CHICAGO - Barack Obama is wearing a flag pin again. The Illinois senator and Democratic presidential candidate has been accused of being unpatriotic for declining to wear the American flag on his lapel, which he stopped doing out of an objection to hypocrisy in some politicians.
But this week it reappeared, and Obama said veterans felt it was important that he had one on.
“I started wearing it again at that veterans event because once again I had been handed a flag pin by a veteran who said it was important,” he told reporters on his campaign plane during a flight to Chicago.
“This is an issue that is a phony issue because I was never opposed to wearing flag pins.”
He said giving up the flag pin in the first place was a commentary on hypocritical lawmakers.
“It was a commentary on our politicians and folks in Washington who sometimes are very good about saluting our soldiers when they come home but then don’t follow up with budgets that make sure that they’re getting treatment for post traumatic stress disorder,” he said.
“So it was a commentary about our politics, not about, you know, individuals who wear the flag with pride.”
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20 comments so far
The flag pin is an important issue for me. I like Clinton and McCain because they do wear flag pins, and by doing so, they show style. Red, white and blue bling. Bling is important to the eye of the voter because real issues are things that don’t really matter in a campaign. I know this, and you know this. Now on the other hand, flag pins show a candidate’s position on issues. It shows whether they are for a war or accept lobbyist money. So listen here Mr. Obama, if you want to win, bring out the bling, and you’ll get them votes.
- Posted by treble hookI completely understand what Senator Obama is saying on the flag pin issue. I have volunteered at our National Cemetery for years, worked the polls during elections, participated in political campaigns, and am a Viet Nam veteran. But, there are people out there who think simply having an “I support the troops” magnet on their trunk makes them more patriotic.
- Posted by Steven Ellsworthwe will never never never elect him ,to far left
- Posted by TOMWhy only now, obama? Is it because you need our votes that you are now wearing the flag pin? People will see you as a walking plasticware. In other words, you’re a fake and your denunciation of Wright remarks ias also a fake. You will not win the General Election.
- Posted by neil1785So are all of you happy now that Senator Obama is wearing a flag pin? Does it now make him more patriotic and resolve your issues?
I agree with Senator Obama, wearing flag pins isn’t a test of your patriotism and he did not wear one because he does not want to be perceived as a ‘typical Washington hypocrite.’
I was always astonished that the flag pin issue (patriotism) ONLY applied to Senator Obama. It was never an issue for the other candidates. Totally NOT FAIR!
- Posted by Edie MartinezIt is true. Pres. Bush and others wear this pin but really don’t want to help the people they represent. Not just military people but people like me. They are hypocrites. How can you wear that pin and then say, you lost your house? That’s on you. Gas is too high?; suck it up. If people in West Virginia would rather vote for McCain just because he is Caucasian than to vote for a person (Obama) who would make their lives more liveable, than they deserve to live in misery!
- Posted by RedphillyObama is the real phony. But it doesn’t really matter, he could tell the drones and media out there that the sky is green and the grass is blue and they’d believe him.
- Posted by elleI feel that the potential President of the U.S.A. should
- Posted by Chuck Bradfordbe the most enthusiastic flag waver/displayer around. It
dismays me to think that his reluctance or excuse to not wear it speaks to a lack of sinceity and honor for our country and it’s fiber. It seems to me that our very life style and freedoms will be at risk under his Presidency
based on the comments he and his wife have made about what he thinks and will allow the people to do.
Lets get real! The issues are important! Lets stop chasing this handful of extremists all over the globe. Let us rebuild coalitions of intelligence and secret forces throughout the world by using “carrots and sticks.” What happened to the Republican brand of TR who new when to use diplomatic force as an effective weapon against political insurgencies to secure American interests abroad. Whenever the U.S. occupies a country indefinitely it poses a larger threat to Americans than any other action that it takes. Please stop with senseless anti patriotic rhetoric! (eerily reminiscent of the McCarthy red scares and played out) Lets focus on being strong again by regrouping through a concerted effort on the domestic front that will once again provide the U.S. the diplomatic and economic leverage necessary to face adversaries on any stage. we need to stop trying to show people how to live and focus on our domestic issue first.
