The Swamp
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Posted September 28, 2007 6:30 AM
The Swamp

by Mark Silva, and updated

The Democrats, who suffered a deep drilling over the MoveOn.org newspaper ad that called Gen. David Petraeus “General Betray Us,’’ have been laying in wait for a chance to pounce on Republicans for betraying the troops.

Rush.jpg

And they have found it in a traditional foil, radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh, who made a passing comment this week about his attitude towards soldiers who oppose the war in Iraq, calling them “phony soldiers.’’

Democrats pounced in unison, with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee launching a salvo against Limbaugh. “Rush Limbaugh’s personal attack on our men and women in uniform is reprehensible,’’ Rep. Chris Van Hollen, chairman of the Democrats’ campaigns for Congress, said last night. “It minimizes the sacrifice our troops in Iraq and their families are making and has no place in the public discourse.

“Rush Limbaugh owes our military and their families an apology for his hurtful comments that minimize their service to our country,’’ Van Hollen continued.

That would be like the apology that Republicans demanded of Democrats for the comments of MoveOn.org. That’s a skirmish that’s still brewing – with Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware suggesting in a debate of the Democratic presidential candidates this week that MoveOn.org is not the party, only part of the party.

Read on, and please note: There has been considerable disagreement among those commenting on this posting today about what Rush Limbaugh said about "phony soldiers.'' We have added a more expanded transcript at the end of this posting and in the comments.

This is what got the Democrats going: An exchange between Limbaugh and a caller on his Premiere Radio Networks program on Wednesday:

LIMBAUGH: ""Save the -- keep the troops safe' or whatever. I -- it's not possible, intellectually, to follow these people.’’

CALLER: “No, it's not, and what's really funny is, they never talk to real soldiers. They like to pull these soldiers that come up out of the blue and talk to the media.’’

LIMBAUGH: “The phony soldiers.’’

CALLER: “The phony soldiers. If you talk to a real soldier, they are proud to serve. They want to be over in Iraq. They understand their sacrifice, and they're willing to sacrifice for their country.’’

LIMBAUGH: “They joined to be in Iraq. They joined…’’

CALLER: “A lot of them -- the new kids, yeah.’’

LIMBAUGH: “Well, you know where you're going these days, the last four years, if you signed up. The odds are you're going there or Afghanistan or somewhere.’’

CALLER: “Exactly, sir.’’

Exactly wrong, complains Moira Mack, a spokeswoman for Americans Against Escalation of the War in Iraq.

“Like the majority of Americans, many of our brave men and women who have served in Iraq are calling for an end to the war,’’ Mack said. “But on Wednesday, Rush Limbaugh called troops who favor Iraq withdrawal ‘phony soldiers,’ sparking outrage across the nation.’’

VoteVets.org President and Iraq war veteran Jon Soltz, leader of an organization of veterans opposing the war, made his response on the online Huffington Post.

Mack called the radio commentator’s radio comment “emblematic of a party which has been out of touch with the American people on the war in Iraq every step of the way. While the vast majority of Americans want our troops brought home safely, President Bush and his allies continue to block a safe end to the war in Iraq. Americans are fed up.

“President Bush and Republican members of Congress should immediately denounce the offensive statement and demand an apology on behalf of America’s veterans and military families who have sacrificed so much,’’ Mack said.

And to round out the chorus of criticism for Limbaugh, Howard Dean, chairman of the Democratic National Committee and a staunch opponent of the war who campaigned against it in his bid for the party’s presidential nomination in 2004, spoke out.

“Rush Limbaugh should immediately apologize to our brave men and women in uniform for undermining the sacrifices they make every day serving our country,’’ Dean said in a statement issued last night. “Limbaugh's comments were un-American, have no place in the public discourse, and show just how far he'll go to defend President Bush's failed policy in Iraq. America's troops deserve better, and Limbaugh owes them an apology."

So there: Limbaugh’s apology will roll around just about the time the Democratic Party apologizes for MoveOn.org.

But the fallout from MoveOn ad may last a lot longer than the brush fire over the overheated rhetoric of Radio Limbaugh.


This is a more expansive transcript of what was said on the radio, on Sept. 26:

LIMBAUGH: Mike in Chicago, welcome to the EIB Network. Hello.

CALLER 1: Hi Rush, how you doing today?

LIMBAUGH: I'm fine sir, thank you.

CALLER 1: Good. Why is it that you always just accuse the Democrats of being against the war and suggest that there are absolutely no Republicans that could possibly be against the war?

LIMBAUGH: Well, who are these Republicans? I can think of Chuck Hagel, and I can think of Gordon Smith, two Republican senators, but they don't want to lose the war like the Democrats do. I can't think of -- who are the Republicans in the anti-war movement?

CALLER 1: I'm just -- I'm not talking about the senators. I'm talking about the general public -- like you accuse the public of all the Democrats of being, you know, wanting to lose, but --

LIMBAUGH: Oh, come on! Here we go again. I uttered a truth, and you can't handle it, so you gotta call here and change the subject. How come I'm not also hitting Republicans? I don't know a single Republican or conservative, Mike, who wants to pull out of Iraq in defeat. The Democrats have made the last four years about that specifically.

CALLER 1: Well, I am a Republican, and I've listened to you for a long time, and you're right on a lot of things, but I do believe that we should pull out of Iraq. I don't think it's winnable. And I'm not a Democrat, but I just -- sometimes you've got to cut the losses.

LIMBAUGH: Well, you -- you --

CALLER 1: I mean, sometimes you really gotta know when you're wrong.

LIMBAUGH: Well, yeah, you do. I'm not wrong on this. The worst thing that can happen is losing this, flying out of there, waving the white flag. Do you have --

CALLER 1: Oh, I'm not saying that. I'm not saying anything like that, but, you know --

LIMBAUGH: Well, of course you are.

CALLER 1: No, I'm not.

LIMBAUGH: Bill, the truth is -- the truth is the truth, Mike.

CALLER 1: We did what we were supposed to do, OK. We got rid of Saddam Hussein. We got rid of a lot of the terrorists. Let them run their country --

LIMBAUGH: Oh, good lord! Good lord.

[...]

CALLER 1: How long is it gonna -- how long do you think we're going to have to be there for them to take care of that?

