Joe Klein falsely suggested Obama's focus on patriotism is new

SUMMARY: In his Time column, Joe Klein claimed that Sen. Barack Obama is aware of the "potential problem" of his "patriotism," as "patriotism replaced hope as a theme of his [March 4] concession speech [in Texas]." As evidence, Klein wrote that Obama "echoed John McCain in citing Abraham Lincoln, and called America 'the last best hope on Earth.' " Klein then falsely claimed: "That was the only 'hope' he mentioned -- a fascinating calibration." In fact, Obama mentioned "hope" at other points in the speech, and he has repeatedly used Lincoln's "the last best hope on Earth" line during his presidential campaign.

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