http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php? … geId=74563
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2070971/posts
http://blogs.denverpost.com/opinion/200 … recycling/
Quoting the last one...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2070971/posts
http://blogs.denverpost.com/opinion/200 … recycling/
Quoting the last one...
This morning, Republicans tell me that a worker at Invesco Field in Denver saved thousands of unused flags from the Democratic National Convention that were headed for the garbage. Guerrilla campaigning. They will use these flags at their own event today in Colorado Springs with John McCain and Sarah Palin.
Before McCain speaks today, veterans will haul these garbage bags filled with flags out onto the stage — with dramatic effect, no doubt — and tell the story.
“What you see in the picture I sent you is less than half of total flags,” a Republican official emailed. “We estimate the total number to be around 12,000 small flags and one full size 3×5 flag.”
I’m not sure what the DNC was supposed to do with unused hand-flags, frankly. But the Republicans are obviously questioning someone’s patriotism here.
(Democratic Party response below picture.)
UPDATE I: I just spoke with the person at Invesco who found the flags and he thinks both sides are exaggerating a bit. The person claims the majority of the bags with flags in them were near the trash, on a dock, and would have been thrown away. The person thinks it was probably an “oversight” by the Democrats rather than any nefarious plot against the flag. But the person doesn’t believe anyone was coming to get them: “The flags were there for a week and a day and no one came looking for them.”
One thing I know for certain: Barack Obama didn’t order anyone to throw out 12,000 American flags.
Here are the statements from the Democrats.
“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.”
– Democratic National Committee Spokeswoman Karen Finney
“Stories circulating about flags at the Democratic National Convention are false. We distributed more than 125,000 American made flags at the Convention - the flags removed from Invesco field were intended for other events and taken without permission. It’s disappointing that someone would take American flags without authorization and then falsely describe how they were being used. We have the utmost respect for the American flag, and it’s sad to see them being used for a cheap political stunt.”
– Democratic National Convention Committee
UPDATE II: Here is a Huffington Post by Nico Pitney:
Fox News’ Carl Cameron and Bonney Kapp reported that they had “been told” that “a vendor at Invesco Field found the flags, which were going to be thrown out, and turned them over to the McCain campaign.”
The Democratic convention official says that’s not true.
“It’s pretty reprehensible on their part,” he said. “Someone made an assumption, took the flags, and essentially lied about what was going to happen to them. I mean, c’mon, we were never ever going to throw out flags.”
Having spoken to the person who found the bags, it’s difficult to believe that anyone was coming to get them a week after the convention — or that they were “stolen.” If so, what is the name of the person who was coming to pick them up? I’ve sent a query asking that question.
It sounds to me like some intern or volunteer probably made a mistake with these flags and the McCain campaign used it to pull a gotcha.
UPDATE III: There are a lot of angry emails over my comment regarding the flag (”I’m not sure what the DNC was supposed to do with unused hand-flags, frankly.”) Sorry, I’ve never disposed of an American flag in my life. But this is how if the need arises.
UPDATE IV: RedState has some photos of discarded flags. All I can say is, Republican Party better make sure every image of the flag is properly dealt with at every single rally for the rest of its existence.
