Captain's Quarters -

I still wear my lapel pin. In fact, I'm looking for a nicer one, since my flag has a few chips.

The Dope: "My attitude is that I'm less concerned about what you're wearing on your lapel than what's in your heart. You show your patriotism by how you treat your fellow Americans, especially those who serve. You show your patriotism by being true to our values and ideals. That's what we have to lead with is our values and our ideals."

And you can show what's in your heart by what's on your lapel. Or, in this case, show what's NOT in your heart by what's NOT on your lapel.

If The Dope had simply stopped wearing a flag lapel pin, that would have been OK, though perhaps a little foolish on the part of a man who would be president. My biggest gripe is this:

Mike Glover, al-AP: [Obama] commented on the pin in a television interview Wednesday and then again on Thursday at a campaign appearance in Independence, Iowa.

In other words, he's STRUTTING about not wearing a flag lapel pin. He's rubbing it in everybody's face that HE's a REAL patriot who (surprise, surprise) doesn't support the war. He's playing to the nutty Benedict Arnold base of his loathesome party. Maybe if (God forbid) he becomes president, he can have Old Glory taken down outside the White House and other federal buildings across the country. You know: to show what a REAL patriot he is.

The Dope then went on a tear about the military.

Mike Glover, al-AP: At one stop, he called for new restrictions on deployment of National Guard and Reserve troops along with an expansion of benefits for them and their families.

"I will not be a president who extends tours for our Guard units overseas while Americans are stranded on rooftops right here at home," Obama said.

He said he would require "a period of rest and standard of readiness" before troops could be redeployed. He called for the head of the National Guard to be elevated to four-star rank and given a seat among the Joint Chiefs of Staff to reflect the heavy reliance on Guard soldiers and reservists during the Iraq war.

Since 2001, Obama said, more than 580,000 reservists have been activated, a level not seen since World War II.

Say... Don't libs complain that we're not "sacrificing enough" in this war? And perhaps he's not aware that National Guardsmen, just like regular soldiers, volunteer for their duty. As a former National Guardsman, I knew very well when I enlisted that I could be sent overseas. In fact, when I enlisted, I thought that there was a DAMNED GOOD CHANCE that I'd be sent overseas. My brother WAS sent. We knew what we were getting into, and so do all the other men and women who volunteer to be citizen soldiers. If The Dope wanted to be really helpful, maybe he could propose raising their pay, or (gasp!) increasing the defense budget to pay for more regular troops so that we wouldn't have to deploy so many National Guardsmen and Reservists.

Oooops... Then we run right into a lesson that the military (especially the Army) learned from Vietnam: you don't go to war without the reserves. They help form a bridge between the civilians and the military, and help keep up civilian support for the armed forces.

O' course, I don't actually expect The Dope to have learned anything about Vietnam. His life lessons seem to be limited to playing to his audience... like any politician.

Bah.

To me the flag lapels and the flying of the American flag was/is, at the very least, a symbol of unity against the non-uniformed cowardly terrorist enemy who would walk amongst us and kill people indiscriminantly. The flag says I am a proud American. The flying of the flag is inclusive, not exclusive. To deem otherwise, is projection.

He *did* wear it. He *chose* to ditch it after 9/11. He doesn't think the country is great, because he said he wants to talk about what will *make* it great. So, I guess it makes sense for a guy who hates his country to remove his flag pin.
He claims it's a substitute for "true patriotism", so I guess I'm not a true patriot. Screw him. He
is ashamed of my country.

I too am bothered that Mr. Obama choose to state several times that he does not wear a lapel flag pin and the reason he does not do so is that he has seen people that wear the pin act in an unpatriotic manner. I guess I would like him to define the unpatriotic actions and who he thinks acted this way. That may more define his actions than his not wearing a pin. I do not wear a pin. So, am I patirotic or not? You can't really judge either way.

And he said: "...I decided I won’t wear that pin on my chest,.."

Can you hear the contempt? "that pin"?

Not only does he say he saw people wearing it who were acting un-patriotically, but so what... why remove your own pin because of what somebody else does? This man is not a leader.

"My attitude is that I'm less concerned about what you're wearing on your lapel than what's in your heart."

So they are mutually exclusive? Is it perhaps logically possible to do BOTH?

Apparently not in Obama-think.

planetgoo... great point! I wonder if he wears a wedding ring.

