AP: Obama says he'll show patriotism with values, not flag pins

[Colobo]

Noting the TV interview, he told the campaign crowd, "I said, you know what, I probably haven't worn a flag pin in a very long time. After a while I noticed people wearing a lapel pin and not acting very patriotic."

"My attitude is that I'm less concerned about what you're wearing on your lapel than what's in your heart. You show your patriotism by how you treat your fellow Americans, especially those who serve. You show your patriotism by being true to our values and ideals. That's what we have to lead with is our values and our ideals."

He had been asked about the pin Wednesday in an interview with KCRG-TV in Cedar Rapids.

"The truth is that right after 9/11 I had a pin," Obama said. "Shortly after 9/11, 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."

More at:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071004/ap_po/obama_no_flag_pin

[democratsin08]

1. bad move

i dont understand him at all. we dont need to cater to the extreme leftists in the fringe.

[AlCzervik]

5. of course, the flag doesn't exist unless he wears a pin on his lapel.

[bluerum]

9. we dont need to cater to the extreme leftists in the fringe

we don't need no stink'in pins either

[baldguy]

11. Should we cater to the extreme rightists on the fringe?

The difference is the extreme left wants to save America, the extreme right want to destroy it.

[d_b]

12. Is that a joke?

Well played.

[zulchzulu]

13. What if he's wearing USA flag boxer shorts?

That should count, right?

:sarcasm:

[Forkboy]

23. Yawn....same hair-brained stuff as usual.

[illinoisprogressive]

2. Obama is a US Senator running for president. anyone questioning his patriotism is dumb

[Colobo]

3. Anybody in this board questioning his patriotism is not a Democrat.

[sufrommich]

4. I'm glad he has the courage to point out that

true patriotism isn't about tacky pins and car magnets. Good for him. Hannity is attacking him for it as I post.

[Colobo]

6. Hannity is a Republican c..ksucker.

[sufrommich]

7. Hannity is insanely beyond mere Republican.

[AlCzervik]

8. Hannity, is that the same guy that laughed about the NYC police sodomizing someone with a broomstick

[ellacott]

21. Someone needs to bring this to his attention

He's a hypocrite

http://nomoremister.blogspot.com/2007/10/sean-hannity-flag-hypocrite-barack.html

[question everything]

10. My respect for Obama just went up

First, he stood at a respectful attention instead of putting his hand on his heart when the national anthem was played, and now he refuse to play the game of a flag pin.

I remember many years ago when Senator Tom Harkin chastised Dan Quayle and others for "wrapping themselves in the flag" instead of wearing the uniforms that protect what the flag stand for.

Great going Senator, and thank you for adding some common sense to the debate.

[immoderate]

15. Hand on heart during the 'Banner is something new.

Standing at attention is the proper mode for the anthem. The "salute" is only for the pledge. I think that the hand on heart thing is a new "more patriotic than thou" gesture from right wingers.

--IMM

[Mz Pip]

14. False Gods

That's what this reminds me of. American Flag lapel pins have reached the status of idol worship for conservative Republicans and fundy wack jobs.

It's. A. Pin. It should not be worshipped.

Mz Pip
:dem:

[La Lioness Priyanka]

16. good for him

[jenmito]

17. Just the other day RW nut Melanie Morgan was wearing a giant red, white and blue ribbon while

insulting John Soltz and all soldiers who disagree with the war in Iraq. :eyes:

[DeanDem10]

18. Obama's right

We all own the flag already. We don't have to prove anything. It is already ours. Let's face it, flag worship is an industry having nothing whatsoever to do with patriotism. And those who pretend that patriotism=flag waving should be rebuffed, not reinforced. We know they don't mean it (love of country) when the chief gratuitous flag waver party (GOPhers) try to trade off every American principle to build their supposedly permanent hold on our government. They are now seen by most Americans as the morally bankrupt, phony "patriots" they really are.

I give Obama credit for staking a position on this.

[tblue37]

19. In the last season of _The West Wing_, Republican presidential

candidate Arnie Vinnick (played by Alan Alda) told those who squawked about his not attending church or making public confessions of faith that there should be no religious test for the office (as per the frickin' Constiution), and that by demanding that people profess their faith, the population and media were just begging people to lie to them.

I see this flag pin BS as being the same sort of thing.

Samuel Johnson rightly called patriotism "the last refuge of scoundrels."

[Vinca]

20. This is, without a doubt, the stupidest controversy of any kind to date.

The horrors . . . no pin . . . how can he love America without a cheesy, Made In China, flag pin?:banghead:

[Bolo Boffin]

22. I knew I was supporting the right guy in this race.

This is just more proof.

Does Hillary wear a flag pin? ;)