Holy War

If you're wondering about the scope of the anti-Barack Obama arguments that you're likely to hear between now and November, consider this astonishing tirade on National Review online from Michael Novak. The conclusion --

Everyone knows silly bravado when he sees it. So let me lay some out. Since Osama bin Laden is out to harm Americans all he can, it seems only right that we should wear a flag to make it easy for him to find us. It would be disgraceful to cower.

Except that it's not clear it's bravado. Novak -- a self-styled Catholic intellectual -- really thinks that Barack Obama has dual loyalties as a citizen of the USA and a "citizen of the world" (a line from his Berlin speech) and is therefore not man enough to always wear his lapel pin. And the rooster crowed a third time, or something.

And Novak is not just another Fox News goon -- the White House sent him to Vatican before the Iraq war to persuade JP2 that Iraq would meet the just war criteria.

Speaking of wars, Novak also reveals how he honours the troops --

As for me, I have been wearing a flag in my lapel since September 11, 2001, and with special care ever since American forces took the war to the place whence it emanated, Afghanistan. As long as brave Americans were willing to accept, if necessary, wounds or death on our behalf, I felt a duty to be faithful to them: “This flag’s for them!” And will stay in my lapel until they are out of harm’s way.

God forbid that the lapel pin be crooked -- it would hurt the troops.