Barack Obama felt the need to make a speech about patriotism on Monday. He was reacting, in part, to remarks made by a surrogate, a former general who is now an Obama supporter, that supporters of John McCain say maligns their candidate's military service.
It's feeling a lot like 2004 again -- that auspicious time when Swift Boat became a verb.
How about this time, patriotism remains something felt and acted upon, rather than fought over as just another prop in presidential-year political theater?
Apart from the surrogate's remarks, we understand why Obama delivered the speech.
The blogosphere and e-mails that no amount of spam filters can block are full of the innuendo of non-American otherness that foes are desperately trying to tag on him. And we agree that, given the ferocity of this not-so-quiet whispering campaign, Obama needs to meet the attacks head-on. We're just sad that he has to.
Retired Gen. Wesley Clark's remarks on a Sunday news show are an example, however, of an Obama surrogate raising an issue that doesn't belong in the campaign.
"I don't think riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to be president," Clark said on CBS' "Face the Nation."
No, not necessarily. But it revealed McCain, who spent 5 1/2 years as a POW, as someone willing to sacrifice much for his country, not to mention the courage he demonstrated through the ordeal.
If Clark was trying to make the point that voters should consider the entirety of McCain's views and record as a public servant, the best way to do that is to identify the issues with which he disagrees and tell us why. In any case, we seem to remember presidential candidate Clark (who, in fairness, also cited McCain's heroism) touting his own military record in his 2004 campaign. See his still active Web site at www.clark04.com/about, and you'll see what we mean.
Obama properly rejected Clark's remarks. "No one should devalue that service, especially for the sake of a political campaign," he said. McCain, to his credit, gave Clark's comments short shrift.
But it does not help that a teleconference with reporters organized by his campaign included retired Air Force Col. Bud Day, who appeared in the so-called Swift Boat ads, which in 2004 scurrilously attacked Sen. John Kerry's Vietnam service. McCain denounced those attacks back then.
He was right. And, in this presidential campaign, we say to those who would cheapen patriotism for purposes of political gain: Shame.
-- Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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