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September 28, 2007 11:35 AM

Limbaugh's Loose Lips

Posted by Matthew Felling
(AP)
As discussed in this space last week, there’s a lot of inappropriate things said and done that are trumped up into Major Media Controversies. Left-leaning groups and right-leaning groups – the screaming monkeys on both sides – are always trying to publicize things and raise their profile on the nation’s agenda. So you weigh their claims see if the event meets the threshold for attention.

Bill O’Reilly’s insipid observation about African-American restaurants earlier this week seemed like a media diversion that – given all the other events this week – didn’t tip the scales into an actual problem.

But some things are outrages despite being spotlighted by ideological groups.

Take what was said by Rush Limbaugh this week, as reported on Talking Points Memo – inspired by the liberal group Media Matters -- yesterday:
In a conversation on Rush Limbaugh's radio program, a listener named Mike said that antiwar people never talk to "real soldiers," adding that they take their cues from soldiers who are against the war and "talk to the media."

To which Limbaugh rejoined: "The phony soldiers.”
According to the account, Limbaugh also later added:
"What is the imperative in pulling out? What's in it for the United States to pull out? I don't think they have an answer for that, other than, `It's gonna bring our troops home. Save the troops. Keep the troops safe. Or whatever. It's not possible intellectually to follow these people."
Maybe it’s because my father was a Marine. Maybe it’s because my brother has been deployed to both Afghanistan and Iraq in the past few years. But suggesting that a soldier who has qualms with the military’s operations in Iraq and chooses to vocalize those reservations is phony ... well, it tips this reader's scale.

It’s too early to know how much is going to be made of this story, but it’ll be interesting to see how the coverage of Rush belittling some soldiers compares to MoveOn.org’s ad criticizing General Petraeus. (Labelled a "misstep" here.) He might not generate the media buzz he once did, but Rush still ranks as the number one most influential talk show host… and is heard on the Armed Forces Radio Network.

Regardless of how zealously (or not) they support our military engagement in Iraq, each and every soldier deserves our respect – a sentiment echoed in polls commissioned surrounding the Petraeus testimony. Are their wounds or scars “phony” if they take issue with our foreign policy?

Coincidentally or not, I see a small left-generated online campaign has begun to urge the Armed Forces Radio Network to remove Limbaugh from its airwaves. And the network’s website today indicates that “there was a hard drive failure yesterday” at the site.

Stay tuned.

Update: (12:27pm) In writing this post, I reached out to a few sources. Al Jazeera's Josh Rushing -- the former Marine press liason who now serves as a correspondent for the English-language Al Jazeera network.

His thoughts? "It's ... exactly the kind of rhetoric that is devestating to the hope of having a fruitful dialog about Iraq.

"It assumes that all service members think the same way, undermining the idea that our military represents a cross section of our society with a wide representation of the views on the subject."
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by jessemacbeth September 28, 2007 12:33 PM PDT
What a fake!
Reply to this comment
by ivoryape1 September 28, 2007 12:38 PM PDT
You''ve been suckered by Media Matters and MoveOn.org. Limbaugh''s comment IN CONTEXT was about Jesse MacBeth, the fake soldier who was recently convicted of lying about his military service in Iraq. Before you condemn Mr. Limbaugh, get the facts right. A full transcript of what Mr. Limbaugh said is available on his website. Do your research.
Reply to this comment
by jessemacbeth September 28, 2007 12:47 PM PDT
Solid reporting, Mr. Felling. Courage.
Reply to this comment
by mattcat25 September 28, 2007 12:59 PM PDT
If Bill O%u2019reilly really wanted to build up a positive impression of the African American Community extended to his base audience, possibly he could%u2019ve stated that he shared a friendly lunch with the Reverend Al Sharpton in Harlem at Sylvia%u2019s Restaurant. The food and service were good, and a fine time was had by all the patrons.

DONE.