LIMBAUGH: Mike --

CALLER 1: How long -- you know -- what is it?

LIMBAUGH: Mike --

CALLER 1: What is it?

LIMBAUGH: Mike, you can't possibly be a Republican.

CALLER 1: I am.

LIMBAUGH: You are -- you are --

CALLER 1: I am definitely a Republican.

LIMBAUGH: You can't be a Republican. You are --

CALLER 1: Oh, I am definitely a Republican.

LIMBAUGH: You are tarnishing the reputation, 'cause you sound just like a Democrat.

CALLER 1: No, but --

LIMBAUGH: The answer to your question --

CALLER 1: -- seriously, how long do we have to stay there --

LIMBAUGH: As long as it takes!

CALLER 1: -- to win it? How long?

LIMBAUGH: As long as it takes! It is very serious.

CALLER 1: And that is what?

LIMBAUGH: This is the United States of America at war with Islamofascists. We stay as long -- just like your job. You do everything you have to do, whatever it takes to get it done, if you take it seriously.

CALLER 1: So then you say we need to stay there forever --

LIMBAUGH: I -- it won't --

CALLER 1: -- because that's what it'll take.

LIMBAUGH: No, Bill, or Mike -- I'm sorry. I'm confusing you with the guy from Texas.

CALLER 1: See, I -- I've used to be military, OK? And I am a Republican.

LIMBAUGH: Yeah. Yeah.

CALLER 1: And I do live [inaudible] but --

LIMBAUGH: Right. Right. Right, I know.

CALLER 1: -- you know, really -- I want you to be saying how long it's gonna take.

LIMBAUGH: And I, by the way, used to walk on the moon!

CALLER 1: How long do we have to stay there?

LIMBAUGH: You're not listening to what I say. You can't possibly be a Republican. I'm answering every question. That's not what you want to hear, so it's not even penetrating your little wall of armor you've got built up.

[...]

LIMBAUGH: Another Mike, this one in Olympia, Washington. Welcome to the EIB Network. Hello.

CALLER 2: Hi Rush, thanks for taking my call.

LIMBAUGH: You bet.

CALLER 2: I have a retort to Mike in Chicago, because I am a serving American military, in the Army. I've been serving for 14 years, very proudly.

LIMBAUGH: Thank you, sir.

CALLER 2: And, you know, I'm one of the few that joined the Army to serve my country, I'm proud to say, not for the money or anything like that. What I would like to retort to is that, if we pull -- what these people don't understand is if we pull out of Iraq right now, which is about impossible because of all the stuff that's over there, it'd take us at least a year to pull everything back out of Iraq, then Iraq itself would collapse, and we'd have to go right back over there within a year or so. And --

LIMBAUGH: There's a lot more than that that they don't understand. They can't even -- if -- the next guy that calls here, I'm gonna ask him: Why should we pull -- what is the imperative for pulling out? What's in it for the United States to pull out? They can't -- I don't think they have an answer for that other than, "Well, we just gotta bring the troops home."

CALLER 2: Yeah, and, you know what --

LIMBAUGH: "Save the -- keep the troops safe" or whatever. I -- it's not possible, intellectually, to follow these people.

CALLER 2: No, it's not, and what's really funny is, they never talk to real soldiers. They like to pull these soldiers that come up out of the blue and talk to the media.

LIMBAUGH: The phony soldiers.

CALLER 2: The phony soldiers. If you talk to a real soldier, they are proud to serve. They want to be over in Iraq. They understand their sacrifice, and they're willing to sacrifice for their country.

LIMBAUGH: They joined to be in Iraq. They joined --

CALLER 2: A lot of them -- the new kids, yeah.

LIMBAUGH: Well, you know where you're going these days, the last four years, if you signed up. The odds are you're going there or Afghanistan or somewhere.

CALLER 2: Exactly, sir.

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Comments

Rush Limbaugh is just another chickenhawk. Of course this was established long ago.

Let's see this moron take his ample candy behind over to Iraq and tell one of these combat veterans that they're "phony soldiers."

This is just the latest example of the contempious, cowardly chickenhawks spewing their clucks on T.V., over the radio, or as apart of the vast legions of GOP QWERTY Chairborne Internet Commandos. Clucking their clucks without ever dreaming of having the guts to say these things to the people they disparge face-to-face.


Explain the last line, please.

It could easily be argued that Petraeus is a more valid target than ordinary troops who criticize the war.

Remember, two of the soldiers who wrote the critical August editorial in the New York Times have died since then.

Rush called those dead soldiers "phony" ones.

I would think that that would be seen a a greater outrage than criticizing a general, who is still breathing.


So, what do we call the opposite (a militaristic gasbag that never served a day in his life)?

A 'phony patriot'?


Rush Limbaugh represents everything that's wrong with conservatives; ignorance, arrogance, an ultra right winged agenda, lies, deception, and greed. Not to mention a drug addict who can't stay married, this from a man who carry's the mantel of family values.
I have never known anyone who was his fan who had any acceptable level of intelligence. Rush is an embarrassment to the US.


But the fallout from MoveOn ad may last a lot longer than the brush fire over the overheated rhetoric of Radio Limbaugh.

Posted by Mark Silva on September 29, 2007 6:30 AM

Don't count on it, bunky.

I love how all these blow hard Republicans like Rush spew off garbage like this - but then never take on the people they is talking about face to face. "Phony soldier" Jon Soltz offered to let Rush say that to his face - do you think he will actually do that? Or, like Bill O., say what he said was taken out of context??

OK, Brucey, Johnny D., JD, Jerry, etc. - you all took your shots at MoveOn - let's hear your defense of your hero Rush on this one.


AS usual the libs got nothing and they're reaching for straws.

If they EVER BOTHERED to listen to Limbaugh's program they would know exactly were he AND his listners stand. And where they stand is behind our troops fully supporting thier efforts on our behalf. Unlike libs and democractics who start their comments with " we support our troops" but....

Another lame democrat whine!!!


Forgot Limbaugh's use of the TWO words probably referred to the democratic libs darling alleged US Ranger who spoke up and was quoted in the drive by media about all the horrible things that US troops were doing in Iraq.