I find it a tad creepy that someone who wants to be President of the United States feels the need to describe certain undefined actions as unpatriotic and then tying those actions to wearing a lapel pin (or not as the case may be).

So this is what an Obama administration would be like, no visible indication of any personal pride in the American flag or other symbols of respect for the country, just a secret feeling in his heart that we can all assume is patriotic because he says it is.

I don't think anyone has to wear a flag pin or fly the flag outside or do anything especially demonstrative of a patriotic feeling. I think that of everyone that is, except someone who wants to be President of these United States.

If the President's not going to be the chief flag waver for our country than who the heck will be? I think if you want to be President you better love that flag and everything it stands for and you need to show that pretty darn openly, we shouldn't have to guess how you feel about it.

Wear the flag pin Barack, it tells us ordinary Americans that you think the flag stands for something really special...the country you want to preside over and all of us citizens who live in it.

O'Bama needs some brain rest, in fact, were I his campaign manager I would say, "quit, while you still have some credibility, quit while you still have a small following, quit while you still have some money...Say your kids need you, say your wife can't handle things at home, say you need to get out there and start making some money, say you need to start taking care of your health but quit, you are tilting at windmills and are on a fool's errand" But then I won't say it because he is causing HERSELF to put HERSELF out there and use her financial resources and wear herself out (have you noticed how ragged she looks and the bags under her eyes the longer she campaigns (unless she gets one of those lovely photoshopped gifts from certain media)?

My guess is that he mentioned it at the campaign stops because Drudge was running a screaming headline about it all day. He hasn't been wearing it since 9/11 so that is four years before someone noticed. Now his campaign is telling him to explain it. I've been to some of his campaign events and it has never come up.

I agree with the Captain that it should be a trivial issue, but guessed before I even opened the comment section what would be the response here.

I have to disagree a little bit, Ed. Symbolism's important, and here you have one of the major contenders saying, essentially, that he's embarrassed to be seen wearing the American flag, because doing so isn't a sign of "true patriotism."

I've no problem with the senator not wearing a pin if that's what he wants --I'm not voting for him, regardless-- but that statement shows a political tone-deafness to rival Hillary's. I can assure you that he'll lose some independent votes over this. Who wants a president who doesn't want to be seen wearing his country's flag?

"If the presidential campaign can manage to rid us of that plague of color-coded caring, it might be worth something."

Spoken like a true compassionate conservative.

"It may win the day as the least significant issue in a campaign full of tiresome inanities."

If you ever have a desire to subject yourself to tiresome inanities, just read your own blog, and the righty posts that follow them.

goodguy said

If you ever have a desire to subject yourself to tiresome inanities, just read your own blog, and the righty posts that follow them.

Translation: goodguy desires to subject himself to tiresome inanities. In fact, he relishes it.

My name is Peyton Panning, I decided to stop wearing the Colts jersey because other team members are jerks sometimes. But believe me, I still think think Colts can be great some day.

Why do you bother goodguy if we are so banal, tiresome and and inane? Take your superior profundity and park it in some blog that is exciting and full of wisdom such as DU. Bwa-wa-wa-whoop.

I tell you Captain that what gets this family rid of that tiresome plague of color-coded caring is the car wash. We always forget what we are (or were)wearing on our trunks!

Ed: "So what? Big deal. I'd have more respect for Obama if he had just left it at "lapel pins don't solve problems," but this is hardly worth the attention it will no doubt receive."

-Well, you just gave it more attention than I had seen as of today... So, I guess you create your own myths...

As far as his point - The flag pin is being used in an unpatriotic way as of late (people wear it just so you won't question their patriotism) - I agree and I don't mind him explaining why he did it - even if he explained 2 whole times...

Ed,

I agree that it's not a big deal. But I do however think it tells us alot about his thinking process and rational. He sees wearing "that pin" as somehow divisive and dismisses "that pin" as faux patriotism.

"After a while I noticed people wearing a lapel pin and not acting very patriotic."

So he is now apparently attacking the patriotism of those he disagrees with. How about naming names Barack? Of course he won't do that because that would require him to be specific which is something Obama doesn't do.

It's fitting that an empty suit would refuse to pin a flag on it.

Obama reminds me of an hourglass.

Every time he says something the little bit of sand that's left seems to fall faster.

