and because of their history and ubiquity, those practices are not understood as conveying government approval of particular religious beliefs.
Id. at 693.  While Justice 0'Connor was advocating a revised test that would allow a practice unless it constituted an endorsement of religion (id. at 694), the significance of this language is the Court's recognition that government acknowledgments of our religious heritage often have a legitimate secular purpose.
So, too, does the recitation of prayer-even a Christian one-at the inauguration of the President of the United States serve to solemnize a most important event in our republic-the peaceful transition of power from one administration to another.
Newdow's efforts to wipe all traces of religious expression from the presidential inauguration find no support in the history of the First Amendment or in First Amendment jurisprudence.
V.  CONCLUSION
Accordingly, President Bush respectfully requests that this Court grant summary judgment on all of plaintiff's claims.
November 16, 2001
JOHN K. VINCENT United States Attorney
By: ^JC^^^Q^
KRISTIN S. DOOR Assistant U.S. Attorney
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