Phony 'thrown away' American Flags story
By John Amato Sunday Sep 07, 2008 12:00pmJust because Carl Cameron of FOX repeats John McCain talking points does not make them true.
Here's the DNC response:
"American flags were proudly waved by the 75,000 people who joined Barack Obama at the Democratic Convention. John McCain should applaud that, but instead his supporters wrongfully took leftover bundles of our flags from the stadium to play a cheap political stunt calling into question our patriotism. On the same day he agrees to join Barack Obama at Ground Zero on September 11, John McCain attacks the patriotism of Obama supporters who so proudly waved the American flag at our historic event in Denver just days ago."
---DNC spokeswoman Karen Finney.
I'm really shocked they didn't find lapel pins too....
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Typical. I get really tired of the fake patriotism that Republicans flaunt.
GOPers don't love America. They love being rich or being racist or both.
"John McCain should applaud that, but instead his supporters wrongfully took leftover bundles of our flags from the stadium to play a cheap political stunt calling into question our patriotism"
What? Wait...where's the rest of this story? Who did what?!
I don't know if my stomach (or nerves!) can handle another 60 days of this bullshit!
I keep logging on hoping to find some news to cheer, but it just keeps getting worse and worse.
Woe is me....
.
I want to know that there was NOT ONE American flag thrown away at the RNC...
.
the dnc needs to hit these lying motherfuckers harder than these lame-assed statements.
What a lame "response" from the DNC. The Replicants deal in memes that are easily absorbed: "Democrats trashed the flag." Our side comes back with a press release that needs to be read carefully to be understood, and that avoids the main issue -- never saying that the Mile High crowd didn't throw away flags, and that the McCain campaign is LYING.
Instead, we get "McCain" and "applaud" within a couple of words of each other, followed by the heartwarming news that McCain will appear at the WTC site on 9/11. All that does is to dilute the message that we SHOULD be sending -- it's another case of "John McCain is a real American hero, but..." (Joe Biden style).
Neither the public nor the media will respond favorably to this kind of pablum, when the other side is dangling bloody red meat in front of them.
Democrats keep trusting in people's intelligence and rationality. And keep losing.
McPOW did not wear his flag pin at the convention last week.
Plain Palin belongs to a secessionist group.
No problem there.
A bag of leftover flags at the DNC convention and the sky is falling, thanks to the cheap, gluttonous whores in the MSM who are too craven and grossly inept in executing even the most basic of "journalist" skills.
I want my effing country back!
I think we all need to sing...Gawwwwwwwwd Bless Aaaamerrrrr icaaaa...laaaaand...that I loooooooove.....
Waaaah...the Republicans are being mean.
Speaking of Lapel Pins, what is the Palin Fanmily wearing? It isn't an American Flag, but I have been unable to see it.
Greg
America is going to get everything she deserves.
When will the democrats learn that the repubs play d-i-r-t-y? It's far past time to take the gloves off.
Creetch @ 9:
The Palin women are color coded. Green lapel pin when fertile. Red when menstruating.
That way they can't violate the Bible by engaging in gratuitious sex.
nstead his supporters wrongfully took leftover bundles of our flags from the stadium
What the hell is wrong with these people? Are they trying to lose?
How about "McCain's supporters stole our flags from the stadium and we want them back?"
I saw this tactic in '04' ... the fox news reporter walking around after the crowd had left saying "Oh look here on the floor ... and American flag! I'll just pick this up here."
Disgusting!
I'm so sure they combed the RNC after it was over and found not a one on the floor right?
Disingenuous bullshit.
I’m ??beginning?? to HATE all things Republican.
I mean that goes without saying, but I try not to hate and I teach my kids to not hate.
But man, I am really so goddamn sick of these asshats and their stupid bass-ackwards world views that they think the rest of us share.
Their faux-patriotism and USA chants to drown out dissent … ugh.
It makes me literally ill and depressed because so many in this country still … STILL just bite right down on whatever hook they toss out there.
I'm sure the back of McManchuriancandidate's lapel pin says "Made In China".
Seriously, this is what people are going to vote on? Whether or not some cheap, plastic, made in china flags got thrown out or stolen?
F#*&! this country. I am about done with the whole thing.
Embittered & Anti-Republicrat - Max-Hussein-1 @ 4:
They put them with all the "W"'s that were "stolen" off the computers by Clinton/Gore staffers when chimpy was selected in 2000...
its a shame that this is even considered a news story.
jwf @ 17:
You mean when chimp "got-in" in 2000.
