Thread: Obama may face grilling on patriotism

Obama may face grilling on patriotism

By NEDRA PICKLER, Associated Press Writer
55 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - Sen. Barack Obama's refusal to wear an American flag lapel pin along with a photo of him not putting his hand over his heart during the National Anthem led conservatives on Internet and in the media to question his patriotism.

Now Obama's wife, Michelle, has drawn their ire, too, for saying recently that she's really proud of her country for the first time in her adult life.

Conservative consultants say that combined, the cases could be an issue for Obama in the general election if he wins the nomination, especially as he runs against Vietnam war hero Sen. John McCain.

"The reason it hasn't been an issue so far is that we're still in the microcosm of the Democratic primary," said Republican consultant Roger Stone. "Many Americans will find the three things offensive. Barack Obama is out of the McGovern wing of the party, and he is part of the blame America first crowd."

Opponents of Sen. John Kerry proved in the 2004 election that voters are sensitive to suggestions that a candidate is not sufficiently patriotic. The Democratic presidential nominee's campaign was torpedoed by critics of his Vietnam War record called the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, even though he won multiple military honors and was lauded by his superiors.

The Swift Boat campaign started as a relatively small television ad buy that exploded into an issue that dogged Kerry for months. The Massachusetts senator has conceded since losing to President Bush that the campaign and his lackluster response to unsubstantiated allegations he considered unworthy of a reaction likely cost him the election. And the term even became part of the campaign lexicon — swift boating.

Obama already is the subject of a shadowy smear campaign based on the Internet that falsely suggests he's a Muslim intent on destroying the United States. Obama is a Christian and has been fighting the e-mail hoax, which also claims he doesn't put his hand over his heart during the Pledge of Allegiance, and he's been trying to correct the misinformation.

"Whenever I'm in the United States Senate, I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America," Obama frequently tells voters.

"I've been going to the same church for 20 years, praising Jesus," he adds.

Retired Major General Scott Gration, an Obama military adviser, said he expects the attacks will only increase if Obama wins the Democratic nomination.

"People are projecting things and taking things out of context," Gration said. "There's absolutely no question in my mind that Michelle and Barack are extremely patriotic, appreciate our freedoms and our values and everything else that the flag represents."

Officials with the McCain campaign and the Republican Party say they won't be suggesting Obama is less than patriotic, and instead plan to focus their criticisms on his record and inexperience if he wins the nomination. Well-funded outside groups, however, consider anything fair game.

Conservative Republican consultant Keith Appell, who worked with the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, said Obama's opposition to the war will create a "striking contrast between McCain the war hero and Obama the poster child for the anti-war movement."

"If you are McCain, you want to play up the decorated war hero, loves his country, served his country," Appell said. "You want to play those themes up as much as possible, especially in comparison to Obama and his role in the anti-war movement."

On Monday, Michelle Obama told an audience in Milwaukee, "For the first time in my adult life, I am really proud of my country. Not just because Barack is doing well, but I think people are hungry for change."

Cindy McCain, McCain's wife, days later responded by saying, "I have, and always will be, proud of my country." Barack Obama has expressed frustration that his wife's remarks had been taken out of context and turned into political fodder — both the Obamas say she was talking about politics in the United States, not the country itself.

Last summer, Obama was photographed by Time magazine at an event in Iowa standing with his hands folded during the national anthem. His primary rivals Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson appear beside him, with their hands on their hearts.

It has been repeatedly reported that the moment came during the Pledge of Allegiance, but that's not the case.

In October, Obama told Iowa television station KCRG that he decided to stop wearing a U.S. flag lapel pin during the run-up to the Iraq war because it had become "a substitute for, I think, true patriotism."

"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," Obama said.

Obama's comments led conservatives and media commentators to question his patriotism.

"First he kicked his American flag pin to the curb. Now Barack Obama has a new round of patriotism problems. Wait until you hear what the White House hopeful didn't do during the singing of the national anthem," said Steve Doocy, co-host of "Fox and Friends" on the Fox News Channel.

