Limbaugh's Loose Lips

(AP)
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."According to the account, Limbaugh also later added:
To which Limbaugh rejoined: "The phony soldiers.”
"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."
The secrets of tennis legend
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See all 48 CommentsIf 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
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!
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
MSNBC devoted an entire evening to this completely contrived story. How embarrassing is that?
http://mediamatters.org/items/200709280009?f=h_latest
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.
http://mediamatters.org/items/200709280011?f=h_latest
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
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
http://mediamatters.org/items/200709280009?f=h_latest
Game. Set. Match.
Listen:
http://www.crooksandliars.com/Media/Download/21845/1/Rush-non-apology-phonies.mp3
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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