On the last night of the Democratic National Convention, a retired Navy four-star took the stage to pay tribute to veterans. Behind him, on a giant screen, the image of four hulking warships reinforced his patriotic message. But there was a big mistake in the stirring backdrop: those are Russian warships.
While retired Adm. John Nathman, a former commander of Fleet Forces Command, honored vets as America’s best, the ships from the Russian Federation Navy were arrayed like sentinels on the big screen above. These were the very Soviet-era combatants that Nathman and Cold Warriors like him had once squared off against. “The ships are definitely Russian,” said noted naval author Norman Polmar after reviewing hi-resolution photos from the event. “There’s no question of that in my mind.”
Naval experts concluded the background was a photo composite of Russian ships that were overflown by what appear to be U.S. trainer jets. It remains unclear how or why the Democratic Party used what’s believed to be images of the Russian Black Sea Fleet at their convention. A spokesman for the Democratic National Convention Committee was not able to immediately comment Tuesday, saying he had to track down personnel to find out what had happened.
The veteran who spotted the error and notified Navy Times said he was immediately taken aback. “I was kind of in shock,” said Rob Barker, 38, a former electronics warfare technician who left the Navy in 2006. Having learned to visually identify foreign ships by their radars, Barker recognized the closest ship as the Kara-class cruiser Kerch.
“An immediate apology [from the committee] would be very nice,” Barker said. “Maybe acknowledge the fact that yes, they screwed up.” “Ships are all Black Sea Fleet,” A. D. Baker III, a retired Office of Naval Intelligence analyst, told Navy Times after looking at the image. “These four ships, at the time the photo was taken, constituted the entire major surface combatant component of the Black Sea Fleet,” Baker said, noting the photo was likely to be six years old or older. (The Kerch is now on the list to be scrapped, Baker said.)
This would be hilarious if it wasn’t so pathetic.
They cant really be that stupid can they? If they are do you really want morons like this running your country
Are they stupid (on this or economy) or are they intentionally doing demeaning stuff to the country. Hard to distinguish without being inside of the Leftist head but it is absolutely fair to assume latter (most of them have high degrees and long academic records, tricky to be done by the stupid).
Do I’m convinced stupid can easily get degrees today. It’s the education industry at work making debt for all your children. DEFAULT DEFAULT
chap chap chap
Yes they can and are. Have you heard Obama, Biden, Pelosy, Boxer, Clyburn, Dingell, Lewis, Blabbermouth Schultz and the ultimate idiot Cynthia Mckinney, actually speak without a teleprompter? It’s like watching a person who caused a car wreck and 20 people saw it, explain how it’s not their fault.
Stupid Maybe.
More reflective of some “wet behind the ear” support staff asked to get patriotic/heroic pictures of Navy ships for back drop.
I served in the Navy on a DDG destroyer! The fact is, most civilians couldn’t tell the difference between modern Russian, Canadian, British, Greek, … Naval ships!
It’s no different then during pearl harbor, many Navy guys initially mistook planes flying overhead for American, until they started dropping bombs and torpedoes.
Making clear distinctions is difficult with out direct experience!!
Again, should someone have caught it, YES. But it is understandable.
Will it matter, NO.
Only those from the deep ranks of the dumbest righty looser, will they latch dumbly on the slim hope they have!
Too bad loosers, you still loose. HaHaHa :))
You mean ‘loser’. Are you perhaps, this guy?
http://cl.ly/image/253b3t0P1X3B
loosers was indeed very intentional. I wanted the “oo” for the linger effect.
FYI, DU conveniently points out spelling mistakes by underline text.
Just so you aren’t confused again, as you are easily inclined to be; IT IS NOT A hyperlink!
I do like the hyperlink to your family portrait, NICE!
A British far-right (ie commie to USA’ians) Fascist party had a launch party featuring a WWII spitfire and a platform of Britain for the British and send foreigners home.
Unfortunately they used a picture of a Spitfire being flown by a Polish pilot.
Was Polish pilot going home?
No problems.
Try looking for US destroyers on the Navy web site. Or a fleet convoy in close formation. What images are available are probably unsuitable or subject to stringency.
Bwahaha – true colors showing through? How precious.
Can they really afford to make such stupid mistakes?
8 years ago, Zell Miller challenged Chris Matthews to a duel after Matthews asked him about his statement,”Armed with what, spitballs?!” Now, Zell has his answer.
If you are nice and say it’s was an inadvertent mistake you are still left with this being one more example on a long list of examples of incompetence.
The approach to truth is always an asymptotic stumble.
Everything else is posturing or a lazy lie, including Alfie’s absolutes.
Silly Hoomans.
Now we know the Repukes AND the Dimwits are incompetent losers.
We knew that already.
Soviet ships looked a lot more impressive, with their weapons visible. U.S. ships have most of the weapons hidden, so they don’t look as menacing.
Russian navy, American Navy, British Navy. It’s all the same, when you’re only trying to sell political posturing, by using it too impress weak minds. They might as well have had pictures of Star Fleet’s best, up there. Are convention delegates only horny for old style battle wagons? They ought to get artist John Berkey to whip up some more impressive ship designs. If he’s still around.
Forward!
If they had permission to use the film they would have known that it was the Russian Navy. Possibly an intellectual property violation. They should all be locked up.
And assuming that the Russians charge at the same rate as the MPAA – this could be another bailout package!
It’s amazing that on top of being the Commander in Chief of our military, Obama has won the allegiance of the Russian Armed forces. Even ancient Rome never achieved such world respect.
You hurt a Roman citizen, you are in trouble, no matter where in the world. For Obama, he will apologize for the citizen’s making you want to kill him.
Stay tuned. Rome didn’t have drones….
Christian Taliban film makers made a film disgracing a competing religion. The result is tragedy that Willard is taking advantage of. I see a connection.
While Willard campaigns, Obama is after the American killers.
He ARMED them. What is wrong with you?
Who is them? What’s wrong with you?
Don’t you see this is a small group of radical Christians pissing on radical Muslims? The Muslim clerics are just fueling the ignorant about a no name movie on the Internet.
Sometimes you surprise with your shallowness
Obama told Putin that he’d have flexibility after the election. Now we know what he meant by that. No wonder they made a remake of Red Dawn. I for one welcome our new Communist overlords.
Well it was the best picture you know. These are cool looking ship all in a row.
Opps didn’t think about consequences. Demorat shallow thought or perhaps head is up someones internals.