"I'll be glad to wear a flag pin if it leads to peace in the Middle East."

[TahitiNut]

"I'll be glad to wear TWO flag pins if it provides health care coverage to 47 million Americans. I'll be glad to wear THREE flag pins if it adds ten million Americans to the American labor force. I'll be glad to wear FOUR flag pins if it raises incomes of the bottom 90% of the working class. I'll be happy to wear FIVE flag pins if no more American service personnel are killed in Iraq. But when I see people who're wearing flag pins supporting the invasion and occupation of Iraq, denying affordable health care coverage to millions of Americans, giving tax breaks to companies shipping jobs overseas, supporting the suspension of Habeas Corpus, facilitating the spying on tens of millions of Americans ... when I see that I'm skeptical that what's on their lapel is actually in their hearts."

[DJ13]

1. Is that an Obama quote?

[TahitiNut]

2. Only in my imagination.

Sadly. :shrug:

[eridani]

47. Suppose some of your fans want to spread this around the blogosphere--

--how do you want to be cited?

[TahitiNut]

52. I suppose a link to DU would be fine.

I don't think anyone uses 'TahitiNut' in the blogosphere except me.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

3. It's an effective little item used to cover up so many faults. Worn or waved. Well said.

[TahitiNut]

4. "Patriotism is the last refuge of scoundrels."

How soon we forget. :puke:

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

7. "Flags are bits of colored cloth that governments use first to shrink-wrap people's brains and then

as ceremonial shrouds to bury the dead." - Arundhati Roy

[TahitiNut]

8. I love me some Arundhati Roy!

I (finally) just finished (my first) reading "God Of Small Things" and I was blown away. It was a remarkable work - in a totally unique style. It's absolutely DRENCHED in a love and appreciation for humanity. She's a remarkable person.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

9. I couldn't agree more.

My wife first read it, then commanded me to the same.

But, she's not "tough" like Hillary. And, she's waaaay too "liberal"...or, way too decent.

[TahitiNut]

27. Tell your wife she's got a fan in me.

I've always suspected you might be a lucky fellow. You obviously are. :hi:

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

29. There's a lot to be said for compatability.

Married for 27 years + 1 year trial period. 3rd try for both of us.

Both of us are big readers, rather reclusive, she's a Socialist of sorts, I'm an Anarchist of sorts. I'm happily lazy, she's happily over-active. She's an ex-Catholic Methodist (of sorts), I'm an ex-Catholic Buddhist (of sorts). All of the above gives us a lot talk about with interest.

Lucky doesn't cover it.

[casus belli]

50. Truer words were never spoken. n/t

[mrreowwr_kittty]

5. I'd love to Obama say something like that. nt

[truedelphi]

45. Me too. I bet they would never ever trouble him again over the lapel

Pin non-issue

[DefenseLawyer]

6. Bravo

But really, why do you hate America?

:toast:

[nichomachus]

10. New bumper sticker:

Flag pins don't feed the kids!

[mrJJ]

19. Buy more US flag pins!!!

US flag pins; 95% of which are made in the great US state of the PR of China, feeds the needy Chinese industrial machine. Please purchase as many as possible. Thank you very much for your business.

[2rth2pwr]

11. Now how hard would it have been for Obama to answer like that?

He could have been hitting home runs, instead he looked like he was gonna cry.

[nichomachus]

12. Bullpoop

How hard is it for you to answer questions when you're blindsided with them. We all have great answers 24 hours after the fact.

And, I wish he had cried -- a phony tear got Hillary a bunch of votes in NH.

[2rth2pwr]

16. If he was blindsided then he and his campaign are incompetent.

Hillary handled the Tuzla question quite well. He dropped the ball.

[nichomachus]

18. Yeah - -that would account for all the supporters he has

and the fact that the Clintons can't buy an endorsement from the inner-circle people who know them best.

[2rth2pwr]

21. Obama's honeymoon is over. Speeches about pretty rainbows won't cut it anymore.

If Wednesday night is any indication as to how he will handle it, the SD's are looking at Hillary once again.

[DefenseLawyer]

24. Yeah it was brilliant

Yeah well, it turns out I lied. Sorry.

[TahitiNut]

26. She might as well have said "So?"

It was about as tone deaf as Cheney. Remarkable.

[Kool Kitty]

49. But she did say that. She said, "So what? I made a mistake.

It just makes me human." One time makes it a mistake, three or four times makes it a lie.

[TahitiNut]

22. Unlike some, I try hard to measure the candidates against the same standards.

As I've stated far too many times, I voted for Kucinich (and it didn't "count") and support him. It's because he took policy stances that I agreed with 95-98% of the time. I see only a very slight difference between the policy stances of Obama and Clinton - far, far less in agreement with my values than Kucinich's. I do, however, see a marked difference in the campaigns and ephemerals. I also see a difference in the KEY stances taken in the past, particularly in IWR, Kyl-Lieberman, bankruptcy, NAFTA, and PNTR. I'm NOT an Obama groupie ... but I'm far less inclined to support Clinton for the aforementioned reasons.

The cheap shots against EITHER candidate (i.e. "he looked like he was gonna cry" or "she sobbed") betray a mentality that I abhor in politics. That doesn't mean I won't fling a bit of poo at those employing such tactics. I will. I'm NOT running for office.

So, why didn't Hillary say something like that? Why wasn't SHE wearing the flag pin? Why the FUCK does she think SHE'S privileged? I tire of the "don't pick on girls" crap. I tire of her "Poor Nell" act.

