GOP Low Blow

I try to avoid politics here as much as I can. My theory is that I'll vote for who I like, and you can vote for who you like, and we can both defend our decisions.

But, watching the GOP convention tonight ... I was appalled.

While most folks will be talking about the protesters that interrupted John McCain's speech tomorrow ... I want to write about something that happened before some of the network coverage.

MSNBC showed a video in full, produced by the Republicans, regarding the 9/11 attacks on America. The network, and Tom Brokaw, pitched to it as a "tribute" video to the victims of the terror attacks on America.

It wasn't. It was a pure and simple scare tactic.

I sat at home and watched slack-jawed. The GOP used video of a plane striking the WTC, and the Twin Towers collapsing. Video that we decided in my former newsroom to NEVER show again.

Plus, later in the video, the voice-over says something along the lines of "we all remember where we were that day. The images of buildings burning, and bodies falling."

They even ADDED a "scary" music cue to the moment the plane strikes. As if the horror of the day wasn't terrible enough.

I find this utterly reprehensible. I don't know anyone who died that day, but I can only imagine what the victims' family members feel.

Afterward, Keith Olbermann (who I realize has liberal leanings) echoed my sentiments with tears in his eyes ... going so far as to apologize for showing the video.

It's already up on YouTube, someone has taken the RNC video off C-Span and edited Olbermann's reaction in (at about the 3:23 mark). I'm presenting it here, because I'm interested to see what your thoughts are on the video.

And, for the record, if the Democrats had done this, I'd be strongly considering voting Republican in November.