Follow up on the "Marines Disrespected in San Francisco" Bruhaha

[Predicto]

Looks like another mountain out of a molehill to me. But it doesn't matter. Millions of right wingers were convinced of the truth of the matter and have moved on to the next outrage, secure in their knowledge that the Marines were treated like cr*p by the evil left coast commies. Doesn't matter what actually happened.

Now, there is no question that a few of our local city politicians deserve the scorn that people are heaping down on all of us out here, and there have been other incidents that had a bit more substance than this one, but this thing was overblown.

Now I have to go cheer on the Blue Angels. Ill be back later.

To the rest of the United States, the San Francisco Bay Area is the nation's stronghold of pinkos, radicals, traitors and dangerous fringe groups.

And the proof came last week in reports that the city that allows a group called Dykes on Bikes to parade up Market Street had refused to allow the U.S. Marine Corps to make a television recruiting commercial in the Financial District. And, some said, the city had insulted the Marine Corps, to boot.

The situation got even worse when 200 Marines and soldiers returning from Iraq were prevented from entering the passenger terminal at the Oakland International Airport for so-called "security reasons."

Conservative Internet sites and the Fox television network were full of invective about the Bay Area and the "far left coast."

But, as it turns out, the stories about the Marine commercial weren't exactly true - the city did issue a permit to make the recruiting TV commercial, but not on the day the film company the Marines had hired wanted. The company ended up filming the Marines on the Marin side of the Golden Gate, with the Golden Gate Bridge and the city in the background.

The Oakland airport incident turned out to be less of an insult to the Marines and soldiers than a miscommunication between the airport and the Marines' charter airline and its ground crew. Oakland Mayor Ronald Dellums promised that such an incident would never happen again.

But the damage had been done. "It felt like being spit on," Brandon Harding, a chaplain with the 3rd Marine Regiment, wrote in an Internet posting that made its rounds among the Marines. Retired Rear Adm. James Carey, chairman of the National Defense Committee, a pro-military organization, wrote in another posting circulating online that "While many of us joke about 'the left coast' and the liberal leftists in la-la land, this is disgusting and surely nothing to joke about."

Also this tidbit:

The mayor's office also released a statement from Tight Films, the production company that is making the Marine commercial, saying that San Francisco treated the film crew and the Marines "with respect and professionalism."

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...sn=001&sc=1000

[Sarge]

Commies!!!!!

[terpskins]

Yeah, the whole Oakland airport thing was a little ridiculous.

If you want to use the terminals, follow the rules. It's unfortunate that the charter company didn't request use of the terminals, like they were supposed to. It's also unfortunate that the affected Marines made it an issue of being made to feel unwelcome in the USA, when in fact, that was not the case at all.

[LD0506]

ah yes, someone must have just (what was that?) "misinterpreted the rules" somewhere, the Belichek defense

Seriously though, how do we know this isn't the usual after the fact spin control whenever something hits the news? SF is a nice place, I enjoyed all the time I spent there but no can or is claiming it isn't for all intents and purposes a hotbed of pinko-commie-subversive-flag burners are they? I've gotten the impression that some wear those labels with pride.

[skinfan13]

yeah even I, who plans on comissioning in the corps, think this is a little ridiculous and overblown. but still, SF has been a little bit less warm to the US military in the past, so i can see where some people might have justified over reacting.

[Predicto]

ah yes, someone must have just (what was that?) "misinterpreted the rules" somewhere, the Belichek defense

Seriously though, how do we know this isn't the usual after the fact spin control whenever something hits the news? SF is a nice place, I enjoyed all the time I spent there but no can or is claiming it isn't for all intents and purposes a hotbed of pinko-commie-subversive-flag burners are they? I've gotten the impression that some wear those labels with pride.

Sure, some do. We have our share of jerks. At least two of them are on our Baord of Supervisors.

However, I think that you know this is not "the usual after the fact spin control whenever something hits the news" by the following:

1) They were actually given their permit to film, just the time was changed;

2) The airport thing was total nonsense

3) The Marines own production company that is making the commercial says that San Francisco treated the film crew and the Marines "with respect and professionalism."

