close to her heart—and she’s miffed about it. Politico snuck a reporter into Palin’s off-the-record speech to the Wisconsin Right to Life group on Friday night, and found the former governor of Alaska floating some weird theories about the latest design of American coins. Complaining that there had been a lot of “change” as of late, she wondered why the phrase “In God We Trust” has been moved to the edge of coins. “Who calls a shot like that?” she demanded. “Who makes a decision like that?” She added: “It’s a disturbing trend.” The phrase was actually moved to the edge in 2007, before Barack Obama took office. Still, Palin is not alone: Senators Sam Brownback and Robert Byrd have sponsored legislation to move the phrase back to the front face of coins.
cbeenthere
What a bogus, awsome claim.
pelzatmah
really...that's all we should be worried about right now??? No wonder she doesn't want/allow any media coverage of her speaking engagements
hockeydog
I am late coming to this dance, but clearly the crap printed on our money is just that.
For example, the other day I pulled out a couple of old dollars, you know the kind that have blue seals stamped on them, rather than green.
These old dollars are "silver certificates" that are supposedly payable to the bearer on demand in silver.
Whoa-ho-ha-ha-ha-ha! Take one of those babies down to your local bank and see how much silver they will give you, the bearer.
So, for those who continue to delude themselves that there is truth to anything concerning our government, well..., God love you. Maybe your government will continue posting certain words on your zinc and paper exchange media.
Perhaps you can lobby Senator Lieberman to have something printed on your credit cards that will reassure you that Goldman Sachs has your best interests at heart.
In the meantime, look at all of the small towns across America, with their decaying, once proud downtown districts, that are now full of antique shops and second hand goods stores. Perhaps a better motto would be "In God We Trust, except in Wal-mart, Where our Trust is in China".
Mauiboy
She's positioning herself to take over Beck's job on FOX.
SimonSaize
you do know at the last Nancy Reagan Seance (N.R.S.) something happened that has never, ever happened before, ever, ever, ever.
laDivaG
"Snuck" isn't a word; the correct form of sneak in the context is: sneaked.
Tina, hire some writers, or at least an editor.
BipartisanCurious
English teachers earn $35k a year because no one cares,
sexploitation writers can earn $57k party invites and everyone clicks,
who elected you the grammar police?
connie47
Not that anybody, including me, gives a damn, but this is from Merriam-Webster, which lists "snuck" as a word.
Main Entry: snuck
past and past participle of sneak
jaydeekay
Princeton.wordnet also lists it as a word.
hithere3
it's a colloquialism that snuck into the lexicon.
piktor
That's gotta be disasterous.
PhilMcRoin
I hear that chillax has snuck its way into a few dictionaries as well... maybe mrs pallin and the rest of the theocratics should chillax until "they" sneak the phrase right off the coin altogether..
Nonplussed
You could just go ahead and leave "by Coins" out of that headline.
pclayton
@Nonplussed
Yes, indeed, it would make more sense, too. By the way, that's what Palin's been up to, eh? Counting her coins......
oaklynne
Do us all a favor, TDB, and spare us the pointless articles about Sarah Palin. We don't care what she says.
DD3075
I do want to know what Sarah has to say because invariably (not always) she's saying to the public the very same things I've said to my friends and family. The moving of "In God We Trust" to the edge of the coins is an attempt to dispose of the phrase, in time.
In time, as the coins become used, the phrase will be worn off as the edges wear down. Then, as people become used to not seeing it, the phrase will be done away with entirely, without the public even noticing. It is a very subtle, surreptitious way to go about removing it.
As I've said many times, America's foundation is being eroded away, inch by tiny inch. I'm far from a religious fanatic. But my foundation, and America's foundation is in God. When that is gone, there is nothing left on which American society can stand or look to for guidance. That appears to be the goal. Otherwise, why destroy what has served us well for over 200 years?
connie47
Luke 20:
24 Show me a penny. Whose image and superscription hath it? They answered and said, Caesar's.
25 And he said unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar's, and unto God the things which be God's.
God has nothing to do with money. Many Christians would like to see the name of God removed from money.
j831526
And who is behind this great conspiracy? I enjoy X-Files reruns too, and Cancer Man is my favorite character, but this conspiracy is hard to take. Who benefits? Don't say atheists, because most of us don't care; religious freedom motivated our forefathers, and "In God We Trust" reminds us of this without threatening anyone.
Your foundation may be in God, and I have no problem with that; however, America's foundation is NOT in God. It's in religious freedom and the Constitution which stipulates separation of church and state. I will not force you to accept my foundation; please don't force me to accept yours.
DD3075
connie47,
And "money is the root of all evil". The point of having God's name on all of our currency is simply a reminder. Thus the phrase is "In God We Trust". It doesn't say "The Property of God".
