IMPORTANT ACTION ALERTS are sure to show up soon. Apparently, CNN and the Associated Press are now “right wing hacks” for wondering about something the Left feels should not be an issue: is Obama patriotic. As most of you on the right know, patriotism is simply a love of country. The Left doesn’t particularly like America, ergo, they are not patriotic and cannot be, because, dissent is not the highest form of patriotism when one starts with the position that America truly sucks. Their leading presidential candidate seems to feel the same way.
Far more notable is Barack Obama’s response to these depressingly familiar attacks. In response, he’s not scurrying around slapping flags all over himself or belting out the National Anthem, nor is he apologizing for not wearing lapels, nor is he defensively trying to prove that – just like his Republican accusers – he, too, is a patriot, honestly. He’s not on the defensive at all. Instead, he’s swatting away these slurs with the dismissive contempt they deserve, and then eagerly and aggressively engaging the debate on offense because he’s confident, rather than insecure, about his position
Republicans do not have to defensively prove they love America. Democrats do. They d not do it too well, either.
Obama responds to CNN’s smear: Join In against ‘right wing hack attacks’. Obama responds to the new smear campaign against him quite deftly. CNN and the AP should be ashamed of themselves. I didn’t know lapel pins were so important to national security.
Actually, they are, when one is running for president of the USA, and some of us are concerned with electing a president who does not like the country he wants to be president of.
It became clear yesterday that the GOP plans to attack Obama as an unpatriotic candidate in the general election, based on silly measures of what that means. So the video for the day – which I can’t embed – can be found at the link below.
Bang the Drum goes on about his Grandma being in Kabul in the 70’s, wearing traditional garb. Here she is in Afghani garb. Challenge her patriotism or give her credit for being open others’ cultures and customs. If you choose the latter, you’re right. Probably. Because they are two completely different things that BtD is speaking about.
I’m sure by now you’ve all seen the odious article by Nedra Pickler of the AP concerning Barack Obama’s supposed lack of patriotism, as defined by flag lapel pins. Â As Shane Hensinger pointed out, this is the same Nedra Pickler who has consistently repeated right-wing talking points and inserted them into the AP wire.
Shane’s diary included an action tool to contact the AP and MSNBC about their Cavuto Mark question about Obama’s patriotism, but that is not enough.
Wait for it, here it comes!
action alert: tell the asspress they are
jane at fdl has an action alert to let the asspress know that it’s not ok to question obama’s patriotism at the behest of the gop:
Bwahahahahahaha! Check out her “contact the media over this right wing smear” page. Hilarious!
Notice two things: 1st, the Left doesn’t like when the media goes after them, and typically goes ballistic. They should toughen up, take off the silk boxers and penny loafers, and grow some cajones.
Second, none of those mentioned actually, you know, defended Barack Obama. Some like Bang the Drum made a weird connection with his Gradma (who seems like a pretty cool lady, but, didn’t mean a thing towards discussing Obama’s, or her’s, patriotism.) But none of them can really defend his actions as patriotic. His love of country.
We all have loved ones. Friends, parents, siblings, children, spouses, girlfriends or boyfriends. They all have faults, which may annoy us and drive us nuts. But, we still love them, right? That is what patriotism is, but for country. Liberals are simply at the point of divorce, hating the ex, but mouthing empty platitudes about “still loving the bitch/bastard,” and promising to be friends. Then cutting their break lines.
Trackposted to The Virtuous Republic, Rosemary’s Thoughts, A Blog For All, third world county, Right Truth, DragonLady’s World, Blue Star Chronicles, Celebrity Smack, The Pink Flamingo, Leaning Straight Up, , Conservative Cat, Adeline and Hazel, and The Yankee Sailor, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.
