Dan Coats, Indiana's US Senator, Will Not Quit On That US Open "Under God" Thing

Yesterday, the good people of the Yahoo! comments section expressed their displeasure with NBC's edits on the Pledge of Allegiance during the US Open.

NBC apologized—does God know why, because we don't—and the whole thing seemed over in the minds of everyone, save for Yahoo! commenters. Well, it's not over for Indiana's junior senator Dan Coats either. Because he wrote a decidedly silly letter (emphasis ours) to NBCUniversal's chairman Stephen Burke today:

I am writing to express my serious concern, and the concerns of the Hoosiers I represent, regarding NBC's decision to air an edited version of the national Pledge of Allegiance not once but twice during the June 19, 2011 broadcast of the U.S. Open golf tournament. In the opening of this broadcast, NBC aired video showing schoolchildren reciting the Pledge, but omitted the words "under God, indivisible" during the segment. Moments later, NBC again aired an edited version of the Pledge, this time omitting the words "one nation, under God, indivisible."

[...]

I am disturbed with NBC's decision to modify the Pledge for this broadcast. I understand that NBC acknowledged its error at a later point in Sunday's broadcast, and has since stated that this action was a "bad decision" made by a small group of individuals. Nonetheless, I remain concerned that such a decision to selectively edit the Pledge could be made in the first place. As a result, I would like to request that NBC provide me with a full written account of its decision-making process in this matter, including an explanation of why these specific words were omitted, and what actions NBC intends to take to prevent such inappropriate edits from occurring in the future.

Really, Dan Coats? Do you seriously think NBC, the network that—this year alone!—greenlit The Paul Reiser Show and season two of The Marriage Ref has an elaborate decision-making process? A decision-making process of any kind, come to think of it? And if so, why would the Senate concern itself with it? Is Dan Coats still upset that Jack Paar quit The Tonight Show? We want a full written account of of Dan Coats' decision-making process in writing this letter. Consider this official notification.

I look forward to receiving your response.

One hopes that NBC will dismiss this as a frivolous inquiry. But who knows? This is, after all, the network that preferred Outsourced to Parks and Rec.

Coats Asks NBC for Explanation of Why "Under God" Omitted from Pledge during U.S. Open Broadcast [Dan Coats, h/t Benjamin]