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Obama Combats Patriotism Claims

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The Associated Press

Published: May 13, 2008

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Wearing a flag lapel pin, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama emphasized his patriotism and support for a strong, humane military Monday, while New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton implored West Virginians to sustain her hopes of somehow denying him the Democratic presidential nomination.

Obama expects Clinton to win today's primary in West Virginia, with its large numbers of working-class whites who usually back the former first lady - and strong military tradition. He used his visit to Charleston to combat critics' claims that he is not particularly patriotic or ready to be commander in chief, in part because he never served in the military, usually does not wear a flag pin and opposed the Iraq war from the start.

Obama broke from his usual practice by wearing the flag pin and reading his speech instead of talking without notes. He told several thousand people at the Charleston Civic Center that patriotism means more than saluting flags and holding parades. He criticized Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain of Arizona for opposing a Democratic bill to expand education benefits for veterans.

"At a time when we're facing the largest homecoming since the second World War," Obama said of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, "the true test of our patriotism is whether we will serve our returning heroes as well as they've served us."

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