On Meet the Press today, Tim Russert was asking Obama campaign chairman David Axelrod about how Obama was going to overcome the various slams on his "patriotism." He listed Obama's "offenses":
"Michelle Obama saying that she really never had pride in America until this campaign when Barack Obama was running, Barack Obama with his hands clasped in front of him rather than holding his heart during the pledge of allegiance, Barack Obama not wearing a flag pin....Barack Obama meeting with Bill Ayers, a former Weather ground under—Weatherman underground figure."
Even the way this question was phrased was offering misinformation and a biased perspective to the viewers. Michelle Obama did not say she never had pride in America until the campaign. She said "For the first time in my adult life I am really proud of my country." There's quite a bit of nuanced difference between those two statements. Michelle was talking about her adult life, not her entire life, and she was talkking about being REALLY proud. She didn't say she never had pride, just that this was the first time she felt, as an adult, REALLY proud. It was kind of like someone saying "this is the happiest day of my life" when it is obvious the person is simply caught up in the moment and probably had many happy days in their life. But the Republicans, the Clintons, and the MSM apparently are incapable of doing nuance.
Also, Barack Obama did not have a "meeting" with Bill Ayers, currently a college professor, but formerly a radical in the sixties. He sat on a board with him, and attended a fund raiser at his home. Barack Obama has, at most, a passing acquaintance with him, but Timmy and the ABC debate moderators and Hillary Clinton seem to think anyone you have ever met is fair game to tarnish you with. Well for that matter, who is the person Hillary has had the closest relationship with for the past forty years? Bill Clinton - liar, philanderer, and impeached president. Doesn't that tarnish her a bit? And while we're at it, Obama could never say it, but I will: If Obama was supposed to walk out on Rev. Wright because of some radical words in a sermon, why didn't Hillary walk out on her husband, who cheated on her time and again, lied to her and to the American people about it, broke the law by lying under oath, and humiliated her publicly?
As for Barack Obama not "holding his heart" during the "pledge of allegience," this is a lie and Russert knows better. This was either sloppy questionning or a deliberate attempt to falsely smear Obama. Barack Obama, on one occasion that was photographed, kept his hands at his sides during the Star Spangled Banner, not during the pledge of allegience. I never put my hand over my heart during the Star Spangled Banner, and neither do most people. On the other hand, most people put their hands over their heart during the pledge of allegience. The fact that some in the picture had their hands over their hearts indicates to me they were posing as fake patriots during the anthem, not that Obama wasn't being patriotic. Maybe he didn't get the memo that said you have to do these silly things to prove how patriotic you are, even though most ordinary people don't do them and don't really expect you to. But if you can lump this lack of a phony "patriotic" display with his not wearing a flag pin, bingo! You can say he is unpatriotic.
Now for the flag pin. No one on that debate stage was wearing a flag pin. Obama has explained why he no longer wears one, and points out that for a while after 9/11 he, like many Americans did, but that he no longer considered it necessary. "Shortly after 9/11," he said, "particularly because as we're talking about the Iraq War, that became a substitute for I think true patriotism, which is speaking out on issues that are of importance to our national security, I decided I won't wear that pin on my chest. Instead, I'm going to try to tell the American people what I believe will make this country great, and hopefully that will be a testimony to my patriotism." In other words, Obama was pointing out that he had other ways of showing patriotism and was going to rely on those rather than wearing a pin, which had become a de facto symbol for supporting the Iraq War. He had the courage to be a leader, to recognize the flag pin on the members of the administration and most republicans as false patriotism, not real patriotism, and like many democrats who did the same, decided he didn't want to be part of that charade.
Even more interesting to me, though, is that no one questionned why Hillary Clinton does not wear a flag pin. If, as the original questionner some months ago asked Obama, "politicians have been wearing these since 9/11," why was it not appropriate for Hillary to wear one? Is she not a politician? Is she exempt because she's a woman? I thought it was important to her to be part of the boys club, to be treated the same as the male candidates for the presidency. I thought that's what feminists wanted. And what about all the other candidates, like John McCain, who no longer wear them?
I've been bitching for a long time now about Hillary Clinton doing the Republican's dirty work for them (as if they need any help) but it is obvious that the main stream media is doing the same.
Liberal media, my ass!