[Lombardi's_kid_brother]

The Right-Wing Media misinterpreted a story to portray liberals in a negative light?

Clutch the pearls!

[Predicto]

yeah even I, who plans on comissioning in the corps, think this is a little ridiculous and overblown. but still, SF has been a little bit less warm to the US military in the past, so i can see where some people might have justified over reacting.

No question that individuals would be justified in reacting strongly based on what they were told at the beginning.

But who told them about the outrage, and how much investigating did they do before running with it, remains an interesting question. It followed the usual pattern. Fox makes a quick and dirty one-sided report, then the blogs and Rush and Hannity run with it. And now they move on to the next outrage without ever examining the reality behind the thing.

Stuff like this is how people become convinced that they are under siege by a world full of evil leftist haters. Because they vaguely remember the dozens of outrages that they have felt in the past. How many of them were real?

[LD0506]

Sure, some do. We have our share of jerks. At least two of them are on our Baord of Supervisors.

However, I think that you know this is not "the usual after the fact spin control whenever something hits the news" by the following:

1) They were actually given their permit to film, just the time was changed;

2) The airport thing was total nonsense

3) The Marines own production company that is making the commercial says that San Francisco treated the film crew and the Marines "with respect and professionalism."

I am not trying to yank your chain here, honestly, but this is just another case of who do you believe and how much 'cuz from where I'm at it could be 100% BS and I couldn't testify either way in court. Were they treated with respect and professionalism, or was someone ordered to treat them with kid gloves after the story started making the rounds? My comment wasn't even directed to this issue but that broader one of how in the hell do you know what to believe anymore? Everybody spins, everybody has a bias, there are more PR flacks on payrolls than there are stray cats in Delaware (a whole 'nother issue), this like everything else just becomes grist for someone's agenda mill and I'm left wondering why in hell I tried to figure out what was happening.

[Teller]

Thanks for the update, P.


Just for the record, though, I'll be doing with this story what your side did with Bush's military record.

"While I can no longer vouch for the authenticity of the previous story, I stand by my position that San Fran is full of pinko communist homos who hate the military."

The hypocrisy is evenly spread across party lines, my friend. Good to hear about this though. I'm glad your area isn't as anti-military as I had feared.

[Predicto]

Thanks for the update, P.


Just for the record, though, I'll be doing with this story what your side did with Bush's military record.

"While I can no longer vouch for the authenticity of the previous story, I stand by my position that San Fran is full of pinko communist homos who hate the military."

The hypocrisy is evenly spread across party lines, my friend. Good to hear about this though. I'm glad your area isn't as anti-military as I had feared.

Fair enough.

there are actually a good number of pinko bastards out here too

[SkinsFanAnt]

Looks like another mountain out of a molehill to me. But it doesn't matter. Millions of right wingers were convinced of the truth of the matter and have moved on to the next outrage, secure in their knowledge that the Marines were treated like cr*p by the evil left coast commies. Doesn't matter what actually happened.

Ok..this statement automatically dismisses any sense that you have any kind of grasp on reality. Commies?...you've got to be kidding me.

Oh, btw, Osama bin Laden is sleeping under your bed with the boogeyman.

[dreamingwolf]

Ok..this statement automatically dismisses any sense that you have any kind of grasp on reality. Commies?...you've got to be kidding me.

Oh, btw, Osama bin Laden is sleeping under your bed with the boogeyman.

6 feet up 3 miles back

[Predicto]

Ok..this statement automatically dismisses any sense that you have any kind of grasp on reality. Commies?...you've got to be kidding me.

Oh, btw, Osama bin Laden is sleeping under your bed with the boogeyman.

errrr..... wha?

[twa]

Nice piece to calm the savages, but I notice Corrales still stands by his story.

Hard to blame THAT one on Fox or right wing blogs when it is your own city officials involved .

As far as the film co. I am sure no pressure was brought,just as none was on the city to make nice as a result of the public outrage.

Good and bad everywhere...especially politicians.