Last Wednesday night, something  that will touch your heart happened at the beginning of a candidates forum with 8th Congressional District candidates Joe Walsh, Melissa Bean and Bill Scheurer at Grayslake Central High School.

According to Illinois’ top League of Women Voters official, “phony patriotism” is driving criticism over a moderator’s reaction when she was asked if the Pledge of Allegiance would be recited before an 8th Congressional District debate this week.

Executive Director Jan Czarnik said what happened at Wednesday’s debate and a firestorm of criticism afterward, directed at moderator Kathy Tate-Bradish, was an attempt by supporters of Republican candidate Joe Walsh of McHenry and tea party members to bully the organization.

This clueless woman said:

It’s a phony patriotism issue is what it is.  They must think it helps their campaign.

Brought in from the League of Women Voters Evanston branch because she doesn’t live in the 8th Congressional District, Tate-Bradish handled the event at Grayslake Central High School that featured Democratic U.S. Rep. Melissa Bean of Barrington, the Green Party’s Bill Scheurer and Walsh.

As you heard in the video, Tate-Bradish was asked by a man in the audience whether the Pledge of Allegiance would be recited after she went over some ground rules and directed the candidates to make opening statements.

As Tate-Bradish condescendingly explained that the debate was not scheduled to start with the pledge, almost all in the crowd of more than 300 stood and enthusiastically recited it anyway. Tate-Bradish, who joined in the pledge, issued a scolding, like a petulant schoolmarm, when the crowd finished.

Walsh campaign manager Nick Provenzano still does not understand why Tate-Bradish did not appear to welcome the Pledge of Allegiance suggestion. He said it was spontaneous and not orchestrated by Walsh’s campaign.

He said:

That neutral stance (by Tate-Bradish) toward the Pledge of Allegiance is troublesome.

Not just troublesome, sir.  Borderline treasonous.

Tate-Bradish stood by her unpatriotic actions and said she’s been surprised by personal attacks directed toward her on the Internet since the forum, particularly posts stating she “hates America.” ( I’m shocked, I tell you.  Shocked.)  She claims that she ran the debate in the format established by some Grayslake High students and agreed to by all three candidates, none of whom asked for the pledge in advance.

She petuantly whined:

It’s pretty patriotic to run forums in election seasons where every candidate can be heard and they’re not stomped on.

Island Lake resident Joseph Ptak, a Walsh supporter, claimed Friday he asked for the pledge at the debate. Provenzano said he was not certain who made the request.

Ptak, 58, a U.S. Air Force veteran, said the pledge was a proper way to begin the event that was in a high school and had student participation. He said many veterans were in the audience, and he objects to Czarnik questioning the request’s sincerity.

Ptak said:

I’m a Joe Walsh supporter, but first and foremost I’m an American.

Bean spokesman Jonathan Lipman declined to comment.    Somehow, I don’t doubt that.

Meanwhile, Czarnik said she’s tiring of attacks on how the League of Women Voters has operated debates leading to the Nov. 2 election. She said league volunteers run the candidate forums and voter education programs.

League of Women Voters members throughout Illinois hold elected offices in both major parties and are generally allowed to make political contributions. Tate-Bradish acknowledged she’s contributed money to Democrats, but that it would never affect how she moderates a debate.

When we host a political forum, we are scrupulously fair to each party.

Of course, it has nothing to do with the fact that Ms. Tate-Bradish is a member of Obama’s Organizing for America, does it?  Of course not.

With its operations on the third floor of the DNC’s Capitol Hill headquarters, OFA consists of a vast network of volunteers whose mission is to:

let their friends and neighbors know about the President’s plan to invest in America’s future, improve health care and education, create green jobs, reduce our dependence on foreign oil and cut the deficit in half over the next four years.

A New York Times report describes OFA as:

an army of [Obama] supporters talking, sending e-mail and texting to friends and neighbors as they try to mold public opinion.

What these Progressive ladies and their ilk, all the way up the ladder to the object of their affection, Barack Hussein Obama (mm mmm mmmm), don’t understand, is that they have awakened a sleeping giant.  And this giant will flex his muscles on November 2nd.

Maybe these ladies were never properly explained the meaning of the Pledge of Allegiance?  As I take my leave today, America’s Clown Prince, Mr. Richard (Red) Skelton will explain it, so that even they might understand.  God Bless America!