When you say "many Christians would like to see the name of God removed", that is meaningless. There are Christians who are willing to break any and all of the Ten Commandments. That doesn't mean that anyone should listen to them.
dwood7219
Must be grand to have time in life to ponder the positioning of words on coins. Most of us are too busy trying to earn them to then turn around and pay bills with. If you actually had the discussions you described I think you are indeed leaning heavily on the religious fanatic side of the world. I would say, politely, be happy the words are on the coin. Thank God you have a way to earn coins. Stop fretting oven non-existent slights. Worry about things like spending time with your friends and family - regardless of converstaion topics,and being able to practice any religion you choose in any way you choose.
connie47
God's name on money is one of the 10 Commandments? Not the ones in my Bible. It might be construed the opposte by some, as in worshiping idols.
So you're a Sabbitarian?
DD3075
connie47 wrote: "God's name on money is one of the 10 Commandments?"
Where in hell do you get that? I simply said that your statement, trying to imply that some "Christians" don't want the word God on our money doesn't lend any more credibility to your statement than if you said frogs. There are all types of people who call themselves Christians. Some are, and some clearly are not as proven by those who break the Ten Commandments.
That's quite a stretch you made. Your comprehension skills appear minimal. The fact that you could make that stretch explains a lot about your leaps to other illogical conclusions.
connie47
DD, I didn't throw the 10 Commandments into this absurd argument. You did.
You're one of those "Christians" who goes online and calls others names, pretending that you are so much more intelligent than them. You are a hypocrite, but a really good example of the modern American Christian.
hithere3
dumb & dumber, well here's something you actually said, and it made me laugh:
"The point of having God's name on all of our currency is simply a reminder."
are your fellow christians so stupid and/or immoral that they forget? how sad it is, when you must use brute force to keep your flocks of pigeons in line.
PhilMcRoin
there's nothing so pure as the kindness of an athiest.
a simple lack of unselfishness that never has to be repaid.
put that on the coin.
too long?
wonder why so many people in america are drawn away from christianity?? look at yourselves and ask, what would Jesus really think of me... Jesus who was a liberal, generous, immaterial person.. If Jesus were alive today America would crucify him just as the romans did.. he goes against the principals of the american way...
jbo206
DD3075
"money is the root of all evil". - I think the correct phrase is the love of money is the root of all evil.
Please keep posting though. you amuse me.
piktor
" why destroy what has served us well for over 200 years?"
The first coin to have the "In God We Trust" motto was minted in 1864.
piktor
You can see U.S. coins before and after 1864 here:
http://bit.ly/1rcI5z
pclayton
Every time she opens her mouth she puts her mukluked foot in it. The words "in god we trust" do not belong on coins; it's a holdover from ancient times when the emperor's image was on all coins and he thought he was god; hence, "in the emperor [god] we trust." Our modern day coins clearly mixed church and state with references to god imprinted on them, so that practice should be changed. On thing you can depend on Palin for, though, is consistency in her never-ending willingness to demonstrate her stupidity.
ConstitutionalRights
Think about this just a little bit and it makes some sense.
We introduce many new "collector" coins, quarters for example. New designs of bills, and several versions of the hard coin dollar. People get confused at retail between US currency and foregin currency/coins and suddenly we are interchanging coin and currency at equal value. The result, a devalued dollar and a valid argument for a one world currency.
Conspiracy theory, perhaps, the a realistic one. Perhaps that is another reason why so many folks with money are moving to Euros and gold.
Maybe right, maybe nothing, but it is a logical step to the conspiracy.
pclayton
And the words "in god we trust" makes them easier to recognize and keeps their value up? Where are you going with this? Especially since a quarter isn't quite worth a penny anymore.
DD3075
Excellent point CR. Constantly I'm being surprised by a new coin (the nickles, the quarters), and the look of the bills are being altered. To what purpose? They even have discussed changing the color of our bills, claiming that it would help those who can't see.
Well, every tyrannical ruler will announce a benevolent reason for his tyranny, a means of selling it to the public. If they really want to assist the visually challenged, they could put braille on the bills, which seeing folks wouldn't even notice. The real purpose is not to help the visually impaired, the purpose is to destroy what we have now, and move us toward acceptance of a one-world currency, similar to the Euro.
The fact is many liberal leftists on TDB are accepting and encouraging destruction of everything that makes America unique. Yet they never announce why. What is the ultimate goal? The arguments are invariably something like "well Europe does it, or France does it, or England does it".
If any of those countries were superior to America, I'd say we may be able to learn from them. But they aren't. In reality, the world has copied America. They have "Westernized". Because we have led the way for so long, the only way to get to the one-world, is to destroy America.
hithere3
I presume DD stands for Dumb and Dumber?
Religion doesn't make America unique. It makes America stupid.
What has made America great has had nothing at all to do with Megachurches and snake oil salesmen and sexually repressed priests.
