The leftist smear merchants are at it again.
Posted on 09/29/2007 1:40:32 PM PDT by fkabuckeyesrule
I've just learned that Rep. Mark Udall (D-CO) will be introducing a resolution in the House of Representatives on Monday condemning Rush Limbaugh for his "phony soldiers" remark.
This is significant because it has the potential to dramatically up the stakes in this fight. If the Democratic leadership allows it to go for a vote, it will force all the Republicans in the House to either vote for it, against it, or skip the vote -- and to pass judgment on the powerful conservative talk show host's contention that troops who don't support President Bush's war policies are "phony soldiers."
It will also potentially present the Dem leadership with a not-so-easy choice. Many people will naturally call on the leadership to allow the resolution to come to a vote, which is not necessarily something the leadership might want, since it could look like a tit-for-tat reso in retaliation for the measure condemning MoveOn. It also is potentially problematic for some in the leadership because there is an internal sentiment that it's not Congress' job to go around denouncing the remarks, however reprehensible, of private citizens.
Sources tell us that there's a lot of interest in this resolution among rank and file Dem House members, and that it may come up for a vote soon. There's no guarantee by any means that this will end up happening, though it's likely that there will be some pressure on the leadership make it happen. Udall, whose office confirmed to me that he'd introduce the reso on Monday, has powerful incentive to drum up attention for it as a Senate candidate in Colorado.
Either way, it's a key development, because it has the potential to move this from a rhetorical battle to a legislative one, which would keep the story going. Here's Rep. Udall's "dear colleague" letter, which was leaked to Election Central:
September 28, 2007
JOIN AS AN ORIGINAL COSPONSOR OF A RESOLUTION
HONORING OUR ARMED FORCES AND CONDEMNING RUSH LIMBAUGH'S ATTACK ON "PHONY SOLDIERS"
Dear Colleague:
On September 26, 2007 the broadcaster Rush Limbaugh told a nationwide radio audience that members of the Armed Forces who have expressed disagreement with current policies of the United States regarding military activities in Iraq are "phony soldiers."
On Monday I will introduce a resolution honoring all Americans serving in the Armed Forces and condemning this unwarranted attack on the integrity and professionalism of those in the Armed Forces who choose to exercise their constitutional right to express their opinions regarding U.S. military action in Iraq.
For more information or to cosponsor the resolution, please contact XXXXXXX in my office at xxxxx.
Sincerely,
Mark Udall
Things could get very interesting next week. More on the media dynamic at play on this story right here at The Horse's Mouth.
Rush should put out a press release instructing the Republicans to vote to condemn him. “Let’s see if we can get it unanimous, it will be great for my ratings!”
http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_092807/content/01125106.guest.html
Rush:
I want to illustrate something for you today, folks. I’ve done it before. I want to do it again. I call this the anatomy of a smear, and what this is is a great illustration of the liberals and the Democrat Party playbook for ‘08, which is underway now. The morning update on Wednesday dealt with a soldier, a fake, phony soldier by the name of Jesse MacBeth who never served in Iraq; he was never an Army Ranger. He was drummed out of the military in 44 days. He had his day in court; he never got the Purple Heart as he claimed, and he described all these war atrocities. He became a hero to the anti-war left. They love phony soldiers, and they prop ‘em up. When it is demonstrated that they have been lying about things, then they just forget about it. There’s no retraction; there’s no apology; there’s no, “Uh-oh, sorry.” After doing that morning update on Wednesday, I got a phone call yesterday from somebody, we were talking about the troops, and this gentleman said something which you’ll hear here in just a second, prompting me to reply “yeah, the phony soldiers.”
That comment, “phony soldiers” was posted yesterday afternoon on the famous Media Matters website, which is where all leftists go to find out what I say. I have a website, and I have a radio program that reaches far more people than Media Matters could ever hope to, but the critics of this program never listen to this program. They never go to my website. All they do is read Media Matters and they get the lies and the out-of-context reports. They assume it’s all true because they want it to be true, and then they start their campaigns. This has led to me being denounced on the floor of the House. Howard Dean has released a statement demanding I apologize; Jim Webb; John Kerry issued a statement, three Congress people went out on the floor of the House last night and said some things, and it’s starting to blossom now in the Drive-By Media. So this is the anatomy of a smear, and this is how it starts. The same group is trying to get Bill O’Reilly into problems because of some innocent comments that he made about going to dinner at a restaurant in Harlem. So the illustration begins with just a sample report from MSNBC whose content is produced almost exclusively by Media Matters for America and MoveOn.org.
Just what does this puke think he's doing insulting every member of the Army?
I say load him on a plane and airdrop him over Iran so he can be with his friends.
Yet another difference between the Liberals and normal people.
Normal people have heard of the word “context.”
All the Republicans in the House have to do is play the entire 3 minute segment (i.e. put things in context). They don’t have to debate how many “phony soldiers” there really are, or read the anti-soldier comments of various Left-Wing Democrats, or otherwise dignify this “motion” by getting into a big debate. If just listening to the actual comments doesn’t kill the motion, then just accuse the Democrats of “McCarthyism”, for (as liberal Democrats understand the term) that’s exactly what they’re engaged in (that, and a “tit for tat” for the “Petraeus/Betrayus” ad).
Could be, but I expect that the leftists, probably centered in the Clintoon camp, have decided that they need to start discrediting right leaning talk show hosts. They went after O’Reilly last week and then Rush. We’ll see more of this as they try to influence swing voters among the general public, knowing that they pay little attention to details.
First law on holes - when you're in one, stop digging!
Denis Healey
Maroons.
A lie goes half way around the world before the truth puts its shoes on.
Rush is correct. It is not acceptable for soldiers to disagree with military activities. Soldiers by oath and military law are supposed to follow orders, not spend their time spreading derision. Thus those that do are in fact phony soldiers because they are not acting as soldiers.
An army is not a coffee house.
Bill of attainder? Condemnation by Congress is a punishment.
hope it comes up for debate, and the actual transcript is entered into the debate. the dimorats will be embarrassed and exposed for who they really are!
Yes of course it is.
It is absolutely staggering that the congress would actually take up time to pass any resolution about a radio commentator! More and more, it looks like the democrats have really lost it! And as to the soldier in question, didn’t he receive a sentence for falsifying his record? Am I mistaken in thinking that I read that he was a boot-camp wash-out? If I’m mistaken about that soldier, please correct me, ok.
RUSH is bigger than life. He’s got to be loving this from the back nine! LOL
A lie goes half way around the world before the truth puts its shoes on.
All the Republicans in the House have to do is play the entire 3 minute segment (i.e. put things in context). They don’t have to debate how many “phony soldiers” there really are, or read the anti-soldier comments of various Left-Wing Democrats, or otherwise dignify this “motion” by getting into a big debate. If just listening to the actual comments doesn’t kill the motion, then just accuse the Democrats of “McCarthyism”, for (as liberal Democrats understand the term) that’s exactly what they’re engaged in (that, and a “tit for tat” for the “Petraeus/Betrayus” ad).
GREAT IDEA! HOPE DUNCAN HUNTER DOES IT!
Yes this is blowback from the Moveon.org resolution — and well-deserved. Congress is looking more and more like High School Student Government, only everybody is ugly.
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