IdiotShrub @ 7:
Palin and the whole family wore a flag pin. The problem was it wasn't a US flag pin, it was an Israeli flag pin.
so, who do you think will be believed the spokesperson for the DNC or the party who (sorry, Obama, YES THEY CAN) just makes things up?
This shit has Rove all over it.(this rove has shit all over it?)
KKKarl is free to help steal yet another election away from the American people.
With complete.and.utter.impunity.
Creetch @ 9:
Israeli flag pins.
The GOPukes are the guys who PERFECTED the political "rat-fuck."
Dims need to hire so oppo thinkers to try to anticipate the mind of Rove, Davis, et al. Real devious, dirty-minded, low, skulking rat-fuckers...
Jerseyan @ 11:
Who do you think knows how to take the gloves off against these guys? Do you have any examples to point to?
Liberal AND Proud @ 12:
Stealing is illegal. File a police report.
Found in GOP garbage:
Shredded US Constitution
New Testament
dirty diapers
Service signs
Along with that, I'm shocked they didn't find a couple of pieces of apple pie in the trash as well...communists! fascists!
the stunt was first pulled this time by redstate, who found 6 bags with about a dozen of the flags in them
again, the mcfuckwad camp taking a page from the blogs
but if we attack palin, mciamapow goes up in the polls
welcome to the other side of the looking glass
C. Hussein Jr. @ 23:
Seriously, I think it's the Alaskan flag. Isn't hubby a secessionist?
Breaking news...Senator McCain had a solid bowl movement today.
So happy to hear OBAMA HAS GONE WIND-SURFING ! Decides to "take It Easy"
dosido @ 28:
McCain's dirty Depends.
The problem with coming out with a 'damn liars' statement is that there's no proof that the McCain Campaign specifically directed these 'supporters' to do any such thing. (Or that they're even McCain supporters, for that matter.)
It's the talk radio defense, and the same reason Rush Limbaugh isn't in jail for election tampering. He was just talking, you know, and he didn't actually mean for anyone to do anything illegal, and so he's not responsible.
But I bet that if you scraped and dug hard enough, you'd find some wingnut at the bottom of this one.
Only Obama consistently wears the flag. Period.
I read "somewhere" (as we say on the internet) that the Palin pins are for families of soldiers -- Blue Star pins, which get upgraded to Gold Star when your kid comes home in a box.
They don't look like either Israeli (sky blue & white) or Alaskan (gutting a bear with your hands) flags.
Creetch @ 9:
Buddy Christ pins?
The free market is at work. Money is free speech, and the money that controls the media is talking.
If you don't like the message...go buy your own tv station and put out your own message.
The air waves are not public domain. They are for sale and owned by the highest bidder.
So the GOP had written...so it was done.
Keep sleeping, America. Pretty soon you're going to have to pay corporations for the right to breath.
MaryC @ 13:
That's exactly what I was going to say. It was theft - pure and simple. We cannot let the right continue to own the patriotism label. We have to take it back and present a positive reason for people to support us:
America's BAraCK
Ron @ 34:
LOL. I was thinking of delegate diaper fetishes, but that works too.
Oh! I just found the Hatch Act in the dumpster as well as Campaign Finance Reform.
gawd I wish they'd state it straight out instead of playing games
wrongly took = STOLE
Liberal AND Proud @ 39:
We are paying them to missinform us. What's wrong with that picture.
Orangutan. @ 25:
I don't know! I wish I did, but I don't. It seems as though the democrats are being far too polite when speaking of McCain/Palin. I agree with another poster that McCain could be attacked harder on his contradictions and Palin has given far to much ammunition to use against her. Maybe I'm being niave but the McCain/Palin needs to be hit and HARD!
Jerseyan @ 44:
Hillary's a fighter and just the right person for the job. I mean that with the most admiration and respect. To hold Palin up as the equivalent of HRC is an insult to all professional politicians who are women.
Jerseyan @ 44:
Obama got over $10 million in donations in less than 24 hours after Palins speech. Does anyone know how much that increased after McCains speech? Use those donations to fight back. I think they must have more than enough assets.
let's stop wasting our energy responding to every little attack that the mccain/fox establishment comes up with and start putting our energy toward uncovering the record of mccain and palin.
there's MORE THAN ENOUGH there to research and expose.
i can't believe they're still getting away with this hypocrisy.
c'mon john...you have the power to get the ball rolling. hit em hard and keep em coming.