What has made America great are these things, in this order:
The rationalist philosophy behind the American Revolution
Liberalism, in the classical sense of that word
Science
Ambition
Art
Religion, on the other hand, has been of general embarrassment. I can accept that religion will continue to exist in America. But the day Christian fundamentalism finally dies cannot come soon enough.
DD3075
Well, hithere3, I guess you have to include yourself in the "Dumb and Dumber" category, because I agree with most of what you said, and nowhere did I say that religion made America unique. In fact, I never once mentioned religion in my post that you responded to.
Our foundation in God, with the freedom to worship (or not) makes our country very unique. I am not fond of Christian fundamentalists, because they are the extreme. But getting rid of every reference to God is equally extreme. To me, we can do without both of them.
dwood7219
Hey, are you Michelle Bachmann's cousin or something? You know, the nut who thinks they are trying to force us to use Chinese money here or some world currency that will make you as an American obsolescent in the financial world? Calm down.A quarter is a quarter is a quarter no matter whose visage appearson it, if it is a State Series quarter or Elvis is fat or thin. Y'all have way too much time on your hands if this is what y'all come up with after any thought process whatsoever.
nortonclybourn
It's only a step before there is one world money and we are all required to bear the Mark of the Beast to buy and sell anything. Can't you understand that this is a conspiracy by the Antichrist Obama? It's all a sign of the End Times. That's why Palin isn't concerned about running for office--she's waiting to be swept up in the Rapture while the sinful folk who disagree with her are punished with the Tribulation.
dwood7219
You have got to be kidding me. This is not some liberal conspiracy. Read for goodness sake. Happening for years - Reagan,the Bush boys, et al. No right, no left. just minting ideas to make collector's want to keep the darned coins. And what people get confused at retail?? Do you live in Guam or something??
Way, way too much time on your hands. Take up golf for goodness sake!!
Desertpenguin
Anyone who is disturbed enough by the changing physical appearance of money to call it: a conspiracy,
a reason for tyranny,
proof that America's foundation is being eroded away,
a threat to religion,
or a disturbing trend--
deserves to be called a right-wing nut.
Honchos
or just a moron.
Truth is, we have some of the most user-unfriendly money in the world. In order of value our coins go from the big one > the smallest one > the medium sized one > the one that's somewhere between the smallest and the medium one. Oh and that one's brown too. The dime also doesn't say what it's worth. Just that it's a dime. How many cents is a dime... you'll have to figure that out on your own. If you can't get outside your own experience, imagine going to England and getting a coin that said one quid. Unless you know what quid means you have no idea how much money you've got.
Paper money is much easier to use for everybody if it's color coded and different sizes and that goes double for the disabled or the elderly. It might look a little goofy and Monopoly-ish to us at first but it makes a huge difference.
Having or not having "in god we trust" on the money- pretty much serves no purpose either way - except to fire up Christian Supremacists.
Granite
To senators Sam Brownback and Robert Byrd--is this the most pressing issue right now, micro-managing spare change? How about macro-managing the economy!
Want to laugh even harder? Reread Palin's quotes but mentally tweak her voice closer to the Will & Grace character Karen.
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n--Y--squareyellowpaperSuperfancy
Well, now we know what she "reads."
empressaw
Really, TDB, really?! This is news worthy?....
hithere3
important, no. newsworthy. yes. there's a difference.
Demolution9
No kidding... I realize that this site isn't exactly the most intellectual of news options on the web (see the lead story on celebrity threesomes...), but this Sarah Palin "reporting" is pure trash... what a joke.
robwriter
Another pointless article about the pointless ravings of clueless Palin. What is interesting is that "In God We Trust" is on money. That certainly says something.
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n--Y--johnniegdjanimaequeen
Indeed. What's really disturbing is Christian prayer at town hall meetings. I think that's a bit more deserving of our attention.
whipmawhopma
djanimaequeen - Why is it disturbing to you? Why do you care? Is it just Christian prayer or would you include Muslim prayer or Jewish prayer or Hindu prayer or Buddhist prayer or a prayer to Richard Dawkins?
whipmawhopma
robwriter - "What is interesting is that "In God We Trust" is on money. That certainly says something."
What does it say? That we can't trust the government? Or the bankers? Or the money itself? I trust God a lot more than I do any government or corporation, even if it does turn out to be a fictional character.
Palin is clinging to fame by finding whatever can continue to justify that fame. Without her making that effort she would disappear like a black hole that has exhausted all the matter around it, and so evaporates into nothing.
