CNN classifies Campbell Brown as an "anchor," but that apparently doesn't prevent her from riding to Barack Obama's defense on a high-profile issue. On this evening's Election Center, Brown seconded a guest's assertion that the controversy surrounding Barack Obama's erstwhile refusal to wear a flag pin was "nonsensical" and "ridiculous."
The topic was the matter of Obama's patriotism as a campaign issue. CNN contributor and ardent Obama supporter Roland Martin [he who gushed over Rev. Wright's address to the Detroit NAACP] addressed the flag pin flap
ROLAND MARTIN: First of all, John McCain doesn't wear a flag pin. Hillary Clinton doesn't wear a flag pin and there are people who wear flag pins who call themselves patriots who led us into a war based on faulty intelligence. At some point, people need to use their brains. We have somebody who is an American. Who is a sitting United States senator. Who is running for president. How do we sit here and define somebody's patriotism? The reality is, he is an American. And so I have a problem with anybody, Cliff [Cliff May, fellow panelist], me, or anyone else, saying, you know what? I need to see how much a patriot you are and you are. There is no litmus test. A column on CNN.com the other week said make wearing the flag pin the 28th amendment because we sit here and move the ball back and forth. It's a nonsensical issue to say how do you define patriotism. It is ridiculous.
CAMPBELL BROWN: Roland, I—on that issue—on the flag pin, I couldn't agree with you more.
Thanks for sharing, Campbell.
Let's get something straight. The flag pin became an issue because Obama made it one. As Time has reported:
The pin saga started on October 3, 2007 when a local ABC reporter asked Obama why he didn't wear one. Instead of the standard Beltway refrain, "My patriotism speaks for itself," Obama launched into a long explanation of his decision-making process: "The truth is that right after 9/11, I had a pin. Shortly after 9/11, particularly because as we're talking about the Iraq war, that became a substitute for, I think, true patriotism, which is speaking out on issues that are of importance to our national security," Obama said in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. "I decided I won't wear that pin on my chest. Instead I'm going to try to tell the American people what I believe what will make this country great and hopefully that will be a testimony to my patriotism."
But now, Obama has had a flag flip-flop. As mentioned earlier in the segment, Obama explained his switch in patriotic fashion sense this way: "I started wearing it again at that veterans event because once again, I had been handed a flag pin by a veteran who said it was important."
Isn't that con-ven-ient? Guess Obama hadn't met many veterans before.
In any case, Barack can rest easy knowing Campbell's got his back—make that, chest.
Hat tip: Lloyd Green.
BONUS COVERAGE: Hillary's Boxing Metaphor Mistake
Extra credit for working in both a metaphor from the sweet science and a variation on the Budweiser slogan "this Bud's for you!" Hillary's ratings with the boxing-and-beer crowd are surely soaring. But there is a problem. In boxing, when you're counted out, you've lost. The fight is over. It's a KO. You have been knocked out!
Update 5-28: NewsBuster Dan Gainor, also VP of the Business & Media Institute, visited the Woodrow Wilson Museum this past weekend and reports that the progressive president wore a flag pin back in the day.