Barack Obama and His Version of Patriotism…
This pathetic and sorry excuse of a Presidential Aspirant disgusts this DAV. I don’t wish the man dead or anything but if he were to step down due to his socialism and communist ties, it wouldn’t break my heart and it would benefit the country as a w…
Let them scream and holler. I would like for one of them to let us all know just what and/or to whom Barack is patriotic to.
Hahahahahaha. Keep digging that hole of yours. I’ll give you a hint. Americans are sick and tired of hypocritical, cowardly little children like you telling the rest of us what it means to be “true patriots”. It is pretty clear that more and more people every day are waking up to the fact that the most patriotic thing they can do is make sure that the GOP does not have any more power for a very long time.
Your patriotism is shallow. You worship flag pins and despise the constitution. No more needs to be said.
In America patriotism can be more than simply “love of one’s country.” It can also be love of the founders’ ideals like “…all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights;” like the bill of rights (especially for us liberals — and formerly, for you conservatives too — the first, fourth and fifth amendments); as well as newer statements like King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
We liberals love our country especially for these ideals and we are ashamed of our country when it falls short. Seems to me, the highest calling for any true American patriot is to fight for the ideas and ideals that make the United States the best damn country in the world, not to blindly follow demagogues and fools who throw the best and highest over board in the name of security and safety. What true patriot could trade our unique and hard-won liberties for thirty pieces of silver or a gilded cage?
“Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel.”
– Samuel Johnson
“With all due respect to an enlightend but inferior lexicographer, I beg to submit it is the first.”
– Ambrose Bierce
Bag of hammers, meet William Teach.
“…the left doesn’t particularly like america, ergo, they are not patriotic and cannot be…”
what tripe. don’t you have anything intelligent to offer?
Questioning Barack Obama’s patriotism is silly. It’s just more of the same partisan fighting that is so toxic to American politics. As Christopher Hitchens once said, “There are no statements worth arguing here, all you can do is underline them.â€
Wow. You dumb cons really are desperate. You guys aren’t patriots – you’re a bunch of cowardly loudmouths who start wars you can’t win. Recently I saw some fat, stupid loudmouth Republican dittohead civvie start ragging on “stupid libs and Dems” in a bar here in Newport News and two sailors, fresh off a Persian Gulf cruise, calmly walked over to the guy and laid him out cold. Then they spit on him. Now I’m an independent, but I definitely thought that loser had it coming. That’s what you dumb chickenhawks have coming. You’ve completely lost the support of the military and the American people for a generation. You dug your grave and now it’s time to lie in it. America hates you and hiding behind your false patriotism won’t help you. Go die, loser.
It is less patriotic to wrap oneself in the flag and burn the Constitution, than to wrap up in the Constitution and burn the flag. The Right wing doesn’t seem to understand that.
The concept is not “My country, right or wrong.” It is “My country, right or wrong; if right, to be kept right; and if wrong, to be set right.” You are wrong, and need to be set right.
Forget it folks. We are never going to be able to teach the rightwingnuts that it is truly patriotic to want your country to be better than it is. And to make it better you have to be able to see the things that need to be set right.
Not lapel pins, but children dying because insurance companies can deny them care. Not putting your hand over your heart, but giving $Billions in tax breaks to Big Oil.
Wingnuts are like the Emperor’s syncophants who know, but refuse to admit, that their wardrobe is nothing but air and their positions empty blather.
From usflag.org:
“# The flag should never be used for any advertising purpose. It should not be embroidered, printed or otherwise impressed on such articles as cushions, handkerchiefs, napkins, boxes, or anything intended to be discarded after temporary use. Advertising signs should not be attached to the staff or halyard
# The flag should not be used as part of a costume or athletic uniform, except that a flag patch may be used on the uniform of military personnel, fireman, policeman and members of patriotic organizations. ”
A politician or TV talking head wearing a pin is doing so for advertising and costume, and only the most ardent Foxnewsista can convince themselves that they are “members of patriotic organizations.” Wearing a lapel pin is in bad taste, is against the flag code, and is simply symbolism and no substance when it comes to demonstration of one’s patriotism.
