Did you know that Abraham Lincoln refused to dedicate a battlefield memorial for Civil War soldiers? The outrage!

We have the evidence, a quotation from a speech President Lincoln made: “We cannot dedicate ... we cannot consecrate ... we cannot hallow ... this ground.” See?

What’s that? You say it’s out of context? Well, you’re obviously not qualified to write TV commercials for the Republican side in the 5th District congressional race. Too many scruples.

The Lincoln quotation, of course, is from the Gettysburg Address. He went on to say: “The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract.” And then he spoke movingly of the inspiration that surviving Americans should draw from their sacrifice.

Fast-forward to 2008, when Republicans are twisting Democrat Parker Griffith’s words in an effort to defeat him and elect Republican Wayne Parker.

TV ads funded by the National Republican Congressional Committee and the group Freedom’s Watch use audio clips in which Mr. Griffith says that “America’s greatest enemy is America” and “We have nothing to fear from radical Islam.”

Here are the same remarks in better context. He was speaking to a Christian group on the question of whether radical Islam represents a threat to Christianity.

“I think America’s greatest enemy is America and its materialism,” Mr. Griffith said. “We have nothing to fear from radical Islam. We have nothing to fear from any other religion if we in fact are strong on our own beliefs. I don’t fear radical Islam.”

Mr. Griffith calls the ads deceptive, and he’s right. The Christian Coalition of Alabama defends him, saying his comments “were well-rooted in Scripture and demonstrated a true love of country and trust in our Lord.”

But Mr. Parker, given an opportunity, did not disavow the ads and dug himself a deeper hole. “I believe that America’s greatest enemy is radical Islam,” Mr. Parker said. “He doesn’t think it poses a threat.”

Mr. Lincoln would not be proud of some of today’s fellow Republicans.