Caplis criticized Obama over flag pin, but omitted Obama's explanation for not wearing one

Summary: During a discussion about the April 16 Democratic primary debate, co-host Dan Caplis of 630 KHOW-AM baselessly asserted that "the only reason" Sen. Barack Obama does not wear a U.S. flag lapel pin is because "he has a fundamentally dim and negative view of the country." In fact, Obama has stated publicly that he decided to stop wearing a flag pin because it had become "a substitute for, I think true patriotism."

Discussing part of the April 16 debate between Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, 630 KHOW-AM co-host Dan Caplis on April 17 claimed that "the only reason" Obama does not wear a U.S. flag lapel pin is because "he has a fundamentally dim and negative view of this country. And he does not want to be put in that category that you get put in when you proudly wear the flag." Responding to co-host Craig Silverman's quip that Obama does not wear such a pin because "it could clash with his ties," Caplis stated, "[T]hat's as good as (sic) answer as he can come up with publicly." In fact, as Media Matters for America has noted, in October 2007, Obama said that he had decided to stop wearing a U.S. flag lapel pin during the run-up to the Iraq war because it had become "a substitute for, I think, true patriotism," and that "after a while, you start noticing people wearing a lapel pin, but not acting very patriotic."

Media Matters has pointed out that media outlets and conservative commentators repeatedly have cited the absence of a flag pin on Obama's lapel to question his patriotism. According to an October 4, 2007, entry on The New York Times' "The Caucus" blog, Obama addressed the issue during an October 4, 2007, campaign event in Iowa, saying:

Somebody noticed I wasn't wearing a flag lapel pin and I told folks, well you know what? I haven't probably worn that pin in a very long time. I wore it right after 9/11. But after a while, you start noticing people wearing a lapel pin, but not acting very patriotic. Not voting to provide veterans with resources that they need. Not voting to make sure that disability payments were coming out on time.

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

Addressing the issue during the April 16 debate in response to a question from moderator Charles Gibson, Obama stated, "I revere the American flag. And I would not be running for president if I did not revere this country." Obama continued:

This is -- I would not be standing here if it wasn't for this country. And I've said this -- again, there's no other country in which my story is even possible. Somebody who was born to a teenage mom, raised by a single mother and grandparents from small towns in Kansas, you know, who was able to get an education and rise to the point where I can run for the highest office in the land, I could not help but love this country for all that it's given me.

And so, what I've tried to do is to show my patriotism by how I treat veterans when I'm working in the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee; by making sure that I'm speaking forcefully about how we need to bring this war in Iraq to a close, because I think it is not serving our national security well and it's not serving our military families and our troops well; talking about how we need to restore a sense of economic fairness to this country, because that's what this country has always been about, is providing upward mobility and ladders to opportunity for all Americans.

[...]

I have never said that I don't wear flag pins or refuse to wear flag pins. This is the kind of manufactured issue that our politics has become obsessed with and, once again, distracts us from what should be my job when I'm commander-in-chief, which is going to be figuring out how we get our troops out of Iraq and how we actually make our economy better for the American people.

From the April 17 broadcast of 630 KHOW-AM's The Caplis & Silverman Show:

CAPLIS: Barack Obama knows right now that he's being hurt by his refusal to wear the American flag pin. He's being hurt by the fact he took it off during the middle of the campaign. So logically, the only reason he keeps it off is to make some kind of statement, and that's not a good statement in the eyes of most people who love this country.

SILVERMAN: But wouldn't you bash him anyway if he started wearing it now?

CAPLIS: Well if he started, I would want the explanation. What is the downside of wearing it? Why did you take it off for so long? You know -- I would want that explanation. If he started wearing it now, I think clearly at that point he would be caving, because the truth is, he doesn't want to wear it. That's the big point. Why doesn't this man who wants to be president want to wear the American flag on his lapel? That's a key question. Now --

SILVERMAN: Well, it could clash with his ties.

CAPLIS: Yeah, you know -- that's as good as answer as he can come up with publicly, because --

SILVERMAN: Think about it like today, I'm wearing a brown outfit. Red, white, and blue doesn't go.

CAPLIS: Let's face it, the true, honest answer to that question would knock him out of the race today.

SILVERMAN: What is it?

CAPLIS: The true, honest answer --

SILVERMAN: Let me ask you. Let me be Charlie Gibson. "Senator Obama, what is the real reason that you don't wear an American flag lapel pin?"

CAPLIS: The only reason somebody running for president takes it off and refuses to wear it even when it's hurting him is because he has a fundamentally dim and negative view of this country. And he does not want to be put in that category that you get put in when you proudly wear the flag. That's the only reason he doesn't wear it. And then when you listen to him talk about how "I revere this country." The only thing that he or Michelle -- I've ever heard them talk about, anyway -- the only reason they're proud of this country, the only thing they revere, is themselves. Is that "OK, you know, this country now, OK, because this country now might elect me, I revere that."

—E.B. & J.F.B.