But, in O%u2019reilly right wing verbose fashion he transformed a compliment into an insulting cutting remark. And, he continues to sustain the travesty by attacking other media outlets for reporting on his un-solicitous comments.


How can anyone condemn a question posed by MoveOn.org while comedian Rush Limbaugh (and, the other little radio limbaughs) constantly spew venomous attacks at Liberals and Government Officials. I have to laugh at Limbaugh%u2019s support the troop%u2019s drive where listeners can for the cost of $50.00 sponsor a %u201Cfree%u201D subscription to his news letter. When it comes to Iraq and the Republicans nothing matters except for $money.
Reply to this comment
by ivoryape1 September 28, 2007 1:10 PM PDT
The real transcript, illustrating that Rush was talking about MacBeth:

RUSH: It%u2019s not possible intellectually to follow these people.

CALLER: No, it%u2019s not. And what%u2019s really funny is they never talk to real soldiers. They pull these soldiers that come up out of the blue and spout to the media.

RUSH: The phony soldiers.

CALLER: Phony soldiers. If you talk to any real soldier and they%u2019re proud to serve, they want to be over in Iraq, they understand their sacrifice and they%u2019re willing to sacrifice for the country.
Reply to this comment
by ivoryape1 September 28, 2007 1:11 PM PDT
RUSH: They joined to be in Iraq.

CALLER: A lot of people.

RUSH: You know where you%u2019re going these days, the last four years, if you sign up. The odds are you%u2019re going there or Afghanistan, or somewhere.

CALLER: Exactly, sir. My other comment, my original comment, was a retort to Jill about the fact we didn%u2019t find any weapons of mass destruction. Actually, we have found weapons of mass destruction in chemical agents that terrorists have been using against us for a while now. I%u2019ve done two tours in Iraq, I just got back in June, and there are many instances of insurgents not knowing what they%u2019re using in their IEDs. They%u2019re using mustard artillery rounds, VX artillery rounds in their IEDs. Because they didn%u2019t know what they were using, they didn%u2019t do it right, and so it didn%u2019t really hurt anybody. But those munitions are over there. It%u2019s a huge desert. If they bury it somewhere, we%u2019re never going to find it.
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by ivoryape1 September 28, 2007 1:11 PM PDT
RUSH: Well, that%u2019s a moot point for me right now.

CALLER: Right.

RUSH: The weapons of mass destruction. We gotta get beyond that. We%u2019re there. We all know they were there, and Mahmoud even admitted it in one of his speeches here talking about Saddam using the poison mustard gas or whatever it is on his own people. But that%u2019s moot. What%u2019s more important is all this is taking place now in the midst of the surge working, and all of these anti-war Democrats are getting even more hell-bent on pulling out of there, which means that success on the part of you and your colleagues over there is a great threat to them. It%u2019s frustrating and maddening, and why they must be kept in the minority. I want to thank you, Mike, for calling. I appreciate it very much.

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by ivoryape1 September 28, 2007 1:12 PM PDT
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 %u201Ccorporal.%u201D I say in quotes. Twenty-three years old. What made Jesse Macbeth a hero to the anti-war crowd wasn%u2019t his Purple Heart; it wasn%u2019t 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: %u201CWe would burn their bodies. We would hang their bodies from the rafters in the mosque.%u201D

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by ivoryape1 September 28, 2007 1:12 PM PDT
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%u2019t an Army Ranger, never was. He isn%u2019t 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%u2019t even heard about this. And, if you have, you haven%u2019t heard much about it. This doesn%u2019t fit the narrative and the template in the Drive-By Media and the Democrat Party as to who is a genuine war hero. Don%u2019t 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%u2019s 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%u2019t 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.
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by therealextex September 28, 2007 1:30 PM PDT
In an effort to spare you your own Dan-Rather-oops-I-didn''t-vet-my-story-moment, Here is THE REST of Rush''s comment:
"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."

