Posted on 10/02/2007 4:20:59 PM PDT by RDTF
Washington, DC—Senate Democrats today sent the following letter to Mark P. Mays, CEO of Clear Channel Communications, calling on him to publicly repudiate Rush Limbaugh’s characterization of troops who speak out against the Iraq war as “phony soldiers.” Despite recent Republican comments condemning verbal attacks on our troops, when given the opportunity to join us in signing this letter, not a single one did so.
The text of the letter is below and attached:
October 2, 2007
Mr. Mark P. Mays CEO, Clear Channel Communications Inc. 200 East Basse Road San Antonio, TX 78209
Dear Mr. Mays,
At the time we sign this letter, 3,808 American soldiers have been killed in Iraq, and another 28,009 have been wounded. 160,000 others awoke this morning on foreign sand, far from home, to face the danger and uncertainty of another day at war.
Although Americans of goodwill debate the merits of this war, we can all agree that those who serve with such great courage deserve our deepest respect and gratitude. That is why Rush Limbaugh’s recent characterization of troops who oppose the war as “phony soldiers” is such an outrage.
Our troops are fighting and dying to bring to others the freedoms that many take for granted. It is unconscionable that Mr. Limbaugh would criticize them for exercising the fundamentally American right to free speech. Mr. Limbaugh has made outrageous remarks before, but this affront to our soldiers is beyond the pale.
The military, like any community within the United States, includes members both for and against the war. Senior generals, such as General John Batiste and Paul Eaton, have come out against the war while others have publicly supported it. A December 2006 poll conducted by the Military Times found just 35 percent of service members approved of President Bush’s handling of the war in Iraq, compared to 42 percent who disapproved. From this figure alone, it is clear that Mr. Limbaugh’s insult is directed at thousands of American service members.
Active and retired members of our armed forces have a unique perspective on the war and offer a valuable contribution to our national debate. In August, seven soldiers wrote an op-ed expressing their concern with the current strategy in Iraq. Tragically, since then, two of those seven soldiers have made the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq.
Thousands of active troops and veterans were subjected to Mr. Limbaugh’s unpatriotic and indefensible comments on your broadcast. We trust you will agree that not a single one of our sons, daughters, neighbors and friends serving overseas is a “phony soldier.” We call on you to publicly repudiate these comments that call into question their service and sacrifice and to ask Mr. Limbaugh to apologize for his comments.
Sincerely,
Senator Harry Reid, Majority Leader Senator Richard Durbin, Assistant Majority Leader Senator Charles Schumer, Vice Chairman, Democratic Conference Senator Patty Murray, Secretary, Democratic Conference Senator Daniel Akaka Senator Max Baucus Senator Joseph Biden Senator Barbara Boxer Senator Sherrod Brown Senator Robert Byrd Senator Benjamin Cardin Senator Tom Carper Senator Bob Casey Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton Senator Kent Conrad Senator Christopher Dodd Senator Byron Dorgan Senator Dianne Feinstein Senator Tom Harkin Senator Daniel Inouye Senator Edward M. Kennedy Senator John Kerry Senator Amy Klobuchar Senator Mary Landrieu Senator Frank Lautenberg Senator Patrick Leahy Senator Carl Levin Senator Blanche Lincoln Senator Bob Menendez Senator Barbara Mikulski Senator Bill Nelson Senator Barack Obama Senator Jack Reed Senator Jay Rockefeller Senator Ken Salazar Senator Bernie Sanders Senator Debbie Stabenow Senator Jon Tester Senator Jim Webb Senator Sheldon Whitehouse Senator Ron Wyden
We ain't seen nothing yet. Will NOT matter she WILL NOT be elected President. The Lord has hand picked His MAN for President.
This is war. A culture war where the left is trying to smear a conservative. As of today, they are winning.
Agreed! This claim is an easily refutable lie, Rush was referring to the notorious Jesse Macbeth who washed out of boot camp after 44 days, but there is apparently quite a number of cases of bogus service histories, Medal of Honor recipients, etc., from various wars, and resulting criminal prosecutions.
I hope you are right
This is childish and scary. Are these people really running out Country. They are up there with a war going on and they mess with stuff that resembles lefty students on University Campuses. I do NOT understand these people. The founders of this country are rolling in their graves at the idiots they left a great country too. SAD.
But its not too late for them to condemn something that did happen.
John Murtha Says Troops Kill In Cold Blood
Yo Democrats! Over here!
Democrats?
Are you there Democrats?
No condemnation of Jessie MacBeth?
Better than an up and down vote...Now we know who the real phonies are in America—as if we didn’t know already—They all stand for Free Speech, except when it comes to shutting down dissent from the Right....
Senator Harry Reid, Majority Leader Senator Richard Durbin, Assistant Majority Leader Senator Charles Schumer, Vice Chairman, Democratic Conference Senator Patty Murray, Secretary, Democratic Conference Senator Daniel Akaka Senator Max Baucus Senator Joseph Biden Senator Barbara Boxer Senator Sherrod Brown Senator Robert Byrd Senator Benjamin Cardin Senator Tom Carper Senator Bob Casey Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton Senator Kent Conrad Senator Christopher Dodd Senator Byron Dorgan Senator Dianne Feinstein Senator Tom Harkin Senator Daniel Inouye Senator Edward M. Kennedy Senator John Kerry Senator Amy Klobuchar Senator Mary Landrieu Senator Frank Lautenberg Senator Patrick Leahy Senator Carl Levin Senator Blanche Lincoln Senator Bob Menendez Senator Barbara Mikulski Senator Bill Nelson Senator Barack Obama Senator Jack Reed Senator Jay Rockefeller Senator Ken Salazar Senator Bernie Sanders Senator Debbie Stabenow Senator Jon Tester Senator Jim Webb Senator Sheldon Whitehouse Senator Ron Wyden
.....Rush, here is one man who is helping.......BIGTIME:
Yep! They’re still taking the rope! Won’t be long now! P*ss poor excuse for human beings, those dummiecrats!
As if democrats give a sh!t about the troops.
Just more ‘rat gobbledygook.
The Marxist Democrats are boldly flying their true colors by means of this action. Has our country slipped so far into socialism that they will let this pass? IMO, if the leftist socialist revolutionaries are successful our country and its Constitution will be on its way to being replaced by a Marxist regime.
Done.
I want this in the history books like McCarthyism is. These despotics hacks are far more dangerous than Joseph ever was.
He took clips of Reid saying “we have lost the war”
Durbin and “Nazi, ..” , Kerry and “being dumb = going to Iraq”
Murtha.. “Killing innocent Iraqi’s in cold blood”
Gibson put “who said that” Not Limbaugh with a gasp after each comment.
Good job Mr. Gibson!
I have Drudge open on one PC all day, every day... he never had this headline. Not once.
This is “attack on our troops” business is the poster’s headline. Maybe it came from a DNC email blast.
I don’t see how this current flap is a win for the Left. Accusing someone of something and having the Dems talk about it does not equal a victory in my opinion. It is wildfire in the news-junkie world of course but these people are already aligned so there is no win. USA Today is just talking about the horse race but not really reporting on the facts. If anything the Dems are likely to overplay this which will be seen as an attempt to distract their base from their failures (much like Republicans talking about flag burning or something during an election cycle). It is a big yawn IMO that just gets the “believers” on either side all fired up.
Harry Reid: Worst. American. Ever.
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