Posted on 10/20/2007 9:31:05 AM PDT by Kaslin
Newspapers are supposed to be so much better at television at providing hard facts and context to today’s news. That’s not what the Washington Post did on Saturday in a snarky Style section article on Rush Limbaugh raising $2.1 million on eBay (and donating the same amount) to a worthy charity auctioning off Senator Harry Reid’s snotty letter to Clear Channel Communications denouncing Rush Limbaugh’s remarks about phony soldiers like Jesse Macbeth.
Neely Tucker’s short piece failed to explain the context of (a) what Rush originally said on the air about phony soldiers and (b) what Reid’s letter to Clear Channel said about they should "publicly repudiate" Limbaugh for his comments. The Post tried to discount the whole affair as "petty bickering about patriotism" and "grandstanding." Here’s the whole (brief, context-challenged) article, that came with a "Limbaugh Spins Reid's Letter Into Charity Gold" headline
Petty bickering about patriotism and Who Loves Our Troops More has never been seen as a financial growth industry, but there's no stopping American capitalism. This is why a perfunctory bit of political grandstanding, committed to U.S. Senate letterhead this month, became worth a reported $4.2 million yesterday, instantly becoming one of the most valuable printed documents of the modern era.
The letter in question is an Oct. 2 two-pager from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to Clear Channel Communications CEO Mark Mays lambasting the syndicate's Rush Limbaugh, who had recently criticized U.S. troops who were against the war in Iraq.
"Phony soldiers," blasted Limbaugh.
"Beyond the pale," Reid blasted back. "Unpatriotic," he added.
Forty-one Democratic senators signed the thing, put it in the mail and, really, that should have been the end.
But Limbaugh decided he had been "smeared" by left-wing evildoers. He put the letter up for auction on eBay, with the benefits going to the Marine Corps-Law Enforcement Foundation, a New Jersey-based charity that primarily gives scholarship money to the children of service members either killed in war or in the course of public duty. Limbaugh sits on the board of directors.
The letter drew bids from more than 60 people and was bought yesterday for $2.1 million by reclusive D.C. philanthropist Betty Brown Casey, who has heretofore shown more of an interest in the Washington National Opera than Washington mudslinging. Limbaugh said yesterday on his radio show that Casey was a longtime fan, that he would match her bid (bringing the total raised by the letter to $4.2 million) and, on his show, he graciously poked Reid in the eye:
"It got this kind of money because it represents one of the most outrageous abuses of federal power in modern American history, and that is what makes it a collector's item. This letter that Senator Reid wrote will forever memorialize him as a demagogue."
We have only a few hours, but you get the idea.
Brendan Sullivan, Casey's attorney, did not return calls yesterday.
Yesterday on the Senate floor, Reid said Limbaugh had "very, very constructively" raised more than $2 million with a letter "signed by this senator and my friends." Limbaugh, not to be out-grandstanded, took to the airwaves to blast Reid for trying to "horn in" on the publicity coup.
"We've gotten donations in the million-dollar range before, but this is by far the biggest," James Kallstrom, chairman and co-founder of the 12-year-old charity, said yesterday in a telephone interview.
The foundation has awarded more than $27 million in scholarships to children of slain troops and law enforcement officers, Kallstrom said, as well as support money for disabled veterans and their families.
"But we're not political at all," he said.
I haven't heard anything yet on any of the signers of that letter meeting Rush's challenge to them to match the amount themselves. Perhaps they're a little petty themselves.
Constitutional Republic "Rule of Law" versus Stalinist Socialism is considered "petty bickering" to the Democrats.
I really don’t know why some people care so much about her political leanings. It does not matter.
But since some of you do, please be accurate. She did not contribute “big time” to Obama. she DID contribute “big time” to the RNC.
She also gave to lazio and Rudy. What do lazio, rudy and obama have in common? All three have run or are running against Hillary. It’s fair to assume she’s anti-Hillary.
If she gave money to leiberman, good for her! In case you hadn’t noticed leiberman was re-elected because most Republicans/conservatives in CT switched their votes to him and refused to back the Republican. Conservatives and Republicans actively worked on his behalf. Including many here. Myself included. Why? because he’s right on the war and it’s CT. Not like we’d get a conservative right on the war there or a conservative period.
lastly, according to Rush she’s been a big fan from the start of his show AND if you read the release from her organization it stated they supported free speech, Rush limbaugh, and supported his continued teachings.
the woman’s one of the good “guys”.
Again, i don’t think it would matter if SOROS himself bought it. So long as he paid up. but can we please stop fishing into her political contributions and worrying about her donations now?
“If she gave money to leiberman, good for her! “
I agree. Someone posted her contributions yesterday. She did give to Republicans, however her last 3 were to Obama, IIRC. The max allowed per. It really isn’t relevant to Rush’s cause, that is true. I don’t think it’s worth getting into any big todo over it.
“The dude looks a little fruity.”
A little? He’ strikes me as a whole Carmen Miranda headpiece.
Hmmmmm..so the Post is telling flyover country to shut up and take it.....
NYT is close to going bankrupt. WaPo may well follow.
Good, paper is needed for birdcages and pupppy dog doo-doos.
The WaPo’s new mast-line:
“All the petty bickering fit to print.”
This sets the newest standard: Lies, Damn Lies, and anything printed in the WaPo.
Mark
More balmy bastards like him in Washington, we’ll be thankful that the 2nd Amendment is in the Constitution.
HAH, HAH, HAH! With a nice cigar and a beverage to go with it.
phony soldiers.
phony stories.
phony watchdog group.
phony backroom editing.
phony media coverage.
phony politicians.
phony speaches.
phony letter.
phony media coverage yet again.
add em all up and what da ya get?
purposeful obtuseness ....
oozing mendacity ....
vile defamation ....
intellectual turpitude ....
paid for by George Soros for purposefully obtuse liberals everywhere.
Do we really want a threepeat on shifty grifter Billy “Back of the Bus” Clinton and his ilk?
My thoughts too.
Yes it is outrageous and it should make anyone with more than 2 synapses to cross to turn away from these America hating demagogues (Clinton-Obama, the rest of them) who reject a moral compass.
Just curious. If we are legally prevented from posting an entire Washington Post item, are we legally prevented from posting an article quoting an entire Washington Post item?
Their jealousy is showing, Rush Limbaugh will not be defeated by these little sniveling petty stalinist twerps.
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