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by therealextex September 28, 2007 1:31 PM PDT
The Rest of the Story:

"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."
It''s not what the left chooses to cite that can be controversial. What they intentionally omit can be much more instructional.
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by cvldiscourse September 28, 2007 1:32 PM PDT
Don''t believe everything you hear - from both sides! Seek truth, not just knee-jerk opinion. Limbaugh transcript cites (fake soldier) Jesse MacBeth, who told the world the abuses he had witnessed in Iraq. "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." From Wikipedia: Jesse Adam Macbeth (b. Jesse Adam Al-Zaid,[1] in 1984) falsely claimed to be an Army Ranger and veteran of the Iraq War. Attorney Jeffrey Sullivan declared that Macbeth had been in the Army for just 40 days and according to the US Army had been kicked out as unfit before he could complete basic training. On September 21, 2007 Macbeth admitted in federal court that he had faked his war record. He lied in alternative media interviews that he & his unit routinely committed war crimes in Iraq. Video Transcripts were made in English & Arabic. After discharge in 2004, he purported to be a veteran, telling war stories, garnering attention from mainstream,alternative and student media outlets. Joined Iraq Veterans Against the War in 1/06 & was scheduled to represent them publicly at events throughout the US; The VAW has since said it does not endorse Macbeth or his accounts of military service. Accounts in Macbeth''s name appear on Military.com and Myspace.com; both were used to post claims about military service in Iraq.
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by therealextex September 28, 2007 1:39 PM PDT
You ''REAL JOURNALISTS''at CBS ought to make at least a small effort to uncover the WHOLE story before you start repeatin'' things that aren''t true like they wuz FACT!
If I wuz you I''d check out the ''facts'' you peel off that loony left virtual smear rag ''Media Matters''(also known as verifying or vetting)and I''d make an effort to report the TRUTH! But hey-that''s just the way we conservatives handle reporting! I understand that YOU though-have an agenda.
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by memekiller September 28, 2007 1:53 PM PDT
Tex and others, valiant try, really, but thorough debunking of this can be found here: http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/13041.html#more-13041

Besides, what''s your point? Limbaugh is the first to use the term "Betrayus" to describe the veteran Hagel. He claimed Paul Hacket joined the army to pad his resume and hide behind his uniform.

Rush was not referring to Macbetth, but an earlier call by a veteran wanting pullout.

And yes, everyone, go to the transcript and decided for yourselves.
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by memekiller September 28, 2007 1:55 PM PDT
"I think the context is clear %u2014 the troops are signing up because they want to be deployed to Iraq. If you serve and disagree with the Iraq policy, then you must be a %u201Cphony.%u201D (Indeed, there%u2019s a precedent on this. In June, Limbaugh labeled John Kerry a %u201Cphony.%u201D It wasn%u2019t literal %u2014 Limbaugh wasn%u2019t saying Kerry didn%u2019t wear the uniform %u2014 but rather, it was the noun Limbaugh chose to describe veterans who dare to disagree with Bush%u2019s policy.)"

http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/13041.html#more-13041
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by memekiller September 28, 2007 2:07 PM PDT
I''m having trouble... point to the spot in the transcript where Limbaugh mentions Macbeth?
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by jessemacbeth September 28, 2007 2:09 PM PDT
"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."
"
Reply to this comment
by jessemacbeth September 28, 2007 2:12 PM PDT
You see, Memekiller? It''s right after he mentions "fake soldiers".

I know, I know. It''s really difficult for you to follow...
Reply to this comment
by memekiller September 28, 2007 2:18 PM PDT
Is this on the same show? The same day? How far away from this call? Do you have a link to this transcript, or am I just supposed to believe you? On MediaMatters, you can listen to the actual show, and there is no mention anywhere near the quote.