I am so looking forward to that glorious moment when we get to hear John McCain slur the oath of office.
relativityoftheory @ 47:
First intelligent thing I read today.
That is exactly how you do it. We waste too much time responding to attacks. If you want to win, you have to establish the message and stick to it.
That is Rovian politics and how the game is played today.
relativityoftheory @ 47:
We should be asking the big question. "IS JOHN MCCAIN THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE?"
linda @ 5:
Absolutely! This should be front page news. This could be turned into a huge gain. The GOP would be screaming with indignant rage it someone had stolen their flags.
Just because Carl Cameron of FOX repeats John McCain talking points does not make them true.
Yes it does. To the people who WANT to believe it and want a reason to vote for McCain.
As our fearful leader said... " In my line of work you gotta keep reapeating things over and over and over again, for the "truth" to sink in ....ya gotta keep catapulting the propaganda."
Obama better get out there with his own "three word" meme... and hammer it home if he wants to win this election.
I almost think it would be good simply to just start lying our asses off...
& getting believable home grown people to do it on our behalf...
Sad, isn't it....
Messages...and THIS is playing hardball.
Republicans are anti-poor.
Republicans are anti-middle class.
Republicans are anti-labor.
Republicans are pro-war.
Republicans believe in bailouts for business, but not people.
Republicans want to take away healthcare.
Republicans do not respect personal rights.
Republicans represent the worst in capitalism.
Please feel free to add more.
Hillary is a great choice. Maybe Obama is waiting to get the last word in. Let the repubs spew all their lies now and come back hard in mid to late October.
Embittered & Anti-Republicrat - Max-Hussein-1 @ 4:
There wasn't, the RNC recycles american flags by wiping their asses with them.....along with the constitution!
with all due respect, flags are just fabric with a colored pattern applied.
whether someone hangs it on the front of their home, wears one on their sleeve, lets one touch the ground, burns it, stomps on it or tosses it in the trash, it is still just colored fabric.
I appreciate the meaning (pride, disgust, indifference) people assign to respective flags, but it's all about the individual interpretation and not about the actual flag.
might be time for a big ol' mug of RELAX and move on.
We can use the same straw man that the republicans and the MSM use. "SOME PEOPLE SAY THAT SENATOR MCCAIN IS THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE." It doesn't matter who said it or if anyone with any expertise said it.
which factory in COMMUNIST CHINA did we buy them from?
Creetch @ 9:
It's a flag with a chord that looks suspiciously like a dollar sign.
http://media.hoover.org/images/sarah_palin.jpg
Ah,Patriotism,the last,best refuge of scuondrels.Hmm....who was it who said that?
Ron @ 58:
Now you know the corporate owned media won't publish and "he say, she say" about republicans. They will demand a source with a name, DOB, SSN and blood type. Pretty much the way they thoroughly check out stories against Democrats prior to publishing.
Whatever happened to "Someone stole some of our flags?"
Never ending war. A collapsed economy. Hundreds of thousands of homes foreclosed on. Hundreds of thousands of jobs lost. The dow is dropping steadily. There are millions of people being displaced and dying because of american wars on going in their countries. There are uncounted billions of dollars just disappearing into the pockets of oil barons and war profiteers and THIS is the best the rethug presidunce candidate and his minions can come up with. A story about fucking flags.
What's worse? The propaganda media will feed it to the populace and they'll eat it up like candy.
If Obama wins this election I will be sincerely surprised.
Abraham Lincoln was the last pro-minority Republican...and they shot him for it.
Republicans voted against women's right to vote, minority right to vote.
Republicans voted against healtcare for poor children.
Republicans voted against improved environmental protections.
Republicans have put more money into the hands of big business in the last 30 years than all Democratic Congresses and Administrations combined.
Republicans believe that their private lives are private, but that yours aren't.
Republicans believe in providing all kinds of money to weapons contractors, but vote constantly against programs for the troops.
oZer @ 57:
I could not agree with you more. Flags are not the issue in this story, they're an accessory for setting up a group of people to lie about them.
So it would be the same if they'd staged their fake shots with babies, bundles of money or vials of crack.
In fact, the people who did this obviously disrespect the flag more than anyone who would casually toss a cheap little symbol aside. They're using it as a tool to 'prove' a lie. And they're the ones who wantonly, consciously threw the damned things into the trash.
“A man who does not know the truth is just an idiot but a man who knows the truth and calls it a lie is a crook.” — Bertolt Brecht
Richard @ 60:
It's a representation of human Fallopian tubes.
