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Bush-bashing finds its way into bags (BOYCOTT ALERT)
KING-5 TV SEATTLE ^

Posted on 04/12/2004 2:37:38 PM PDT by ATCNavyRetiree

Bush-bashing finds its way into bags

10:31 PM PDT on Tuesday, April 6, 2004 By ELISA HAHN / KING 5 News

SEATTLE – How often do you read the washing instructions inside your bag or backpack? A local bag manufacturer has learned to read them more often after finding an apparent anti-President-Bush message in fine print. The cat's out of the bag at Tom Bihn Portable Culture, a Seattle retailer.

The owners said the company found out Monday.

Inside their laptop bags and backpacks was a dirty, little secret printed on the washing instructions. How fitting that it's in French.

"Nous somme desoles que notre president soit un idiot. Nou n'avons pas vote pour lui." Which means: "We are sorry our president is an idiot. We did not vote for him."

"I just burst out laughing," said Tom Bihn, company president. Bihn claims he had no idea what was written on the tags they have been sewing onto their bags for six months.

"I guess if my French was a little bit better, I would have caught it earlier," he said.

But is it really an employee up to an old bag of tricks? "That's what we think, but until we know who it is, we really don't know," said Sunga Rose.

Some customers thought it was probably nothing more than a joke gone awry. "I'm sure whoever put it in didn't expect it to get mass produced and put into bags," said one shopper.

The company only discovered the message after getting e-mails and phone calls. It's been a hot topic of discussion on the Internet.

"A couple people were very angry jumping to the conclusions that we were French-loving Bush-bashers," said Bihn.

"It's not normal. I don't think people expect political statements in a merchandise piece," said one disturbed shopper.

While the company owners are proud patriots, they do admit they're registered Democrats who are amused by the joke, even if it was played on them.

"I can't really say I'm upset about it," said Rose. The company says it has a few hundred tags left. Once those are used, they probably will have the tags redesigned


TOPICS: Business/Economy; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: backpacks; computerbags; computergear; computerproducts; computers; handbags; laptopcomputers; outdoorgear; tombihn
The factory for this company is here in Port Angeles, WA.

This guy is trying to blow smoke up everyone's butt...now that he is being called on his misdeeds, he is trying to get out of it by stating that the tag was meant for him. Anyone who lives here in Port Angeles knows of Bihn's (and his employees') Democratic party activism.

Until he went down in flames, a "Dean for America" sign was in his store window, and during the major combat phase is Iraq, he had a "NO Iraq War" sign in his window.

These libbies like to call Bush a liar...look who is lying now!

LET'S GET THE WORD OUT, FREEPERS TO BOYCOTT TOM BIHN BAGS!!

CONSERVATIVES BUY ALOT OF THESE KINDS OF PRODUCTS!!

(After all, we have jobs and money, freeloading libbie/hippies don't!...and I just don't buy his statement that is profits have gone up, nor that they are going to Veteran's Hospitals)

1 posted on 04/12/2004 2:37:42 PM PDT by ATCNavyRetiree
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To: ATCNavyRetiree
I guess it was against the company's president. More of an inside joke really. No wonder the tags are being redesigned.
2 posted on 04/12/2004 2:43:48 PM PDT by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives On In My Heart Forever)
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To: ATCNavyRetiree
I wonder what would happen if the tags said, "We are sorry Martin Luther King is an idiot. We did not support him."?
3 posted on 04/12/2004 2:47:45 PM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer (The democRATS are near the tipping point.)
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To: goldstategop
Huh????? Did't you READ my comments????????

Or are you a relative of Tom Bihn???? ZOT!!!!

4 posted on 04/12/2004 2:49:20 PM PDT by ATCNavyRetiree (I can most times spot a liberal...they look weak, cowardly and undisciplined.)
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To: ATCNavyRetiree
Looks like Mr Bihn is amused enough to offer the "French Label T-Shirt".
5 posted on 04/12/2004 3:01:47 PM PDT by Sender (Support Free Republic...become a monthly donor!)
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To: goldstategop
I guess it was against the company's president. More of an inside joke really. No wonder the tags are being redesigned.

Goldstategop, shame on you. For a self-proclaimed conservative, your post shows an amazing lack of common sense. This is clearly a jab at President Bush; any other excuse is a whitewash. Think about it: when was the last time you "voted" for the "president" of a company? Small to medium-sized business owners are rarely referred to as "presidents" by their employees. And other than the board of directors of a corporation, who gets to "vote" for the company's CEO? Combined with the documented Leftist political activism by this company and its staff and I think the message is crystal clear.

If the tag had stated, "We're sorry our owner is an idiot; we didn't hire him," that would have been another story.