- Posted by OzWaving a flag does not make one patriotic. How we live our lives make us patriotic. Waving a flag does nothing but draw attention to the us. If we do nothing to exemplify the principals of our nation then waving a flag only serves to highlight our hypocrisy. Your welcome to wave the flag all you want, I’ll keep my hands free to work to keep this country strong and vote for the people who will help.
- Posted by DaleFlying or wearing our symbol of freedom and unity - The Stars and Stripes, is not a “phony issue”, but rather a simple demonstration of our respect and support for the men and women, and real leaders who have served our country and shed their blood, sweat and tears for it. Any citizen who believes or says it’s a “phony issue” or phony gesture to wear a U.S. flag lapel pin is him / herself a phony and deserves no recognition or respect for such a position.
I agree with Mr. Obama on his statements that some people wear the flag and yet fail to support our service men and women with the funds to be able to heal and treat their wounds and scars. That is the mark of a hypocrite. I suggest to Mr. Obama that he not wear the flag lapel pin nor use the christian cross as a background prop in his presentations unless he is prepared to “walk-the-walk” of a TRUE CHRISTION AND U.S. PATRIOT!
- Posted by AZ BROKERThe man is dangerous. So, he needs votes with blue collar workers, so he puts on the pin - not because he believes in it - simply for expediency.
- Posted by PhxPhreeSpyrytUnless the man has been living in a complete vacuum, the people he keeps company with show his true colors.
Anyone who surrounds himself with people who think America is the bad guy, have never gotten over the 2000 election, preach divisiveness and insurrection like Ayers and Wright does not deserve to be president.
Heaven help the USA if this man somehow gets elected
Our country is a MESS — thanks to BUSH INC! The next President needs to be TRULY COMPETENT AND SINCERELY INTERESTED MORE IN THE COUNTRY’S WELL-BEING THAN HIS OWN!! OBAMA IS NOT THAT PERSON!! HE DOES NOT MEASURE UP TO THE HUGE NEEDS OF THE OFFICE & OUR DEVASTATED MIDDLE CLASS!!!NOW IS NOT THE TIME FOR A SOCIAL EXPERIMENT OR A FAD!!!
- Posted by PMohhh here we go again!
Obama is who he is. A motivating ( I won’t say great) public speaker, who is of course, living within the bias that is even right wing Democrats who say he’s un-American, for lack of Red white and blue “bling.”
Discredit him how you like, but he’s not archaic and he’s certainly not, well, Hillary Clinton…You call him elitist, I call him a realist. The man isn’t with expediencey or biggotry, if anything it could’ve been a political experiment to see how many millions of down home right winged confederate wanna be’s call him unamerican.
oooh and before you Hillary lovers even start in on this particular post, I’m not saying she’s worthy of disrespect, I believe he’s more American and better fit to be the president than George Bush (Jr AND Sr) were ever. I also think Hillary would make just as much change as he could, in that sense they are easily matched. I’d just to see any Clinton reiteration biggotry or, a mental breakdown in the oval office..
Peace.
- Posted by SarahSINCE OBAMA’S CHURCH FOCUSES ON “MOTHER AFRICA” SO MUCH–MAYBE OBAMA WOULD FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE WEARING A US FLAG ALONG SIDE OF AN AFRICAN NATION FLAG?? IF OBAMA IS NOMINATED THEN ELECTED –ALL OF US WILL BE SUBJECTED TO 24/7 CABLE AND THE REST OF THE MEDIA YAKING AWAY ABOUT ‘RACE’ AD NAUSEUM !! MOST AMERICANS HAVE PROGRESSED PAST RACE BUT I AS A ‘TYPICAL WHITE PERSON’ (THAT SUPPORTS EQUALITY FOR ALL), HAVE BEGUN TO FEEL LIKE TOO MANY NON-WHITE PEOPLE SPEND WAY TOO MUCH OF THEIR TIME ON THE SUBJECT OF RACE!!!