THEN IT TURNED OUT THAT HE SPENT A WOPPING 42 DAYS IN THE ARMY AND WAS TOSSED CAUSE HE WASN'T RIGHT!!!

But you libs were ready to jump all over our troops for that!!!

Ain't hearing anyhting from you folks on that!!


“Rush Limbaugh owes our military and their families an apology for his hurtful comments that minimize their service to our country,’’ Van Hollen continued.

I don't agree. I'm a veteran and I think the same thing of them.


There is a fundamental difference between the MoveOn ad and what Rush Limbaugh said -- the MoveOn ad was an accurate assessment of the actions of one four-star general, while Limbaugh's words were a slanderous attack on a large number of Iraq war veterans. MoveOn.org has provided links to various media and government reports supporting everything they said in their ad. Rush Limbaugh, a man who avoided serving in Vietnam, has nothing on which to base his defamatory remarks.


Mark, I'm wondering why in this report you didn't identify the caller? Limbaugh always identifies the caller.
Since this particular item is not on Limbaugh's website, I would like to know who the caller is. Is it a military guy?
But, anyway, Rush should not call any military person who served a "phony soldier," whether they agree or not with the war in Iraq.
I would like to know where Moira Mack is getting her information from, though. Most serving want the war to end? First of all, I think anyone who serves in the military and is in a war wants it to end. Even those who served during WWII wanted it to end so they can get home to their families, and just be home period.
It may be just a few people, but I do a couple that served in Iraq and one who will be going there in Spring 2008. He is in the Texas National Guard. Is he happy about going? No. Does he support the war and why we are there? Most definitely YES.
But, please, Mark, ID the caller.


Cindy Sheehan, soldiers against the war, and those who deny the terrorism of Muslims will live to applaud George Bush that he had the foresight to follow his principles rather than the polls , as all Demos do.


ROFL - you have got to be kidding me!!! This actually passes for NEWS???

Wow, the paucity of intellect applied to this non-story is breath taking.

His comment doesn't apply nor besmerch the entire armed forces. This applies just to those few who have drank the cool-aid of the clinton founded and funded moveon.org who make up stories and then portray them as real.

This is in reference to Shuster of CNN who played a gotcha game with a congressman on air which was pushed by clinton's moveon.org!!

The guy the pushed wasn't even a soldier, didn't even go to Iraq, and YET he makes ALL these claims about U.S. Soldier abuses throughout our military - the guy didn't even make it out of boot camp - and yet makes all these claims - he is a FAKE soldier!!

Capiche'?


Limbaugh would last about 30 seconds in a combat zone.
I know from personal experence.If he feel that GUNG HO,I'm sure some of his BUSH buddies could get him set up in MARINE CORPS GREENS. But he would just be another picture on the cutting room floor.Mr Proud AMERICAN,Freedom is not free,someone is paying your bill!


This is completely different because only ignorant racists and other low-life scum take anything Rush Limbaugh has to heart. If you have half a brain you just roll your eyes, chuckle and say, "There goes Rush again...off the deep end" right before you change the channel.


Good grief, we should all know by now. Republicans do not and never have respected members of the military. They lied about and smeared 2 war heros in John Kerry and Max Cleland; they lied about and smeared Vietnam vet Al Gore; they cut veteran benefits; they extend tours of duty to act as a backdoor draft; they lie about how soldiers are killed in battle. Until we have a media that gives this as much attention as they gave a newspaper ad, it will not change. Limbaugh should be fired as Imus was, never to be heard from again. But I'd be willing to bet a paycheck the media gives this story 1/4 of the coverage it gave the newspaper ad.


Our politicians need to shut up. They have not earned a penny of their income in the last 15 years. The only thing they did for 15 year is play "Gotcha". Grow up, get a life, go home with your bat and ball, leave us alone.


Rush is a good guy. You act as if he's the kind of person who would mock a dieing person suffering from a degenerative disease. This is a typical drive-by left wing media hit piece.


What do you expect? This is Rush Limbaugh we are talking about. He is the voice of the GOP. The GOP doesn't care about our soldiers; they care about their campaign contributors. Rush's job is to defend the GOP no matter what. Does he pull facts out of his butt? Yes. Can you trust anything he says? No. He is just like the GOP: untrustworthy and self serving.

Sad, it used to be the GOP stood for something. Now all they stand for is the enrichment of their contributors.

Should the Dems attack this like the GOP attacked Moveon? I don't think so. I can see why they would want too, but the moveon thing was a phony controversy, and so is this.


Why do you run with this when all you had to do was keep the transcript going to find he was referring to an actual "phony soldier"?

Are you for real?


Rush Limbaugh really gets under the Democrats' and liberals' skins...and he relishes every minute of it.


"But the fallout from MoveOn ad may last a lot longer than the brush fire over the overheated rhetoric of Radio Limbaugh."

Unfortunately, this statement is true, and this one line says much about today's political landscape.

Limbaugh, O'Reilly, Coulter . . . these GOP water-carriers utter some of the most vile, hate-filled, insulting comments I've ever heard. However, they are almost never called to account, and even when they are, the storm blows over quickly. Never is a top Republican asked to disavow the statements.

But god forbid Sally Field, or Bill Maher or MoveOn.org says something the right considers inflammatory. You'll be sure to see John Boehner or Sean Hannity or Dick Cheney screaming that the Democrats should condemn the speaker and apologize on their behalf.

And finally, I think I know why this always happens. Liberals are expected to be reasonable and well-mannered. We like to portray ourselves as being above the mud-slinging and dirty tricks that became part and parcel of the modern conservative movement under Nixon, honed later by Lee Atwater and lately perfected by Karl Rove. And so when someone identified with the left makes a statement that is perceived as outrageous (whether it actually is or not), it stands out from the rest of the background noise that is modern American politics.


How much did Moveon.org pay you to write this hit piece, Mark? You're not very good at it.


This is pitiful. Is this the best Tribune and the rest of liberals can do? Listening to every Limbaugh's word and hoping for his slip. This is pathetic. As a matter of fact Limbaugh is one of the staunchiest supporters of our military and our soldiers know that. His radio show is by far the most popular radio program of our troops.
What happens is liberal media hand in hand with democrats are trying to drive wedge between our soldiers and their favorite guy on the radio, and at the same time want to show like they really care about our military. They had so many opportunities before, and our soldiers know it.

