Political Punch

Oh and Jake? There's a typo in your column. Obama was SINGING the National Athem, not signing it.

"....the notion that I am disqualified because at one event I was signing the national anthem but failed to put..."

This question was mostly not worth the asking, Jake. You blew an opportunity. Three quarters of what you offered up has been asked and answered repeatedly. Obama is paying enough attention to know the context in which you ask and if he proves not then you can clarify. But asking like that makes me want to ask you....

Can't you keep track of what is old news and stick to asking about what is relevant?

Why is the mainstream media, ABC included, perpetuating these smear campaigns against Obama?

The first politician to exploit the lapel pin as being "patriotic" was Nixon. What a role model for America! Who'd a thunk that all you need to do to be patriotic in this great country is wear pretty pins, resolute display of the right hand over the heart during the anthem, and most imporantly, never to criticize any action our government or political leader takes no matter how abhorrent or hypocritical. God Bless the USA and our citizens unwavering fondness for nationalism and bumper-sticker faux patriotism.

"And the way I will respond to it is with the truth."
That's the problem: politics isn't about truth, it's about the *perception* of that truth in the minds of voters.

Many American voters (I'm not American, obviously) have proven to be quite stupidly naive. They're incredibly malleable.

So you take something that happened, then wrap that in your made-up story, and present it like a new truth as a sweet cookie to that stupid voter. And he/she will swallow, and vote for your guy.

Journalists aid this process, by the way. "Never let the facts stand in the way of a good story"; they cannot resist passing you the sweet cookie without undoing it from the Faustian sweetness.

A realistic Q & A session would have included the following:

"Who is Larry Sinclair, and are his allegations true?"

The polygraph test results come out today or tomorrow.

Should we call this a "feel good interview" or video pamphlet promoting the potential Obama regime?

The Weather Underground was a radical sixties group that attempted to bomb American soldiers. The people he met with were unrepentant about this.
Obama has knowingly met with domestic terrorists for his own career advancement. Take that for what it's worth.

Michelle Obama? Let's have a look at Cindy McCain. That is the SERIOUS stuff.

Cindy McCain, the wife of Senator John McCain, admitted stealing Percocet and Vicodin from the American Voluntary Medical Team, an organization that aids Third World countries. Percocet and Vicodin are schedule 2 drugs, in the same legal category as opium. Each pill theft carries a penalty of one year in prison and a monetary fine. McCain stole the pills over several years. She became addicted to the drugs after undergoing back surgery.

But rather than face prosecution, McCain was allowed to enter a pretrial diversion program and escaped with no blemish on her record. McCain did suffer from the incident, though: Shortly after the scandal broke, a Variety Club of Arizona ceremony at which she was to receive a humanitarian of the year award for her work with the medical team was canceled because of poor ticket sales.

As one editorial writer in The Arizona Republic noted: "Conservative Republicans seemed to achieve some sort of drug-rehab epiphany when Ms. McCain made her announcement. Politicians who had never uttered a single positive sentence about drug-prevention, -rehabilitation or -diversion programs suddenly thought they were just fine. Newspapers that often used words such as drug addict and thug as describing the same person suddenly had a new sensitivity to the problem. It seems that when Bill Clinton proposes significant drug rehabilitation and diversion, it is called a failed social program of the Sixties. When Cindy McCain needs one of those programs, they suddenly became an essential ingredient in fighting drug use."

As far as the American flag pin, I mean when we start getting into those definitions of patriotism that’s a debate I’m happy to have, because I will come right after them. This is a party that presided over a war in which our troops did not get the body armor that they needed, or 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 undermining our constitution with warrantless wiretaps that are unnecessary.

That is a debate that I am very happy to have. We’ll see what the American people think is the true definition of patriotism is."--------That doesn't sound like much "back-peddling" to me. He's engaging the hate-mongers right where it counts, square on, exposing their phoney caricatures of "patriotism." Senator Obama is a true patiot, and he has already stood up for our wounded warriors in Walter Reed, left in shambles by the hypocrits now in power who are trying so desperately to try to discredit him. He sort of reminds me of another great President, Harry S. Truman, who once said: "People tell me to 'Give em Hell, Harry. But I don't give anyone hell. I just tell the truth, and they think its Hell! Go, Obama!

jac13 only his wife he was going to send her to the black union convention as his serogate She is very ungrateful to live in this country She was whining at hard it is to be a candidates wife soooo michelle maybe you should stay home and care for your children so you dont have to get all mixed up and say the wrong thing or so thats your story as if we believe that with that attitude of yours

obamma is a liar and he is not patriotic he takes money from reiszko to buy his wife and hife is not proud to be an american and the media is so threatened by his whining the will not print anything negatve obam is a joke

What about John McCain's saying he hope CASTRO hurrys up and dies. That doesn't sound good to me. John McCain looks like a carbon copy of George Bush,remember him saying DEAD OR ALIVE. I think we need to be aware of John McCain, instead of Barack. GOD will not bless our land until we are united. John McCain is not the one, something evil about him.

