Oct 17 - 46/45 - McCain +01
Burning American Flags for Kevin Coughlin
If Republicans oppose flag burning as political speech, then why did they burn a flag in a political attack ad? Here are a few frames from the television ad:
When I first saw this ad I said out loud, "Did the Republicans just burn a flag?" Then a flood of questions came out of my mouth. Where did they get the footage? Did the RSCC burn a flag and film it? Did they pay a consultant to burn a flag and film it?
How many flags did they burn to get the footage just right? Was it a real flag or a digital flag? Is digital flag burning covered under the Republican's Flag Protection Amendment? Does the Coughlin Campaign or Ohio Republican Party plan to burn more American flags to draw attention to Democrat Judy Hanna's "praise for flag burners?"
When I first saw this ad I said out loud, "Did the Republicans just burn a flag?" Then a flood of questions came out of my mouth. Where did they get the footage? Did the RSCC burn a flag and film it? Did they pay a consultant to burn a flag and film it?
How many flags did they burn to get the footage just right? Was it a real flag or a digital flag? Is digital flag burning covered under the Republican's Flag Protection Amendment? Does the Coughlin Campaign or Ohio Republican Party plan to burn more American flags to draw attention to Democrat Judy Hanna's "praise for flag burners?" While I would never burn an American flag, I believe that it is an act of free speech protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution. If the Ohio Republican Party chooses to burn the American flag to attack Judy Hanna then I think they should have that right. The problem is that they don't think they should have that right. Ironic.
Republicans cut and run from Ohio update: "Senior Republican leaders have concluded that Senator Mike DeWine of Ohio, a pivotal state in this year’s fierce midterm election battles, is likely to be heading for defeat and are moving to reduce financial support for his race and divert party money to other embattled Republican senators, party officials said." - today's NYT
Press: This post was featured on Buckeye State Blog
By Kyle - 10/16/2006
28 Comments:
I don't watch much TV so I haven't seen most of these radical and hateful Kevin Coughlin ads. But, I certainly have less and less respect for him the more I hear about the ads.
The fact he has these ads makes me think he's pretty scared of losing and he's willing to do anything to win.
These ads only use Judy's own words and deeds. Nothing hateful. Just facts.
She's a radical left winger disguised as a mainstream Democrat.
America is evil and delporable? Her words.
Flag burners are democratic reformers? Her words.
Green Party leader? She herself introduces herself on video as a leader of the Green Party and paperwork at the Board of Elections establsihes her as the Green Party's official representative in Summit County in 2004.
And that photo? She actually paid for that photo herself, sat in the studio, had it taken, and used it on her own campaign materials! The RSCC didn't have to dig to far to find it.
Sorry guys, but this stuff is fair game. It's about her radical positions. That's it. I think it's one of the most effective commercials on tv right now.
No Mike,
Coughlin's well ahead. He's just taking no chances in a year when other republicans are running for their lives.
Another Dem candidate who shall remain nameless had a question on this state senate race in ther poll last week. Hannah's not in position to win.
Fair game?
What bothers me is somebody who is in the state legislature being afraid to run on his own record.
Instead, Kevin Coughlin burns flags and hides his true extremist intentions.
What bothers me about Kevin Coughlin is that he goes straight for the most negative, divisive issues he can. I don't like slick politicians like that.
The one Coughlin TV ad I did see made me laugh because he demanded we need to do something about education "now"! He's been in the legislature 10 years! Ha! Ha!
Funny, Kevin. I know Judy Hanna will do much better to support public education while Kevin practices burning American flags.
Fair game.
Yes, fair game. But wrong.
Even the Plain Dealer pointed out that Judy has a disturbing lack of understanding of the issues, especially school funding and that she has no solutions to offer.
On the other hand, Coughlin not only has a sound approach to improve schools, he's got a record of progress to back it up.
Put Judy's bag of nothing up against this any day http://www.kevincoughlin.com/issues/
Dear "Anonymous" (Let's just call you "Kevin"),
I've gone and read the Judy Hanna "Diary" that you cite as evidence of her praising your flag burning.
What her diary actually says is that she read in the newspaper that there was a flag burning near a place where she had been. She never "praises" flag burning.
Your idea of "fair game" is precisely what makes me believe you are unfit to serve in any political office. I'm calling Kevin Coughlin not only a flag burner, but one who is willing to just make stuff up as well.
Kevin Coughlin is obviously living in a fantasy land when it comes to truth.
Let me be clear: By saying Kevin Coughlin has burned or paid for somebody to burn an American flag, I am not endorsing that activity; I am scolding Kevin Coughlin for his flag burning.
Call me whoever you like. I'm sure Kevin Coughlin has better things to do than blog.
