Franklin Graham: 'What has happened' to Dems?

Franklin Graham

Franklin Graham is asking what has become of the Democratic Party.

It's after they forced the resignation of a county party leader because he posted on Facebook some time ago, "I stand for the flag, I kneel at the cross."

Graham noted in a Facebook post to his millions of followers that Mark Salvas, a former Marine and Gulf War veteran, responded to his ouster saying: "I'm not ashamed of my patriotism, not one bit. I fought for this country. I think I have a right to have a voice and be patriotic."

"He's right," wrote Graham, the CEO of both Samaritan's Purse and the Billy Graham Association. "What has happened to the Democratic Party?"

Salvas' story was reported by Todd Starnes.

He explained Salvas was the new chairman of the Allegheny County Democratic Party in Pennsylvania.

Salvas' personal patriotism and faith did not set well with party leaders.

"We have a zero tolerance for sexual harassment or racism of any kind," said Democratic Committee Chairwoman Nancy Mills. "I think Chairwoman [Eileen] Kelly made the right decision once she was aware of the issues."

Salvas explained to Starnes that party leaders also were upset over a Facebook post by his wife showing support for a police officer accused of killing an African-American.

"Salvas said they had known the police officer and his family since the officer was a toddler," Starnes explained.

Starnes reported Rep. Ed Gainey, D-Pa., accused Salvas of offending African-American voters.

Gainey claimed: "To put that up on Facebook was, to me, insensitive, also to African Americans, who, as you know, have backed the Democratic Party for quite a long time, and everybody knows that it was insensitive."

He said a Democratic leader has "to be sensitive."

Perhaps it should not have been surprising.

It was, after all, Democrats who booed when God was reintroduced into their party's platform at their 2012 convention.