Scott Brown confesses

The lone remaining Republican running for Senate in Massachusetts apparently believes that the flag is as important as American history, the Constitution, and the Declaration of Independence.

He admits, "I'm a lightweight. I have no ideas to actually make America better. All I care about is window-dressing."

The flag is a symbol, a symbol of all the ideals that Massachusetts educators already teach.

Maybe, if Brown's bullshit proposal passes, we can teach our elementary students that making a fetish of the flag is not the American ideal. Maybe we can teach them to care for the flag better than all the flag-wavers whose flags grow tattered and dirty from neglect.

Or would that be too political?

Courage of his convictions

Jaw-dropping. Orwellian. Will pretend that words don't mean what we all know they mean.

Oh, and he's still wearing a pin of the flag he has besmirched.

I can't wait to see Begich's ad. I would mock Stevens as hopelessly self-deluded. But I'd also use the phrase "convicted felon."

Cropped AP photo from the linked story.

Update: A better title for this post: "Delusions of being Richard Kimball".

Weird and senseless

So. This plane all liveried up as a McCain * Palin plane (where's the American flag!) is a leased charter to carry reporters. The reporter pay the campaign for their seats on it.

The story, though, is the shiny new plane, with generous and gratuitous mention of McCain's branding for the plane he and Sarah will actually fly on. (Note to Obama campaign: Hint, hint.)

The establishment loves to cover itself and its new toys.

Update (9/6): I misinterpreted the CNN story I linked to. It was only Thursday that reporters had this plane to themselves. It apparently will be Sarah Palin's new plane for the duration of the campaign. She didn't get it on eBay, by the way. (h/t BarbinMD on Kos)

Flagging attention

Click image for full Bruce Plante/Tulsa World cartoon.

If he's wearing it, that must be flag desecration.

Sense and senselessness

What national polls repeatedly say: We don't make any goddamn sense. Our knees jerk, we give an answer, and we don't connect it to anything.

The Founders would not be impressed, we say. But we're extremely proud to be Americans.

Look, I love my country, but I'm ashamed that my country invaded Iraq without just cause, has unrepentantly tortured prisoners, has trashed its own democracy, and is led by bad, lawless men. The love I feel is why I want to make America better.

But I suppose that the idiotically specific flag pin question is the tie-breaker:

How often should a U.S. presidential candidate wear a flag pin (when dressed in other than casual clothes)?

The poll is begging for the answer it wants. Why should wearing casual clothes exempt one from wearing a flag pin? I bet a real patriot like Darth Cheney has a flag pin nipple ring.

No flag pin

Robert Byrd, the oldest and longest-serving current Senator, is shown here scandalously missing a flag pin. Instead, he has a pin representing the Constitution. Obama, are you listening? Do this. Go the flag one better.

Image severely cropped and used under Fair Use.

Bleating idiot sheep

Click image for full Berkeley Breathed cartoon.

Your flag decal

... won't get you into heaven any more.

Pulled up to a stoplight yesterday behind a massive pickup whose driver had a red, white, and blue chip on his shoulder. It wasn't the flag stickers on his tailgate.

It was the other sticker that said, "If my flag offends you, call 1-800-LEAVE USA."

Offends me? It's my flag too, buddy, even if I value it as a symbol of the Constitutional republic, not as a sacred tribal talisman.

If people are giving this guy the finger, I'm sure it's because of his driving, not his flag stickers. Or maybe it's because he's driving the type of low-mileage vehicle that makes oil so expensive in dollars and blood. In fairness to him, though, he did have a tool box in the bed, so he may really need a big-ass truck, unlike most pickup owners.

Screw the troops

Duhbya is still pretending Petraeus is in charge of keeping troop levels escalated, Gates is saying that he's going to shorten tours of duty, and the Joint Chiefs want more boots in Afghanistan.

The numbers don't add up. Hey, this is Bushworld, after all, where all the math is fuzzy, and all the accountability falls low in the social classes.

But something will subtract down, and that'll wind up being the time between tours.

"Hi, hon. Nice to see you kids. Mom, Dad, I wish I could've been here when you were in the hospital. Sorry, hon, gotta go back over there. Connecting on Southwest. Love you all."

In the words of John Prine, your flag decal won't get you into heaven any more.

Neo-confederates

On Crooks and Liars (now redacted):

The Montgomery Co. GOP, of which Vucovich is secretary, has an interesting seal. Brings to mind the Confederate battle flag, ya think?