Dear anon (ORP staffer): Kevin does have better things to do, like dream up nifty distortions. I'm sure you're proud of him, considering he's probably the nastiest campaigner on your roster.
As for blogging, Kevin might not have time for it, but we're glad you do. Having you around to back up the bullshit and further twist reality is good fun. Humorous and cute, in that way kids are when they think they understand the world but haven't had a pimple yet. Naive.
Yes, Kevin Coughlin needs to spend some time figuring out how he's going to blame somebody else for burning the American flag he burned.
Meanwhile, Judy Hanna will work to represent the 27th District in the Senate.
A 4 year old could see in the commercial that it is a computer simulation.
Mike and Rehorse, you do nothing to elevate the debate. Always petty, personal, and juvenlie. Which is why these blogs get no cred.
Anon,
Mike and Redhorse aren't being petty and personal. They have presented the facts about Kevin Coughlin's record - he's done nothing to help education in 10 years! But he's out there whining that we need to change direction. Judy has never burned a flag, so to paste her picture over a burning flag is distortion and lying. Why would Kevin need to go to such an extreme if he had a record that voters want to see?
you guys can attack coughlin all you want. this legislature's a mess, every member in it deserves part of the blame for ohio's current state.
what is missing in your analysis, kyle, is any curiosity about exactly what judy hanna represents. this is a woman who, by all accounts, represents the far left. she has called for the impeachment of the president. she has denounced capitalism. she has praised flag burners. there are other examples.
so while you attack coughlin (which is fine, i'm not here to defend him or any other ten year veteran of this disastrous legislature), it's interesting that you opt not to offer any defense of hanna.
I spent one evening last week actually watching commercials. Folks our system has become nothing more than my opponent is evil,dangerous,lies,corrupt,etc. We have sunk so low that vision,ideas,beliefs are a thing of the past. Meanwhile what is often the tone of this blog? The same-who is worse discussion.
Nothing positive comes from constant negativity. If you really want to create a bteter world spend your energy creating a postive climate.
Having given that lecture Inow will go back to my usual pointing out the flaws in everyones logic.
After watching the commercial many times frame by frame, it is my opinion that it was a paper flag that was burned. If you look at frame #1 with no fire, you can see what appears to be a dark blob to the right of Hanna's name. Could that be some kind of fuel on the flag ro ensure a burn from the inside out? That is what it looks like to me. You can click on each picture for a larger image and decide for yourself. It would have been better if I had an HD tv.
I hope the Coughlin Campaign or State Republicans release a statement on the burning flag to clear up any confusion or to apologize to America.
Didn't you hear the disclaimer?
"No flags were harmed in the making of this commercial."
It's in there at a very high frequency that only the truly paranoid can here.
hear.
I can't even tell a joke right.
all you need to do is pick up a newspaper almost any day of the week to see what poor shape our state is in. its so funny how on the state and national level we have republicans running on "change" when in both cases they control all major offices. if we find out judy hanna has a poster of marx in her office she would still be the better choice.
as everyone knows ohio's supreme court has declared out school funding system unconstitutional 3 times. anon, name one thing coughlin has done about it.
tim
i read the new york times article. the most interesting thing is that all the polls we've seen show a statistical dead heat, but the republicans are basing this decision on internal party polls. i don't know how they came up with what they did but its definitely good news.
tim
Back to the flag burning issue . . .
Can anybody prove that Kevin Coughlin did not burn an American flag or pay for somebody to burn it?
Shouldn't Coughlin retract his accusation of Judy Hanna "praising" flag burning when the source Coughlin cites doesn't even say that she praises flag burners? Nothing hateful? Just facts? I think not. Read the source and show me the facts. I read it and the facts speak otherwise.
I agree with anon that Coughlin shouldn't be wasting $1 million on negative TV ads rather than talking about real issues. We're sick of that sort of negativity, and that's the whole point being made on this blog topic.
I'm glad Judy Hanna is running for senate so the people of the district can escape Coughlin's ruinous term in office.
well on the plus side at least our president isn't being accused of rape
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601100&sid=aLcRN8QriBA8
I just saw the commercial on TV. The part in question looks computer generated, and a great spot at that.
Ben,
Let's put our partisan politics aside and together issue a call for this ad to be pulled from the airwaves. If any Democrats burn a flag, I will join you just the same.
Certainly Ohio Republicans can find a more appropriate image... like an American flag not on fire.
I'll think about it. Decide tomorrow.
Burning a flag is burning a flag anywhere anytime.
Why didn't they just tie a homo to a stake & burn him?
