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Madame's Nightshirt
Mrs. Peperium
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The internet was buzzing this week with video of First Lady Michelle Obama apparently showing extreme disrespect to the American flag at a ceremony in honor of the victims of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks. As police and firefighters fold the flag to the sound of marching bagpipers, a skeptical looking Mrs. Obama leans to her husband and appears to say, “all this just for a flag.” She then purses her lips and shakes her head slightly as Mr. Obama nods.
Just for a flag? If that is what she said it is regrettable. Even with all her years being around those who hold high public office Mrs. Obama does not seem to understand the purpose and importance of ceremonies. They reaffirm the bonds of loyalty and fellowship that cement our national unity. Yes, at one level a flag is just a colorful piece of cloth. But it symbolizes much more. It is the emblem of our land and all its ideals. It has been present at every major event of any importance to the country, battles, celebrations, meetings, and the lunar landings. It is a symbol of unity that transcends party, faction and time. It is something uniquely and explicitly American. Men and women have fought and died for it. Our enemies hate us for it and burn it in the streets. All that should mean something.
-- James Robbins, Michelle Obama: “All This Just For a Flag”
“All this just for a flag”
"All this just for Michelle's vacation?"
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"All this just for Michelle's husband to play golf?"
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"All this just for Michelle's date night?"
The damage Barack Obama did to himself in Roanoke, Va. when he said ”If you’ve got a business — you didn’t build that, somebody else made that happen” has become the occasion for his defenders and apologists to say he didn’t say it, or he didn’t really say it, or he’s being taken out of context, or he didn’t mean it, or something.
Fine. Here’s the whole thing:
Look, if you’ve been successful, you didn’t get there on your own. You didn’t get there on your own. I’m always struck by people who think, well, it must be because I was just so smart. There are a lot of smart people out there. It must be because I worked harder than everybody else. Let me tell you something — there are a whole bunch of hardworking people out there.
If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help. There was a great teacher somewhere in your life. Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges. If you’ve got a business — you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen.
I would argue the context makes the quote worse, not better.
Obama’s utter contempt for the idea that people deserve to prosper due to the fruits of their own labors and their own skills is made even deeper and more apparent from the entire quote...
--John Podhoretz, The Biggest Campaign Mistake of 2012.
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https://p.twimg.com/AyGPM29CQAAa9_M.jpg:large
h/t AoS
Posted by: The Ancient | July 18, 2012 at 01:46 PM
And yet, the polls indicate a dead heat, more or less. Something will decide this election, but the President's remarks on who built what will, in my view, not seem that big looking back.
Posted by: Crackie | July 19, 2012 at 06:49 AM
Crackie, going anecdotal, Little Bertie was 13 days old and I was sitting in bed holding him, chatting on the phone with his his Godfather. The radio was on in the bedroom as we were awaiting the news from the GermAutoShow that Jack Nassar of FoMoCo had been handed his feedbag. It was supposed to happen at any moment, according to ALL credible sources. The station was actually running feed from Germany.
Then the feed got interrupted with a live feed from NYC. The live feed was: A plane had just crashed into Tower 2 of the WTC.
Growing up in the tri-state area it immediately connected that planes didn't fly around the WTC and this was BAD. I exclaimed : Oh my gosh ______, a plane just flew into the WTC.
The response from the other end of the receiver was "So?"
Posted by: Mrs. P | July 19, 2012 at 10:43 AM