In keeping with Republican campaign tradition, John McCain is playing the patriotism card

Add comment May 7th, 2008

We can always count on Republican presidential candidates or their surrogates to question the patriotism of their political rivals.

Paul Waldman WARNS US that this year will be no different.

Flagless Rove disses flagless Obama

10 comments April 3rd, 2008

It’s almost funny how some pseudo-patriots continue to work themselves into a glorious lather over Barack Obama’s failure to wear a flag pin on his lapel.

Strangely, these critics often fail to wear such pins themselves, AS WAS THE CASE the other day with former Bush henchman Karl Rove.

This mistaken notion that conspicuous display of the American flag is the highest form of patriotism reminds me of the old John Prine song, “Your Flag Decal Won’t Get You Into Heaven Anymore.”

Prine wrote this clever little ditty in 1968 as a protest against the Vietnam War. But it’s no less applicable today.

The lyrics:

While digesting Reader’s Digest
In the back of the dirty book store
A plastic flag with gum on the back
Fell out on the floor.
Well, I picked it up and I ran outside
Slapped it on my window shield
And if I could see Old Betsy Ross
I’d tell her how good I feel

(Chorus)

But your flag decal won’t get you
Into Heaven any more
They’re already overcrowded
From your dirty little war.
Now Jesus don’t like killin’
No matter what the reason’s for,
And your flag decal won’t get you
Into Heaven any more.

Well, I went to the bank this morning
And the cashier he said to me,
“If you join the Christmas club
We’ll give you ten of them flags for free.”
Well, I didn’t mess around a bit
I took him up on what he said.
And I stuck them stickers all over my car
And one on my wife’s forehead.

(Repeat chorus)

Well, I got my window shield so filled
With flags I couldn’t see.
So, I ran the car upside a curb
And right into a tree.
By the time they got a doctor down
I was already dead.
And I’ll never understand why the man
Standing in the Pearly Gates said…

“But your flag decal won’t get you
Into Heaven any more.
We’re already overcrowded
From your dirty little war.
Now Jesus don’t like killin’
No matter what the reason’s for,
And your flag decal won’t get you
Into Heaven any more.”

You can always count on Republicans to play the patriotism card

2 comments February 19th, 2008

Republicans like to think that they  invented patriotism and that Democrats have insufficient love for America.

Hence, THIS CONTOVERSY is no big surprise.  Something like this was inevitable.