Wow. You’ve have seriously screwed the pooch in this post, William Teach. You’ve entirely missed the point of the left-wing blogs, too.
Obama is calling into question the patriotism of the neocon right. YOUR patriotism. It’s not particularly patriotic to endanger American lives for no actual benefit. A real patriot would reflect and examine his actions, and if he made a mistake or a bad call, would suck it up and recall American troops for the good of the country. A real patriot would stand up and scream at the top of their lungs when their country goes down the wrong path.
Only a small minded moron would cover themselves in flag pins and dance around screeching (ala Anne Coulter, Mark Cavuto, Glenn Beck) that anyone who doesn’t agree with them is not a patriot. It’s decidedly NOT patriotic to do so.
Actually, putting American lives at risk for personal gain and evicerating the constitution is downright un-American, subversive, and traitorous. Bush, Cheney, and their shrew-like supporters are the most Un-American actors on this stage. Is there a reason that people like that shouldn’t be executed for treason (after their fully constitutional due process trial, of course)?
All you riechwingers out there just keep on pushing the meme that if you don’t support keeping troops in Iraq so they can be sacrificed in order to save face for your glorious leader then somehow that equates to not supporting the troops, or not being patriotic. Most Americans now realize that supporting your country and supporting Riechwing neo-con ideals are two totally separate issues. It will be fun watching as you all get your asses handed to you by Obama in November.
The reactionary and ignorant rants from your libtards is quite comical.
Poor things.
Keep stirring up the cretinous drivel.
Solder On!
Snooper:
Rather than act like a kid who can’t have his way, why not actually respond to our points? What makes you so patriotic and us less so?
To my fellow progressives:
terms like “small minded moron,” “dumb cons,” etc. are also not helpful. None of us win by insulting the other guy.
I’m open to a persuasive argument as to why and how liberals “hate America,” I just haven’t heard one here.
Snooper… Sorry, but I don’t think it’s reactionary to point out that symbols have nothing to do with how patriotic someone is. If the only way you can prove that you are patriotic is to wear a silly little pin, then I feel bad for you. Most Americans understand that it is actions / deeds that show what you are, not what you wear on your lapel. It is the duty of americans who truly love their country to dissent when they feel a wrong is being done… That is essentially the core of a free democracy. Stop sniveling over flag pins and find something worthwhile to do will ya?
Snooper, see my previous about needing to be set right. Now, go look in the mirror.
Preach on, Brother Teach! True patriots don’t ask questions!
Gee, Teach must have accidentally cut out the rest of Obama’s response:
First off, libtards, if there was anything of substance to “respond to”, a relevant response would follow. Seeing that there is nothing of substance to respond to, as in the empty suit rhetoric of Platitude Boy Barack Yo Mamma, there is nothing to respond to.
In case you missed it, the very first comment was asking a question and NONE of the libtard responses addressed the question. This is so typical of the liberal pathology…can’t answer a question so change subject. I do believe that is #1 in the libtard play book.
Have fun.
You owe Logic an apology for this post.
I have to ask: Are you really this big of an idiot, or do you just play one on the internet?
He is “patriotic” to the US and everything it stood and stands for. If he weren’t, he wouldn’t be in the race for US president to try to make our country a better place. Much like McCain, Hillary, and even GW Bush. Unfortunately, there are those that question others patriotism, and in doing so ruin any valid argument they might have had.
Below is a quote that I think best describes Snooper’s arument that certain citizens are unpatriotic.
“Naturally the common people don’t want war; neither in Russia, nor in England, nor in America, nor in Germany. That is understood. But after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.” Hermann Goering
Huh. I think that hits the nail on the head. What do you think Snooper?
He is “patriotic” to the US. There, happy?
Below is a quote that I think best describes Snooper’s arument that certain citizens are unpatriotic.
