Giving patriotism a bad name

According to the latest from the McCain-Palin campaign, patriotism is not evenly spread around the country and parts of some states are not real. According to these fine folks Americans from many regions of the country, if not most Americans across the entire nation, do not measure up to their high standards of being pro-American.

Joe Klien sums it up nicely:

Maybe this doesn't need to be said, but:

Anyone who talks about the "pro-American" parts of the country is making an anti-American statement.

Anyone who talks about the "real" parts of Virginia doesn't understand that all of Virginia is real--just not the reality as fantasized by the sort of people who see some parts of the country as more "pro-American" than others.

Anyone who describes one part of the country as "most patriotic" has lost all sense of what patriotism means.

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But, seriously, you have to wonder why John McCain has spent so much time questioning the patriotism of others, especially his opponent, in this campaign. Is it because he once signed a prison "confession" that he considered treasonous? If so, please know that we don't blame you. You're a patriot, Senator, and a hero...at least, you were until you started questioning the patriotism of others--by saying things like they'd rather win an election than a war, and by implying that they're soft on terrorists. Then you became something else entirely. And it hasn't worked very well, has it?