Joe Pitts, December 9, 2005

On November 7th, an 80-foot Engelmann Spruce was felled 24 miles east of the town of Cuba, New Mexico and began a cross-country journey to Washington, D.C.

This beautiful tree arrived in the nation’s capital on November 28th where it was unloaded and lowered into a 5-foot deep hole on the west front lawn of the U.S. Capitol Building where it will proudly stand until January 1.

In preparation for the traditional lighting ceremony to be held on the evening of December 8, the tree has been the subject of great attention from workers adorning it with 10,000 lights and 3,000 ornaments designed by New Mexico schoolchildren.

But that wasn’t the only attention this tree has received since arriving in Washington, where all things are political, and few things are without controversy.

In this case, a question arose over what this lovely New Mexican conifer would be named during its time spent adorning the West front of the U.S. Capitol.

For thirty years, from 1964 to 1994, the tree selected each year for the Capitol lawn was called the Capitol Christmas Tree. However, in recent years, the name of the tree had changed to the Capitol Holiday Tree. Those trying to trace the origin of the name-change apparently found no Congressional action mandating the change. No other form of an official documented request for the change was found either.

This led to some confusion about the proper identity of this year’s tree.

Thankfully, House Speaker Dennis Hastert ended that confusion last week when he issued a directive officially restoring the traditional name, thus making this year’s tree a Christmas Tree.

Only in Washington, D.C., it seems, could this have been so difficult. This is a city that makes a routine out of taking issues thought to be clear-cut by a great majority of Americans, and turning them into "controversies."

And it is in this spirit that the left wing’s loyal political correctness enforcers insist we call a Christmas Tree a Holiday Tree. They are certainly entitled to their opinion, but I take exception with the way they so often go about making their case on issues like this.

Their rhetoric goes something like this: We must call the U.S. Capitol Building’s tree a Holiday Tree, because it is important our national leaders always act in pursuit of mainstream interests.

This, of course, raises the question as to what the mainstream is on this issue.

A Fox News/Opinion Dynamics poll conducted just last week provides some instructive answers to that question. The following are some results from the poll:

• 81 percent of those polled expressed opposition to religion being excluded from public life.

• 83 percent think nativity scenes should be allowed on public property.

• 76 percent support displaying the Ten Commandments on government property.

• 93 percent think the phrase "in God we trust" should remain on our currency.

• 77 percent believe the courts have gone too far in taking religion out of public life.

If mainstream policy is indeed what they want, then it seems we got it right on the Christmas tree issue.

Congressman Joe Pitts, a Republican, represents Pennsylvania's 16th Congressional District, which includes Lancaster County and parts of Chester County and Berks County.