Tom Harkin yesterday:
HARKIN: I’ll just close, Mr. President, by noting that in August, seven soldiers published an op-ed in the New York Times criticizing the current strategy in Iraq. Tragically, two of those soldiers were subsequently killed in action, making the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
I can only assume by Mr. Limbaugh’s definition that they too were “phony soldiers.” Now what’s most despicable is that Mr. Limbaugh says these provocative things to make more money. So he castigates our soldiers, this makes more news, more people tune in, he makes more money.
Well, I don’t know. Maybe he was just high on his drugs again. I don’t know whether he was or not. If so, he ought to let us know. But that shouldn’t be an excuse.
Reid also slammed Rush while introducing his "sternly worded letter".
Meanwhile, Rush and Fox News' John Gibson tried to cover up his fuck up by distributing selectively edited audio clips of the moment in question. All the while, his hypocritical allies in Congress introduced a resolution praising Rush for, well, attacking soldiers with differing political views.
Time for another sternly worded letter!
Over on the House, future Colorado Senator Mark Udall has decided talk and sternly worded letters are cheap, and it was time to truly put Republicans on the spot:
Madam Speaker, it is not my intention to advance a partisan message with this resolution. Nor is it my intention that Congress waste time and effort in exposing partisan hypocrisy, however tempting that goal may be.
It is my intention, however, to make clear to the men and women serving in uniform, many of whom are risking their lives on foreign soil to defend our civil liberties, that it is not acceptable for anyone to accuse them of being "phony" or false patriots because their political views may differ from those of their commander-in-chief.
Of course this is about partisan hypocrisy. But that's okay.
The issue here isn't that Rush shouldn't be able to criticize our soldiers. He should be able to. It's a free country. But it's a two-way street, and Republicans shouldn't get a pass while they seek to chill the speech of their political opponents. This measure, hopefully, will put an end to this new ridiculous GOP tactic of making Congress the arbiter of what is acceptable speech and what is not.
If Republicans want to go on Fox News and pull this "phony" shit, well, it's a free country. But the floor of Congress isn't the place for it, and unless Democrats hit back, Republicans will keep doing it again and again and again.
Pelosi should make sure this comes to a vote. Every congressperson who voted for the MoveOn resolution should vote for this one. Those who voted against it should again vote against it. Anything less, and we'll know who cast their votes to score cheap political points.