RAW STORY
Billboard displays burning World Trade Center with slogan, 'Please Don't Vote for a Democrat'
By David Edwards and Muriel Kane
Published: Tuesday July 15, 2008
http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Billboard_uses_burning_WTC_to_say_0715.html
A political billboard in St. Cloud, Florida reads "Please Don't Vote for a Democrat" over an image of the burning World Trade Center.
Businessman Mike Meehan, who paid for the ad, says he's "only trying to help Republicans." The billboard also carries a link for Meehan's website, TheRepublicanSong.com, at which he says, "I claim to be a man of God" and promotes his political song and video.
Meehan's song, which appears to have racist overtones, begins, "The Democrat secular progressive move, political correctness is killing us too. They want to take the money from the hard working man, and give it to the lazy folks that don't give a damn."
Even Republicans have found the billboard "inappropriate," and many residents want it to come down. "I'm thinking about the Twin Towers, all the families that were killed there," one woman told local TV affliate WFTV.
Another local was more accepting, saying, "They can have their opinion. It's a free country, you want to pay for the ad."
However, the posters at right-wing site Lucianne.com were enthusiastic about the billboard. "Why isn't Mike Meehan the Republican presidential candidate?" asked one. "Liberals get abjectly hysterical whenever the truth about them is pointed out," wrote another. "People who refer to the terrorist attack as a tragedy are morons," added a third.
The company which owns the billboard says it's a free speech issue and has no plans to take Meehan's ad down before the election.
This video is from CNN's American Morning, broadcast July 15, 2008
Images: 9/11 Tragedy Depicted In Controversial Political Billboard
Political Billboard Showing 9/11 Tragedy Creates Controversy
POSTED: 3:20 pm EDT July 14, 2008
UPDATED: 6:08 pm EDT July 14, 2008
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- A controversial billboard in Orange County has a picture of the burning World Trade Center and the message, "Please Don't Vote for a Democrat." The man who paid for the ad says he's trying to help Republicans, but officials with both political parties are calling the billboard inappropriate.
===========================================================
WFTV VIDEO REPORT: Billboard Company Defends Right To Host Message
There are billboards up and down busy Orange Blossom Trail, but this at John Young Parkway (see map) one sticks out.
"Just looking at it, I'm not thinking about Democrat or Republican, I'm thinking about the twin towers and all the people killed," resident Mary Anderson told Eyewitness News.
The ad went up last week and is causing quite a reaction.
"Why use the twin towers for that purpose?" Anderson questioned
The man behind the billboard is Mike Meehan, a St. Cloud businessman and musician. His website advertises a CD and music video titled "The Republican Song," with the chorus, "Don't vote for a Democrat." He's selling CDs for $5.
"This is a blatant exploitation of that terrible tragedy for political and, perhaps even worse, personal gain," said Bill Robinson, Orange County Democratic Party Chair.
Orange County Democrats are calling for the billboard to come down and the local Republican Party has said the ad is "inappropriate." Meehan hadn't returned Channel 9 calls or e-mails Monday afternoon, but some are defending his right to free speech.
"They can have their opinion. It's a free country, if they want to pay for the ad. I'm sure it's expensive," resident Louis Champeau told Eyewitness News.
The company that owns the billboard, Beech Outdoor Advertising, views it as a fundamental first amendment issue and for that reason wouldn't censor the ad. The billboard will be up until after the November election.
Beech Outdoor Advertising declined to say how much the billboard costs to rent.
Copyright 2008 by wftv.com. All rights reserved.
LINKS:
http://www.911blogger.com/node/16661
http://www.abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=5382067&page=1
http://www.wftv.com/news/16879991/detail.html
http://www.newshounds.us/2008/07/16/antidemocrat_billboard_exploits_911.php
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/07/15/billboard-displaying-burning-twin-towers-reads-please-dont-vote-for-a-democrat/
2008/07/16
RAW STORY
Billboard displays burning World Trade Center with slogan, 'Please Don't Vote for a Democrat'
By David Edwards and Muriel Kane
Published: Tuesday July 15, 2008
http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Billboard_uses_burning_WTC_to_say_0715.html
A political billboard in St. Cloud, Florida reads "Please Don't Vote for a Democrat" over an image of the burning World Trade Center.
Businessman Mike Meehan, who paid for the ad, says he's "only trying to help Republicans." The billboard also carries a link for Meehan's website, TheRepublicanSong.com, at which he says, "I claim to be a man of God" and promotes his political song and video.
Meehan's song, which appears to have racist overtones, begins, "The Democrat secular progressive move, political correctness is killing us too. They want to take the money from the hard working man, and give it to the lazy folks that don't give a damn."
Even Republicans have found the billboard "inappropriate," and many residents want it to come down. "I'm thinking about the Twin Towers, all the families that were killed there," one woman told local TV affliate WFTV.
Another local was more accepting, saying, "They can have their opinion. It's a free country, you want to pay for the ad."
However, the posters at right-wing site Lucianne.com were enthusiastic about the billboard. "Why isn't Mike Meehan the Republican presidential candidate?" asked one. "Liberals get abjectly hysterical whenever the truth about them is pointed out," wrote another. "People who refer to the terrorist attack as a tragedy are morons," added a third.
The company which owns the billboard says it's a free speech issue and has no plans to take Meehan's ad down before the election.
This video is from CNN's American Morning, broadcast July 15, 2008
Images: 9/11 Tragedy Depicted In Controversial Political Billboard
Political Billboard Showing 9/11 Tragedy Creates Controversy
POSTED: 3:20 pm EDT July 14, 2008
UPDATED: 6:08 pm EDT July 14, 2008
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- A controversial billboard in Orange County has a picture of the burning World Trade Center and the message, "Please Don't Vote for a Democrat." The man who paid for the ad says he's trying to help Republicans, but officials with both political parties are calling the billboard inappropriate.
===========================================================
WFTV VIDEO REPORT: Billboard Company Defends Right To Host Message
There are billboards up and down busy Orange Blossom Trail, but this at John Young Parkway (see map) one sticks out.
"Just looking at it, I'm not thinking about Democrat or Republican, I'm thinking about the twin towers and all the people killed," resident Mary Anderson told Eyewitness News.
The ad went up last week and is causing quite a reaction.
"Why use the twin towers for that purpose?" Anderson questioned
The man behind the billboard is Mike Meehan, a St. Cloud businessman and musician. His website advertises a CD and music video titled "The Republican Song," with the chorus, "Don't vote for a Democrat." He's selling CDs for $5.
"This is a blatant exploitation of that terrible tragedy for political and, perhaps even worse, personal gain," said Bill Robinson, Orange County Democratic Party Chair.
Orange County Democrats are calling for the billboard to come down and the local Republican Party has said the ad is "inappropriate." Meehan hadn't returned Channel 9 calls or e-mails Monday afternoon, but some are defending his right to free speech.
"They can have their opinion. It's a free country, if they want to pay for the ad. I'm sure it's expensive," resident Louis Champeau told Eyewitness News.
The company that owns the billboard, Beech Outdoor Advertising, views it as a fundamental first amendment issue and for that reason wouldn't censor the ad. The billboard will be up until after the November election.
Beech Outdoor Advertising declined to say how much the billboard costs to rent.
Copyright 2008 by wftv.com. All rights reserved.
LINKS:
http://www.911blogger.com/node/16661
http://www.abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=5382067&page=1
http://www.wftv.com/news/16879991/detail.html
http://www.newshounds.us/2008/07/16/antidemocrat_billboard_exploits_911.php
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/07/15/billboard-displaying-burning-twin-towers-reads-please-dont-vote-for-a-democrat/
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