“Naturally the common people don’t want war; neither in Russia, nor in England, nor in America, nor in Germany. That is understood. But after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.” Hermann Goering
Huh. I think that hits the nail on the head. What do you think Snooper?
Sorry about the double post.
Snooper’s entire argument is “Patriotic = agrees with me.” Catcall, he doesn’t think beyond that.
crickets
Enough said! No valid argument.
Small-minded people need small-minded arguments to support their small-minded worldviews.
The right-wing take on Patriotism is, as most people know, patently laughable. In fact, right-wing Patriotism translates directly to right-wing ideology – if you’re not a conservative, therefore, you can’t be a Patriot.
What none of them see, of course, is that Patriotism has nothing to do with defending a political party or policy. It has everything to do with trying to uphold the values and ideals upon which this country is founded, particularly those found in the Constitution (“Just a piece of paper”, right Snooper?).
For the right-wing, Patriotism is nothing more than blind acquiencense to what your government (as long as it’s a Republican government) tells you what to do, what to think, and how to act. Right-wingers naturally want to be lead, have an inherent “Daddy” complex, and are, by ang large, frightened of the world or anything not found in the 1956 version of American culture and politics.
Seriously folks, why do we even bother to engage this garbage? The pants-wetters of the Right have their pathetic pathologies, and they’ve screwed the country for the last 8 years. Why do we address there people like they’re not intellectual toddlers?
“Now Snooper, you can go cry about elitism and libtards all you want, but you’ll have to take a time-out.”
People like this author and the Snooper give, and deserve, no intellectual respect. They’re side-show freaks whose relevance continues to wane. 9/11 exposed the ugliness in the American psyche, and now we’re getting over it, moving back toward rationality and liberalism. So, Snoops, unless you and yours can conjure up a threat or event big enough to make Americans revert to PreCambrian mentality, I’d say you’ve lost the reins for a while.
I don’t usually like to dignify this sort of trash with a response, but everyone has those moments where you just can’t hold back.
Now Snooper, what terribly intellectual and meaningful thing were you saying about “libtards”?
A question for Snooper:
Who is the enemy?
According to all of your sites and blogs, it is the liberals. Did I miss something or did the liberals attack on 9-11?
Oh, and Patriot is not an occupation.
Wow, Teach, you seem to have struck a nerve. What a colossal waist of time this whole debate is (if it can even be called that). It serves no purpose other than to fuel people’s anger. As a conservative who has served my country I don’t doubt Barack Obama’s patriotism.
It truly saddens me to see the vicious attacks on BOTH sides of the political spectrum that I have seen in the comments for this post. You don’t deserve that, Teach. But then neither does Barack Obama.
Teach do you doubt Obama’s patriotism ?
Teach do you doubt Obama’s patriotism ?
And Teach why is is in your post today you are not spelling his name like you usually do “B. Hussein Obama” have you finally decided to stop making him appear a muslim ?
Small minded anti-American peons resulted in box-cutters, mace and a budget of $500,000 bringing New York City, Arlington Virginia and Shanksville Pennsylvania to it’s KNEES on 9-11-01, in which 2,996 Americans and 120 foreigners were slaughtered by 19 islamofascist butchers in three hours! ~AA11~ ~UF175~ ~AA77~ ~UF93~
God bless you Teach for your patriotic fight to write the right sir.
The liberal secular swine took GOD out of our public schools in 1947 and 1962… they murdered 50 million babies since 1973… they don’t know GOD’S WORD nor the words to the Pledge of Allegiance nor the Star Spangled Banner…. Pathetic blue state traitors that will have their day… on Judgment Day!
Wow, darthblahblahblah. That was some bit of cowardice in post #37. I was in the DC area on 9/11 and we weren’t brought to our knees. You may have been brought to your knees, quivering, but many of us were not.