Sincerely
Andre Karpinski


The Democrats in Congress are only attacking Rush Limbaugh to deflect attention from General Betray Us. This hate America crowd of Demmies is just using Limbaugh as fodder for fundraising letters which will be going out soon. It's red meat to say Rush to the koolaid MoveOn.org drinkers.
Frankly, their mad that he is upsetting their leftist kooks by pointing out that in the Dem debate Hil, Barack, and John Edwards wouldn't say for sure if they will get the troops out of Iraq by 2013. The leftist kooks are in high dungeon and they are surprised Rush would point out their saints in Dem Party would turn on them like they did in the debate.Only Chris Dodd said he'd get the troops out in a year of being President. The only problem Dodd won't be elected Prez ever. So, there goes code pink, Cindy Sheehan, the fugitve by the way, and all the rest Daily Kos and Hil War Room websites with $74 million dollars of tax cheat George Soros funding. Jerry White, Springfield, IL


When and where did Limbaugh serve? Was he in Korea? The Cold War? Lebanon? Nam? Iraq the first? Just what is his service.

Or is he a deferment princess like Cheney? Five deferrments because he had "better things to do" instead of serving in Nam with his peers.

Or was he a week end warrior like Bush baby. You remember the week end warriors of the 60's and 70's don't you? They "served" safely at home while pursuing endless degrees in education as further insurance against serving in war. The closest they ever came to danger was bashing black heads in some righteous civil rights demonstration. Favorite warrior past time of that by gone era.

Darn now you've done it. I have to go be sick again. Can't stand all these heroic republican hypocrites.


It figures the Dems jumped on Rush. They have no way to defend their own attacks against the troops that are coming from within their party, so they jump on a well-known CONSERVATIVE (not Republican) talk show host who is not part of the Republican party in order to make themselves feel better and to push the spotlight off of themselves.

Will it work? Sure, for those who need an excuse to forget the MoveOn.Org thugs. For most, though, they know who is actually for the troops and who is against them.


Mark, The D's don't have to appoligize for MoveOn and the republics don' have to appologize for Lush Rimbaugh (although he is the main voice of the republic party) Butt cyst oxyman is the one that needs to appologize.


"out of touch with the American people on the war in Iraq"

That's too limited--they've been out of touch with Americans on EVERY issue, every step of the way, because they see what they want to see and pretend everything's lovely as long as they eat hot dogs and wave a flag. It's not that simple...there are even other problems here at home that call for peoples' action, but you'll never see one of them doing anything unless it's endorsed by Limbaugh or some NASCAR driver.


I'm with you up to your last paragraph.

You say the MoveOn ad "fallout" may last a lot longer than the Rush dust-up but you don't offer any reasoning or explanation for that statement.

When did any political opinion not directly issued and approved by the monolithic "Right" (such as the MoveOn ad) become the responsibility (and, by extension, the belief) of every Democratic candidate and voter?

Was the concept of the "straw man" not thoroughly explained in philosophy class?


Listen....Rush is as good American as anyone in the country...my how funny it is that the Democrats are calling Republicans Un-American when it is in fact the Hate-American Democrats that are ruining this country.....we have the most Hate-American Liberal Senators in the country and a Hate-America Governor....it is real funny now that the Hate-America Democrats are calling Rush Un-American when it is the other way around....


Rush Limbaugh, is as foolish as he is high. One who uses drugs and condemns other's who use drugs cannot ne taken seriously.


So Rush the "Phony Patriot" calls soldiers who oppose this war "Phony Soldiers"
What does this often deferred coward know about soldiering?
Contact WLS management and let them know that you are upset with Rush attacking the soldiers.


The sense of the senate vote on the Move On ad was 72 to 25. This would indicate that there are only 25 Democrats in touch with what America thinks--which sounds about right.


Rush is irrelevant. Any one who follows/supports this guy is detrimental to our society and global prosperity. Let 'em hang.


The only 'deep drilling' Democrats suffered was in the nitwit pundit class and by Republics looking for something, anything, to change the debate from people dying in Iraq, to a newspaper ad.

Yes, Limpbaugh's an idiot, but how is this getting our troops out of Iraq?


Limbaugh can't be taken seriously, he has so many problems himself..
Let's do a show just on Rush......someday he will end up like Don Imus a man without a show and platform


Can all our Congressmen please stop wasting their time pretending to be media critics and actually...you know...do what they're elected and paid to do? What MoveOn.org or Rush Limbaugh say or do should be of no concern to them.


It's quite interesting to see a draft-dodging radio "personality" attack boots-on the-ground soldiers in defense of a draft dodging "war" chief executive. It reminds me of Ted "Piss Your Pants" Nugent speaking out about this inane, and possibly insane, war.


A draft dodger who has the gall to call any soldier a "phony soldier" takes the cake.


Why is this junkie still on the air? Who would listen to him? I'm stunned he still has a following.


I hope that our Congress people can skip the time-wasting resolutions condemning Rush, but I'm sure the right-wingers in Congress will furiously attack Rush for criticizing our troops and ask the Dems to follow suit.


MOVEON.org...........SUCKS


Rush Limbaugh was referring to the phony letters from Iraq alleged atrocities by our troops. The letter writer claims to be part of a unit committing these crimes. Turns out the guy wasn't a soldier, hence the "phony soldier" label. Look before you leap.


I wish the Democrats wouldn't do this... it's a race to the bottom and the Dem's should just let the Republicans win. (the Republicans can't be beat in this kind've politics anyway. Just like the Republicans would be hopeless if they had to run on actual policy issues instead of fear and bigotry).

Let the republicans be the party of petty politics, fear, and bigotry. Let them continue to show their true colors. The Republicans wasting time making Congress vote against free speech for MoveOn.Org is disgusting, petty, and UnAmerican and the American people know it. The Democrats should let the Republicans have their fascist policy votes and stick to sound domestic policy and bringing an end to the Iraq war. THAT's a winning hand with the American people.

Both parties are showing that they really don't have much respect for the intelligence of the average American.


I can't wait to see pResident Doogie Howser call out Rush Limprod for insulting everyone in the military, just like he said that MoveOn ad did. And I can't wait for Republican politicians cdemand that Rush Limprod apologize to the troops for insulting each and every one of them.