- Posted by PMI have been following wold news and political news very closely for the past 6 to 8 months. and doing alot of reading. (1) we are all in the economic mess due to the poor econmics of the Bush-republican era, this needs to change. (2) lawmakers dont make laws, lobbiest ( special interst groups) however you want to call them, they do. how can we go wrong with a president that doesnt take thier money. Clinton is going broke, you know she is taking thier money and making promises, do you know what the promises are, i dont either, and i dont think i want ot find out. I personnally, have a hard time believing anything that comes out of clintons mouth, B clinton was intrumental in passing NAFTA, now maybe some of you people in LA and NY dont care, but for the rest of us that work for a living that are seeing our jobs leave the country it does, do you actually believe that Hillary will go against what her husband enacted, if you do you must remeber back to the big issue when he was president, and she stood behind him then and she will continue to stand behind the decsions he made. So many people, are “part time” in keeping up with news and events that they hear 1 thing negative about a person and all the sudden there is no way the person is going to win the election, shame on you, investigate the allegations then make your assessment, use more than 1 media source, the media has a way of influencing people.
Last thind i am going to vent about is oil prices, I assume everyone that reads this website, has at least a third grade education and keeps up with who is pulling the strings, Oil comanies………..NO OPEC…………no Polititans…………..no, Investors at NYMEX control the price of oil on SPECULATION alone, remember this week when you paid $4.00 a gallon for gas, that is because investors speculated that Iran was cutting oil shipments, wich never happened, there is no real supply demend issue, only investors that dont care about the working people of america as long as the build thier portfolio and thier wallet grows, in south america they pay 1.26 a gallon for gas, the government controlls it, thier economy is booming, anyone know how our economy is doing right now, lets not be too hasty to use the “r” word though all in all we need a big change in washington, and from 8 to 10 hrs of research a day for months it is NOT going to happen from Mcain or Clinton, Patriotism is not shown by a lapel pin, it is shown by deciding what is needed and right and making a change in the right direction for all americans. As far as the pastors statements, I do not remeber seeing Obama standing there with him when he made those statements, 5th amemedment. I do remeber Obama denouncing the statements. I am not a political analyist, thay get paid to jump to their conclusions, but I DO research everything and to date OBAMA is the best canadate for the job.
Dave from Indiana
- Posted by Dave2517The ” Flag Pin” means nothing to Obama..His flippant attitude makes me ashamed for him to even have it on..He and his wife have their own agenda{whatever it may be} and have much of the Country fooled..It reminds me of the pied piper….Certainly we all as Democrats want change but not in rhetoric only…His past associates go hand in hand with not wearing the flag pin…I see no patriotism here at all..HRC is the only candidate that can beat McCain in November….Bring our troops home now..
- Posted by kaye c.I was following this issue for a while and I thought that it happily died many months ago. Apparently that isn’t true and we still decide to focus on the fashion accessories of our presidential nominees.
Let’s face facts, America is in trouble. We have less moral authority in the world than ever before and a hell of a lot less respect at home AND abroad. Now you can mechanically wave a flag and shout “Yay America!” over and over as much as you please, but that dosen’t change the facts that we are in serious trouble if we don’t get our act together and fast.
And in my humble opinion, focusing on the lapel-ware of Barack Obama does not constitute getting our act together
- Posted by MikeWow, I’m amazed by the amount of ignorant comments on this board (not to mention the spelling and ALL CAPS comments). Thinking Obama could somehow affect your “everyday lifestyles and freedoms” is a typical reaction of an uneducated moron. I’m not implying that all educated people should vote for Obama, but the way morons construct political arguments is truly baffling.
- Posted by Steve[…] such a pin, at least in part, because of the Iraq War”) and then, after criticism, decide to start wearing one (at the time claiming that “I was never opposed to wearing flag […]
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