[redqueen]

37. I think there's a damn good reason there's no response to this.

:thumbsup:

[TahitiNut]

39. You know, I don't EVER recall Barbara Jordan ...

... even hinting at deserving some kid of 'pass' for either her gender or her skin color. I can't think of a person less likely to play 'victim' even in (purported) parody. That's not to say she didn't bear witness to her experience. She did. But I clearly recall how she was consistent in showing her gratitude for having learned from her experience and how she felt obliged to behave with integrity and (true!) compassion for others. As I've said before, she's a hero to me ... and I would've carried her books and massaged her feet just to have the privilege to be in the company of such a great human being.

It's appalling how low we've sunk as a nation in a mere 35 years.

[redqueen]

40. It's appalling, yes... but not surprising.

Greed and anti-intellectualism were set as our course... could there ever be any doubt about the eventual destination?

[bobbolink]

13. If we ever grow up to the point where we could have a president who would say something like this,

we could once again be proud of our nation.

Thanks for this posting..... this is the kind of thinking we need so much more of!

:patriot:

[TahitiNut]

25. Well, I'm old enough to remember when we expected such sentiments from our politicians.

I was a senior in high school when JFK was inaugurated. I remember Barbar Jordan's speeches ... live. I remember MLKJr's speeches ... live. We've gone beyond bitter ... we're cynical. We've gotten to the point of actually electing the WORST instead of the better ... merely because we reject optimism and aspiration.

[bobbolink]

28. I reject EMPTY optimism.

I don't "hope" for the sake of being cool.

I want to see REAL reason for hope.

Your OP gives that reason.

[Voice for Peace]

14. Do send that, word-for-word, to Obama.

Not that he needs other people's words necessarily; but it's so exact and beautifully stated and I think he would love it.

[VenusRising]

17. 2nd!!

Yes, please send this to the campaign, TahitiNut.

K&R

[TahitiNut]

23. Well, feel completely free to do so. I have no objection whatsoever.

I'm not inclined to make an emmotional investment in ANY candidate. Ever. I'm committed to keeping my integrity as a VOTER and not a campaigner. While I've worked on campaigns for (local) candidates I admired, I was careful to keep from becoming a "groupie." I dislike pep rallies, marketing launches, and fan clubs. I just don't do it. I've NEVER been inclined to tear up and quivver in the presence of ANYONE. I was a sideboy for JFK, met the Prince of Edinburgh, met Margaret Thatcher, knew Walter Reuther, knew Ed Cole (president of GM) and Jerry Sanders (CEO of AMD) and many other executives ... and I have seen too much of their SHIT to ever beome a groupie.

If it'd be HONEST of him to say such things, then he's welcome to the suggestion. Go for it.

[Voice for Peace]

30. OK maybe I will.... but I'll have to give you the credit.

And.. I trust you're not implying that I'm a groupie..LOL. I too have been a diehard individual and hope till my last breath to keep getting better at it. I do like this guy, the more I see of him the more I like him, and the more I feel for the first time in my life that my vote may actually have value.

But I'm a firm believer in being true to one's own self above all else in life. It's too short for any of us to compromise that.

[Voice for Peace]

32. OK.. I have done my good deed

with your good words. Thank you.

[TahitiNut]

33. Kewl. I'm grateful when others might see merit in my meager efforts.

I'm often perplexed that what I might think is a more substantive 'contribution' seems to sink like whale shit, so I'm obviously not much of a judge what efforts might bear fruit for others.

:shrug: In other words: D'oh. :silly:

[Voice for Peace]

43. Sometimes it's what's behind the meager efforts that isn't so meager

I remember a story about an artist who was selling a lot of paintings but coming under a lot of criticism because they were really simple, I think abstract. And somebody asked him how long it took for him to make one of his paintings, and he said something like "a few minutes plus a whole lifetime."

[genie_weenie]

15. Whoa! Whoa! Wait just a minute! Are you saying those

who wear flag pins on their lapels may do so for nefarious reasons? Like to cover for the fact they enjoy funnelling TRILLIONS into the MIC, ignoring the death and sorrow caused by a War of Profit all the while being blissfully unaware of the price of a gallon of gas and blaming the economy on the building of too many homes?

I'm shocked! Shocked I says!

[goletian]

20. nice, very nice. props - nt

[H2O Man]

31. Outstanding.

Nominated.

[TahitiNut]

36. Wow

From you, I find that humbling indeed. Thank you. :pals:

[H2O Man]

41. If I had not

read VfP's plans to send it to the campaign, I was going to ask if you would be okay with my sending it. I still may pass it along to an associate, because I think the campaign could use it. It is the truth, and it needs to be said.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

34. but I want a flag pin made in America

[TahitiNut]

38. Not good enough. It would have to be Union Made, as well, for me to even consider it.

:shrug:

[Rosa Luxemburg]

44. yes we could arrange that!

[redqueen]

35. K&R!

:applause:

[KoKo]

42. K&R....

[Aussie leftie]

46. I agree with you 100%

I cant think of one war that wasn't started by either greed, patriotism or religion.

[file83]

48. TahitiNut, that is the most brilliant post you've ever made (and you've had some good ones!)

You should be a writer for the Obama campaign!! Send this post to a campaign advisor and get a special "in" so they can use your expertise when they need it!!! Who knows where it could lead!

:yourock:

[TahitiNut]

51. (blush)

Thanks! :blush:

I thought it'd drop like a stone ... almost didn't bother posting such a thought.