The gentleman who posted earlier got it right. I shot the footage. You are seeing a piece of paper burn (with an excellerant--after all it is a short commercial), certainly not an American Flag. It isn't even a paper flag. This is a simple video effect--not even of Hollywood quality. As the paper burns with an excellerant a superimposed American flag has an electronic maatte (or wipe) that widens. We were very mindful of the comments.
Kevin Coughlin wanted heart attack
causing, food poisoning engendering,
obesity related, rotting animal
flesh to be the state food of Ohio.
Luckily, his bill died.
pcrm.org
COUGHLIN: FRIEND OF INSURANCE COMPANIES
Columbus Dispatch)Legislator put preserving a safe district over saving cities’ money
Sunday, July 03, 2005
JOE HALLETT
In an arena where Republicans rule, Democrat Paul Tipps has remained a successful Statehouse lobbyist because he does his homework, he works hard for clients and, as much as possible in the era of term limits, he takes time to build relationships with lawmakers from both parties.
When Tipps has differences with legislators, he takes them behind closed doors, rarely criticizing a policy-maker in public.
That’s why it was unusual — even startling — to hear Tipps last week go off on state Sen. Kevin J. Coughlin, a Cuyahoga Falls Republican and chairman of the Senate’s State and Local Government Committee. Tipps, whose clients include the cities of Columbus and Cincinnati, had good reason.
Coughlin, for political reasons, killed a bill that officials in both cities and most others around the state believe would have helped alleviate the financial bath they are taking on emergency medical-service operations.
The bill would require insurance companies to pay the cities for each emergency medical service run and emergency-room doctors for each victim they treat. Currently, insurers pay the victim being transported — an arrangement that Tipps argues is aimed at driving down the insurers’ costs — and cities and doctors have trouble collecting from people who pocket and spend the money.
Coughlin admitted telling another lobbyist that he killed the bill to get back at Tipps for co-writing a proposed constitutional amendment intended to end the gerrymandering of Ohio’s congressional and state legislative districts. He later told The Dispatch that while he’s "not real happy with Paul’s involvement in the initiative," the bill died because other legislators had concerns about it.
Over the phone last week, Tipps wasn’t buying it.
"I can understand why Sen. Coughlin feels the way he does, because he is concerned that he couldn’t win a race in a competitive district," Tipps said. "He’s frightened by this amendment.
"I’m disappointed that he abused the power of his office and punished every EMS district and every emergency-room doctor in the state because he’s upset with my involvement in this initiative. . . . He will have to deal with this issue in the election next year, because I’m sure people up there in his district will not forget what he’s said and what he’s done so far."
Coughlin already could be on tenuous electoral footing. His Summit County district, although clearly drawn in his favor, is one of the few in Ohio that is even remotely competitive. Coughlin won election in 2002 by six percentage points; last year, Republicans won 13 Senate seats by an average margin of 39 percentage points and Democrats won three seats by an average of 32 percentage points.
Of the 133 Statehouse and congressional races in Ohio last year, in only 14 races did the winner get less than 55 percent of the votes. The plain truth is that competitive legislative and congressional elections have gone by the wayside in a state that otherwise remains closely contested in presidential and gubernatorial elections.
Under the current system, whichever party wins two of the three races for governor, secretary of state and state auditor at the turn of every decade gets to draw the lines for the next 10 years. In the 1980s, Democrats controlled the pen; for the past two decades, Republicans have controlled it and drawn a majority of districts that they can’t lose.
When lawmakers no longer have to fear voters in general elections, they become arrogant and scandals erupt. Ohio has become the national center for them.
Tipps, a former chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party, has joined a coalition trying to change the process through an amendment to the state constitution they hope to qualify for the November ballot. The initiative seeks to remove politics from redistricting by handing the process over to a five-member commission composed of two members from each party and a political independent.
Coughlin and other Republicans who seek to preserve the current system and protect their political hides should recall what a GOP icon said: "There’s another abuse of power that distorts the democratic process, one that’s pure dynamite because it deals with political greed. It’s called gerrymandering, the practice of rigging boundaries on congressional districts. This is the greatest single blot on the integrity of our nation’s electoral system."
And: "No congressional district should be safe because of the way it is drawn. It should be safe because the congressman represents the interests of the people in that district."
Heed the words of Ronald Reagan.
Joe Hallett is senior editor at The Dispatch.
jhallett@dispatch.com
Anonymous commercial maker,
If that was really you, thank you for taking the time to clarify. I thought it looked like paper. Regardless, people don't get mad about flag burning because you are burning cotton, polyester, or paper. People get mad because of the symbolism of the act.
Coughin Campaign, since I'm guessing you guys have found this post, you have my word that if you would like to issue a statement regarding the ad I will post it on this blog in full. kutuchief (at) hotmail.com
Many of our readers are from the Akron area.
Post a Comment
<< Home