Yeah right - ain't gonna happen. Why? BECAUSE REPUBLICANS ARE HYPOCRITES!!!


Mark, I would love to get your insight as to why you believe that the MoveOn ad gave Democrats a deep drilling and will continue to do so...what are you seeing we are not?

And saying the Democrts pounced is really unfair, there are plenty of organizations tracking the words of Limbaugh and other right-wingers everyday...Media Matters and Think Progress are two of many. This was no pounce, juse another instance of what regularly comes out of the mouth of Rush.

Looking forward to your response.


[quote]
Since this particular item is not on Limbaugh's website

Posted by: John D | September 28, 2007 8:53 AM
[/quote]

Please tell us why Limbuagh doesn't have this on his website, yet has other show transcripts. Could it be because he's afraid of being quoted with his own words showing his attacking our military personnel? Why do 'phony patriots' like Limbaugh and Michael Alan "Michael Savage" Weiner refuse to have transcripts of their shows on their own web sites?

Because they want to spew their garbage and avoid being held responsible for their own words. Just like O'Reilly who always cries that his own words are "taken out of context" - even after being presented with complete audio recordings of his shows.

Cowards all.


The difference is that Rush was on his radio show saying stuff that he would typically say.

Moveon.org, with the agreeable NYT, slandered a decorated general before his testimony in congress soley in an attempt to discredit him because they did not like what he was going to say because it did not fit their far left political purposes.

Moveon.org campaigns for democrats and funds them. That is why they are perceived to have power in the party and that is why the Petraues thing stunk.

Rush is just a radio pundit. He sends no funds in the magnitude of Moveon.org and he does not create commercials for Republican candidates. That is why this is not a big deal.


Jon Clayton, thank you for the insight.
So, once again, just like with O'Reilly's "alleged racist" comment, the Left and its minions in the media take something out of context.

Doug Zook, Limbaugh has been to Iraq and if memory serves me correctly spent several days with the troops. As already noted here, the troops love Limbaugh and his radio show is the most popular among the troops.
Also, if you Lefties would take the time and open your minds (if possible) you would see on Limbaugh's website, he has a link to support the troops. Limbaugh also has been one of the biggest contributors and aiders of the Wounded Warrior Project, a truly exceptional charity for those soldiers injured in combat.
Facts are facts people, unless the Left comes in and rewrites them for their own shameful purposes.


what nobody seems to want to talk about is why the Giuliani campaign isn't taking out a full-page ad condemning Rush Limbaugh... I called the campaign, but of course it fell on a deaf, double standard, ear. In the end, this exercize is to do just one thing... show the total hypocracy on both sides... only this time the Republican's don't want to look in the mirror. Most Democrats condemned the MoveOn ad. Come on Republicans, it's time to step up and show you're "fair and balanced." And Rudy, while you're at it, how about another newspaper ad?


Since the Dittoheads are out in full force today, could one of you please explain what the hell the "driveby media" is? The image this is supposed to invoke eludes me.


In response to david k:

"I wish the Democrats wouldn't do this... it's a race to the bottom and the Dem's should just let the Republicans win."

See David, that's a great approach, but in the end look what taking the high-road got us in the recent past?

Let's see... GWB as president, unelected. 9/11 while the president slept. War in Iraq on faulty intelligence. No investigations, no accountability.

At this point, I'm willing to do whatever it takes to save this country from a complete implosion, even if it means taking the low road.


Listen....why dont you Hate-America Liberals admit just that and that is you hate America....you have Liberal Judges that let Child Sex Offenders off with no jail time...you have Liberal Judges letting off Illegal Immigrants off with no jail time....everything that is good for this country the Hate-American Liberals are against.....so why dont you admit it already and come out and say you hate this country because we all know you do....


Not everyone has the courage to put their life on the line for their country. That's why liberals protest and complain, while the rest of us "Get it done". I've served three tours, two purple hearts and would go again if my country needed me. As a soldier it's not my decision if I stay or go, I knew what I was getting into. I don't mind laying my life on to proctect the freedoms of all Americans, even liberals who protest and complain.


I hope Rush doesn't apologize. I heard the program in question and he was talking about a man who had never served in the military that was passing himself off as a solder. Everyone knows the Democrat's position vis a vis the military. Most of them aren't merely anit-war; they're anti-military. They're the ones who should apologize to our men and women at arms.


I support our troops to the hilt and I care enough about them to have them removed from the middle of this civil war in Iraq! We've been there longer than it took us to win World War II, which is absurd!! The original President Bush wrote in his memoirs that he did not invade Iraq after kicking them out of Kuwait because occupying that country would throw us into another Viet Nam. I wish his eldest son could read!!!


Limbaugh's comments prove how close this administration has us to a Right-Wing military dictatorship.

Limbaugh clearly believes it is wrong to question military leaders or the government (or at least, when he agrees with).

The big wind-bag show us time and time again how much he hates America and the American ideal of individual liberty.


So, I'm guessing that none of these frothy-mouthed libs ever heard of Jesse MacBeth, right? Go back and read the show transcipt, don't just cherry pick.

Once again, the Libs are WAAAAAY off. Way to get all incensed, though... if only they would've reacted like this when all their socialist heroes smeared a 4-star general. Sad, really.


Rush was talking about a 1 phony solider who only served 44 days in the Army,who was never in Iraq,who said he was a Army Ranger and so on.MR silva should fact chech his story,before writing it.


Rush did not say that in the context for which "MoveOn.org" is saying he did. It is just like liberals to blindly believe what they hear without researching themselves the truth. Go conservatism, Go Rush, and Go Troops over seas and anywhere else. We owe a great debt of gratitude to all three. If any of you who are talking trash actually listened to what Rush said, you wouldn't read blasphemous trash like this.


To RomanB: The word is "carries" and not "carry's." Anyone with an acceptable level of intelligence would know that.


Just as Rush doesn't speak for every Republican, Moveon.org doesn't speak for every Democrat.

Unfortunately the Republicans don't see the difference there.

And, since when is a liberal any less patriotic than a conservative? I love my country & would defend it to my last breath if necessary.


