[JURIST] US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales [official website; DOJ press release] said Thursday that the Department of Justice will fight to overturn Wednesday's federal court ruling [JURIST report] that the Pledge of Allegiance [JURIST news archive] with the words "under God" cannot be recited in public schools. Gonzales said that the Pledge is an expression of national identity and patriotism that does not violate the Constitution's ban on the endorsement of religion by states, and submitted that the US Supreme Court "has affirmed time and again that such official acknowledgments of our nation's religious heritage, foundation and character are constitutional." Last year, the high court dismissed an appeal [JURIST report] by atheist Michael Newdow contesting the constitutionality of the Pledge but did so on technical grounds without specifically addressing the constitutionality issue. AP has more.