Assume the comment against "color-coded caring" refers in part to the car magnets that are so common. Car magnets are a common and effective fund raising item for community service groups. The put-down of colored ribbons and etc stikes me as petty negativity.

I've been on active duty for 24 years. I've been in Haiti, Panama, Iraq, Bosnia, Korea, Kosovo and a couple other places that I'm happy to have forgotten. I consider myself to be very fortunate to have been allowed to serve my Nation for so long.

I wasn't in the country when 9/11 happened and didn't return until a year and a trip to Afghanistan later. When I did return I remember seeing more flags than I had ever seen in my entire life. They were everywhere; on cars, on building, on homes, in trees, on TV commercials, in newspaper ads - everywhere. It was a fashion statement to wear red, white and blue. Lapel pins seemed to be on every shirt. It would have been cool if it they had stayed on, but for most it was something of a fad (I guess for too many the iPod cord kept getting caught on the little flag, so the flag had to go).

What's my point? My point is that although the realist in me thinks this not-wearing-a-pin thing is an unnecessary political mistake (on par with not kissing babies), I also think that Sen. Obama is right. Too many thought that by simply putting a shiny metal thingy on their shirts and hanging a flag from the porch they were being patriots. I think they were mistaken.

I believe that I help defend democracy, not fashion accessories. I agree with Sen. Obama that symbolism is not a suitable substitute for involvement. I think it's far more important - and patriotic - to be an informed citizen and a participant in the democratic process than to wear an obligatory flag pin.

Obama is like the rest of the gaggle of wanna be's. He'll do or say almost anything to get elected.

One thing for sure, to remove his lapel flag pin because of the actions of others, shows me (and I hope others) he's not presidential timber.

If taking it off is a "political statement"... Then putting it on was one as well... What did he mean-?

If Iraq was a bad war, what will he do aboout Iran, Labanoon, Syria, Gaza, Yemen, Kosovo, The Philippines, Indonesia, Burma, Darfur, Russia or China-?

Does he see any reason to react or respond before Americans are killed-? HOW MAN Americans must be killed before he will commit troops-? What does victory look like-?

Obama gets a pass. Hillary gets a pass. we do not know what they will fight for or what victory would look like in their world.

How many dead Americans will it take before they would act-? How many would it take before they cut and run-? I'm sure there are many who would like to know...

"Symbolism is not a suitable substitute for involvement."

While this may generally be true, symbolism is a big part of the Office of the President of the United States. The President represents all of the people of the United States, especially overseas, and there are many ceremonial and symbolic aspects to that job.

While wearing a flag pin by itself may mean nothing, Obama said he didn't wear it because he thought many people who did aren't properly patriotic. That is a dangerous statement coming from a Democrat since so many of them have reminded us so many times these last few years that we have no right to question THEIR patriotism.

This story reminds me about a baseball player (Carlos Delgado when he was playing for the Blue Jays) who refused to stand during the playing of God Bless America (during the seventh inning stretch) because he was protesting the war in Iraq.

Well, okay, that's fine, he expressed his opposition by refusing to honor the song. But he wasn't running for the Presidency (and God Bless America has had its revenge given how poorly Carlos has played for the Mets!). In the end nobody cares if Carlos Delgado appears to honor the symbols of our country. But I think most Americans do care if the President does or doesn't do that.

ck: The flag pin is being used in an unpatriotic way as of late (people wear it just so you won't question their patriotism)...

Oh? By whom? I ask because I can't think of a single person who waves their pin when somebody (gasp) questions their patriotism. If it works so well, why don't democrats do it MORE often, just so us nasty ol' rightwing Christian bigot homophobe chickenhawks will stop questioning their patriotism?

So, please give us some names. And also please avoid listing people who simply wear the lapel pin because they are blatantly patriotic. I want people who've had their patriotism questioned and responded by waving their lapel pin in their traducer's face as an unassailable counterargument, or people who are clearly NOT patriotic but wear a lapel pin just to give themselves some cover. Aside from the democrats in Congress, that is.

Somehow, I think that the response will be ALMOST as empty as the space between The Dope's ears...

And one final question to all:

When did it become "bad" to openly demonstrate one's love for our country?

Oh, wait! I know!

WHEN THE DEMOCRATS SAID IT WAS!

And another question:

Did the definition of "patriotism" change in the past couple of years?

Oh, wait! It DID!

WHEN THE DEMOCRATS SAID IT DID!