"He felt it OK to come out of the closet as the domestic insurgent he is," former radio host Mark Williams said on Fox.

Gration said he had a copy of the national anthem photo e-mailed to him by a friend who didn't know the facts and questioned how a military man could support someone who doesn't honor the Pledge of Allegiance.

"I go to baseball games and football games and there's just a minority of us who put our hands over our heart. It's not an indication of patriotism," Gration said. Gration said he personally wears a flag pin, but "if I meet someone who doesn't have a lapel pin, it doesn't mean they are more or less patriotic than I am."

And, he added, "I don't think you can find Barack again not putting his hand over his heart at the national anthem."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/obama_attack_fodder

Fences make good neighbors.

Whenever I'm in the United States Senate, I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America," Obama frequently tells voters.

"I've been going to the same church for 20 years, praising Jesus," he adds.

What does this mean, that your allegiance to your country is conditional upon where you happen to be at the moment?

Also, we know you have been going to the same church for 20 years. Many believe that Jesus is not the only thing being "praised" in that church. Care to explain the connection between your pastor and Louis Farrakhan?

Obama, Bill Richardson, Hillary Clinton, and Mrs. Harkin at Senator Tom Harkin's Steak Fry event on September 16 in Indianola, Iowa.

The photo, taken by Danny Frazier Wilcox for Time magazine, is authentic. A video attributed to ABC News appears to confirm that the picture was snapped during a rendition of the national anthem, but the claim that Obama "refused to say the Pledge" is unsubstantiated.

http://urbanlegends.about.com/b/2007/10 ... anthem.htm


Snopes--Hand over heart--true

Picture and video of entire National Anthem when he did not place his hand over his heart.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/anthem.asp

Details of event--when and where:

No hand over heart from Obama during national anthemDavid Edwards and Jason Rhyne
Published: Monday October 22, 2007

Weeks after coming under fire for his refusal to wear an American flag pin, Democratic presidential contender Sen. Barack Obama is again facing questions about his patriotism from some conservative blogs -- this time for apparently failing to put his hand over his heart during a rendition of the national anthem at an Iowa campaign event.

A video of the event in question, obtained by ABC News, shows Obama with his hands firmly clasped in front of him during the song. Meanwhile, rival Democratic candidates Gov. Bill Richardson (D-AZ) and Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) strike a traditional anthem pose beside him, holding their right hands over their hearts.

The conservative NewsBusters media watchdog group first reported on the story, linking to a Time Magazine photo of Obama at the event. "Does [Obama] perhaps believe that, like wearing the flag pin, the hand on the heart isn't "true patriotism?" asked the site's Mark Finkelstein.

The episode took place during a Sept. 16 steak fry hosted by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) in Indianola, Iowa.

The following video is from ABC.com, broadcast on October 22, 2007.

http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Obama_doe ... _1022.html

ALIPAC RELATED THREAD: "Is it true that Obama will not say the pledge of allegiance?"

http://www.alipac.us/modules.php?name=F ... c&p=631418

MyAmerica"]Obama may face grilling on patriotism

By NEDRA PICKLER, Associated Press Writer


WASHINGTON - Sen. Barack Obama's refusal to wear an American flag lapel pin along with a photo of him not putting his hand over his heart during the National Anthem led conservatives on Internet and in the media to question his patriotism.

Boy am I sick of this issue.......... geeze

Protocol
When the song is performed in public, the US National Anthem Code, adopted in 1942, specifies the etiquette rules for playing and responding to the song. The audience members are expected to face the American flag if one is displayed, and stand in an attitude of respectful attention.[7] If the flag is not present, the audience faces the direction of the music and still stands in a respectful attention with their hand over their heart.[8]

People in uniform, including military personnel, fire service and law enforcement officers, are expected to salute or "present arms" during the national anthem from the first note and hold the salute until the last note is played. People not in military or other uniforms are expected to remove their hats and stand with respect and face the flag if present.[8]

I got this from a search of National Anthem protocol.