Hey Kate,
It sounds like you voted for Bill Clinton. You got messed up, this is 2008. It's the other Clinton that is running. I'm glad you respect her though.

Jack Tapper Thanks for asking that question finally the media worm is turning. Why did he only respond 50% to your question. you should have probed more. I am sick of these fly by media press with half truths.....
america deservers to hear the truth

GOP is going to paint him as the biggest communist in the world, and the biggest national threat to our country. You think hillary has been tough on him. I'm sorry he whines over everything and the media comes to his rescue. Enough! He needs to see the real GOP go after him then you will see real attack machines. Obama thinks he can slither himself around every question and we are suppose to say Ohhhh that's sooo cute.... NO! I question his background because I am afraid our country will go down the toilet

Patriotism: Love for one’s country, to support, serve, and defend, to be inspired by,
to change for the better and to care deeply for its citizens.
Obama vision is to bring healing,Prosperity,and unity,and Inspire America to Keep Hope Alive for a Better,Today, and Tomorrow for this Great Land that we know as Land of the free and the Home of the Brave. we are the United States of America.

I am so hurt by the disgusting remarks about Obama. Obama is a patrionist. He love america. The people love him. Can't you see Hillary is using that to get everyone vote. I hope the worl will concentrate on who can make this world a better place to live. I hope Obama does not give up without a fight. I pray he win Ohio and Texas. I do not how see some of you sleep at night with such hate in ya'll hearts. America is giving Obama a hard time, but he will win in the end. How could he be a senator and not be patrionist? I know he love america. He has done a lot for the state of Illinois. I will pray for God to touch ya'll heart to stop being so cruel against mankind. GO OBAMA.

I am so hurt by the disgusting remarks about Obama. Obama is a patrionist. He love america. The people love him. Can't you see Hillary is using that to get everyone vote. I hope the worl will concentrate on who can make this world a better place to live. I hope Obama does not give up without a fight. I pray he win Ohio and Texas. I do not how see some of you sleep at night with such hate in ya'll hearts. America is giving Obama a hard time, but he will win in the end. How could he be a senator and not be patrionist? I know he love america. He has done a lot for the state of Illinois. I will pray for God to touch ya'll heart to stop being so cruel against mankind. GO OBAMA.

GOP is going to paint him as the biggest communist in the world, and the biggest national threat to our country. You think hillary has been tough on him. I'm sorry he whines over everything and the media comes to his rescue. Enough! He needs to see the real GOP go after him then you will see real attack machines. Obama thinks he can slither himself around every question and we are suppose to say Ohhhh that's sooo cute.... NO! I question his background because I am afraid our country will go down the toilet

Jack Tapper Thanks for asking that question finally the media worm is turning. Why did he only respond 50% to your question. you should have probed more. I am sick of these fly by media press with half truths.....

And the Oscar goes to........

Barack Obama may just wanted to protest the Iraq war in such ways. However, Obama found himself unsure if most Americans view protesting the Iraq war, and support for the country symbols as 2 separate issues.

For instance, NY Mets Carlos Delgado is an example of such backlash as per wikipedia: "He (Carlos Delgado) is also against the occupation of Iraq. In the 2004 season, Delgado protested the war by silently staying in the dugout during the playing of God Bless America during the Seventh inning stretch.................. Angry New York fans booed him and, when Delgado lined out in the bottom of the seventh inning, fans chanted "USA, USA" even though Delgado, like most Puerto Ricans, is an U.S. citizen...
"After being traded to the Mets, in a conciliatory measure, Delgado now stands during the singing of "God Bless America."

It seems like making up excuses "no a big deal" and "nonsense" start to pile up for Barack Obama.

Fellow Democrats:

Beware the standard GOP treatment of their opponents -- attack their patriotism.

I have a flag lapel pin, and I never wear it, because it has become a phony affectation that doesn't make the wearer more patriotic. (E. g., Bush and Cheney wear them, and they have a decidedly unpatriotic attitude towards our Constitution -- among other things -- and when they each had an opportunity to act on their patriotism during the Vietnam War, they ducked it.

I have other, less showy ways of acting on my patirotism: Yes, I fly the flag on holidays. But I also stay informed, I participate in the political process, and I vote. (I remove my hat for the national anthem but -- horrors! -- I don't always put my hand on me heart. And, BTW, if I'm at a hockey game and I yell "Oh" in the middle, does that make me a traitor?)

I concede, Michelle's statement was dumb; I know what she meant, but it was a dumb way to say it. But come on, people, she's not the candidate; she's his wife! Give me a break.

It sounds to me like BHO is trying to back peddle as much as possible now that the media his starting to turn toward him and his wife. Now you see the real BHO. He's not use to this kind of media. How does it feel Mr. Obama. I hope the media pounces right on this stuff and hard, it would only be fair.