You guys need to get it straight. When Rush said "Phony Soldiers" he was referring to one particualr person who LIED about his service and being awarded a purple heart. Why don't you look into things first before you report them!!!!!!!


Please, everybody with a brain knows that Democrats, to a person, are anti-military. They forced Joe Lieberman out of the party for not wanting our troops to run home whimpering as Democrats wish.

This story is probably out of context, because that is what blind partisans put out as news and what knee-jerk ideologues respond to.


Like all Republicans, Rush sterotypes.


What a lame comeback but hardly surprising.

He's talking about the "fake soldiers" the left has propped up to talk about all the atrocities US troops supposedly are responsible for and they turn out to not be real.

Jesse MacBeth etc......

You guys will NEVER "get" Limbaugh.


LET IT BE KNOWN, RUSH'COMMENTS WERE REFERING TO AN ACTUAL PHONY SOLDIER WHO WAS IN THE ARMY FOR 44 DAYS, NEVER SERVED A DAY IN IRAQ AND WAS THE POSTER BOY FOR LIBERALS FOR WITNESSING ATROCITES HE COULDN'T POSSIBLY HAVE WITNESSED. This is such a joke, Limbaughs tract record speaks for itself. He has always supported REAL soldiers, regardless of there political view. Why don't you liberals actually LISTEN TO THE PROGRAM! Instead of smearing a man that none of you even listen to.


HA! Libsters (AKA hateriots, AKA Soros's Stooges) would lie even if the truth fit better. Lowlife anti-American party-before-country leftists who have taken over the once honorable Democratic Party, we saw the full-page add. We saw Hildebeest, and the old man who talks like a Nazi, call the general a liar on national TV … before he [General Petraeus] even had a chance to speak. You lose, hateriots.


So typical of republicans. They get called out for something and they try every excuse in the book to overlook it. Limpbag was talking about anyone who opposes the war and everyone knows this. They just can't take any criticism. They are truly chickenhawk cowards. The idea of one of them serving in Iraq scares the crap out of them. And it shows.


I just heard the complete transcript of what Rush Limbaugh actually said on his show, and it is very clear that Media Matters took what he said out of context and twisted it intentionally to make it look like he was branding all soldiers, when he was refering to just one who is now sitting in jail for five months for falsifying government documents. In addition, every single Democratic congressman and senator who has been blasting Limbaugh on the floor of the Congress never once checked with him or his show to verify what Media Matters claimed he said. This is nothing more than a smear campaign on the part of Media Matters, Moveon.org, George Soros, and now the Democratic Party to once again attempt to discredit Rush Limbaugh. This is a disgrace and an outrage unlike any I have ever seen before. Limbaugh is deserved a public apology on an epic scale for this blatant and deliberate attempt to destroy him. I am furious!


It's not kind or fair to put down liberals! Would you like to be called names if you had a limited ablity to think straight. So what if they may seem arrogant, big mouthed, think they know better than you, jobless (how else could they spend all that time protesting), and full of hate.

We need them to keep us honest and remember our humanity.


Hello all my fellow Republicans and Conservatives.....my how funny it is that the Hate-America Liberals are coming out and trying to act like they like care about the troops and care about the country.....


Umm, do your homework Mark Silva. Those comments were made in reference to a phony soldier by the name of Jesse MacBeth, who falsified various documents and was sentenced to 5 months prison for doing so. It's not getting reported because it doesn't fit the template of the media, and he never set foot in Iraq, so he is a PHONY Iraq War Vet.


Since there seems to be some disagreement about the context in which Rush Limbaugh made his "phone soldiers'' remark, here is the context -- which doesn't appear to leave much in question:

LIMBAUGH: Mike in Chicago, welcome to the EIB Network. Hello.

CALLER 1: Hi Rush, how you doing today?

LIMBAUGH: I'm fine sir, thank you.

CALLER 1: Good. Why is it that you always just accuse the Democrats of being against the war and suggest that there are absolutely no Republicans that could possibly be against the war?

LIMBAUGH: Well, who are these Republicans? I can think of Chuck Hagel, and I can think of Gordon Smith, two Republican senators, but they don't want to lose the war like the Democrats do. I can't think of -- who are the Republicans in the anti-war movement?

CALLER 1: I'm just -- I'm not talking about the senators. I'm talking about the general public -- like you accuse the public of all the Democrats of being, you know, wanting to lose, but --

LIMBAUGH: Oh, come on! Here we go again. I uttered a truth, and you can't handle it, so you gotta call here and change the subject. How come I'm not also hitting Republicans? I don't know a single Republican or conservative, Mike, who wants to pull out of Iraq in defeat. The Democrats have made the last four years about that specifically.

CALLER 1: Well, I am a Republican, and I've listened to you for a long time, and you're right on a lot of things, but I do believe that we should pull out of Iraq. I don't think it's winnable. And I'm not a Democrat, but I just -- sometimes you've got to cut the losses.

LIMBAUGH: Well, you -- you --

CALLER 1: I mean, sometimes you really gotta know when you're wrong.

LIMBAUGH: Well, yeah, you do. I'm not wrong on this. The worst thing that can happen is losing this, flying out of there, waving the white flag. Do you have --

CALLER 1: Oh, I'm not saying that. I'm not saying anything like that, but, you know --

LIMBAUGH: Well, of course you are.

CALLER 1: No, I'm not.

LIMBAUGH: Bill, the truth is -- the truth is the truth, Mike.

CALLER 1: We did what we were supposed to do, OK. We got rid of Saddam Hussein. We got rid of a lot of the terrorists. Let them run their country --

LIMBAUGH: Oh, good lord! Good lord.

[...]

CALLER 1: How long is it gonna -- how long do you think we're going to have to be there for them to take care of that?

LIMBAUGH: Mike --

CALLER 1: How long -- you know -- what is it?

LIMBAUGH: Mike --

CALLER 1: What is it?

LIMBAUGH: Mike, you can't possibly be a Republican.

CALLER 1: I am.

LIMBAUGH: You are -- you are --

CALLER 1: I am definitely a Republican.

LIMBAUGH: You can't be a Republican. You are --

CALLER 1: Oh, I am definitely a Republican.

LIMBAUGH: You are tarnishing the reputation, 'cause you sound just like a Democrat.