What Rush DOES say immediately before is: What Rush Limbaugh says immediately before the quote in question: "the next guy that calls here, I''m gonna ask him: Why should we pull -- what is the imperative for pulling out?" referring to the veteran who called previously. Immediately afterwards, he says you knew what you signed up for, subtext being, so stop complaining. But no MacBeth, whoever that is. never heard of them. It sounds more like he''s referring to the ones who recently died after writing the NYTs editorial.
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by memekiller September 28, 2007 2:28 PM PDT
When Dan Rather reported on Bush%u2019s grounding, you attacked the authenticity of the memos. When Aaron Broussard broke down crying on MTP about the mother left for days in a nursing home after Katrina until she died, you attacked the authenticity of the story. When a soldier writes about their war experiences in a Pro-War publication, you attacked the authenticity, claiming that soldier didn%u2019t exist. It%u2019s a standard trope with you guys to avoid the real debate.

So stop the diversion and tell me this, fellow Texan: Can you serve in the military and personally disagree with the occupation? Is there a veteran who is a Democrat you feel is honorable and worthy of respect, or is this respect based purely on partisan position? Do you show respect to General Clark? Respect for Kerry%u2019s service? No %u2013 you attack the authenticity of that service. Can you name me one person who deserves respect for their service, but doesn%u2019t agree with you or Bush politically? You%u2019re terrified of answering those questions.
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by memekiller September 28, 2007 3:43 PM PDT
Rush could clear this all up very easily. Just say that he respects soldiers'' service regardless of their political views, and support the Democratic alternative to the MoveOn denunciation that called for respect based on their service, rather than only if a liberal group attacks a Bush supporter. Anyone who is honoring soldiers rather than playing political games would support this.

The fact is, those insisting Rush didn''t say this think he did say it, and wholeheartedly agree that a soldier is "phony" if they don''t support the war, just as Rush berated the previous veteran who called for being a "phony Republican" -- not because he wasn''t a Republican and longtime Rush listener, no, what made him "phony" in this case, as with veterans, is that they disagree with him on the point of the war.

Not fake, mind you, phony.
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by smoyerjx September 28, 2007 3:57 PM PDT
Matthew Felling, you too are just another lazy journalist wannabe who fails to present the whole story because you apparently are not skilled nor creative enough to make the facts into interesting news.

When you get the facts right you can respond with credibility. Till then you are just another hack.

This is exactly the kind of cub-reporting that earns the mainstream media such low marks in PEW polls. For your next trick you should write a four word editorial, "Tase this, **** Limbaugh." I mean, that''s obviously your skill level.
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by mattcat25 September 28, 2007 4:04 PM PDT
The Republican go-to talking point for their invasion and occupation of Iraq has been %u201Cyou don%u2019t support the troops!%u201D. Even as the Republicans in the Senate killed Webb%u2019s Bill to allow for 1 for 1 equal treatment for duty versus down time between deployments, George W. Bush attacked the voice of dissent to questionable motives and statements from General Patraeus.

I%u2019m sure there are many of our soldiers that have opinion on the mission they%u2019ve been called upon to perform in Iraq. To berate anyone of these men and/or woman for holding an opinion is truly not supporting the troops.
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by smoyerjx September 28, 2007 4:16 PM PDT
Limbaugh''s remarks in context were about one guy who made up stories about atrocities in Iraq and claimed to be a Ranger but was in fact only in the service for 44 days ... in essence, the guy was a fake soldier.
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by sanfelz September 28, 2007 4:29 PM PDT
Maybe Congress will vote to reaffirm the right to speak against the Iraqi war and still be a loyal American and a patriot. Or do loyal Limbaugh-ists and Bush apologists only allow those right to those they agree with?
Of course, they could divert their attention from MoveOn and properly fund health-care and armaments for the troops.
Reply to this comment
by memekiller September 28, 2007 4:40 PM PDT
From Limbaugh''s own transcript:

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

CALLER: I am.

RUSH: You can''t be Republican.

CALLER: Oh, I am definitely Republican.

RUSH: You sound just like a Democrat.

[SNIP]

CALLER: I used to be military, okay, and I am a Republican.

RUSH: Yeah.

CALLER: And I do listen to you, but --

RUSH: Right, I know. And I, by the way, used to walk on the moon.

