Obama campaign print sparks controversy

ATLANTA — A campaign print for President Barack Obama that resembles the American flag is sparking controversy.
   
Georgia's Republican Party chairwoman said she's outraged, but local Democrats call her a hypocrite, saying Republicans have been doing the same thing for years.

The print depicts Obama's campaign logo in the upper left corner, with stripes below and at its right side.

"I think this is desecration, just like over in Egypt and these places that are burning our flag, stomping on the flag.  This is a symbol of our country," Georgia GOP Chairwoman Sue Everhart told Channel 2's Lori Geary.

The Obama campaign is selling its print for $35.

"If ever a time we should be flying old glory is now, not coming up with some sales pitch to sell the Obama flag. Does he think he is the most important thing that has ever happened to the United States of America?  I'm going to start calling him 'King Obama' instead of 'President Obama,'" Everhart said.

She has called on Democrats to denounce the campaign print.

But members of Georgia's Democratic Party showed Geary several examples where Republican campaigns, including current party candidate Mitt Romney's, that has used some version of the American flag in their items for sale. 

Democrats pointed to a Romney/Paul Ryan T-shirt and the Republican National Committee's logo for this year's convention.

"You've got a similar use of the flag. You've got an elephant actually walking on top of the flag," Georgia Democratic Chairman Mike Berlon said.

He added, "I think it's a little bit disingenuous to stand up and beat your chest and say, 'Oh my God, this is an abomination,' when the Republican Party has been doing it for years."

WSBTV