If it wasn't this it would be something else, and probably will be next week. Obama will be accused of hiding the truth about Area 51. I am surprised she hasn't latched onto it.
hithere3
I'd prefer "In God They Trust," since I and millions of other Americans do not.
jaydeekay
Yeah, but we don't count.
newz4i
Would this work, Sarah:
"In Palin we trust"
Plantagenet
In god we trust
in god we trust we do
land of the just
its just for me and you
we are god fearing people
stalwart and true to the end
in god we trust
in god we trust we do
hithere3
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion... "
DD3075
Do you even understand what a religion is? Clearly you don't.
There are hundreds of religions, all worshiping a single omnipotent being. America does not, has not, and will not establish which religion or any religion that must be followed. God is an omnipotent being. He is not a religion. America never intended to destroy or ignore God.
The ignorance on this site is always appalling.
hithere3
i agree that, as you awkwardly put it, "america never intended to destroy or ignore god."
but the framers intended our country's GOVERNMENT to be secular.
ever wonder why the words "lord," "god," or "jesus" never come up ONCE in the u.s. constitution?
ever wonder why so many framers were deists, rather than christians?
read the phrase i quoted again. it doesn't merely say congress is forbidden from establishing a religion, it says it will make no law RESPECTING an establishment of religion. "an"... it may just as well have said "one" or "many." god is a social construct of primitive minds. grow up, child. there is no one out there to take care of you. you are on your own.
jaydeekay
DD...
They don't all worship a single omnipotent being.
Some worship gods who are not omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent... some worship many gods... some worship no gods (Buddhism). He!!, the Mormons (a Christian offshoot) believe that every planet has its own god.
And an argument can be made about the roots of Christianity, Judaism, started as being not monotheistic... Is (Isis) Ra El... three main gods of the region.
newz4i
DD3075, you say, "Do you even understand what a religion is? Clearly you don't."
I do understand this: Religions (Catholocism/Mormonism in particular) raise huge sums of money to "lobby" state and federal "government." Example: define marriage according to their "omnipotent" God. Another example: legislate women's reproductive rights; again, according to their 'omnipotent" God.
Ignorance? Yes, it's appalling.
PinkoLefty
DD is right. God is omnipotent. I have a personal relationship with god. He lives in my pants. I will soon be allowing the high priestess to commune with Him. If she's naughty, she'll have to commune extra hard to get back in his graces, and I have a feeling she's being naughty right now. Anyway, a little preemptive punishment never hurt anyone.
Ah, blasphemy... is there anything more fun? Oh yeah, communion. But that's it! Communion with the high priestess, blasphemy, and drinking. There, that's my list in order of preference, but not the usual order of execution.
whipmawhopma
hithere3 - Do you think these exchanges of comments ever convince anybody of anything other than that they never change anybody's mind? I was going to reply to you and DD3075, and make a snide remark about PinkoLefty and his worship service, but there's no real point.
But I am worried about Palin. She needs to be kept far away from the constitution before she does a number on it like Jefferson did with his bible.
whipmawhopma
PinkoLefty - You are to be envied by many and to be dispaired of by a few. Live long and prosper.
hithere3
incidentally, isn't it interesting...
what is missing from this, the first american-minted coin?:
http://www.wealthuncomplicated.com/wealthuncomplicated/trivia/
Demsdisorder
god isn't a religion he is just the leader of them.
Downriver
Except that the coin modifications were approved by the previous administration and predate Obama. Oops.
DD3075
There's no "oops" there. We were furious with a lot of what Bush did. Did you MISS the election? Half of what Bush did was good, the other half was unbelievably destructive. Can't you grasp that?
If we had sufficient faith in Bush and the Republican party, Obama would never have become POTUS. But what we are finding out is that as bad as the Republicans screwed us, we are being screwed 100 times worse by the Dems.
hithere3
Yeah, where were asinine "tea party" protests during the Bush Administration?
You're a liar and a hypocrite. You're also disloyal to your president. I believe one of your fellow Christians, Dante, says your god told him there's a special circle in hell reserved for each of these types of people -- isn't that right?
connie47
Actually, hithere3, the Bible is full of special comments for these hypocrites, too. People like this always assume that the warnings are for everybody else.
Proverbs 11:9, "An hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbor."
DD3075
I apologize for having responded to any of your earlier posts. I thought I was dealing with a rational human being. Your 4:22 post disproves that.
My loyalty is to my country, not to a human being. Do I respect the office of POTUS? Indeed I do. Am I required to be "loyal" to the person holding that office? No. In fact I am compelled to tell the POTUS when I believe his actions are not in the best interest of America. Would I do everything within my power to prevent harm to the POTUS? Without a doubt..
Oh, just an FYI........our president is expected to be loyal to "we, the people" and our Constitution. Not the other way around. He serves us. We don't serve him.
Guess we look at things differently. And I haven't a clue where I "lied" or was a "hypocrite". I can only guess those are the arsenal of words used by the left when you just know you disagree with the right, but can't express why.
manticore1223
hithere3, I really think you might be stretching things acting as if Dante is scripture.
Thank you.
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