In a recent email sent to us, MRC’s Brent Baker reports:
To MSNBC anchor Keith Olbermann, an American gas station employing the publicity gimmick of giving away some free gas to those with cars displaying a U.S. flag is “purchased patriotism” just as despicable as the Iraqi regime using civilians as human shields and “forced suicide bombers” because, amongst those “waiting for their five free gallons, were a few who weren’t really that gung ho about the war but just stuck a flag in their windshield wiper to get the gasoline gratis.” Olbermann mightily lambasted: “Purchased patriotism is one of the things we’re fighting against.”
Here is the actual text of the MSNBC report as taken down by MRC analyst Brad Wilmouth:
“And we leave you tonight with one final Countdown item. There is supporting the troops, and there is waving the flag, and then for about an hour-and-a-half earlier this week, there was free gasoline in exchange for patriotism. The fine folks of Sunoco A Plus in Lake Ronkonkoma, New York, decided to give $10 of free gas to quote unquote, ‘patriotic vehicles.’ Now, obviously this is silly. It’s silly in that sweet way just like when the body shop in Southern California in the late 1970s posted a sign reading, ‘Lube Jobs for POWs.’
“But beyond that, there are two unfortunate aspects here. One, insightfully or naively, some anti-war protesters are claiming an unfortunate link between this conflict and big oil, meantime somebody else is giving away gas to anybody who will paint their mud flaps red, white and blue, and how bad does that look?
“And secondly, and more seriously, I don’t think I’m going way out on a limb here to assume that somewhere in that block’s long line of drivers near Lake Ronkonkoma waiting for their five free gallons, were a few who weren’t really that gung ho about the war but just stuck a flag in their windshield wiper to get the gasoline gratis. Unintentional or not, that’s purchased patriotism. And as we are reminded every time we hear about Iraqi human shields and forced suicide bombers, purchased patriotism is one of the things we’re fighting against.”
Isn’t “purchased patriotism”–the giving away of free gas for flying the American flag–protected by the right to free speech, property, and liberty, just as the evil nonsense espoused by the “anti-war protestors,” that Olberman takes so much effort to quote, is protected? So who are the “we” that are “fighting against” it? Perhaps Olbermann is angry because there is no free gas for those Peacemongers who burn the American flag ad opposed to flying it. Ah, the “corruption” and “discrimination” of American capitalism. MSNC has some nerve calling itself “America’s News Channel.”