Wow doc? Bad day?
I've known quite a few people that throw the pin on and act as if they are more patriotic because of it. Apparently Obama knows some people too...
I don't personally know many politicians, so I can't give you names you would know...

Anyway, you are apparently extremely upset about something, and my comments shouldn't have affected you that way, so I'll just leave it at that and not take it personally... Hope it gets better =)

"I've known quite a few people that throw the pin on and act as if they are more patriotic because of it."

Exactly how does one "act more patriotic"? Burst into the Star Spangled Banner every few minutes, randomly recite the Pledge of Allegiance, shout I Love America!! to passersby on the street?

I'm just curious. No one is allowed to question anyone else's patriotism in this country so I don't get how anyone can judge who's more patriotic than the next guy.

Bennett -
Be telling people they are traitors or hate the troops or are socialists etc etc etc... That's how, in my experience it happens... Basically when people tell you how you really feel (instead of you telling them how you really feel), they are usually holding themselves higher than you... Sometimes people think being the most patriotic person in the room is a trait which puts them higher than anyone else - and to make sure everyone knows it, they put the damn flag on their coat. I personally don't need to wear the flag at all. What would I be accomplishing by wearing it? I have utmost respect for the principles I believe the country was founded on --- That's all I need.

But thanks for questioning how it's possible... Have a nice night!

Back in 1980, Ronald Reagan spoke about "welfare queens." People, then, weren't focussed on the malarky out of the affirmative action crowd.

And, how it "absorbed" the "welfare queens" ... into those who went on ... unskilled ... into middle class lives.

The post office is full of them.

And, surprisingly, the gas bags in congress isn't much better at representing us.

We got ourselves STUCK.

Dunno how it happened.

On the other hand, we've messed with some pretty awful stuff in the past; Slavery is such an issue!

And, so too were the early injustices that kept women totally out of the political process.

Yet, things did change.

Part of the swamp in DC has nothing to do with Bonkeys, either. But the mess that came about when lots of citizens voted "small issues." And, got taken to the cleaners. Larry Craig's only one example. But getting elected on bullshit tends to bring the worst sorts into leadership positions. Stuff for which they have no known talents or qualifications; short of looking good in empty suits.

It's as if we built this swamp with "special characters" and then provided a moat they never need to cross.

Lapel pins? This has nothing to do with it! (Up at Lucianne said he "gave up his lapel pin because he found it insufficient to hold up his diapers."

It's even more spectacular to think that Soros "thought" he could just buy this country on the cheap. Like feeding nickels into a meter, and never having to move your car; Soros should suffer the fate of Robert MacNamarra. People who are "too smart" for their own shoes.

While lots of voters are just disatisfied with the whole assortment of crap we got in congress. (It's like we've gone to China to buy stuff on the cheap. And, we're surprised it breaks down.)

I've gone on record saying that the affirmative action crowd has no leaders. This is true, too, at the post office. Where you don't have to work hard to have a very secure job. Government jobs don't give you credit for excellence. And, it's an old story.

Meanwhile, because of the Internet, we're aware of the problems.

That Osama attracts Bonkey insiders? Why not? They think they understand Black voters; and, they're pandering to them.

Well? Look at Larry Craig, and how he pandered to voters in Idaho?

Where's the leadership in congress? Okay. Around the pork barrel. But that doesn't work at influencing AMericans into believing you got what it takes to lead. Ya know?

It's one of the reasons BOTH parties are right at the crack, in the middle. Voters don't trust the "Lott" of them, as far as they can be tossed.

And, we're about to guess the "date of departure" now ... for Larry Craig. Sure. He's late. But he's not going anywhere. He thinks the whole airport will come to him.

Yeah. I think 2008 will shape up to be a LEADERSHIP contest! People aren't gonna be impressed, either, with the "meter" that gets the most nickels. The contest will be based on convincing Americans to TUNE IN.

Ronald Reagan did that. There are models that represent UNIQUE success stories.

ANd, for GUiliani? He has to hold onto his health.

Thanks for your post, Carol! All the awful number of trolls here tells me that their own neck of the woods is ---- what? I dunno.
Just awfully glad you posted.
Now, off to "tgf" and read a while.

Opps .... I mean "LGF"

I bought a flag pin after 9/11, at a convenience store run by an immigrant family. But I never found a good way to wear it on the band-collared shirts I wear.

