Updated March 17, 2012 - Tavares, FL - March 13, 2012 (original publication date) - Updated to add links to other press stories at 10:30pm (bottom of document) More updates added 3/14, 15 & 17. This has gone really viral. We are almost the only free source for the pictures.
The Lake County, FL Democratic Headquarters in Tavares has been flying TWO American flags outside their office. The first is an American Flag, the second is an American flag where the area with stars has been covered over with a picture of Barack Obama. A veterans group from Leesburg and media arrived today at 4pm to demand the flag be pulled down. The democratic Party Chair for Lake County, Nancy Hurlbert, initially refused to allow the veterans to pull the flag down, saying it was private property and she would review the issue. The leader of the Veterans, Don Van Beck, had a copy of a law saying that such "defacement" of the American Flag was illegal. Beck is the organizer of the Veteran's Memorial at Fountain Park, in nearby Leesburg, FL.
About 10 minutes later, Nancy Hurlbert came out and took down the flag. About 20 people were present, two County Commissioners were seen watching from a distance, and photographers and reporters were there from Channel 9 Orlando TV, the Orlando Sentinel and the Daily Commercial. Some well known tire guy named Ralph Smith may have tipped them off as well as this writer.
This is one photo. Many more are on our Facebook page HERE:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.379793598706586.94354.115680445117904&type=3
vj - pictures here and on the FiscalRangers Facebook page were taken by Vance Jochim. Permission is granted to copy them or details from the text, but please give credit to "Vance Jochim - FiscalRangers.com"
Other story links:
Orlando TV 9 video report - ABC affiliate - by Berndt Peterson
http://www.wftv.com/news/news/local/vets-angry-over-american-flag-featuring-obama/nLR5Q/
Orlando Sentinel ( READ the comments )
Going viral - this article was cited on the www.wethepeople.com blog:
This blog used two of our pictures and some of the facts, and gave credit to us for the pics:
Fox News Orlando Channel 35 had this short article citing the Orlando Sentinel as the source:
http://www.myfoxorlando.com/dpp/news/lake_news/031312-obama-flag-at-democratic-headquarters
Fox News Network (National) posted this article (3/14/2012):
Rush Limbaugh and Neil Boortz were both talking about the incident today, Mar. 14, on the radio.
Fox New York was tracking down the head of the Lake County Republicans, Alan Winslow.
CNN emailed me to get permission to use the pictures here and on my Facebook album related to the incident, which I gave them. (Mar. 14, 2012).
The Government Gone Wild Facebook page posted a picture of the flag and by 11:30 pm on Mar. 14, had over 7000 "likes" and over 1700 comments.
The ChristianPost.com Politics page used one of our pictures and gave us credit.
The Daily Commercial in Leesburg, FL ran two articles, one on Wed., and one today (Thursday, March 15) The 2nd one talks about how they got over 11,000 hits on their website by Wed. afternoon. However, their website search and design is so screwed up I cannot ever find the actual articles. But, if you search on the term "Obama Flag Campbell Tavares" in google, you may find her articles (Theresa Campbell, the reporter, has written at least three articles).
March 14 - the Christian Broadcasting Network asked permission to use some of my pictures which will be used tomorrow, Friday.
Fri., March 16 - This lists many hits on the Dems & their flag via a Google alert on the city of Tavares. FL: (I didn't even search on Democrats or Obama) - The ABC News article clearly is downplaying the event by saying it was a "Democratic Club" when it was not a club, but the actual Lake County, FL headquarters of the Democratic party.
March 16 - Attorney threatens to sue Lake Democrats - Daily Commercial, Leesburg, FL
http://www.dailycommercial.com/News/LakeCounty/031612FlagAttorney
This is a tragedy and a travesty. We don't live in a country of fascism or socialism. We should never, never, never place a person on the flag of our freedom, not Lincoln, not Washington and especially not Obama. The flag represents all those who believe and support the constitution, who have lived and died to serve it's principles. Obama should immediately be on the phone to this democratic HQ and request it be pulled.
Posted by: Raymond Williams | March 15, 2012 at 12:44 AM