CALLER: How long do we have to stay there?

RUSH: You''re not listening to what I say. You can''t possibly be a Republican. I''m answering every question; it''s not what you want to hear, and so it''s not even penetrating your little wall of armor you''ve got built up. I said we stay to get the job done, as long as it takes. I didn''t say forever. Nothing takes forever. That''s not possible, Bill. Mike. Whatever. Nobody lives forever, no situation lasts forever, everything ends. We determine how do we want it to end, in our favor or in our defeat? With people like you in charge, who want to put a timeline on everything -- do you ever get anything done in your life? Or do you say, "Well, I wanted to have this done by now, and it''s not, so screw it"? You don''t live your life that way. Well, hell, you might, I don''t know. But the limitations that you want to impose here are senseless, and they, frankly, portray no evidence that you are a Republican.
Reply to this comment
by dittomom1 September 28, 2007 4:54 PM PDT
THE FAKE SOLDIER WAS JESSE MACBETH. HE ALSO MENTIONED SCOTT BEAUCHAMP. PERIOD. NEVER ANTI-WAR SOLDIERS. RUSH SUPPORTS SOLDIERS REGARDLESS OF THEIR OPINION. THEY SERVED. THEY HAVE RIGHT TO THEIR OPINION. ANY OTHER TRANSLATION IS WRONG. matthew felling should do some research by going TO THE SOURCE before he writes. that is, after all, responsible journalism.
Reply to this comment
by mattcat25 September 28, 2007 5:00 PM PDT
"Limbaugh''''s remarks in context were about one guy who made up stories about atrocities in Iraq and claimed to be a Ranger but was in fact only in the service for 44 days ... in essence, the guy was a fake soldier."



Limbaugh, like O%u2019reilly should clarify what, and whom if he was only speaking of one person. The plurality of Limbaugh%u2019s statement leads his audience to believe that any one of our military personnel that posses a contrary opinion to the mission in Iraq are phony soldiers.

The issue isn%u2019t even if a soldier had a legitimate military career (like George Bush), the issue is Iraq and the rush to invade, occupy, divert federal treasury funds to the private sector, and abscond with their natural resource OIL.

War, Corruption, Death, and Destruction are the issues, or platform of the Republican Party and their water boy Rush Hudson Limbaugh.
Reply to this comment
by raymo15-2009 September 28, 2007 5:02 PM PDT
You went to .." one of your sources"...Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera for God''s sake. What about your other primary sources...Move On and Daily Cos ????
Reply to this comment
by mattcat25 September 28, 2007 5:14 PM PDT
Limbaugh states that the US should stay in Iraq until the job is done. But, he fails to answer the question of what determines what that might be. Bush and the Republicans keep changing our motivation to keep our fighting force occupying the country of Iraq. After five years with no improvement in sight for bush%u2019s puppet regime to seize control of the Iraqi oil production, Limbaugh stresses to the Dittos that the goal is to sustain this conflict as long as possible, until the Democrat Party can manage to end it, then we blame them for the foible that was completely managed by the Republicans.
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by rlwhitedov September 28, 2007 5:25 PM PDT
Any military man/woman that goes into harms way I would never call a phony soldier. However, when my husband was in service (30 years) a soldier never talked to the media and never spoke out against his President or country policy. It just does not sit right with me that they are doing it now. They do not have to agree with that policy, but this is an all-voluntary force and when you join up you can pretty well know at some point you will be in a war situation.

When you get home and you are out of the service then if you wish to complain you have all the rights for which you fought to keeping them safe in this country.

Now mind you that is just my opinion.

Dr. Roberta Lee PhD
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by memekiller September 28, 2007 5:47 PM PDT
Okay, the final nail in the lid of this whole MacBeth sideshow. If there was ever any doubt that Rush, after a long history of smearing the service of veterans with whome he does not agree, had suddenly stopped and been wrongly accused with his "phony" comments, Limbaugh now lists some "phony" soldiers by name: Jack Murtha and Scott Bauchamp. Murtha has unquestionably served this country in the armed forces, yet he is a "phony" for not agreeing with him politically. The Sergeant Bauchamp is the one subjected to a smear campaign after writting about his experiences for a pro-war magazine.

