Idiots.

These guys are bald-faced fascists. This is why I've been making the argument that we must reserve the right to call people fascists. Because sometimes, that is exactly what they act like. What else could you call these attacks?

Where is your loyalty pin?!? Welcome to the land of the free, where is your freaking piiiinnn!?!?

"You must wear the ribbon".

This is depressing, in a way. When I read the above exchange, I realize that the people who think this way and believe this crap have to be from another planet. That kind of convoluted thinking is so alien to me that the possibility of reconciliation with them seems impossible.

This is the legacy of the talk radio revolution. Thanks, guys.

For those who thought there was nothing more petty than the limpaugh story...

Yeah these guys are idiots.

Speaking of idiots, why did Obama even talk about this issue? Why did he even bring it up, or respond to a question about it? It's idiotic. He's getting CRUSHED right now nationally...I think it's ballgame and Hillary is the winnah.  

I'm guessing because he was asked the question and had he not answered they'd be talking about how he's got something to hide.

Well, I guess Obama should have been less candid. The Regurgicon Fascists are just waiting for something like this. I wonder how often these knuckledragging fools have whined about "political correctness"?

I think this shows that Obama isn't afraid to say what he thinks.  Yeah, sure he could have dodged the question, but do we really want a guy for president that can't be candid about this stuff?

I never really thought about it that much, but I agree with Obama on this as well.  I am sure the Republicans took some measure of phony solace in looking at their stars and stripes lapel pins and yellow ribbon bumper stickers while they were collectively wiping their backsides with the Constitution.

Well, you can say something you think in more than one way. It just further backs up that he's not ready. 

Yea Dex, he needs to stop saying what he actually believes. Then he'll be 'ready.' Why do you think people are so cynical? Please, stop and think about that question for one second. What is good about people being cynical? Does it lead to good things happening or bad things happening?

You see a politician honestly speaking his mind without consulting his damn lawyers and making a good point about our democracy in the process. And your response is to scoff at him. Does that make you feel smart or ahead of the game or something? He is doing exactly what everyone always claims to want. He's being honest and kissing nobody's ass. And he's right about the pin.

"...disrespecting the flag."?

Anyway - when will the so-called liberal media ask a pin wearer to explain what patriotic actions they have taken besides wearing the GD pin?

I just saw a video on crooks and liars of a loony toon vet cutting the lanyard of a pole just because it flew the mexican flag over the american flag, he wadded the american flag up into a ball and stuck it under his sweaty armpit and made threats demanding someone fight him to take it back, and Fox calls him a "patriot".

I thnk we all need to go watch that video that lists the characteristics of Fascism again.

Office holders put their left hand on the Bible and hold up their right hand to swear to uphold and protect the Constitution and not the flag.  It used to be that Republicans just got their hands mixed up.  I don't even know if they even know what their real job is anymore.

Someone at Fox forgot to inform Chris Wallace of what he should say about the Obama flag pin crap. That independent thinking will surely not be appreciated.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2007/10/05/foxs-chris-wallace-backs_n_67295.html

Holy Crap! A thinker among the Troglodytes! He better check under the hood before he starts his car tonight.

Good for you, Chris.

And in his robe.

Oh - now I read it again and I think you meant the hood of his car.

Chris Wallace will say just about anything to keep Hillary Clinton from laughing at his stupid questions again.

I cannot believe the stupidity of some

Does Fox News even try to masquerade as a news organization any more?  They are a partisan smear machine. The left has no eqivalent. Their role in our democracy should be looked at by the federal government. A 24 hour political commercial for the RNC should not be allowed to call itself a news outlet.

Last night on Faux News they were running the same thing at the bottom of the screen over and over. What about this is news?

I don't watch foxnews, but I did have the misfortune to play the video. these three blabbermouths are wearing a total of zero flag pins. napolitano isn't wearing one in the photos on the covers of either of his books, either. not that that has anything to do patriotism. I realize, however, that pointing out the hypocrisy of some to MMFA readers is pretty unnecessary.

Well, see, it's okay to stop wearing the flag pin because you just get tired of fooling with it...or it becomes a meaningless gesture and you just forget...or you carelessly sent that precious flag to the cleaners on your suit and it got lost... but don't you DARE have a principled reason for not wearing it!

Hill: "When I heard this, actually, one of the direct quotes that got to me was, "I won't wear that pin." It reminded me of the "I didn't have sex with that woman."

How funked up do your brain wires have to be to make that jump? They're not even remotely similar statements. the word "that" makes her think of Bill Clinton?

I think Dick Morris' crush on Bill might be in second place.

Hi HBL ...

Cut her some slack!  She's been desperatly waiting for a chance to invoke that line.  The pressure was so intense that it came out at the wrong time.  I almost fell out of my chair!

