Missouri Rep. Todd Akin Doesn't Know the Pledge of Allegiance

We kid, of course. But Todd Akin, the U.S. Representative from Missouri's 2nd Congressional District (Town and Country), forgot the word "indivisible" from the Pledge of Allegiance today while reciting the oath along with anti-health care reform advocates in Washington.

Perhaps Akin made such a political issue of the fact that "God" is invoked in the pledge that he forgot the all-important next word -- indivisible. As in, united.

Akin said the "Under God" portion of the Pledge -- added in 1954 -- "drives liberals crazy." A twist to the pledge story and perhaps why Akin was, uhh, achin' to recite it today: He's promised to "Protect the Pledge of Allegiance" through legislation. So one figures he knows it well enough to not forget words. But then again, that's a large crowd and nerves have gotten to the best of us.

One of Akin's aides likened the gaffe to a Supreme Court Justice John Roberts' swearing-in of President Barack Obama on January 20, writes Jo Mannies over at the St. Louis Beacon.

It's also worth noting that at least one person in the audience could be heard saying "nice job" after verbal fumble, but Akin, judging from the pregnant pause after he omitted the word, seems to have realized it immediately.

Politics is not a perfect science:



And if you've forgotten the words since grade school, here are the words to the Pledge of Allegiance.