Give this one up already! He was not facing a flag! None of them were. It's a call you have to individually make folks. Move on.......

I shudder to think of what will become of this country if Obama, Hillary or Mccain becomes president! What a bunch of losers!

Originally Posted by April

I shudder to think of what will become of this country if Obama, Hillary or Mccain becomes president! What a bunch of losers!

Now that's an understatement!!! We are doomed. Huckabee is no good either.....

Sen. Barack Obama's refusal to wear an American flag lapel pin along with a photo of him not putting his hand over his heart during the National Anthem led conservatives on Internet and in the media to question his patriotism.

Now Obama's wife, Michelle, has drawn their ire, too, for saying recently that she's really proud of her country for the first time in her adult life.

Does it get anymore PATHETIC than THAT? And HE wants to be the Commander in Chief??????????????????

Good Lord.

Obama fights back on questions about his patriotism

CNN) -- Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama defended himself and his wife Sunday against suggestions that they are insufficiently patriotic.


Sen. Barack Obama defended himself and his wife against recent suggestions that they are not patriotic.

After a town hall meeting in Lorain, Ohio, a reporter asked Obama about "an attempt by conservatives and Republicans to paint you as unpatriotic."

The reporter cited the fact that Obama once failed to put his hand over his heart while singing the national anthem.

Obama replied that his choice not to put his hand on his heart is a behavior that "would disqualify about three-quarters of the people who have ever gone to a football game or baseball game."

The reporter also noted that the Illinois senator does not wear an American flag lapel pin, has met with former members of the radical anti-Vietnam War group, Weather Underground, and his wife was quoted recently as saying she never felt really proud of the United States until recently.

Asked how he would fight the image of being unpatriotic, Obama said, "There's always some nonsense going on in general elections. Right? If it wasn't this, it would be something else. If you recall, first it was my name. Right? That was a problem. And then there was the Muslim e-mail thing and that hasn't worked out so well, and now it's the patriotism thing.

"The way I will respond to it is with the truth: that I owe everything I am to this country," he said.

The first-term senator from Illinois has been the subject of various debunked rumors since launching his presidential campaign -- allegations that he is a Muslim, that he took his oath of office on a copy of the Quran and that he attended a radical Islamic school while living in Indonesia as a boy.

"You will recall that the reason I came to national attention was a speech in which I spoke of my love of this country," said Obama.

He and his wife, Michelle, had already explained her comments. "She simply misspoke," he said. "What she was referring to was [that] this was the first time she has been proud of politics in America. Watch what Michelle Obama said »

"That's true of a lot of people who have been cynical and disenchanted. And she's spoken about how she has been cynical about American politics for a very long time, but she's proud of how people are participating and getting involved in ways that they haven't in a very long time."

About not wearing an American flag lapel pin, Obama said Republicans have no lock on patriotism.

"A party that presided over a war in which our troops did not get the body armor they needed, or were sending troops over who were untrained because of poor planning, or are not fulfilling the veterans' benefits that these troops need when they come home, or are undermining our Constitution with warrantless wiretaps that are unnecessary?

"That is a debate I am very happy to have. We'll see what the American people think is the true definition of patriotism."

Obama did not respond to the question about the Weather Underground, a group whose members bombed the U.S. Capitol and the Pentagon during the 1970s.

Last week, the New York Sun reported that as an Illinois state senator in 2001, Obama accepted a $200 contribution from William Ayers, a founder of the group who was not convicted for the bombings and now works as a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago.


But the paper said that, in a statement, a spokesman for the Obama campaign, William Burton, said, "Sen. Obama strongly condemns the violent actions of the Weathermen group, as he does all acts of violence ... But he was an 8-year-old child when Ayers and the Weathermen were active, and any attempt to connect Obama with events of almost 40 years ago is ridiculous."

Former first lady Sen. Hillary Clinton has said repeatedly that she is a stronger candidate because she has already shown she can withstand conservative attacks.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/02/24/ ... index.html