Stephen Colbert on Paul Ryan's Christian Budget Cuts

"Don't talk to me about separation of church and state; this is a Christian nation. Our money says 'In God We Trust,' our Declaration of Independence namechecks the Creator and when Congress passes a law, it is nothing short of a miracle." – Stephen Colbert

Coverage continues with Georgetown University's Father Thomas Reese after the jump…

The Colbert Report airs Monday through Thursday at 11:30/10:30c.

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Tags: Ayn Rand, Barack Obama, Bill of Rights, Budget, Catholic Church, Christianity, Church v. State, Constitution, Economy, House of Representatives, Paul Ryan, Religion, Stephen Colbert, The Colbert Report, Video

Judge Rules Freedom of Speech Does Not Include Facebook "Likes"

Freedom of speech is one of the fundamental rights guaranteed in the constitution. Thanks to the First Amendment, we can rant about politicians and other public officials all day long.

We just can't "like" them on Facebook…

Daniel Ray Carter and Robert McCoy were deputies in the Hampton, Virginia sheriff’s office. Were, that is, until they made the mistake of "liking" their boss' opponent's Facebook page during a contested sheriff election. They were both fired shortly after their boss won reelection.

As government employees, Carter and McCoy are protected by the First Amendment. Nevertheless, a federal judge in Virginia denied their claim that they were unconstitutionally fired for expressing their political view on the unusual theory that "liking" a Facebook page does not constitute a form of expression protected by the First Amendment:

"No such statements exist in this case. Simply liking a Facebook page is insufficient. It is not the kind of substantive statement that has previously warranted constitutional protection."

Of course, that's not actually true. The Supreme Court has held that protected speech includes acts such as wearing an anti-war armband, waving a flag and displaying a swastika. Apparently, the judge was just exercising his freedom to be a crotchety old man to whom everything on the Internet is too new, evil and scary to be constitutional.

In addition to losing their case, the two fired deputies were promptly ordered to get off the judge's lawn.

Photo by John Moore/Getty Images News/Getty Images

Tags: Bill of Rights, Constitution, Facebook, Internet, Laws, Police, Supreme Court, Virginia

Exclusive Extended Daily Show Interview with David Barton

"The biggest feeling is that [Thomas Jefferson] was an atheist or he was a secularist. And he just wasn't. He was a religious guy." – David Barton, Evangelical conservative activist

Jon Stewart's extended interview with David Barton continues after the jump.

The Daily Show airs Monday through Thursday at 11/10c.

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Tags: Bill of Rights, Books, Christianity, Church v. State, Constitution, David Barton, Religion, Thomas Jefferson

Arizona Bill Criminalizes Every Internet Comments Section, Ever

Late last week, the Arizona State Senate unanimously adopted House Bill 2549, which if signed by Governor Jan Brewer, would update the state's telephone harassment law to apply to other forms of communication, including the series of tubes that bring you Indecision.

See if you can use your experience of having visited the comments section of any blog, on any site, at any time in the history of the Internet to spot potential problems in the legislation…

It is unlawful for any person, with intent to terrify, intimidate, threaten, harass, annoy or offend, to use a telephone ANY ELECTRONIC OR DIGITAL DEVICE and use any obscene, lewd or profane language or suggest any lewd or lascivious act, or threaten to inflict physical harm to the person or property of any person.

UCLA law professor Eugene Volokh points out that, "under the statute, posting a comment to a newspaper article — or a blog — saying that the article or post author is 'fucking out of line' would be a crime: It's said with intent to offend, it uses an electronic or digital device, and it uses what likely will be seen as profane language."

But I see a silver lining in this blatantly unconstitutional attempt to ban trolling. Though Arizona is doing its best to criminalize birth control and immigration, among other facets of the modern world, it still hasn't banned electricity. In fact, Arizona legislators use "digital device[s]" to draft legislation that is often plainly intended to annoy or offend anyone with a conscience.

When Arizona legislators outlaw trolling, the only outlaws will be Arizona legislators.

Photo by Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Tags: Arizona, Constitution, Crime, Internet, Jan Brewer, State Legislature

Stephen Colbert on Obama's Secret Plot to Not Take Away Your Guns

The only way this plan could get any more nefarious is if President Obama started buying guns for you himself. I don't think I'd put that past him. The man is a monster.

The Colbert Report airs Monday through Thursday at 11:30/10:30c.

Tags: Barack Obama, Bill of Rights, Constitution, Guns, Stephen Colbert, The Colbert Report, Video