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.
Wow so according to him those millions of cars on the road that display flag body kits are in violation of the law? Wow so he’s saying that all of those buisnesses doing this are doing it illegally?They had better check MSNBC’s sponsors because I think a few of the major car comapnies offer thigns like this on new cars if you want to special order them.
Hey Martin, is it still against the law if a person flips the stars for Satan?
I’ve been finishing a Vince Flynn book this evening, with Fox on in the background. EVERYTHING was Sarah. It’s been nothing BUT Sarah all weekend. Every time I hit refresh here at FR, I’ve got a new ping from Onyx. It hit me a couple minutes ago, that the media is acting just like Jan Brady: Sarah! Sarah! Sarah! This is just getting HILARIOUS! Wish I liked popcorn! Oh well...could go grab another beer and laugh even harder.
Who is Martin Bashir? Is he related to that hateful woman on “the VIEW”?
ROTFLMAO!!!
What a lunatic.
Yeah!
That’s American.
I’ll a Coke and some fries with that.
Yeah!
That’s American!
I’ll have a Coke and some fries with that.
(fixed)
They were bloviating about Palin not being qualified on international policies, just days after our lunatic in the WH created tremendous embarrassment in London.
i was 10 and my brother was in Nam, Dad bought a tv just to keep up with the war news. i remember the day he ripped the tv out of the wall and carried it outside and threw it into the back of his truck - it exploded. my sisters and i were shocked by our mild mannered sweet ww2 vet dad doing something like that (we had never had tv before that) ...years later i realizied what he had seen - the flag burning commmie basterds protesting in DC. what a heart ache for a father with a son in the war.
Palin and Trump at ‘Pizza Summit’...lol!
Interesting...you judge...
LMAO!!!! Fantastic! I love the innuendo, the descriptive, just too perfect! I can see him squirming in his itchy, steaming ass pie, blatting like a soiled toddler about that mean, naughty Palin lady being so bad to the media. She's probably breaking Federal Law!!!
LMAO!!! This is going to be soooo flippin' funny. Palin is going to twist these imbeciles into whiney, snot-covered pretzels. It's already making my fargin day.
And some still wonder why we love this woman. Please!?
ROFLMFSCWAO
8^D
Here’s Palin and Trump loading the family into his limo..for a Pizza stop.....I understand he asked her to stop by if in Town so she called him. There’s other video’s of their lunch at the Pizza place on youtube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeli6hjzBqQ
OKAY, thanks, dearest (((caww)))
I love both videos!
I BTTT’d.
Piper is adorable.
Trump loves Sarah.
He always has.
He wants her to run. I contended all along that he was her stalking horse. I hope he raises $Millions for her.
“He wants her to run. I contended all along that he was her stalking horse. I hope he raises $Millions for her”
onyx, I think that you are correct. The elitest GOP “establishment” absolutely does not want Sarah to run. Why? THEY decide who runs, not this upstart. Trump got out early, when he knew his chances of being president were foolish. Trump was in the same situation as Sarah. An outsider. But! The “establishment” has always controlled the money! “If we do not want you to run, you can’t, because we control the money”.
Not anymore. Sarah can raise more money then the entire GOP in one week, with one word on facebook. Trump will likely triple it! The “establisment GOP”, meaning most of the talking heads on FNC, are going nuts. They still think that THEY get to pick our candidate. (We get to vote yay or nay, that’s it. See, McCain, John. Apparently, it was his turn. He was a member of the “ol’ boys club, much like, say, Bob Dole).
Bottom line. The rank and file GOP is cr*pping their drawers tonight. Because they realize the same thing that I do. She is running. They can’t stop her. She has the nomination. And she has no use for ANY of them.
Oh yes, you’re so and what did the old boys do today? They went to NJ to plead their case to Chris Christie!
ANYBODY BUT SARAH PALIN!
Well, those North Eastern Republicans don’t sit all that well with those of us in the South or the Bible Belt. We like our Bibles, guns and we didn’t appreciate Governor Christie endorsing the Ground Zero Mosque or that Mike Castle for Senator in Deleware.
Christie is tough against the Teachers Union in his state, but he’s soft on illegal immigration and the 2nd Amendment and that makes him a RINO.
No thanks.
Solidly with SARAH PALIN.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.