"Patriotism is the last resort of a scoundrel." Samuel Johnson.
The attacks on Sen. Obama's patriotism are just beginning, but they are not something he fears. He deliberately set the stage for this fight
When Barack Obama let it be known that he would not wear the traditional American flag lapel pin, he was not being politically tone deaf. He was signaling that he would be fighting a campaign to redefine patriotism. It is time, and it is part of the sea change taking place in the country.
William Sloan Coffin described true patriotism as "a lover's quarrel with the country." Many, many of us for years have talked among ourselves about the false patriotism that prevails in popular culture. The "love it or leave it" meme, the identification of patriotism with unquestioning support of one's country.
Finally, a major politician is willing to tell people that patriotism is not a lapel pin; it is not unquestioning loyalty.
Obama has begun the counter-attack, and he's not doing it defensively. He's doing it because he picked this fight and is ready for it.
Those who think Obama is naive have a surprise coming. This is a man who has deliberately, but in a low-key way, controlled the campaign. He slipped the Reagan comparison into the discussion, he slipped the "Republicans have been the party of ideas" theme into the conversation; and he brought the patriotism issue into the campaign.
I will be so happy that conversation about the true nature of patriotism takes place publically, not defensively in little groups of liberals.