Matt Ortega

Conservative activists and the McCain campaign smeared the 75,000 enthusiastic flag-waving Americans in attendance at Mile High Stadium on the final night of the Democratic National Convention in Denver.

Democratic National Committee Communications Director Karen Finney issued this statement:

“American flags were proudly waved by the 75,000 people who joined Barack Obama at the Democratic Convention. John McCain should applaud that, but instead his supporters wrongfully took leftover bundles of our flags from the stadium to play a cheap political stunt calling into question our patriotism. On the same day he agrees to join Barack Obama at Ground Zero on September 11, John McCain attacks the patriotism of Obama supporters who so proudly waved the American flag at our historic event in Denver just days ago.”

Thousands wave flags and hold ''Change'' signs at Mile High

American flags proudly waved by Democrats, Independents and disaffected Republicans on August 28

Conservatives are using photos of a few small flags that were found in garbage bags as evidence — evidence! — that the convention was throwing away the flags wholesale. (Apparently everybody that was handed a flag was expected to hang on to them lest they have their patriotism brought into question.)

There is one picture of a bunch of unused and unwrapped American flags in the black bags the showed up in. How do I know they showed up in black bags? I took two photos of convention staff prepping Mile High Stadium before the final night started.

On Thursday in Denver, staff were moving equipment from the Pepsi Center to Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium for the final day of the Democratic National Convention. While waiting on other staff members to catch up, a Wall Street Journal photographer asked to photograph the floor pass that was hanging from my neck.

The photo made the print and online editions of the paper on Friday.

I am second from the right with the green DNCC Staff floor pass and taken the same day as these photos.

Words cannot describe the experiences of this past week, especially that final night at Invesco Field. Legendary broadcaster Walter Cronkite used to say near the conclusion of his program, You Are There:

What sort of day was it? A day like all days, filled with those events that alter and illuminate our times… and you were there.

Unable to find the words to accurately describe those experiences in Denver, simple is perhaps the best: I was there.

Jason Zengerle aptly mocks the McCain campaign for their over hyping the release of a television advertisement that features Senator John McCain (R-Arizona) speaking directly to the camera to the newly minted Democratic presidential nominee, Senator Barack Obama (D-Illinois).

OMG!
John McCain is going to run an ad! Tonight! And get this>! McCain’s going to speak in the ad! Directly to Barack Obama! Stop the presses! The way the McCain campaign has played the media this week has been something to behold.

–Jason Zengerle

The only missing element from the advertisement: McCain, after quietly staring into the camera, throwing a rock in a pond.