She's reminding her viewers that Dems are worse than Senator Craig and other Republicans. 

But hey, at least she agreed with Obama that not wearing it is OK. 

I was wondering the same thing, HBL...what the hell is the connection between Obama saying he won't wear a pin and Bill Clinton denying having sex with someone. I don't get the connection...am I missing something or are all of these people simply insane?

The word "that" is italicized, as if she emphasized it. (I didn't hear it) I think Sam's right, she had that baby on deck and just couldn't hold it.

just like when somebody tells me "thank you" and I can't help but hear " f*ck you",it makes me go crazy!

Thank you for saying that Beach. Really, I just mean thank you. I dont even know how to spell @*#!

It's because they can't tell the difference between a lie and the truth. Clinton was lying and Obama was telling the truth.

Will a little flag pin be the equivalent of the Nazi armband in the New American Reich?

...aaaaand Redking Godwins the thread.

Thanks. 

Yeah, one cannot compare fascist behaviour in the present to fascist behaviour in the past. Godwin can go to hell.

"Yeah, one cannot compare fascist behaviour in the present to fascist behaviour in the past. Godwin can go to hell. - redking75687 / Friday October 5, 2007 11:40:28 PM EST"

I'm inclined to agree, Redking. I'm the first to criticize the use of the word "fascist" when it is used carelessly, but this fixation on who wears the holy flag pin -- and all others are the enemy -- is at best indicitive of authoritarian groupthink (fascists do not have a monopoly on fixating on symbols). 

Unfortunately, through overuse, the word "fascist" has lost much of its specificity or its power to alarm. This is a problem. How do you warn people about incipient fascism/authoritarianism when the words used to describe it has become increasingly meaningless? This, I think, was at least part of Godwin's point.  

To be fair to Godwin, his original statement was just to say that as a discussion thread increases in length, the probability of a Hitler/Nazi comparison increases. Godwin himself did not state that such comparisons were inherently incorrect.

Michael Douglas - The American President:

You want to claim this land as the land of the free, then the symbol of your country can't just be a flag; the symbol also has to be one of its citizens exercising his right to burn that flag in protest." Show me that, defend that, celebrate that in your classrooms. Then you can stand up and sing about the land of the free."

For the right, symbolism must trump substance . . . . lest we pay attention to the last 7 years of their record.

E. D. Hill must not know the definition of idolatry. Idolatry is not worshiping statues.  It is worshiping the lesser symbol as if it was the ultimate. Wearing a flag pin can be a symbol of  patriotism. The pin itself is not patriotism. Attacking someone for not wearing the same symbol that you wear to prove your devotion to a cause is idol worship.The right wingers mostly claim to be Christians. Jesus did not attack the state but neither did he make it the ultimate to be worshiped. You would think Jesus told his followers to wear a cross on their collar to prove their loyalty to him. Jesus told his followers how to act. Actions in support of ones country is the real test of patriotism. I have not seen any signs of real patriotism from Hill, Limbaugh, or O'Reilly. I do not care how many flag pins they wear they are just idol worshipers.

I love how Obama always ends up reminding people of basic stuff like this. It's not a freaking focus group either, the guy really seems to just be himself. Democrats would be nuts to pass this guy for the nomination.

I agree.  The Democrats are really dumb if they don't choose Obama - the best candidate in the field by far.

Let me get this straight... If I don't wear a pink ribbon pin every day, then I am FOR breast cancer? If I don't wear a flag pin every day I'm with the enemy?  George Bush wears a flag pin every day. He has destroyed the Constitution, started a permanent war, denied health care to poor children, sent nearly 4000 American sons and daughters to their graves for a conflict based on lies yet he is the Patriot???? And because of a flag pin he is a great American?? How screwed up is this country? Dolts!  Cowards  wrap the flag around themselves, heroes do the hard work of keeping the country alive.

The link to crazymonkeylady is broken. FYI

This entire concept is beyond their comprehension. The far-out theories on "why" are just too damned funny. But, considering the dandling yokels they pander to? Heh... there'll be sum gossipin' at the sale barn tamarra!

Hill's comparison didn't even  make sense.

It may have been a non sequitur to you and me, but every Fox fan knows that no excuse is too small to bring up Monica Lewinsky. Poor Hill; I guess she'll never again be able to hear that "that" word without thinking of Clenis. Every time I think the political discourse in this country has bottomed out in terms of its vacuity, Fox comes to the rescue and shows me that things can get even dumber.

the whole ridiculous talk about obama's not wearing that pin is more of a reminder of a seinfeld episode where kramer is assaulted at an aids walk for NOT wearing the rrrrribbon.