The
AP has reported on the creep passing out the Purple Heart band-aid type bandages on the floor of the Republican Convention, as noted in
skiddlybop's recommended diary.
As usual, journalistic shorthand has tabbed him as "Morton Blackwell, a longtime GOP activist from Virginia." But, given the shallow conventions of these journalistic shorthands, I Googled the clown to see what the real deal is. (An impulse that is shared, it seems, with Kossite Fred in Vermont.)
Blackwell, as it turns out, is one of the founding members of the ugly side of the American Conservative movement. He was there at the creation with jokers like Brent Bozell, William F. Buckley, and Phyllis Schlafly. His "non-partisan"
Leadership Institute has trained thousands of conservative footsoldiers, including
Grover Norquist and Ralph Reed.
So, he's no mere activist like your local Rotarians or county NRA secretary-treasurer. He's in the inner circle of Republican power, having worked his way in as a leader in the Draft Goldwater movement and bought his way in with thousands of dollars in contributions ($16000 over the last four years alone; see the FEC database).
Now, it might be tempting to flood the Leadership Institute with letter denouncing their lack of patriotism and disdain for the sacrifice of veterans everywhere. Far be it from to stop your patriotic pursuits. However, it might be more fruitful to alert the Johnson&Johnson Company that this thug is using their Band-Aid® brand name without permission.
Contact form and phone number (1-866-565-2873).
Sorry for spinning this out in to a separate diary, but it seemed to me important to give the lie to the facile "long-time activist" over-simplification.