Mike Allen's hatchet job on Barack Obama smacks of McCarthyism

On Saturday, Mike Allen offered an article on politico.com arguing that the Jeremiah Wright's comments will prove to be a problem for Barack Obama over the long-run, not so much on racial issues but as a way of challenging Obama's patriotism.

For the most-part, it's a hackish run-down of conservatives pressing the guilt-by-association line, bashing Barack Obama for the statements of his former pastor. In the column, Allen quotes Bill O'Reilly, Newt Gingrich, and Tony Perkins (head of the far-right Family Research Council) in his column, but fails to quote a single pro-Obama source. C'mon, Mike. Do your job.

The thing that really crossed a line, however, was this paragraph:

And it revived conservative chatter about Obama’s patriotism that has been fueled by rumors he does not put his hand on his heart for the Pledge of Allegiance (false) and stopped wearing a flag lapel pin (true).

Allen's statement about the flag lapel pin is so misleading that it almost appears to be a deliberate attempt to smear Barack Obama.

Especially in the context of this article, the clear implication of Allen's statement is that Barack Obama does not wear a flag lapel pin to express reservations about America. Allen, of course, saves his ass by not directly saying this, but what he leaves out (intentionally or otherwise) is just as important as what he lives in.

He doesn't tell the reader that Barack Obama has directly addressed the issue of why he does not wear a flag lapel pin. The reason, Obama says, is that he is offended by the notion that patriotism can be reduced to a button on a jacket. It in no way whatsoever is a slight against America or this country. He just feels it is important to express one's patriotism in more meaningful ways. You can agree or disagree, but you can't say that his reasoning is anti-American -- and that is the clear implication of Allen's irresponsible language.

Moreover, given the fact that Barack Obama has publicly addressed this issue, it's hardly fair to call it a rumor. Allen's job is words, so he ought to know the definition of the term. From Merriam-Webster:

1: talk or opinion widely disseminated with no discernible source
2: a statement or report current without known authority for its truth
3 archaic : talk or report of a notable person or event
4: a soft low indistinct sound : murmur

You see, the proposition that Barack Obama "stopped wearing a flag lapel pin" is not a rumor. It's a fact, explained by Barack Obama.

The rumor is that Barack Obama is not sufficiently patriotic. The rumor is that the reason Barack Obama does not wear a flag lapel pin is to express his disdain for America.

Those rumors are false.

Allen's article smacks of McCarthyism. I expect it from right-wingers. But journalists?

Hopefully, Mike Allen was just being sloppy. Everybody has bad days. It's even possible he's getting swept up into the hysteria and will once again find his independent voice.

It's definitely worth keeping an eye out for this kind of stuff, though -- not just from Mike Allen in particular, but from all reporters.