Bird’s-Eye View

Tennessee Republicans have launched a new Web video, four minutes of slamming Michelle Obama, Barack’s wife, for her comment earlier this year explaining how she’s proud of America “for the first time in my adult life.”

From CNN.com:

It features several Tennesseans saying why they are proud of America while repeatedly cutting to Mrs. Obama’s comments.

“The Tennessee Republican Party has always been proud of America. To further honor the occasion of Mrs. Obama’s (upcoming) visit, the Tennessee Republican Party has requested the playing of patriotic music by radio stations across the state,” said a statement on the party’s Web site that accompanied the video.

“While Mrs. Obama has trouble being proud of the country where she earned degrees from Princeton University and Harvard Law School and then became a multi-millionaire, her husband makes statements that belittle average Americans’ response to the difficulties of life.”

Well, let’s be fair. I’d ask any of those Tennessee Republicans to walk in the shoes of an African-American woman for just one mile, then tell me how proud of America they are. They may to some degree great or small retain some of their earlier love-of-country, but they would have a new perspective on how hard the “pursuit of happiness” is.