You’re a gentleman and a scholar and, best of all, a fine judge of humor.

I would personally welcome an autograph of Bush or Cheney — on a plea agreement.

I would guess that an actual deed is unnecessary, since he already has an OLC memorandum or two (classified to be sure) that assures him that in wartime he has full powers to commandeer anything he likes in pursuit of war aims. If he decides that my vacation home in the mountains is important to the war effort, he can seize it…..

Patty C,

I agree. It is a generational thing I think to some degree.
True story: when I was younger, I ran a marathon and some spectator had dropped one of those little flags on sticks on the race course. I couldn’t bear seeing it on the ground so I stopped, picked it up, and ran the last 16 miles or so holding it. People probably thought I was making a political statement…but it was just a respect issue.

Bush’s disrespect is also reflected by his ‘graffiti’, in the way of his signature upon our national symbol – which, given his behavior in the last near eight years, is also like spitting on our flag, in my view.

DW, doesn’t he have to show us a DEED first? Or did “the decider” decide he didn’t have to do that either?

Actually, I would not present a flag for autographing. That is desecrating it, in my opinion. Collectible or no.

I don’t think anyone disagrees with that. But in my view, this entire post practically mocks true patriotism. Does following some Federal suggestions on flag protocol make someone any more or less patriotic? The flag waver and burner could be equally patriotic. The very idea that an American citizen should feel badly for having his American flag autographed by an American president is sad. That’s not “desecration” — that’s awesome collectible Americana.

But I assume the post was meant in good fun. And I imagine that many of you would not turn down the opportunity to get President Obama’s signature on your own American flags too.

Who is the erring politician? .

It is a matter of supreme indifference to me as to whether our political candidates wear those little flag lapels or not. Membership in our civic religion runs deeper than the need to advertise one’s allegiance. I would tend to take more seriously those politicians who didn’t wear them, as suggestive of political courage and a willingness to return us to the days before we cowered before the “patriotic” McCarthy’s of the world.

“Therefore, the lapel flag pin being a replica, should be worn on the left lapel near the heart.”

Gosh, that reminds me of a certain someone who doesn’t wear the flag pin by his heart. Is it possible that another politician currently seeking the presidency is in violation of the statute?

I am not stunned that JT was too lazy to look this code up. JT, does this mean the hundreds of thousands of flag decorations posted on gravesites every Memorial day or the thousands of flags lining our boulevards in the city I live on Flag day have the status of a full American Flag? What crock.

Jesus Christ JT with the Democratic party totally collapsing in front of your eyes, you would think you would have something better to post. Call Keith Olberamnn for your talking points.

But I will take you up on that anyway!

DW

Signing something is am act of authorship or claim! It is marking ownership or title. So Bush is saying in effect: I AM America, or perhaps, I OWN America! [see: "L'etat, c'est a moi!" JSTOR]

Obviously Mr. Bush is asserting ownership of not only the political community but the entire property of the United States.

In short to understand the President we must understand Louis XIV!!

Professor DW Pumperflugel
Political Science Dept.
Wheelbarrow State Normal College

p.s. Psssssst, Jill, ‘W’ was never ‘groovy’ enough to be a ‘hippy’…

Hippies–I’m referrimg to the larval tense of the word. The larval hippy feeds on the constitution. You know the rest!

DW

last try.

We can’t prosecute him, because he has told us not to; and we would have advised him that he could do it, if he asked us, but he didn’t so we operate under the implied question doctrine, whereby our implied consent would have been extended making all possible action impliedly legal, so what he did was lawful under any possible interpretation…and no one will testify even if Congress asks us!

DW
(I want a corner office please)

Well, the statute refers to “Flags” and those little plastic things on sticks are properly “Flaglets” or “Mini-banners” and are not covered by the statute.

Besides Presidential Signatures are themselves in the aura or penumbra of implied Flaginess and enhance the Flagness of the Flag.

DW
(still trying for that job)

DW
(auditioning for an OLC position)