Griffs Notes 12/26/06

I am officially proclaiming today Fly A Flag for Trump Day here at Griffsnotes.

First it was the Miss America scandal and then Rosie O’Donnell brawl – but did you know “The Donald” is at it again – this time suing the town of Palm Beach, Florida, after being cited and told to take down Old Glory?

Palm Beach officials have been bent out of shape since October when Trump raised a 15 ft by 25 ft American Flag on an 80 ft flagpole over his exquisite Mar-A-Lago club. According to the AP, the citation is specifically for three violations: 1.) Having a flagpole taller than 42 feet; 2.) Not obtaining a building permit; 3.) Not getting permission from the landmarks board (The club is registered as a National Historical Landmark as it is the former estate of Marjorie Merriweather Post).

Now Trump attorneys are fighting back and asking for $10 million in damages and accusing the town officials of selectively enforcing ordinances. (Trump faces fines up to $250-day to keep the flag flying.)

“A smaller flag and pole on Mar-A-Lago’s property would be lost given its massive size, look silly instead of make a statement, and most importantly would fail to appropriately express the magnitude of Donald J. Trump’s and the Club’s members’ patriotism,” the lawsuit says.

And according to the lawsuit, all damages awarded would be donated to veterans of the Iraq war.

Back in October, Trump was quoted as saying, “The day you need a permit to put up the American flag, that will be a sad day for this country.”

It’s hard to disagree with him.

After taking a look at the Town Council Minutes from November 14, 2006, it seems that Palm Beach Mayor Jack McDonald and his council began the meeting by appropriately reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. But shortly after the meeting began, President Pro Tem Richard M. Kleid offered this official response into the record:

The Town of Palm Beach affirms the right of everyone to fly the American flag. As in most communities, Palm Beach requires that all structures including flagpoles must meet certain regulations regarding construction, materials, location, size, etc. We are assisting Mr. Trump, as we would any resident, so that he may file the proper applications for his flagpole to comply with the Town’s reasonable regulations. This issue is not about the flag, it is about the flagpole. It also is about the fundamental American principle that we are a nation of laws and apply these laws equally to all

citizens.

I think Mayor McDonald might want to find a way to let Trump off the hook on this one… Nobody wants to see The People’s Republic of Palm Beach T-shirt!

I can be reached for questions or comments at griffsnotes@foxnews.com.