Litterally,right on the heels of a policies not personalities thread.. .This, this bullshit... What the republicans are doing with this little flag story is exactly what I'm talking about.. Perfect example in fact. The only 'real' outrage here is the fact that these simpletons are touting this as something I should give a shit about...And I'm sure the media led by Faux is in perfect lockstep with the meme. Look folks.. Three years from now?? What ANYONE was doing with little toy flags or tiny little plastic flag pins either in this specific instance at any other time during the last year won't mean shit! It really won't.. What will matter is what the hell people like John McCain and his famous temper and Sarah Palin and her closet rightwing fringe ideas might be able and willing to do 'to' the nation and world with the power vested in them should they somehow manage to snooker their way into the white house.. In part, because people got all caught up in the kinds of phony dramaqueen bullshit this story illustrates instead of what's really substancial issues to evaluate these cadidates on.. I shouldn't have to state the obvious here really.. But, given the results of the last two election cycles and the famous or infamous I.Q. of the ironclad faithful and equally witless 28%......(Sigh)...It's only september and I expect this shit to only get deeper in the coming weeks... Standby... JD
"and" should be "any" in previous post.
This is a class war.
Why do you think the Republicans at the beginning of this campaign said NOT to make it a class war.
Duuuuuuuuuh.
Ok, Barack should say that he class warfare is not part of his campaign...but ooooooh...he can't control messages put out by others.
Liberal AND Proud @ 54:
When I first skimmed over that, I thought it said "ballots for business...", which I thought made no sense, then I realized it made perfect sense, then I read it again correctly, finally.
So I'll just add, "Republicans believe in ballots for businesses."
It's time to stop fucking whining!!
This isn't hard.
If we can't beat the old man of the sea and America's mother superior, then we may as well just hand over the country now.
Good thing that they didn't find out about the "fetus on a stick" snacks that all us filthy librills were eating.
Did you know that Saint Sarah can field dress a placenta all by her self?
Jerseyan @ 62:
It would never go over in the MSM. Just spread it around the internet. Do the McCain thing, give points. All is fair in love and war. This is war for freedom and democracy.
During the 20+ years that the GOP held Congress, they refused to vote on a raise in the minimum wage...but voted regularly for their own wage increases.
Mick Angry Leftist Piobr @ 73:
Was it her placenta, or someone else's? I mean, if it was her own that might be really impressive....
Plus, I prefer the "fetus-on-a-flatbread". I just can't stay away from the carbs.
Is Carville advising the DNC again?
Fanon @ 76:
That would've been impressive - field dressing your own placenta at age zero!
Obama has said he will raise taxes on the rich and lower them on the middle class and poor . Corporations and their executives will be dinged if he's elected . They control the message ( thanks to the late, inate Ronnie Reagan ) so what do you think the message will be ?
I watched Press the Meat on Sunday and Tom Brokaw did everything but hit Joe Biden over the head with a chair to get that "gotcha" comment out of him but Joe held his own. But here's the thing : why the fuck are the Dems on the defensive from these fascist tools ? Sarah Palin's first interview is scheduled to be with ABC's Charles Gibbons or whatever his name is . I remember the booing he got during the Dem debates . You think he's going to grill her ?
This would be happening no matter who the Dems had elected but thinking that the public is too smart for this is suicide. And if they are sandbagging then our only hope is the youth vote and freeway blogging .
Fanon @ 76:
But the stick is such a good source of fiber - especially when they still got that red, white and blue cloth on them!
The Repimplicans looove the flag; it stands for whatever they claim that it stands for.
It figures that shredding the Constitution is okay by them...it's got groupings of words that leave them no wiggle room for spin.
I used to have this "Lotto-dream" where I bought the boat I really want to take me to an island, well, never mind; I have a new Lotto-dream. AND THAT:S TO TAKE CHEAP POLITICAL STUNTS LIKE THIS AND SPLASH THEM ALL OVER MSM AND LET PEOPLE KNOW THE TRUE CHARACTER OF THE GOP! COMMERCIALS RUNNING 24/7 ATTACKING CHEAP POLITICAL TRICKS!
They are pigs!
surfjac @ 81:
With repub zombies suddenly buzzing to life and seeing their party for what it really is and voting against them.
surfjac @ 81:
Nice dream, but the ProfitMedia wouldn't run them, no matter how good they were.
Try the "aliens land and make me emperor of America" daydream.