CALLER 1: No, but --

LIMBAUGH: The answer to your question --

CALLER 1: -- seriously, how long do we have to stay there --

LIMBAUGH: As long as it takes!

CALLER 1: -- to win it? How long?

LIMBAUGH: As long as it takes! It is very serious.

CALLER 1: And that is what?

LIMBAUGH: This is the United States of America at war with Islamofascists. We stay as long -- just like your job. You do everything you have to do, whatever it takes to get it done, if you take it seriously.

CALLER 1: So then you say we need to stay there forever --

LIMBAUGH: I -- it won't --

CALLER 1: -- because that's what it'll take.

LIMBAUGH: No, Bill, or Mike -- I'm sorry. I'm confusing you with the guy from Texas.

CALLER 1: See, I -- I've used to be military, OK? And I am a Republican.

LIMBAUGH: Yeah. Yeah.

CALLER 1: And I do live [inaudible] but --

LIMBAUGH: Right. Right. Right, I know.

CALLER 1: -- you know, really -- I want you to be saying how long it's gonna take.

LIMBAUGH: And I, by the way, used to walk on the moon!

CALLER 1: How long do we have to stay there?

LIMBAUGH: You're not listening to what I say. You can't possibly be a Republican. I'm answering every question. That's not what you want to hear, so it's not even penetrating your little wall of armor you've got built up.

[...]

LIMBAUGH: Another Mike, this one in Olympia, Washington. Welcome to the EIB Network. Hello.

CALLER 2: Hi Rush, thanks for taking my call.

LIMBAUGH: You bet.

CALLER 2: I have a retort to Mike in Chicago, because I am a serving American military, in the Army. I've been serving for 14 years, very proudly.

LIMBAUGH: Thank you, sir.

CALLER 2: And, you know, I'm one of the few that joined the Army to serve my country, I'm proud to say, not for the money or anything like that. What I would like to retort to is that, if we pull -- what these people don't understand is if we pull out of Iraq right now, which is about impossible because of all the stuff that's over there, it'd take us at least a year to pull everything back out of Iraq, then Iraq itself would collapse, and we'd have to go right back over there within a year or so. And --

LIMBAUGH: There's a lot more than that that they don't understand. They can't even -- if -- the next guy that calls here, I'm gonna ask him: Why should we pull -- what is the imperative for pulling out? What's in it for the United States to pull out? They can't -- I don't think they have an answer for that other than, "Well, we just gotta bring the troops home."

CALLER 2: Yeah, and, you know what --

LIMBAUGH: "Save the -- keep the troops safe" or whatever. I -- it's not possible, intellectually, to follow these people.

CALLER 2: No, it's not, and what's really funny is, they never talk to real soldiers. They like to pull these soldiers that come up out of the blue and talk to the media.

LIMBAUGH: The phony soldiers.

CALLER 2: The phony soldiers. If you talk to a real soldier, they are proud to serve. They want to be over in Iraq. They understand their sacrifice, and they're willing to sacrifice for their country.

LIMBAUGH: They joined to be in Iraq. They joined --

CALLER 2: A lot of them -- the new kids, yeah.

LIMBAUGH: Well, you know where you're going these days, the last four years, if you signed up. The odds are you're going there or Afghanistan or somewhere.

CALLER 2: Exactly, sir.


What a bunch of whiny, ignorant, two-faced, liberal morons you guys are. Do your self a favor and google the name "Scott Beauchamp". Or better yet, go an Al Jazeera's sight and see the video interview of the ex-GI who erroneously claimed that we were dropping phosphor bombs on women and children.


Democrats "hate the troops" by voting to allow them to spend more time with their famillies? Republicans "support" the troops by voting to keep them away from their families and in the war zone as much as possible?

Are you Limbaugh Dittoheads really as dumb as you sound with your "support the troops" nonsense?

Longer Leaves for Troops Blocked
Senate Bill Short of 60 Votes Needed

By Shailagh Murray and Jonathan Weisman
Washington Post Staff Writers
Thursday, September 20, 2007; Page A01
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/19/AR2007091900915.html

You moronic Dittoheads really need to step out of your Alice in Wonderland surreal life and get a friggin' brain.


Perhaps Rush should enroll in some remedial English. He refered to Phoney Soldiers which is plural meaning more than one. His spin about only refering to 1 person is bunk. The creator of Riech wing radio is showing his true spots.


If any of the critics actually read the entire transcript they'd know Limbaugh was referring to Jesse MacBeth, who claimed he witnessed atrocities in Iraq when he never served in Iraq, and Scott Thomas Beauchamp, who wrote for TNR and is a proven fabulist. Both were embraced by the Left hoping their war stories were true. Both are phony soldiers because intent was never to serve but rather to libel.

It's a shame that people believe this nonsense taken out of context, but, I guess, they're also the same people who bought MacBeth's and Beauchamp's stories hook, line and sinker.

Read and research before you jump to conclusions otherwise you look like fools.


As per the normal, all you liberals have twisted and turned and LEFT OUT the rest of the story concerning Limbaugh.....if you jerks would have printed the REST OF THE STORY you would have known that his reference to "phony soldiers" was to and guy named MacBeth.

This MacBeth had claimed to be a corporal in the Army Rangers and had not only served in Iraq but had been awarded the Purple Heart. He became the "darling" of all you liberals due to his anti-war statements....was later proven that he had "washed ou" of BOOT CAMP in 44 days! Never served, never was a Ranger, never was in Iraq, never received the Purple Heart!

Of course when this was discovered, all you liberals in the media didn't report it or appologize for all your "finger pointing," did you?

Limbaugh HAS NEVER dised the military! I have listened to him for 18 + years and he has NEVER talked badly of the US Armed Forces!

On the other hand...ask your beloved Dems in congress if they have said bad things about the military...I'll make it easy on you: only ask if they have in the past 6 months. Guess what? Most have! Why not report on FACTS and not Fiction, you liberal pukes!!


I listened to the Rush Limbaugh show, and though I hardly agree with him on few things, I did not hear him call soldiers who speak out against the war, phonys. He was talking about a guy who claimed to be a Iraq veteran with a purple heart and we found out he was a phony kicked out of bootcamp.
Greg


Before printing a completely out of context comment you should actually listen to the show. Rush used a specific soldier who was trottted out by the Democrats and their cronies in the media who lied about his service, total of 45 days, never in Iraq while laying out a laundry list of attrocities that never took place.
You have proven that you are not credible.


