Eisenhower became convinced that adding "under God" would be the "right thing to do...."

The following is not satire, although it could be, if truth weren't stranger than satire.

So. Dak. Representative Stacey Nelson (candidate for US Senator from So. Dak.) was the prime (first-named) sponsor of the following legislation: House Concurrent Resolution 1006, during the current legislative session. it was passed with one dissenting vote, that of Angie Buhl O'Donnell (D-Sioux Falls).

The bill was passed on 1/30/2014.

The rest of this post is direct copy from the So. Dak. LRC website:
Introduced by: Representatives Nelson, Bolin, Campbell, Kaiser, Magstadt, May, Russell, Steele, and Verchio and Senators Van Gerpen, Begalka, and Jensen

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION, Recognizing the anniversary of the addition of the words "under God" to the United States Pledge of Allegiance.

WHEREAS, on February 10, 1954, Senator Homer Ferguson of Michigan introduced a bill in the United States Congress to amend the Pledge of Allegiance by adding the words "under God" to the text of the pledge; and

WHEREAS, February 10, 1954, was chosen as the date to introduce the bill by Senator Ferguson to recognize the five-year anniversary of the imprisonment of Cardinal Joseph Mindszenty of Hungary, who was imprisoned and tortured by Communists for his sermons exposing the goal of Communism to eradicate all religion; and

WHEREAS, speeches were delivered in Congress, by members of both political parties, honoring Cardinal Mindszenty and emphasizing the threat posed to America by Communism; and

WHEREAS, upon introduction of the bill, Senator Ferguson commented, "I believe this modification of the pledge is important because it highlights one of the real fundamental differences between the free world and the Communist world, namely, belief in God....Our nation is founded on a fundamental belief in God, and the first and most important reason for the existence of our government is to protect the God-given rights of our citizens. Spiritual values are every bit as important to the defense and safety of our nation as are military and economic values."; and

WHEREAS, the vote to add "under God" to the United States Pledge of Allegiance was a unanimous vote; and

WHEREAS, on February 7, 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower became convinced that adding the words "under God" to the United States Pledge of Allegiance would be the right thing to do after hearing Reverend George Docherty preach that the phrase "nation under God" was first used in the Gettysburg Address. It would be appropriate to add the phrase to the United States Pledge of Allegiance because freedom "is defined by a fundamental belief in God"; and

WHEREAS, the first time the revised United States Pledge of Allegiance was recited was on Flag Day, June 14, 1954; and

WHEREAS, it is the policy of this Legislature to recognize and honor such an important date which strengthens the ties of history that bind us to our belief in God:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the House of Representatives of the Eighty-Ninth Legislature of the State of South Dakota, the Senate concurring therein, that the South Dakota Legislature hereby recognizes February 10, 1954, as the anniversary of the addition of the words "under God" to the United States Pledge of Allegiance.