McCain scoops up garbage to recycle Stars and Stripes

Following their national convention in Denver last week, Democratic organizers heaped up thousands of unused U.S. flags and threw them away, but the McCain campaign has since salvaged the Star-Spangled Banners and intends to use them at a rally in Colorado Springs.

A Denver Post blog reports that a worker at Denver's Invesco Field discovered the discarded flags following Barack Obama's nomination speech at the mile-high stadium last week.

Now, according to Fox News, a group of Boy Scouts have brought 84 garbage bags full of the trashed flags to the site of a McCain rally in Colorado Springs, where the flags will be used as part of a warm-up ceremony before the Republican nominee takes the stage.

The Post blog reports an estimated total of 12,000 small flags and one, full-size 3'x5' flag were discarded.

According to Fox News, McCain is planning a scathing chastisement of the Democrats for defiling Old Glory and plans to have veterans distribute the flags in a symbolic, recyling gesture at the Colorado Springs rally.

Patriotic symbolism has been a thorn in the side of the DNC and Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama throughout the campaign. As WND reported earlier, credentials for the national convention drew attention for portraying the elements of the U.S. flag upside down.

Earlier in the campaign, Sen. Obama was photographed with Gov. Bill Richardson, Sen. Hillary Clinton and Ruth Harkin at a steak fry for Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin during the playing of the national anthem. Richardson, Clinton and Harkin placed their hands over their hearts, but Obama is standing casually with his fingers laced in front of him.

He also previously said he doesn't wear an American flag lapel pin because it has become a substitute for "true patriotism."

To an Iowa television station, the Illinois senator explained he stopped wearing a flag pin following the 9/11 attacks.

"I decided I won't wear that pin on my chest," he told the station. "Instead, I'm going to try to tell the American people what I believe will make this country great."

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