For What It’s Worth …

I am not often rushing to agree with Brent Budowsky, but he makes a good point. Where is Hillary Clinton’s flag pin and why is she not asked about wearing one?

I would also like to address some of the comments I have received on yesterday’s post. Fred from Oregon should know that to begin with, I never raised this flag question yesterday and certainly didn’t beat up on Barack Obama over it. Fred should also note that just because I criticized Obama’s debate performance doesn’t mean he did a great job and I have suddenly “joined the crowd of professional media hecklers.” Fred can click on my résumé and see that I once worked as a reporter for ABC News. Not only am I enormously fond of ABC News, but I hold Charlie Gibson and George Stephanopoulos in the highest regard and am not joining in the flogging of either of them.

That said, the questioning aside, Obama had a bad night because of the way he reacted to their questions. In prior debates he has parried the blows; at this last debate he absorbed them. Teflon is hard to come by, but Obama had it before and he should get some more of it. He wore it well and it helped him. He will need it several months from now when he is likely nominated by his party and the Republican establishment does everything in its power to stop him from winning.

Finally, as far as the flag flap goes, “Ron” should read the following quotes from Obama explaining this himself back in November. In watching the video he will see that Obama does not salute the flag during “0The Star-Spangled Banner,” but that he said he does so during the Pledge of Allegiance because that was what he was taught to do. Decide for yourselves whether that is good enough — Bill Richardson, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, John Edwards, Chris Dodd and Tom Harkin are all holding their hands to their hearts while Obama clasps his hands in front of him.

To those readers who passionately defend Obama, be aware that his liabilities — such as the flag issue — stoke strong negative reactions from people like “Ron,” who said he once supported Obama and now calls him an “American-hating, working class-hating, religion-baiting leader.” I don’t think that is a remotely suitable, accurate or fair assessment of Obama, but clearly the hating has begun.

For whatever it is worth.

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