I told myself I would just ignore this whole "War on Christmas" thing. It seemed like just another fabricated cultural war dreamt up in Punditville by Bill O'Reilly to boost ratings and sell O'Reilly Christmas ornaments. But now the stupidity has crossed over from Pundtiville to the U.S. House of Representatives. Claiming Christmas is under attack in America, Virginia Rep. Jo Ann Davis has submitted a resolution in the House "expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the symbols and traditions of Christmas should be protected. " More:

Davis, an outspoken Christian conservative from Gloucester, said she was spurred to act after seeing news reports of retailers telling their employees to wish customers a "happy holiday," instead of "Merry Christmas," and schools forbidding everything from Christmas plays to Santa Claus.

"Christmas has been declared politically incorrect," Davis told colleagues on the House floor. "Any sign or even mention of Christmas in public can lead to complaints, litigation, protests and threats. America's favorite holiday is being twisted beyond recognition."

Her resolution, if adopted, would put the House on record as supporting the use of Christmas symbols and traditions, while opposing "attempts to ban references to Christmas."

The bill has 26 co-sponsors, which are conveniently listed below in case they represent your district and you feel like calling them up and calling them an idiot:

Rep Bartlett, Roscoe G. [MD-6] - 12/6/2005
Rep Boozman, John [AR-3] - 12/7/2005
Rep Brown, Henry E., Jr. [SC-1] - 12/12/2005
Rep Brown-Waite, Ginny [FL-5] - 12/14/2005
Rep Burton, Dan [IN-5] - 12/7/2005
Rep Carter, John R. [TX-31] - 12/13/2005
Rep Cole, Tom [OK-4] - 12/13/2005
Rep Doolittle, John T. [CA-4] - 12/13/2005
Rep Emerson, Jo Ann [MO-8] - 12/13/2005
Rep Forbes, J. Randy [VA-4] - 12/13/2005
Rep Goode, Virgil H., Jr. [VA-5] - 12/6/2005
Rep Goodlatte, Bob [VA-6] - 12/13/2005
Rep Hostettler, John N. [IN-8] - 12/7/2005
Rep Istook, Ernest J., Jr. [OK-5] - 12/13/2005
Rep Jones, Walter B., Jr. [NC-3] - 12/6/2005
Rep Lewis, Ron [KY-2] - 12/14/2005
Rep McCotter, Thaddeus G. [MI-11] - 12/13/2005
Rep Miller, Jeff [FL-1] - 12/13/2005
Rep Murphy, Tim [PA-18] - 12/14/2005
Rep Myrick, Sue [NC-9] - 12/12/2005
Rep Norwood, Charlie [GA-9] - 12/7/2005
Rep Pitts, Joseph R. [PA-16] - 12/13/2005
Rep Ryun, Jim [KS-2] - 12/13/2005
Rep Smith, Christopher H. [NJ-4] - 12/14/2005
Rep Souder, Mark E. [IN-3] - 12/14/2005
Rep Wilson, Joe [SC-2] - 12/7/2005

And finally, to better gauge what kind of public servant Jo Ann Davis is, let's take a look at some other recent bills she's sponsored. It's amazing how much time the House wastes "expressing support":

- H.CON.RES.4 : Expressing the sense of the Congress that the United States Postal Service should issue commemorative postage stamps honoring Americans who distinguished themselves by their service in the armed forces.
- H.CON.RES.302 : Supporting the national motto of the United States.
- H.RES.486 : Commending the Coast Guard for its extraordinary efforts in response to Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita.
- H.R.71 : To support the Boy Scouts of America and the Girl Scouts of the United States of America.