Obama finally agrees to lower the U.S. flag

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u.s. flag at half-staff

On Tuesday — five long days after the murder of five service members in Chattanooga, Tennessee — Barack Obama finally agreed that the U.S. flag should be lowered to half-staff to honor them. His order included the flag over the White House, at federal buildings around the country, and at military bases and government buildings around the world.

I’m glad he did it. My only question is: What the heck took him so long?

The answer is pretty obvious, isn’t it? The president wasn’t acting on any patriotic instinct; a lot of us suspect he doesn’t have any. Instead, he was just reacting to a growing public demand. In other words, he was currying favor with the crowd, not acting on any deep-seated impulse.

Earlier that morning, House Speaker John Boehner ordered the flags that fly over the U.S. Capitol to be lowered to half-staff, to honor the murdered servicemen. Boehner issued a statement in which he said:

At sunrise, I ordered flags at the U.S. Capitol to be lowered to half-staff, out of respect for the courage and sacrifice of the five service members murdered in a terror attack in Chattanooga, Tennessee. …

This attack is a reminder that our men and women in uniform are under constant threat, no matter where they serve. We will continue to pray for their loved ones, as well as take action to support those who protect all Americans.

Nice going, Mr. Speaker. I’ve had plenty of bones to pick with you in the past over your weak-kneed leadership of House Republicans. No doubt, I will again in the future. But you did right this time.

Donald Trump, the maverick candidate for the Republican nomination for president, issued a statement the same day, saying that he had ordered the U.S. flag at all of his properties in this country to be lowered to half-staff. And as you would expect, he also criticized the president for not doing the same thing.

We’ll see if this will help The Donald recover some of the ground he has lost in recent days, after his remarks questioning whether being a prisoner of war of the Vietnamese communists really qualified Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) as a hero.

“He’s not a war hero,” Trump said in those highly publicized comments. “He was a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured.”

If Trump’s goal was to get other Republican candidates talking about him, he succeeded beyond his wildest expectations. Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry said that Trump’s comments were “disgraceful” and that he should drop out of the race for president. (Don’t you wish, Mr. Governor?)

Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.) tweeted:

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker said there is no doubt that McCain is “an American hero” and said of Trump, “I unequivocally denounce him.”

Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida joined the pile-on, tweeting:

Almost immediately, Trump began retreating from his “not a hero” comment. Speaking to reporters following his remarks, he said, “If somebody’s a prisoner, I consider them a war hero.” But he then attacked McCain from a different angle: “I think John McCain’s done very little for the veterans.” And he added, “I’m very disappointed in John McCain.”

Nice try, Mr. Trump. But I don’t think it will change most people’s opinion that you’ve really stuck your foot in your mouth this time — maybe up to your kneecap.

Ah, well, The Donald is still leading in the poll of Republican candidates, which no doubt means we’ll get to see — and hear! — a lot more of his brazen act. If nothing else, he sure is entertaining.

But is that really what we want in a U.S. president?

Until next time, keep some powder dry.

–Chip Wood

Personal Liberty

Chip Wood

is the founder of Soundview Publications, in Atlanta, where he was also the host of an award-winning radio talk show for many years. He was the publisher of several bestselling books, including Crisis Investing by Doug Casey, None Dare Call It Conspiracy by Gary Allen and Larry Abraham and The War on Gold by Anthony Sutton. Chip is well known on the investment conference circuit where he has served as Master of Ceremonies for FreedomFest, The New Orleans Investment Conference, Sovereign Society, and The Atlanta Investment Conference.