Circle gets the Square?

Well, this one's a little out of date but worthy of mention nevertheless - right up there with modern-day (did I say "modern?") ID morons.

From Wired:

1897: Egged on by an amateur mathematician, the Indiana General Assembly almost passes a bill adopting 3.2 as the exact value of pi (or π). Only the intervention of a Purdue University mathematician who happens to be visiting the legislature prevents the bill from becoming law, saving the most acute political embarrassment.

(full article)