Patriotism

THE ANONYMOUS EMAIL ON OBAMA AND THE PLEDGE WAS AWARDED "FOUR PINOCCHIOS" BY THE WASHINGTON POST Washington Post Awarded "The Scoundrel" Who Put The Obama/Pledge Of Allegiance Email Into Circulation "Four Pinocchios" On Its Fact Checking Scale, Which Classifies The Attack As A "Whopper." "Anonymous attacks by e-mail are, or at least should be, un-American. This particular one was also wrong on the facts: the ceremony in question had nothing to do with the pledge of the allegiance. We award the scoundrel who put the e-mail into circulation four Pinocchios." [] Washington Post, 11/2/07

Obama Said His Grandfather - who fought in Patton's army during WWII - taught him to put his hand over his heart during the Pledge of Allegiance, and that "During The National Anthem, You Sing." Obama said, "My grandfather taught me how to say the Pledge of Allegiance when I was two years old...During the Pledge of Allegiance you put your hand over your heart. During the national anthem you sing." AP, 11/7/07

Obama Spokesman Bill Burton Said Obama Was Not "Making Any Sort Of Statement, And Any Suggestion To The Contrary Is Ridiculous. "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." http://blog.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/2007/11/obama_nabbed_by_the_patriotic.html7

HE SAYS THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE... 5/28/07: []

AND OBAMA VOTED TO REQUIRE THE PLEDGE TO BE RECITED IN SCHOOLS Obama Voted To Require Pledge Of Allegiance Recital Requirement. Obama voted to require the Pledge of Allegiance to be recited each school day by students in secondary education institutions receiving public funds. (92nd GA, SB 1634, 3/7/02, 3R P; 54-0-0; P.A. 92-0612, 7/3/02; 92nd GA, HB 2077, 11/28/01, 3R P; 56-0-0)

Email Made False Claims About The Content Of A Time Article. "Oddly, the accurate caption from Time is included in the chain e-mail. But someone has added that "the article said" Obama refused to say the pledge and would not put his hand on his heart. There is no such article on the Time Web site and searches of the Web and newspaper-magazine databases could only find blog postings that repeat the claim from the e-mail. It's unclear where the allegation originated." []St. Petersburg Times, 11/9/07

AND WAS CALLED SCURRILOUS AND FALSE BY OTHER NEWS SOURCES "Scurrilous." "A scurrilous new e-mail is circulating about Barack Obama." [] Slate, 11/8/07

"Addressed And Debunked." "Today, the Obama campaign explained that the photo was taken not during the pledge of allegiance but during the star spangled banner. Said Obama, "I was taught by my grandfather that you put your hand over your heart during the pledge, but during the Star Spangled Banner, you sing!" Of course, it doesn't really matter that Obama has addressed and debunked the e-mail because it's going to keep circulating." [] The Nation, 11/8/07

"False." "(Again, the above email is false. It is printed here for information purposes and should not be construed as fact.)" [] Iowa Independent, 11/8/07

OBAMA SAID ONE SHOWS PATRIOTISM BY HOW ONE TREATS FELLOW AMERICANS AND VETERANS... ...A SENTIMENT ECHOED BY MILITARY BRASS AND THE DES MOINES REGISTER

Danzig, McPeak, Gration: "Barack Obama Is A Patriot." "'Senator Obama's attackers are peddling lies and smears because they disagree with his strong opposition to the war in Iraq and the rush to war in Iran,' wrote Richard Danzig, secretary of the Navy under President Bill Clinton, and retired Gens. Merrill "Tony" McPeak and J. Scott Gration. 'We have served this nation for decades, and we know a true patriot when we see one. Barack Obama is a patriot.'" [] St. Petersburg Times, 11/9/07