Game. Set. Match.

Listen:

http://www.crooksandliars.com/Media/Download/21845/1/Rush-non-apology-phonies.mp3
Reply to this comment
by memekiller September 28, 2007 6:10 PM PDT
And while I''m pounding nails, the audio Rush used to exhonerate himself HAD BEEN EDITED!!!!

http://mediamatters.org/items/200709280009?f=h_latest
Reply to this comment
by uncleraisin September 28, 2007 6:30 PM PDT
This stuff of media saying this-and-that about other media types, kind of irks me.

Go to www.UncleRaisin.com to see what exposing injustice is really about - the local issues. This national stuff is all a bunch of out-of-reach-to-the-average-Joe stuff and doesn''t hit us where we live, for the most part.

Uncle Raisin
www.UncleRaisin.com
"Raisin" the standard against injustice
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by September 28, 2007 6:49 PM PDT
When Rush finally hits a high note and it offends certain people, people scream out.

But when RUSH does his thing EVERYDAY OF THE 5 DAY WEEK - belittling with amusement - tearing down good so he can think he''s GOD - calling people any word he chooses ---no one seems to scream back.

His FREEDOM OF SPEECH is not a given - his ABUSE OF SPEECH is abundant proof that he has been strung out too long for the wrong purposes and it has got to be a brain wave that he succumbs to every day on the airwaves.

NOT ONE MEMBER OF THE MEDIA has ever said anything negator about his activities regarding calling Democrats - "commie libs". That phrase is a calm top of the head lingo he reverberates with a chuckle.

Have listened to Rush for the last few years - some things he is right on and throws it out to be examined, while most of the time he is clawing his way up any wall that reads - squash em. He is literaly bonkers - true ballistic when he hears or thinks the word Democrats - Liberals --- yet over 12 million people apparently enjoy his antics every week.

william j clemons
willclem@grics.net
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by algibbs3 September 28, 2007 9:07 PM PDT
It is pretty obvious that the author of this hit piece is a Democrat/liberal snmpatico. I can''t believe he is quoting a source from Al Jazeera !!! He lost all credibility with that quote.
Reply to this comment
by memekiller September 28, 2007 10:46 PM PDT
"And by the way, Jesse MacBeth''s not the only one. How about this guy Scott Thomas who was writing fraudulent [still serving in Iraq], phony things in The New Republic about atrocities he saw that never happened? How about Jack Murtha [Vietnam Veteran] blanketly accepting the notion that Marines at Haditha engaged in wanton murder of innocent children and civilians?"

http://mediamatters.org/items/200709280011?f=h_latest
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by jessemacbeth September 29, 2007 12:44 AM PDT
Sergeant Bauchamp?!? If you''re going to promote that lying scumbag four paygrades just for sliming his fellow soldiers, you could at least start referring to me as Major Macbeth. It has a nice ring to it.
Reply to this comment
by memekiller September 29, 2007 12:38 PM PDT
What''s your point? That Rush would never impugn the reputation of a veteran''s service based on politics? The only reason you''re trying to claim this example is a fraud is because the media is running with it, but there are many other examples. For instance, in Rush''s defense, he called an active service man and Vietnam veteran "phonies" by name because they disagreed with him politically. That''s beyond question. He coined the term "Betrayus" for Senator Hagel, another Vietnam vet. he also said, "I want to respectfully disagree with the president on the last part of what he said. I am going to challenge the patriotism of people who disagree with him because the people that disagree with him want to lose." Immediately preceding the "phony soldiers" (plural) comment, he berated a veteran, Republican and Rush listener as being a "phony Republican" for disagreeing with him on one issue: the war. He said Hacket, an Iraq Vet, was a "staff puke" who only joined the military to "pad his resume" -- he served, you see, but as a Democrat, his service was -- how do you say it? -- phony? Yes, that''s the word.
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by smoyerjx September 29, 2007 1:27 PM PDT
It''s quite the comedy to watch the misinformed so foolishly froth and foam-at-the-mouth. Doh!