Thanks, Mark for posting the transcript. Again to all you right-wing nutjobs - how do you get out of this transcript that he is talking about one soldier?? Please, tell me.

And will Rush accept Jon Soltz's challenge to call him a phony soldier to his face?? It seems like he is taking the O'Reilly defense - "it was taken out of context!!!"


Limbaugh is a patriot. Liberals (ie Democrats) LOATHE the military, and want us out of Iraq. This is just a cover piece to shield MoveOn from what they did. It never works, even when MSNBC, the NYT's and other pacifist rags join in unison. Libs go ape when you call them unpatriotic. We all know why. Their agenda of FILTH is on display again, and all the posts and OLD MEDIA hype won't change it.

It is humorous watching these limp wristed metrosexuals TRY making a military case using words coined by Markos Moulitsas Zuninga. My LAUGH for the day!


If any of the critics actually read the entire transcript they'd know Limbaugh was referring to Jesse MacBeth,
Posted by: SM | September 28, 2007 1:42 PM

Just read the transcript.....SM...you're busted. Not a bit of truth to what you just said.


Limbaugh is a pathetic, drug addled gas bag who's an embarassment to, oh, the entire human race...


Did the trib ever do a story on the PHOONY soldier JESSE MACBETH? I didn't think so......


LIMBAUGH: "The phony soldiers."

I couldn't care less what this fat drug addicted chickenhawk right-wing- media moron says about anything. But I think it's hilarious that the folks who so fiercely defended Gen. Petraeus and his White House doctored Iraq statistics from the insulting Moveon ad are just as frantically defending this druggie radio buffoon instead of the "phony soldiers" he denigrates.

And perhaps some of the wingnut spelling and puctuation experts can lend a hand to their less capable brothers - isn't "Phony Soldiers" plural? If I remember right, that means he's referring to more than one person.


There's several reasons why the Looney Lefters don't listen to Rush Limbaugh. 1) They don't suffer fools lightly. 2) They like to make informed decisions based on rational facts and well thought out arguments. 3) They don't like drug abusing draftdoggers. 4) They don't like people who preach "do as I say, not as I do".
Come to think of it, this is why they don't much care for GWB also.
The right wing rethuglican wing nuts do love him though because he reminds us so much of ourselves. Plus he gives us talking points so we don't actually ever have to think for ourselves.


How is it that supposedly "objective" news outlets such as the Tribune accepts press releases from organizations like Media Matters without calling the subject of the release for confirmation? Not one media outlet contacted Limbaugh to confirm the story or get his side of it. Not one. Would the Tribune accept at face value anything that came from the Republican National Committee? Of course not. That's supposed to be Journalism 101. Is there any wonder why most people don't trust the media?

I was listening to that show on the day in question and it was obvious to anyone with anyone with a frontal lobe that Mr. Limbaugh was referring to Jesse MacBeth.

I'm OK with a partisan press. Really, I am. It's a tradition as old as our republic. Just don't lie to me by telling me that you're objective when it's so obvious that you aren't.


Let's just agree to change the names of the parties to..."Lying, Draftdodging, Gay, Homophobic, Drug Addicted, Race Bating, Hypocritical Blowhards" (R) and "Whining, Minority Loving, Lying, Served (but dishonorably), Morally Compass-less Heathens" (D). This would save everybody a lot of key strokes. And, of course, agree to never discuss real issues of importance but only commit ourselves to consistantly drone on about any and all things meaningless and petty.

Keep hope alive!


Mr. Silva:

Prior to running this smear article, did you attempt to contact Mr. Limbaugh to see what he actually said?
You know, the kind of thing journalists are supposed to do?
If you had, you'd know that Rush was talking in reference to convicted "phony soldier" Jesse MacBeth, once the darling of the anti-war Left for his wild accusations--until he was exposed as a fraud.
The transcript from the show makes this clear:
"Here is a Morning Update that we did recently, talking about fake soldiers. This is a story of who the left props up as heroes. They have their celebrities and one of them was Army Ranger Jesse Macbeth. Now, he was a "corporal." I say in quotes. Twenty-three years old. What made Jesse Macbeth a hero to the anti-war crowd wasn't his Purple Heart; it wasn't his being affiliated with post-traumatic stress disorder from tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. No. What made Jesse Macbeth, Army Ranger, a hero to the left was his courage, in their view, off the battlefield, without regard to consequences. He told the world the abuses he had witnessed in Iraq, American soldiers killing unarmed civilians, hundreds of men, women, even children. In one gruesome account, translated into Arabic and spread widely across the Internet, Army Ranger Jesse Macbeth describes the horrors this way: "We would burn their bodies. We would hang their bodies from the rafters in the mosque."

Now, recently, Jesse Macbeth, poster boy for the anti-war left, had his day in court. And you know what? He was sentenced to five months in jail and three years probation for falsifying a Department of Veterans Affairs claim and his Army discharge record. He was in the Army. Jesse Macbeth was in the Army, folks, briefly. Forty-four days before he washed out of boot camp. Jesse Macbeth isn't an Army Ranger, never was. He isn't a corporal, never was. He never won the Purple Heart, and he was never in combat to witness the horrors he claimed to have seen. You probably haven't even heard about this. And, if you have, you haven't heard much about it. This doesn't fit the narrative and the template in the Drive-By Media and the Democrat Party as to who is a genuine war hero. Don't look for any retractions, by the way. Not from the anti-war left, the anti-military Drive-By Media, or the Arabic websites that spread Jesse Macbeth's lies about our troops, because the truth for the left is fiction that serves their purpose. They have to lie about such atrocities because they can't find any that fit the template of the way they see the US military. In other words, for the American anti-war left, the greatest inconvenience they face is the truth."

Mr. Silva owes somebody an apology for running with this smear prior to contacting Mr. Limbaugh to get his side.


Edward Thompson,
It was obvious he was referring to one particular person?? It was OBVIOUS? He used a plural. Phony SOLDIERS. S when added to the end of a noun signifies, plural which means more than one. It is obvious you are a pathetic apologist.