Beer in the Headlights

Anything like changiness?

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said Monday he will never question others' patriotism during the race and blames his own "carelessness" for some criticism of him so far.

Maybe he's correctly interpreted one passage of the Bible - that one about those without sins castings stones or something.

Obama said he chose the topic in part because of his experience during the race, even though he has always considered his love of country a given and his inspiration for running for office.

"I have found, for the first time, my patriotism challenged — at times as a result of my own carelessness, more often as a result of the desire by some to score political points and raise fears about who I am and what I stand for," he said before a crowd of a few hundred people at the Truman Memorial Building here. "I will never question the patriotism of others in this campaign. And I will not stand idly by when I hear others question mine."

Carelessness isn't attending a church preaching Marxism and bigotry for twenty years. Carelessness isn't associating with leftist domestic terrorists. Carelessness isn't having cozy ties to Tony Rezko. Carelessness isn't being married to a bitter woman who's deeply resentful of white people.

It's all about judgment. It's something he's consistently fallen short on when it comes to his personal, religious, political, and business associations. Barack Obama has a pattern of relationships that demonstrates a certain degree of contempt toward the United States.

If he's careless enough to make the decisions he's consistently made then that's enough to preclude him from making the decisions he'd have to take great care in making as president?

What it all boils down to is this: If he has to go on a "patriotism" offensive in the campaign to establish himself as patriotic, then he's left the door wide open for legitimate criticism. Why is it that Obama and his campaign feel the sudden need to tout his patriotism? Simple. It's because enough folks have enough reason to believe he's seriously lacking in that arena.

And another thing... To have Wesley Clark play the role of "bad cop" and criticize John McCain is pretty darn pathetic. I'd love for someone to ask Clark why he was relieved of his command and to see him dodge that one. The decision to fire a four star general in command of all NATO forces is a serious one. Wesley Clark is certainly not anyone to criticize another a former officer's conduct while in uniform.