Media mavens

IGNORANCE OR BLISS? -- Reaction was quick and harsh when Delaware candidate Christine O'Donnell challenged her opponent with this: "Where in the Constitution is the separation of church and state?" The debate audience laughed. Opponent Chris Coons offered the establishment clause in the First Amendment. O'Donnell: "That's in the First Amendment?"
   Technically, the Tea Party sweetheart is correct; the phrase "separation of church and state" does not appear anywhere in the Constitution. It was offered years later by Thomas Jefferson, who said the First Amendment builds "a wall of separation between church and state." Specifically, the First Amendment says, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establshment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." More important, the main body of the Constitution, in Article VI, specifies that "no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States."
   At the time, the Founders were setting up protection from a set of English laws called the Test Acts, which required that only members of the government-established (Anglican) church were eligible for public office, or could enter the major universities and study law or medicine. Roman Catholics were heavily penalized for trying, and as for Nonconformists and Jews .... don't even think about it.

PHILLY WHICH -- The Inquirer reported that "The new Dilworth Plaza will be about as wide as Rittenhouse Square, but narrower."

APOCRYPHAL OF WRY -- A survey asked whether laws allowing women's suffrage should be repealed. A majority said yes. ("Don't hit me! I just want to vote!")

QUOTATIONS From the Rim -- Mock not, lest ye be mocked upon. Yeah, but if so, the Samurai Rim Man would be out of a job.