On Tuesday night, 15-year-old Victoria Blackstone, a sophomore at the St. Agnes School in St. Paul, led the crowd at the Xcel Energy Center in the Pledge of Allegiance. The audience heard her 434-word essay, “Pledging myself to the Flag of the United States of America,” an essay she’d entered it in the “Wave the Stars & Stripes” essay contest and won. The RNC turned that essay into a three and a half minute video, a visually stirring montage rolling over Victoria’s words about sharing the Pledge with Americans who have stood at important moments in history.
There’s the Continental Congress…A real WWII vet…Photos of workers at Ground Zero. A close-up of a folded flag presented to a grieving widow at a military funeral… profiles of soldiers swelling with pride in slo-motion.
But CBS News found that the footage of the ‘funeral’ and soldiers is what is called ‘stock’ footage. The soldiers were actors and the funeral scene was from a one-day film shoot, produced in June. No real soldiers were used during production.
The footage, sold by stock-film house Getty Images was produced by a commercial filmmaker in Chicago. Both Getty and the production company, Mr. Big Films, confirmed that the footage was shot on spec and sold to the Republican National Committee.
One of the actors, Perry Denton of Chicago, IL also confirmed that he was hired on a day-rate as an actor for the shoot and told CBS News he was surprised to learn the footage was shown at the convention.
A veteran’s advocate said that with soldiers still deployed and in harm’s way, there is an obligation not to sugar coat reality.
“What it does reveal is a serious lack of understanding and a lack of personal connection to the military,” said Paul Rieckhoff, Executive Director of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.
Rieckhoff, who is at the convention with a contingent of veterans added that a video tribute to Medal of Honor Winner Michael Monsoor, a Navy Seal killed in Iraq, shown on Tuesday night, used combat video that appeared to him and several other veterans of the Iraq war to have been staged.
After a Web search of videos played at the Democratic National Convention last week, CBS News found no obvious use of stock footage.
The RNC did not respond to CBS News’ request for a comment.
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- goldenways
- added this
- video added September 04, 2008
- flag
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Not a surprise, as nearly everything they do is fake. what they say is fake, what they present is fake, and they even got into office for the last 8 years with 2 fake elections... Par for the course.
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I'm sad to say that I'm not shocked in the least...
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- rightbrain
- 4 months ago
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From my perspective, the entire RNC is a staged event full of bad actors.
No more!
Vote Obama/Biden! -
And the republican will excuse it by saying "its the message that counts" and then they will assume that if it is questioned you are non patriotic. grrr.
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That is what gops think patriotism is. Flag waving.
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I laugh every time the McCain camp tries to honor Martin Luther King. This is the man that voted against MLK day.
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You guys dont quite get it:
Republicans LIKE being lied to.
They like it, love it, relesh it.
They would rather see actors then real servicemen anyway.-
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- intelligenceisacurse
- 4 months ago
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so... what, not enough people died lately to be able to get approval to use real footage? i mean every family wants to have their loved one honored by the RNC right? right? hello?
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- redvelvet1278
- 4 months ago
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What a surprise, faking something to evoke emotions from people. This wasn't for the regular party members who know that their house of cards is built on lies its intended to sway undecided voters. Nice B.S. video.
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I think the quote in the post says it all, "What it does reveal is a serious lack of understanding and a lack of personal connection to the military."
In other words, one of the many attributes that a sociopath exhibits. Republicans are sociopathic hypocrites who don't care about anyone but themselves. They consistently show, whether deliberate or not, an inability to empathasize with other peoples perpectives and feelings and the even the consequences of their ideologies. I just don't know whether they are stupid or just mean. Regardless, America is falling apart due to their incompetence. -
this is a perfect metaphor for the republicans false brand of flag-waving "patriotism"
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- diabolical44
- 4 months ago
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To show a real soldier and a real funeral would have disrespected our brave soldiers and their family.
Hahahahaha
I almost sound like them. No McCain supporter will comment on this. They'll use it as an attack against Obama.
I guarantee it
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So.
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- arcticspirit
- 4 months ago
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How many of those same people gave China grief for fake fireworks and lipsyncing?
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Maverick is a great term for all republicans. They only band together to push an agenda (about personal gain), but really they go it alone because they're only in it for themselves.
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What else do you expect from a bunch of fake politicians?
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The Republicans do more blatant propaganda than the Chinese olympics.
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just like the 2nd comment, its sad that am not in the least bit surprised.
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Almost all reality scenes you see in the media are staged. I work in Public Relations and a part of my job is making these scenes happen so they can be used for promotion or to support key messaging. Just like how "reality TV" programs are NOT real at all....
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Obama = Crap
McCain = Less Crap, Still Crap*************
RON PAUL
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"News" would be finding something at a political convention that wasn't staged.
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I refuse to pledge myself to any flag, government, or god. I might consider myself part of a nation or two.
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- Dmitri_Molotov
- 4 months ago
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yea... staged and stuff... who cares, they're just preaching to the choir, telling their fans what they want to hear.
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Look, these people that were at the RNC dont really know whats going on in the world, they are tuned into one chanel and they do not know anything else, I bet most of them still think the Mission was Accomplished long time ago.
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...these people ... dont really know whats going on in the world....
..right!!!!!!!!!!!!