It was a terribly tragic event that we dealt with and formed a resolve to bring the responsible parties to justice. However, the pres, after returning from the Florida classroom once he finished with his picture book decided to exploit the event for unrelated purposes. He used weak, scared people with unresolved emotional issues like you to advance his agenda. Thanks for that.
As for post #38, do you realize that you sound exactly like those scary “islamofascists”? They also have inserted god into the classroom and punish infidels. I guess that’s the type of society you would like to emulate, but luckily the founding fathers were smart enough to avoid that from happening in this great country.
Note to everyone else: if you want an example of truly unpatriotic speech, look at post #38.
I stand by my statements. If you love your country, great! Then I’m not talking about you. But, so often, on the Internet and out in Real Life, I run into Liberals who refuse to say they even like America, much less love her. There are some that do, but, always with conditions.
There is nothing wrong with trying to make America better. Every country has issues, and, we should address them, no doubt. But, these issues lead so many liberals to loathe America.
If telling the truth, as I see it, makes me hyper-partisan, so be it. But, apparently, anything that is negative towards liberals is apparently just too damned partisan. Oh, well. Such is politics, particularly on the ‘Net.
Many liberals I run across will only love America when they control the government. That is rather sad. If Obama wins the WH, and Congress is Dem, I will still love America. No preconditions.
“If Obama wins the WH, and Congress is Dem, I will still love America. No preconditions.”
Oh? Will you accuse people who don’t love the President at that point of hating America, as you do now? Will those who criticise the President (a Democrat at that point) be patriotic Americans, or will they be traitors, as the Right wing calls them now?
I doubt that you will support a Democratic President as fervently as you support a Republican.
Back when I went to a one room country school, America was proud to call itself the most liberal (small L) country in the world. I still think it is very liberal, as countries go, and I am still proud of that. After growing up, joining the military, spending two tours in VietNam, and retiring from the military, I still think of America as liberal, and I think myself liberal. So, when I read this Wm Teach and the #37/#38 comments, name calling, impugning my patriotism, instead of reasoned reply’s as most of the commenter posted, I just get pissed, and would like to kick the crap out of both of them. Meet me in the middle of main street with your choice of weapons, you sorry excuses for Americans!!!
To #43…
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Well snoop, you saved your best for last. #44 was your best, most rational comment on this thread.
As for Teach, valient effort trying to save face after you got your ass handed to you on your own blog. The problem is that we only have to scroll up a few inches to see your original post where you are not talking about some liberals you meet on the street who randomly stop you to tell how much they hate America (I’m sure that happens). On the contrary, you make specific arguments about how Obama has clearly shown his hatred for America by not wearing a little pin made in China, and did not put his hand on his heart at a time when it was not warrented. Your post was idiotic, and your response was pathetic.
Poor libtards. We LOVE to watch your ilk implode.
Still waiting for one of you libtards to answer #1.
Naturally, libtards have no clue so we won’t hold our breathe waiting.
Well, Snoopy, you had an answer in #15, #22, #26, and more. Now you’re just playing the usual games of the last 19%, desperately avoiding actual intellectual engagement. Even more constant than the tides is the sound of the Right constantly moving the goalposts and then declaring victory.
You’re playing dumb, and you’re winning.
Firstly, you libtards would have to able to engage in intellectual engagement in order for any in return.
#15 was not an answer to #1. Nice try though. It is libtard foolish drivel.
Same goes for #22. Strike 2.
#26? Quoting a Nazi puke as an answer to #1 is blatantly pathetic. Strike 3.
Care to try a straight answer yet or are your kind incapable of such?
Run along, little one.
Snoopy, you got answers. Stomping your feet and whinging because you don’t like them doesn’t change that fact, it only serves to emphasize your lack of intellectual capability.
So far, you’ve only managed to run through various logical fallacies without actually being able to put together any coherent replies. Of course, having checked out the god-awful mess that you call your website and the writings therein, I’m not surprised.
That libtards like Obama hate America, and anything having to do with freedom, goes without saying.