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.