This whole Obama/american flag lapel thing.

[KyCardinalFan]

Did Obama call a press conference to announce that he was no longer wearing a flag lapel pin?

Or did a clever reporter ask him "hey, where did your flag pin that I once saw in a picture go?" Then dozens of other clever reporters started asking him the same question over and over and over and over and over again until he had to formulate an official response?

The answer to that question determines whether Obama intended to call attention to himself regarding the pin. I'd bet you dollars to bagels that it's scenario 2.

Close to #2. It was a sit down, one-on-one interview by someone (didn't appear a national news set) then the tape was picked up and aired and then the questions rolled in. I didn't see the original question, only an introduction to the topic by one of the 24-hour news channels (I don't recall which I saw) and then they aired Obama's response.

[KyCardinalFan]

Here is the statement thet "shook the world". Seems like what I originally saw went on a little longer as he continued to explain, but this is all I can find online (it's only 11 seconds).

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Also, someone mentioned Lewis Black's commentary on this so here that is:

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There's a lot of video from Bill Maher, FoxNews and Lou Dobbs on YouTube if you search 'Obama lapel pin'. I don't know how much is satire and how much is serious, but Pop is right - all that over a pin. I think the Obama campaign should've brought up the Seinfeld/red ribbon episode. That would've diffused it with humor.

[Swatcat27]

I had the american flag tattooed over my heart, just in case I ever run for office, so that if anyone ever questions my patriotism I can rip open my shirt and yell I LOVE AMERICA SO MUCH THE NEEDLE ALMOST PIERCED MY HEART. Then, I will win.

you got my vote now.

[clevername]

bumping this partly because Obama caved and mostly to post this link to an editorial from Roland Martin that pretty much sums up my feelings on it.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/05/19/ ... index.html

[Jocephus]

bumping this partly because Obama caved and mostly to post this link to an editorial from Roland Martin that pretty much sums up my feelings on it.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/05/19/ ... index.html

io was gonna post this eearlier...

i agree with roland too