I'm going to start wearing it now, anyway. It's time.

I live in a university town where half the cars are plastered with the most negative, cynical, depressing bumper stickers you can imagine -- most of it directed at the Bush administration. I personally don't have bumper stickers, of fly a flag, or wear ribbons or pins. But when I see someone who does I feel better, more optimistic.

In a perfect world, you would have serious candidates treating the opposition with respect and debating issues important to the country. Who are the serious candidates on the Democrat side? I know they're serious about gaining power, but by serious I mean engaged in serious discussions, not juvenile tit for tat gotcha gamesmanship. Do you see anyone trying to solve the Social Security/Medicare disaster? Or are they merely outpandering each other with who can trade away one group's money/rights/property to another group in exchange for votes. Do you see any serious proposals for dealing with real terrorist threats or just grandstanding and posturing? No I don't see any serious candidates, do you?

More to the point, the Left is all about symbolism over substance, feelings over logic, talk over action, so when one of their candidates does something symbolic, it's for a reason. In making a point of not wearing the flag pin, Obama is making a statement that he doesn't care about tradition, or patriotism, or national pride because those principles are anathema to the radical Left. Obama is a caricature of what every Liberal wants in a candidate, which is why he's able to raise so much money. But he is an empty suit flailing around, trying to differentiate himself from Hillary any way he can, and on election day those contributors will vote for someone else, just like all those liberals did when they voted for Rudy in NYC. He reminds me of Jimmy Carter and since I voted for the sorry POS, I guess I have "moral standing" to express an opinion.

Maybe it is a slow news day, but the more the voters know about the candidates the better. They can figure out whether it's BS or a window into the character because you know as well as I do that the last thing these Dem candidates want the voters to know is what they really believe in and who they really are.

I'd agree, you were you honor inside, not outside. (I am NOT referring to Obama specifically).

The USSR used to have a policy that everyone who was anyone wore a Red Flag. In North Korea ITS IS THE LAW that you must carry a picture of their leader. (I think you may actually have to wear it).

On the ribbon front, this webiste has graphics which illustrate how many of them there actually are:
http://www.gargaro.com/ribbons.html

Slow news day?

*cough*

Torture revelation

*cough*

Well, ck, you gave me the answer I expected: a big, fat goose egg.

Like Obama, you claim that there are people who wear a flag lapel pin just so others won't question their patriotism, but when asked who these people are, you try to change the subject (why are you so ANGRY, docjim?) and then admit that you don't really know anybody like that.

In your response to Bennett, I think we get to the meat of the issue:

ck: Be telling people they are traitors or hate the troops or are socialists etc etc etc... That's how, in my experience it happens... Basically when people tell you how you really feel (instead of you telling them how you really feel), they are usually holding themselves higher than you... Sometimes people think being the most patriotic person in the room is a trait which puts them higher than anyone else - and to make sure everyone knows it, they put the damn flag on their coat.

Imagine that! People find out that you don't want us to win the war in Iraq and then have the nerve - the sheer, unmitigated GALL - to (gasp!) question your patriotism!

It gets back to one of my rhetorical questions, i.e. when did patriotism get redefined? See, for most people, "patriotism" means supporting your country, ESPECIALLY in a time of war. It means hoping for your country's success. For lefties, however, it seems to mean the opposite. Oh, lefties LOOOVE "principles [they] believe the country was founded on"; they especially looooove free speech, like protest marches against the war; running newspaper adds that call one of our generals a traitor; calling our troops murderers, gulag guards, terrorists, etc; publishing classified information about how we try to defend ourselves; claiming that the war is a political stunt or "for oil"; or hysterically shrieking that the casus bellum was an inside job (o' course, they aren't so hot on free speech when it's speech they don't like; ask Rush Limbaugh).

But ask the lefties to support the troops or at least shut up while we try to win the war? NO WAY! In lefty minds, failure to carp, criticize and complain is downright unpatriotic! They show how much they just loooooove America... by proudly throwing mud all over her.

I wonder what's next for libs in general and The Dope in particular? Refusing to stand up for the National Anthem or the Pledge of Allegiance? After all, a lot of us "phony patriots" do that, and a REAL patriot like The Dope certainly doesn't want to do what we do. Possibly he can burn a flag or two to distinguish himself from "phony" patriots who would NEVER do such a thing. Wait! I know! He can make a donation to al Qaeda, because supporting OUR troops is something only phony patriots do!

