It IS a settled debate, but Jeffersons infamous (private) letter to a local Baptist church has itself long been a huge complaint from his conservative critics. It wasn't exactly approved by the House and Senate then signed by the President; it was Jeffersons private thoughts about an issue. The non-establishment clause is most definitely there, but that may have been precisely O'Donnells point, that non-establishment of religion is legitimate BECAUSE it's explicitly there, while separation of church and state is not because it isn't. Without being there or asking her I can't say.

So before everyone starts laughing and says, "she did it again!" let's see what she actually said instead of what they heard and we're being told she said.