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by stevencee September 29, 2007 3:15 PM PDT
Obviously, Limbaugh is blind to his abject hypocrisy,(as if his "all drug users need prison time, uh, except for me" exposure wasn''t blatant enough), for if ANYONE is the "phony" in this dialogue, it is HIS smarmy, "I''ll talk tough, but hell if I, or anyone as smart/wealthy as me, will put my *** on the line" and enlist, or at the least, URGE his listeners/dittoheads to do so, cause "Uncle Sam Wants (& needs) You"!

His un-American, hateful divisiveness, & abuse of free speech, along with his tough-talking cowardice & true disrespect for our brave soldiers (ALL of them, not just those who swallow his malarky, is truly repugnant.

For any commentator, caught in as many lies as he, to have even a shred of credibility, speaks volumes to the unfortunate dumbing down of so many Americans.
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by watcher269-2009 September 30, 2007 3:24 AM PDT
It is People like Rush that are prolonging this illegal war and who never had the balls to sign up themselves. It''s time to remove this Un-American Loud mouth from the air waves. Or better yet, put a gun in his hand and send Him to Iraq and see what his comments are then. Frickin'' JackA**.
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by actornaught September 30, 2007 11:56 AM PDT
Rush is a lying scumbag. His claim to only referring to one person is total BS, and to "defend" himself, he''s used a heavily editted version of the "context".

http://mediamatters.org/items/200709280009?f=h_latest
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by geno8808 September 30, 2007 10:10 PM PDT
This absurd and scurillous campaign is going boomerang on the Democrats and their partners in the media.

MSNBC devoted an entire evening to this completely contrived story. How embarrassing is that?
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by mattcat25 October 1, 2007 9:36 AM PDT
"This absurd and scurillous campaign is going boomerang on the Democrats and their partners in the media.?

The logic of this statement is elusive, what does Right Wing Wacko Rush Limbaugh%u2019s attack against all Military Personnel serving in Iraq that may have a differing opinion on the mission, agenda, and mismanagement of the Bush Administration have to do with the Democrat-ic Party?

Rush Hudson Limbaugh is attempting to threaten, shame, and segregate those troops that may from a first hand experience be against the Republican War Scheme, or they oppose the manner in which the Bush Administration have implemented it.

In typical Limbaugh style, %u201Cthe back lash from the back lash will be a severe%u2026.back lash?%u201D
My fiends%u2026

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by therealextex October 1, 2007 10:54 AM PDT
All of you who actually listened live to Rush''s show- the whole show- on the ''phony soldiers'' day, please raise your hand.

As I thought- only ME! Rush was talking about Jesse Metcalf and Scott Beauchamp BY NAME!
Now all of you stupid libs who insist on saying that "Rush called soldiers who disagree with the war phony soldiers" PROVE IT! None of this ''it''s clear from the text stuff''- just show the quote that identifies phony soldiers with anti-war soldiers. You can''t- because he said nothing of the kind.

And ABC, CBS, and NBC should be ASHAMED for taking the word of MediaMatters that he did!
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by actornaught October 1, 2007 11:30 AM PDT
therealextex and Rush are both lying scumbags.

If rush was only referring to one person, why did it take him 2 minutes, and a couple transitions, between saying "phony soldiers" and "Jesse MacBeth", and then why did he edit out almost the entire "context" on his website and his later diatribe about it, lying every bit about it??

http://mediamatters.org/it
ems/200709280009?f=h_latest
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by mattcat25 October 1, 2007 11:48 AM PDT
Rush Limbaugh is against our Soldiers serving in Iraq and isn''t a "real american".
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