Posted on 10/03/2007 10:12:07 AM PDT by Petronski
Fred Thompson on Harry Reid’s attacks on Rush Limbaugh
Congressional Democrats are trying to divert attention from insulting our military leader in Iraq and pandering to the loony left by attacking Rush Limbaugh. He is one of the strongest supporters of our troops, yet Democrats claim he is not being strong enough. I wonder who General Petraeus and his troops think is most supportive?
It smells like triangulation to me. As I’ve said many times, I think there’s a lot to like about Romney — but this is exactly why I haven’t been able to trust him.
HH: Thanks for joining us. Have you been able to follow this story?
MR: Well, you know, you sort of follow it from afar as you’re from place to place. And I think anybody who looks at the story hears what Rush Limbaugh has to say, which of course makes perfect sense. He was referring to this soldier who had doctored up his resume, was a phony soldier. And he was critical of that soldier, and he had every right to be critical of that soldier. And it’s amazing to watch the Democrats turn that into something which clearly he had not intended to make it. And certainly, with his explanation, people should say oh, okay, I understand what you were saying, what you mean. I understand the context. And that’s fine.
HH: Now Governor, when I got to the studio today, I called your staff, because my mailbox was full of e-mails saying why is Governor Romney down on Rush. Did that catch you by surprise that somehow you’d become part of this story?
MR: Gosh, I didn’t know I had become part of the story. That just shows how you’re running around the country and you hear those things. Surely, the comment which he made today, or yesterday, where he said look, you have to understand, I wasn’t referring to all soldiers who oppose the war, I was referring to this soldier as a phony soldier. That makes sense, and you know, you take the man at his word. That’s what he was referring to, and you know, he’s got a long record of supporting our soldiers. There’s no question that this is a man who has been very much on the side of our fighting men and women, but somebody who’s doctored their resume is not somebody who he or anybody else is going to stand up for.
HH: Now this strikes me as an attempt by the MoveOn.org left, allied with some Democratic Senators, to turn attention away from the attack on General Petraeus made a few weeks ago, and an attempt to rebrand themselves as pro-military. How do you assess the effectiveness of trying to escape the effect of the MoveOn.org attack on General Petraeus?
MR: Well, it’s a very different setting. In the case of MoveOn.org, they actually ran an ad, and they said that General Petraeus will betray us, and that is an extraordinary challenge to make for a person who is risking his life for the security and safety of our country, and that’s outrageous. The Democrats wouldn’t distance themselves from it and denounce it, and that was to their dishonor. In this case, Rush’s statement taken out of context appears to say something which he explains he did not mean to say, that he instead was referring to an individual soldier who had doctored his resume. They’re entirely different matters, and you know, the lefties will believe what the lefties want to believe, but the truth of the matter is Rush Limbaugh supports our troops, and supports the rights of Americans to express their views. After all, he does that very thing day in and day out.
So, exactly what kind of stake do you have in getting this man elected?
Apparently you think he lives like the Amish because last I checked this was all over the newspapers, television sets, blogs, being talked about at campaign stops and the whole of D.C. buzzing. He very well was aware of the controvery and he FLUNKED his response. And even if I go with your thought process here, a man that disconnected as no business being President of the United states.
Basically you want me to ooh and ahh over well rehearsed poll driven scripts. I really don’t care what half a dozen strategists have gotten together to decide he should say from one issue to the next. I care about the incidents where he is off the cuff and doesn’t have time to focus group.
I read the transcript, nowhere does Mitt deny he jumped to conclusions and instintively believed Rush smeared the troops. he emphatically states if one read it out of context (meaning him) but then goes on to say in context....that’s an admission he did what i told you he did!
I realize you have an investment in shilling for this guy, but I don’t have an investment in acting dumb. I scored fairly well in reading comprehension while in school and Mitt doesn’t deny he jumped to conclusions and he doesn’t even have the good grace to apologize.
He’s a phony, and Hewitt has no credibility anymore.
Incredible, you got an argument with Hugh?
I love Hugh because he is honest and a straight shooter.
Sorry, I didn’t see it.
“It smells like triangulation to me. As I’ve said many times, I think there’s a lot to like about Romney — but this is exactly why I haven’t been able to trust him.”
I think that it is just Romney’s ignorance of the conservative movement in America.
He may really not know what this attack on Rush, and then this continued brush off of Rush could mean.
it might be less disingenuous if he made the apology statement to the Huffington Post as well...to do otherwise is playing for both sides.
So far Romney has not apologized to anyone, especially Rush.
When you read the portion of the Rush transcript I posted,#377 you will see where things stand between the victim Rush and the perpetrator Romney.
If you read the Hewitt transcript you will see that Romney leaves it at the same place, Romney does not even acknowledge the attack, or his statement to Huffington Post.
Rush is still hanging out there insulted, attacked, and ignored by Mitt Romney, the “Reagan Republican”.
I think Madden made a mistake in this case. Happens to all of us (remember it had happened to Fred and his spokesman when they didn't get the abortion lobbying story absolutely clear the first time -- and that guy no longer works for the Thompson campaign).
Anyway, Romney's camp screwed up. They made a statement without knowing the full story and context of what Rush was saying. When Romney knew the full context, he handled it appropriately and came to Rush's defense. Rush doesn't have to forgive him for being a day late and a dollar short, but I hope he does. It is all really a bit silly in the big picture of things.
I think Mitt should do one of those Chris Crocker (of Leave Britney Alone youtube fame) videos and implore everyone to Leave Rush Alone as a mea culpa!
two things come to mind...hurriedly making a statement before knowing the full context...will he do that as president?
or claiming to be too busy to stay up with current events...
hmmmmmm other candidates were aware of what was going on in the Senate and why...
will he do that as president?
That’s ridiculous. Romney has demonstrated that he is more informed on issues that matter to Americans and able to intelligently discuss them more readily than any other candidate running. As much as we may all worship at Rush’s altar, it is not the most important topic on a presidential candidate’s agenda. It is lunacy that it is the top agenda in our senate.
If you are going to make such assumptions about Romney based on this one instance, then should we leap to the conclusion that since Thompson’s campaign originally put out an inaccurate account of his abortion lobbying that we cannot trust him to accurately disclose things to us if he becomes president?
Both suggestions are silly.
you and I agree with one thing...its lunacy that the Senate spent so much time on this. But that might show where the danger lies ...and what we might want to be sure we are aware of in the undermining attack machine of the left.
I still find it hard that he was unaware or made a statement without first knowing what he was making a statement about.
Also ...I am not silly nor blinded nor simple minded enough to make any assumptions about a candidate based on one thing or instance. My discomfort with Romney is based on many instances. MANY. But I guess thats my perogative.
I do watch, listen, research and make darn sure I know about them before I pull a lever.
I saw others as well. I understand your position, I am glad Fred stood up even if it took a day or two.
How can that be, Mitt is a highly experienced executive, he could never make a mistake.
Wow, the Mitt strike team is digging. The must be a red alert out some where.
I hope they manage to get off an SOS...
We all know Rush supports the troops.
I think an argument could be easily made that because Harry Reid thought Rush was talking about a large group of soldiers that it actually shows his own dislike of the military.
See #89, point #3. Thanks for playing.
No, he did exactly the wrong thing on first instinct.
Then, once he realized the hot water he got himself into, he did the expedient thing, but even then, he had to be dragged into it by Hewitt.
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