Being something of a fan of the First Amendment (it's one of my favorite amendments, in fact), I was somewhat taken aback by Rep. Michele Bachmann's remark that she is concerned that Barack Obama may have "anti-American views." And, of course, her calling on the media to investigate her fellow members of Congress to determine whether they are anti- or pro-America didn't help either.
Congress itself once did the investigating of the "un-American," so some may think turnabout is fair play. But I think the vast majority of folks realize that what is and is not "un-American" (or anti-American) hinges largely on the mindset of the one tossing around the inflammatory word. Offering constructive criticisms of one's country is the hallmark of a free society, and, if you ask me, a higher form of patriotism than mouthing platitudes as it heads down the wrong path.
Bachmann has since backed off her unfortunate comments to some degree, so hopefully that's the end of it. Just in case, I am switching to American cheese on all my luncheon sandwiches, lest I be labeled anti-American. I have always been neutral toward Swiss cheese anyway. And, needless to say, I won't be having that sandwich on French bread ...
In any event, I'd expect a lot more nasty attacks and counterattacks leading up to the election. The good news is there's just two weeks to go. Then we can finally start talking about who is going to run in 2012 ...
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