But Rubio ought to be well aware of David Barton's long career spent disseminating falsified versions of American history, replete with distortions, inaccuracies, doctored founding father quotes, and even outright lies, to advance the claim that the United States was originally intended to be a Christian nation - as detailed in the book Liars For Jesus - The Religious Right's Alternate Version of American History by Chris Rodda, a contributor to this web site who was featured in a recent appearance, on the MSNBC/Keith Olbermnann show Countdown, to discuss Glenn Beck's promotion of David Barton's doctored version of US history.

[video, below - David Barton endorses Marco Rubio's bid to be the next Florida governor]

Over the course of 2010, Fox show host Beck has showcased David Barton's American history lies, in a regular Beck show segment and also by featuring David Barton at Glenn Beck's August 27, 2010 Washington DC Kennedy Center event, "America's Divine Destiny," that set the stage for Beck's Tea Party Lincoln Memorial rally the following day.

Chris Rodda has written a running series at Talk To Action debunking, segment by segment, the various American history lies featured on the Beck show. Rodda has openly described David Barton as one of the leading "liars for Jesus," and Barton has not chosen to contest the characterization.

David Barton was one of two Christian nationalists selected as "experts" for a panel that advised the State of Texas on proposed changes to Texas public school social studies curriculum. Along with recently deceased pastor Peter Marshall, Barton recommended removing Civil Right Movement giants Cesar Chavez and Thurgood Marshall from the curriculum. Even more telling was the panel's proposal to rename the Slave Trade, as "Atlantic Triangular Trade."  

The Texas social studies curriculum revisions, that also included cutting out references to church-state separation advocate Thomas Jefferson, have become known as the "Texas textbook massacre."

David Barton has endorsed a number of Tea Party-favored candidates in the 2010 election including US Congressional Representative Alan Grayson's Republican opponent in the race for Florida's 8th District, Daniel Webster, who as I document in a recent Alternet story, has close ties (spanning over three decades) to controversial evangelist Bill Gothard.

In 2007 Daniel Webster and David Barton spoke together at a Nashville conference of one of Bill Gothard's organizations, the Advanced Training Institute.

An ATI catalog of presentations at the conference describes David Barton's session, available in CD and DVD format,

In this message David Barton gives practical ways to influence government leaders. He also reveals the least effective ways to make a difference in the political arena and demonstrates the huge impact that Christians have simply by getting out and voting!

As the Gothard ATI catalog describes Daniel Webster's presentation (also available in CD or DVD),

Senator Daniel Webster shares how he has seen the Lord use Biblical principles to bring him favor in the public arena, in everything from running a political campaign to legis- lating a statewide day of prayer for God's mercy during hurricane season to turning his enemies into friends.