See how much fun you can have calling an immediate cease-fire in Iraq! Then get our soldiers out and replace them with Cheney, Feith, Bush, Palin, Brokaw and every neocon, Repug and propagandist talking head. Arm them with flyswatters and tinfoil, resume hostilities and watch the fun!
Creetch @ 9:
I think they are wearing tampons, in honor of S(p)arah.
Was this "story" reported only on Faux Noise? Who gives a crap what that particular
channel has to say/report? ONLY the neocon/fanantical religious right wing idiots
watch and IF(as I suspect) this story was on Faux only, then it played only to the
hard core assholes who religiously watch that "fair and balanced" piece of shit...and
like selecting Palin as VP, is NOT going to have any impact or influence on the
informed/educated voters. Just more low-life crap being spewed forth by sick,
sick, sick people.
How horrible.
The press should cover this immediately.
It is the worst kind of lie.
Mick Angry Leftist Piobr @ 80:
Ah, flag fiber. Just like mom used to make :)
linda @ 5:
Tell me about it! I am fucking sick of being outraged and pissed off. What is with the DNC? Obama needs to grow a pair the size of Jupiter and go toe-to-toe with these sons of bitches. He needs somebody to tell him that sometimes you can't talk your way out of shit with dirty bastards. You need to come with brass knuckles and be ready to jump them from all sides.
The mothefuckers just lie, lie and lie some more. I gaVe up smoking in April, but dammit, I have been fiending for cigarettes like you would not believe.
I am not one to get down, but I am scared to death about November because the Democrats won't quit until they fuck it up for all of us. In the last week, they have been handed some gift wrapped, tasty morsels to hammer the Republicans with and they are leaving the shit to fester and rot. If they lose this, it is because they wanted to, not because the Republicans are more qualified.
me_over_here @ 88:
Goodness. He'll have to have all his suits altered.
I bet you didn't know that simply by wearing a lapel pin and waving an American flag, you could one day setup business as an American military contractor and overcharge the government millions and millions of dollars without repercussion. And if you are really lucky.. Gearge W. Bush will promote you some position you're neither qualified for nor deserve. And god forbid you get caught breaking the law.. because that just mean George and Dick will pin some hotshot medal on you and give you a full pardon!! God bless America!
THIS RESPONSE IS ABYSMAL. The McCain camp launched this storyline for the truly reprehensible purpose of furthering their "Democrats are unpatriotic and hate America" theme. The story was an underhanded and manufactured attempt to influence undecided voters. Do you think the McCain camp went in search of "proof" for their claim? They were WAITING for an excuse to launch the unAmerican attack, and this bundles of flags nonsense was close enough.
The DNC response was defensive. And defensive is inexcusable in these situations. The only response is to hit back hard. The use of language in the statement is just atrocious. Let me run through a few of the more egregious elements:
1. American flags were "proudly" waived and McCain "should applaud that.": This is idiotic. What is McCain supposed to be applauding? That the flags were "proudly" waived by Democrats? This makes it seem like there is something noteworth or exceptional about Democrats engaging in a fairly routine demonstration of patriotism.
2. McCain's supporters "wrongfully took" flags?: Wrongfully took?!?! The word you were looking for there was "STOLE."
3. "Leftover bundles" of flags: Can someone really be this tonedeaf? Leftover connotes "unwanted" and "bundles" gives a nice visual of items that are haphazardly tossed together. And no, when you are issuing a press statement, the flags are not "leftover." They were being collected to be given to elderly veterans or schoolchildren or [insert any Mom-and-apple-pie use you'd like here], for crying out loud.
4. This was a cheap stunt "calling into question our patriotism.": Do not EVER repeat the fact that the GOP has questioned a Democrat's patriotism unless the statement has teeth. Think Harrison Ford in Clear & Present Danger ("I will not let you dishonor their memory by pretending you had nothing to do with it!").
Do not apologize. And do not limit the response to a factual account of what there is and is not "proof" of. The point is to immediately put the McCain camp on the defensive. Here's what the response should have looked like:
"On the final night of the Democratic convention, 12,000 American flags were collected for donation to local schools and for use at future events. These flags were stolen by McCain supporters who then falsely claimed that the flags had been thrown out. Without any regard for the truth, the McCain campaign repeated this falsehood in an attempt to create a cheap political distraction. Over 75,000 people - veterans, schoolteachers, firefighters, policemen, and other hardworking Americans from all walks of life attended the Democratic National Convention because of they are committed to this country and to fighting for the change this country needs. It is disgraceful that John McCain would impugn their patriotism by suggesting they have anything less than the utmost respect for this country and for its flag