6 posted on 04/12/2004 3:02:15 PM PDT by SpyGuy
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To: ATCNavyRetiree
I was there yesterday, there is nothing to this story at all.
7 posted on 04/12/2004 3:02:25 PM PDT by ThreeYearLurker
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To: ATCNavyRetiree
I was there yesterday, there is nothing to this story at all.
8 posted on 04/12/2004 3:02:27 PM PDT by ThreeYearLurker
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To: SpyGuy
Yes but Leftists don't like Corporate America either. Considering how liberal Seattle is, I'm surprised they withdrew the tags cause they were perceived as anti-Bush. If that had been the case, it would have inspired them to produce more of them just to get in the face of people in flyover country.
9 posted on 04/12/2004 3:05:57 PM PDT by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives On In My Heart Forever)
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To: ATCNavyRetiree
While the company owners are proud patriots, they do admit they're registered Democrats who are amused by the joke, even if it was played on them.

Let's rewrite this without the liberal journalist's spin:

While the company owners are proud patriots Marxists, they do admit they're registered Democrat activists who are amused by the joke even if it was played on them they have played on the public.

10 posted on 04/12/2004 3:15:40 PM PDT by SpyGuy
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To: SpyGuy
Yes they are most definitely anti-Bush and employ people of the same sentiment. I know this from the Tom Bihn website, not personal experience.
11 posted on 04/12/2004 3:19:58 PM PDT by Sender (Support Free Republic...become a monthly donor!)
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To: goldstategop
Where did you read that they withdrew the tags? They haven't according to the above article:

"The company says it has a few hundred tags left. Once those are used, they probably will have the tags redesigned."

If this was truly corporate sabotage by a disgruntled employee, they not only would have destroyed the remaining tags, but they would have recalled the outstanding merchandise. They certainly wouldn't continue using the remaining stock of "vandalized" tags. And notice that they stated that they'd probably redesign the tags. The truth is, they'd be happy to print more as long as it doesn't hit them in the pocket book.

12 posted on 04/12/2004 3:23:01 PM PDT by SpyGuy
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To: goldstategop
Yes but Leftists don't like Corporate America either.

Goldenstate, are you really this naïve? Do you think the Leftists only own communes and co-ops? Some of the largest mega-corporations in this country are owned and operated by Leftists.

The days of big business being "in bed" with the Republicans died long ago. Unfortunately, the lamestream media is so left biased that they are able to continue to propagate this myth; they never write about the businesses and business leaders that are deep in bed with the Democrats.

The truth is, the Leftists have infiltrated and--for the most part--control every segment of our society: the media, the educational system, the government, the churches, the judiciary, and much of the corporate world. Even the military has been infiltrated and subverted. All part of their plan to destroy America from within.

13 posted on 04/12/2004 3:38:30 PM PDT by SpyGuy
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To: goldstategop
I'm surprised they withdrew the tags

They didn't withdraw the tags. According to the article, the tags will be used, and when they run out of them, they will "probably" redesign the labels. In other words, they'll keep using them, and when they run out, they'll make more and continue using them.

14 posted on 04/12/2004 3:41:01 PM PDT by alnick
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To: SpyGuy
Of course they would. And I'm not naive about the corporate world; I was just making the observation Leftists are hostile to capitalism. Its nothing new they're using the very system they hate in order to eventually destroy it altogether.
15 posted on 04/12/2004 3:46:46 PM PDT by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives On In My Heart Forever)
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To: goldstategop
They didn't withdraw the tags, from the article: I can't really say I'm upset about it," said Rose. The company says it has a few hundred tags left. Once those are used, they probably will have the tags redesigned.

Of course like typical lying liberals, they call themselves patriots.

16 posted on 04/12/2004 3:56:15 PM PDT by Diplomat
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To: SpyGuy
The truth is, the Leftists have infiltrated and--for the most part--control every segment of our society: the media, the educational system, the government, the churches, the judiciary, and much of the corporate world. Even the military has been infiltrated and subverted. All part of their plan to destroy America from within.

Wow.  Is it time to start building death camps, yet?
17 posted on 04/12/2004 4:42:38 PM PDT by gcruse (http://gcruse.typepad.com/)
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Comment #18 Removed by Moderator

To: ATCNavyRetiree
I've never heard of them... Must be a really great company!
19 posted on 04/12/2004 6:31:56 PM PDT by RedWing9 (No tag here... Just want to stay vague...)
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To: SpyGuy
"Some of the largest mega-corporations in this country are owned and operated by Leftists."
Too true! The hippie-core paint themselves as the underdog, battling the big, bad corporations that actually employ them. Talk about biting the hand!
Of course this means that ATCNavyRetiree’s comment below is untrue, but I assume it was a joke:
“(After all, we have jobs and money, freeloading libbie/hippies don't!”
All kidding aside, it is important to not underestimate the strength of the opposition. I aggree that a boycott is in order. I didn’t have plans to buy one of these bags, but now I certainly have a plan to NOT buy one of these bags.

As a side note: are we fueling the fire here? I fear that by complaining about this slap-in-the-face of our nation’s leadership, we’re helping to promote the bags. I hadn’t heard of this company until now. Is this a leftist publicity stunt? Sorry if I’m paranoid. I’m in Portland, OR, afterall and am definitly in the minority.
20 posted on 04/19/2004 11:06:27 AM PDT by iloveourprez (PDXGOP)
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