B. Hussein claims the photo was taken during the National Anthem, not during the Pledge Of Allegiance. How many of you put your hand over your heart for one but not the other??

Unfortunately for Barry, a picture is worth a thousand words…

heh heh….putz is right

Actually, putting your hands at your side with the index fingers pointing down the seam of your pants is a proper and respectful way of standing during the National Anthem.

Twiddling your thumbs like this putz did is not.

From The Washington Post’s Fact Checker (http://blog.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/2007/11/obama_nabbed_by_the_patriotic.html#more)

The photograph was taken on September 16, 2007, at Senator Tom Harkin’s annual steak fry festivities in Iowa, an important ritual for Democratic presidential hopefuls. Contrary to the e-mails attacking Obama for disrespecting the flag, the candidates were not reciting the pledge of allegiance. They were standing for the national anthem.
[Photo of Barack Obama

As far as we can ascertain, the photograph first appeared in Time Magazine on October 1. Visit Time’s website for a larger version. It was then picked up by the NewsBusters blog (Motto: “Exposing and Combating Liberal Media Bias”), and from there made its way into all those in-boxes.

To his credit, the NewsBusters blogger does not try to pretend that the photograph had anything to do with the pledge of allegiance. Instead he cites Title 36 or the U.S. Code, which states the following:

During a rendition of the national anthem, when the flag is displayed (A) all present except those in uniform should stand at attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart; (B) men not in uniform should remove their headdress with their right hand and hold the headdress at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart;

By that standard, everybody in the picture (Obama, Richardson, Clinton, and Ruth Harkin) was infringing the Code, as they had their backs to the flag. On the other hand, the Code refers specifically to “Patriotic and National Observances.” We welcome the opinion of protocol experts, but we are not sure that a steak fry qualifies as a “Patriotic Observance,” even in Iowa. Since the steak fry was awash with flags, it is quite possible that the aforementioned political candidates were facing the flag and had their backs to the flag at the same time.

Asked whether Obama normally puts his hand over his heart while listening to the national anthem, Obama spokesman Bill Burton replied by e-mail: “Sometimes he does, sometimes he doesn’t. In no way was he making any sort of statement, and any suggestion to the contrary is ridiculous.”

Perhaps he was exercising his First Amendment Right.

Fortunately, the rest of us can exercise our rights as well, by voting against him. I think the Democrats will take care of him for us though; he’ll simply be an attendee at the Democratic National Convention.

Kody,
Absolutely he was exercising his right to free speech, as he is allowed to do. But the first amendment does NOT say that we have to ignore his actions and give him a free pass. He can behave like this and show his disrespect, but he cannot be relieved of criticism from performing said acts. Freedom of speech grants the right to speak, but does not grant cover for the consequences of your conduct.

Ken

OK people…..just remember than if sharing a foxhole with Obama, make sure HE’S the one who pokes his head up to see if it’s “all clear”…got it?

B.G.

I’m with Zank on this one. It’s the National Anthem. Meaning that Obama has a better understanding of American customs than the other candidates. Do the others even understand *why* they put their hands over their hearts for a “pledge?” If you understand that, it makes no sense to cover your heart during an “anthem.”