That'll show us!

"It's fitting that an empty suit would refuse to pin a flag on it. "

Yeah,the backing might come off and cause a pinprick that would let out all the hot air. How embarrassing that would be if the suit were to collapse, say during a campaign speech or something equally public... maybe a bit of air stuck in the feet and hands just laying there twitching up at people...

You know why stuff like this gets traction?

It's the sneaking suspicion that lefties like Obama think the flag on the White House is a jingoistic, ethnocentric symbol of US repression of the brown people the world over ... and might not object to it being torn down, either.

Yes, Mr. B. Hussein Obama, I'm one of those nasty trogs who sometimes feels moved to display my country's flag - and I don't much give a fsck if it offends one of you deep-thinking citizens of the world.

Sorry, peanut, this and a million other things adds up to why the only thing you'll ever be president of is Columbia University.

It is what the pin represents that matters. Anyone can misuse anything.

I pledge allegiance to the Flag
of the United States of America,
and to the Republic for which it stands:
one Nation under God, indivisible,
With Liberty and Justice for all.

If this is such a non-story, why do I see it all over the place? He removed "that pin" from his "chest". He didn't use the word lapel when he said he removed "that pin". He said "chest". He doesn't
want our flag anywhere near his heart. His choice, but I don't think it's ho-hum.

ORGANIZER: But you have to wear an AIDS ribbon.

KRAMER: I have to?

ORGANIZER: Yes.

KRAMER: See, that’s why I don’t want to.

ORGANIZER: But everyone wears the ribbon. You must wear the ribbon!

KRAMER: You know what you are? You’re a ribbon bully.

ORGANIZER: Hey you! Come back here! Come back here and put this on!

New scene - Kramer in the AIDS walk. Some AIDS activists accost him for failing to wear the red ribbon.

WALKER #1: Hey, where’s your ribbon?

KRAMER: Oh, I don’t wear the ribbon.

WALKER #2: Oh, you don’t wear the ribbon? Aren’t you against AIDS?

KRAMER: Yeah, I’m against AIDS. I mean, I’m walking, aren’t I? I just don’t wear the ribbon.

WALKER #3: Who do you think you are?

WALKER #1: Put the ribbon on!

WALKER #2: Hey, Cedric! Bob! This guy won’t wear a ribbon!

BOB: Who? Who does not want to wear the ribbon?

New scene - Kramer surrounded by Cedric, Bob, and the other walkers.

BOB: So! What’s it going to be? Are you going to wear the ribbon?

KRAMER (nervously): No! Never.

BOB: But I am wearing the ribbon. He is wearing the ribbon. We are all wearing the ribbon! So why aren’t you going to wear the ribbon!?

KRAMER: This is America! I don’t have to wear anything I don’t want to wear!

CEDRIC: What are we gonna do with him?

BOB: I guess we are just going to have to teach him to wear the ribbon!

Clearly a simple pin does not make someone more patriotic than another. But Obama is not just making a wardrobe choice, he is making a statement as well. This statement basically treats the display of the flag and “true patriotism” as mutually exclusive. He says that he will demonstrate his patriotism by telling people what “will make this country great.” (Some of us believe it's already great.) Can he not act and speak patriotically at the same time that he dresses patriotically?

vs.

This is a non-story that's been picked up to marginalize Barack Obama, but his stance on the flag and its recent transformations are shared by many Americans. Those of us who feel disenfranchised and left out by this Administration have a hard time sharing in their zeal for a flag that they display with such jingoism. Deciding not to wear some pin makes him no less a patriot, and I certainly admire Barack's willingness to take a stand on his principles.

Read more and discuss this at The Coin!

Can somebody please ask him why his campaign appearances are still in front of all these US flags? If putting one on his lapel sends the wrong signal what does appearing in front of the US flag mean? I'm soooooo confused.

B. Hussein Obama is certainly within his rights not to wear such an offensive symbol of American imperialism.

And Americans are certainly within their rights to witness his discarding of the flag and make a decision of whether or not someone who discards the flag is worthy of sitting in the Oval Office.

I'm going with "unworthy."

I'm sorry DocJim - Just because you want me to fail, does not mean that I did. I answered your question - What do you want me to do? Give you the damn names of my acquaintances? Get over yourself!!