HER PING LIST!
Posted on 05/31/2011 8:43:16 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
MSNBC's Martin Bashir on May 31 insisted that Sarah Palin's bus tour amounts to a "breach of a federal law."
Anchoring his eponymous program, Bashir scolded, "In fact, the whole thing could be in breach of a federal law because the United States Flag Code establishes important rules for the use and display of the stars and stripes, the flag of the United States."
(VIDEO AT LINK)
In his accusatory "Clear the Air" segment, the former ABC Nightline anchor lectured Palin that "standards of respect and etiquette" discourage using the American flag for "any advertising purpose whatsoever."
"She drapes herself in the stars and stripes and makes millions of dollars in the process," chided Bashir. "This has got nothing to do with the presidency and everything to do with filling her pockets."
The only problem: the Supreme Court ruled in 1989 that flag burning is protected by the First Amendment. If flag burning is protected speech, certainly displaying the flag on a tour bus is legal. Or do the rules not apply to Sarah Palin? In Bashir's warped sense of reality, conservatives like Palin would be arrested for flying the American flag at rallies in which they promote causes that Bashir does not support.
Where was Bashir's patriotic tongue-lashing for any Democratic politician who has ever flown the American flag at campaign rallies and in political advertisements?
Even if Bashir wasn't aware of the landmark Supreme Court decision that settled flag-desecration issues, he is still misunderstanding the section of U.S. code from which he cited as evidence of Palin's crimes.
The Congressional Research Service, a non-partisan organization that provides legal analysis to members of Congress, clarified that observance of the Flag Code is "purely voluntary" in a 2008 congressional report: "While wearing the colors may be in poor taste and offensive to many, it is important to remember that the Flag Code is intended as a guide to be followed on a purely voluntary basis to insure proper respect for the flag."
By doubting another citizen's patriotism and labeling her a criminal, the man who lambasted Palin for exploiting the American flag for political purposes committed the same sin he ostensibly loathes.
A transcript of the segment can be found below:
MSNBC Martin Bashir May 31, 2011
3:57 p.m. EDT
MARTIN BASHIR: It's time now to Clear the Air and to ask a question: what is the purpose behind Sarah Palin's current bus tour? It's difficult to ask that question directly because Sarah Palin specializes in checkbook journalism. That is, she only gives interviews to a network that pays her in excess of $1 million a year. So we're forced to make judgements from the outside and it all looks like the precursor to a presidential campaign. The vehicle itself reminds us of all those campaign buses that crisscross the nation at election time. The media are ever-present, catching her every handshake and every book signing. And the journey itself – visiting locations of national importance along the East Coast and proclaiming once again as the most patriotic American that ever lived.
And yet, even in her paid-for interview, she seems coy and almost confused about what she's doing. "This is not a campaign bus," she said on Fox News. "This is a bus to express to American how much we appreciate our foundation and to invite more people to be interested about all that is good about America." It all sounds like a wonderful commitment to American values and American history, but it's nothing of the kind. In fact, the whole thing could be in breach of a federal law because the United States Flag Code establishes important rules for the use and display of the stars and stripes, the flag of the United States. Under standards of respect and etiquette, it's made clear that the flag of the United States should never be used for any advertising purpose whatsoever. Yet that's precisely what Sarah Palin is doing. She's using the flag of the United States for her own financial purposes. She drapes herself in the stars and stripes and makes millions of dollars in the process. This has got nothing to do with the presidency and everything to do with filling her pockets. And by raising her profile, she raises her income. It is as simple as that. So she was right when she said that hers is not a campaign bus. It's a cash bus and she'll keep it rolling for as long as she can. Thanks so much for watching.
Uh, yeah. What, the found out the bus lacks the new $20K federally mandated diesel filters or what?
Excellent catch of C-SPAN bus decorated with the stars and stripes.
Now if we can post examples by NBC, MSNBC, etc.
I remember how horrified, truly horrified elderly people that I knew were when protestors during the Vietnam War were burning flags. My own father really thought they should have been tried for treason and shot. I was a teenager and I really believed the protestors would get in serious trouble for disrespecting the flag the way they did, I was amazed they weren’t.
Martin you ignorant slut
It’s stupid. A flag is a specific obect.
Just because something has stars and stripes on it doesn’t make it a flag.
Is he as big of an idiot as he seems to be or is he just spouting this B.S. seeking attention?
I have to know- because when the liberals come out with things like this I just can’t imagine anyone being that incredibly stupid and figure they are just saying it for attention.
To clarify, I wasn’t referring to Martin B, I was referring to the twit in the cartoon that was posted as a joke.
But from my experience in the media I assure you that ‘name’ reporters are 99% likely to be every bit as stupid as they appear.
....and he knows this....HOW???
Geeeeeeez! Just when you think that the rhetoric can’t get
any more ridiculous! LOL!
Just what we need, a gay limey lecturing Americans on US flag etiquette.
Idiots - looking for trouble and attention.
Any smear will do. BOGUS!
Beer on my monitor. You win.
Someone needs to produce that pick of Bill Ayers stomping on the flag.
Miserable Cretin.
I did not read far enough. I asked for it and found you had already produced the pic.
Thanks.
"Ok, Martin, now that I've let you ride my choo choo, you have to give me what we agreed on, you naughty boy!"
Don’t appologize for Pings Onyx...Sarah’s on the move and everybody’s watching her...why shouldn’t we!
But this guy is a perfect example of how an idiot sounds...amazing stupidity..
I believe the networks still have a policy against displaying the American flag or anything patriotic. You may recall the controversy after 9/11 when NBC, MSNBC, & ABC anchors were told to abide by that "long-standing" policy.
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