http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/anthem.asp..Its an American custom. Good and fine if you don't like it, unacceptable when you don't use it in a formal occasion. Quite Un-American of him and you for thinking its fine.
Obama is a bad president anyway.
Looks like your email/facebook/youtube chain-letter bullstuff filter slipped up here, let me see if I can help.
Consider for a moment, that in this odd alternate reality that the posters of this sensationalist garbage have constructed for themselves to live in, candidates should be excluded from political positions if you can find a photo of them standing at attention without their hand over their heart. Now consider the number of photo opportunities that a candidate has over their entire career and the number of events they attend. Is it really reasonable to assume that politicians, some of which might attend upwards of 5 events a day, all of which open with some sort of flag ceremony, sometimes do not say the pledge or hold up their hand? That's a rhetorical question - it's not reasonable at all.
Some politicians might say it more than others but it really has nothing to do with patriotism at all.
Also, "formal occasion?" Not to belittle Senator Harkin, I love steak just as much steak as the next person, but I'm sure he would agree that his
annual steak fry is not a formal occasion.
