Roll Call wrote that the “official outfitter” of Sen. Barack Obama's campaign “is maintaining Obama's online store, which sells a $12 DVD of the candidate's speeches, $10 lapel pins -- though no American flags -- and $50 fleece jackets, perfect for those chilly Iowa winters.” But Roll Call did not note that Sen. John McCain's store doesn't offer American flag lapel pins, either.
Roll Call flags absence of American flag lapel pins in Obama's campaign store, but not their absence in McCain's store
Published
A June 16 Roll Call article on merchandise vendors for the 2008 presidential campaigns reported that Tigereye Design, Sen. Barack Obama's “official outfitter,” “is maintaining Obama's online store, which sells a $12 DVD of the candidate's speeches, $10 lapel pins -- though no American flags -- and $50 fleece jackets, perfect for those chilly Iowa winters." But Roll Call did not note that Sen. John McCain's store doesn't offer American flag lapel pins, either. McCain's campaign store does, however, sell several other lapel pins, including a "McCain" lapel pin for $150.
Media Matters for America has previously documented examples of media figures falsely claiming that Obama refuses to wear a flag pin and falsely asserting that Obama had not given a speech with an American flag backdrop prior to March.
From the Roll Call article:
Tigereye has expanded from 30 employees to 120 since last year and will likely add more to keep up with orders. The company is maintaining Obama's online store, which sells a $12 DVD of the candidate's speeches, $10 lapel pins -- though no American flags -- and $50 fleece jackets, perfect for those chilly Iowa winters. Proceeds from the sales of merchandise on the Obama Web site are considered donations and go to the campaign's war chest. The campaign did not return calls requesting information on sales and revenue.