Captain's Quarters -

The only largesse Senator Reid is capable of matching is hypocrisy with chutzpah.

Well, I can't give $50,000.

But I did give $50.00.

Which is pretty much like multi-millionaire Harry Reid giving $50,000.

Let's all make Harry Reid look like the cheap, shabby man he is:

http://www.mc-lef.org/Contributions.asp

I don't know where to even put this response.

"Cajones" is a word that connotates strength and this is the total opposite. This is the desperate need to grab on to something that saves his bacon when he has realized he has ROYALLY screwed up.

I have only one emotion that moves me right now; laughter.

When does Reid get fitted for his clown hat?

Oh, come on Captain. You know perfectly well that "progressives" are excused from personal charity, since it's the duty of society to forcibly extract charity from the public. And they'll determine what is compassionate and charitable for us. Such a deal.

Thus, do "progressives" serve humankind.

Cordially...

Guaranteed Reid and H. Clinton will take a $2 mil. tax write-off: charitable contribution. They are persons of diminished concience.

The original act was shameful. The latest act is pathetic.
Back the anti-'fairness doctrine' petition in congress!!

My opinion of Senator Reid is captured in this famous quotation:

"He is a modest little man who has a good deal to be modest about."

Sir Winston Churchill

Harry Reid - Giving Crap-Weasels a bad name.

They only donate when using OTHER people's money.

I had a different take on Reid's comments.

I think his staff saw how high the bids were and knew they would be getting media inquiries (or perhaps they'd already been called).

Recognizing they would be part of the story---but not wanting to give interviews---he did what Dems always do. He sent the signal to his friends in the media as to how they should portray his role.

Since it's Friday, he will "be travelling" and not available for quotes. The MediaCrats will dutifully quote his words from the floor....and, I predict, ignore the original outrage that was the letter itself.

Captain, I don't think calling her a "republican" philanthropist is correct. She has given to both parties it seems, including Obama.

UN SOP.

Come in afterwards and swoop up all credits.

Dingy Harry: Never did we think that this letter would bring money of this nature.

This is a rare instance of Dingy Harry telling what is certainly the truth. I have absolutely no doubt that, indeed, he NEVER expected this!

Doofus.

"Never did we think that this letter would bring money of this nature." - Harry Reid

Translation: "How 'bout a lil something, for, you know, the effort? I need to wet my beak. Or they'll be trouble, see."

The Mafia trained him well. He's looking for a 10% commission.

RW just about got it right. Keep an eye out on the appropriations/earmarks. We may well see him using our money to float his publicity boat on this. I would not put it past him.

Harry needs to go away... far, far away... perchance to revive whatever brain cells he has left. It's sad to think that he's so stupid to think the American people are so stupid that we can't see him for what he is. A little man with a napolean complex... AS poster child for term limits!

I'm drafting a letter to all 41 senators who signed the Rush letter proposing that if they don't have $2.1 million apiece, perhaps they could raffle off an earmark. Can you do that on e-Bay -- sell off a piece of legislation or government appropriation outright, in broad daylight?

AnonymousDrivel asked "When does Reid get fitted for his clown hat?"

The hat has been fitted - Reid is sitting on it. Now let's see if he can get his head out of it.

"He is a modest little man who has a good deal to be modest about."

Since when was The Honorable Senator Harry Reid every modest about anything (apart from his campaign donor list)?

Dindgy missed the point, it's not the stupid letter that people care about, it is supporting Rush and the military that people care about, and they put their money, big money to show their support for Rush and our soldiers.

Dindgy missed the point, it's not the stupid letter that people care about, it is supporting Rush and the military that people care about, and they put their money, big money to show their support for Rush and our soldiers.

"it's not the stupid letter that people care about"

The signatures are valuable.

41 signatures from the most corrupt, incompetent and traitorous pieces of garbage ever to darken the doors of the US Senate.

Kind of like getting the entire 1919 Black Sox team to autograph a baseball.

Quite the collection.

Only Ten Percent for Harry, nay, Harry wants 90 percent and Rush could keep the ten percent. That's liberalism.

Lower than whale dung, Harry Reid...

I miss Tom Daschle. And I didn't even like Tom Daschle.

Sheesh.

So Rush figures out how to raise a ton of money for a good cause, and puts his own money where his mouth is, instead of whining that he was misunderstood by Dingy Harry. DH, on the other hand, does nothing constructive AND tries to horn in on the good works. If leading by example matters, and it does to me, I'll take Rush, thanks.

Remember how John Kerry's nomination in 2004, ended? With a call for "more balloons."

I'd like to make a similar call here, to Harry Reid: MORE LETTERS. MORE LETTERS!

Why not write to Rush, himself?

Organize your thoughts around that one.

If you can't get others to sign? You could appeal to his generous nature. Claim your just looking to raise money for some worthy cause. Or other.

How can you stop, now that you know Betty Casey, an ordinary citizen, bought your last missive for more than a million dollars?

You come from Vegas. You know what the bidding, at eBay, must have been like! Poor woman had to keep throwing on an additional $100-bucks ... to beat the clock. And, win from some other bidder. Also at the keyboard.

Welcome to the Internet age!

You can eliminate this country's debt ... if you stick to the letter you sent Rush's boss.

You could fund the war in Irak!

Think about it.

/sarcasm

I didn't like the reference to the 1919 Black SOx; you smear those player when you compare them to these walking examples of male bovine excrement. The Black Sox would NEVER have tred to undermine their own nation's wartime efforts like this gang does.

It is indeed cool that Rush Limbaugh is using his anti-troop slur as an excuse for raising money for the troops.

That doesn't change the fact that Rush's unrelated reference to Jesse MacBeth was not what he was talking about when he said that only "phony soldiers" point out that we can't win the Iraq war.

It is symptomatic of the conservative disease that you think Rush's ebaydom makes up for his anti-American, anti-troop rhetoric, or that you think Harry Reid's the villain for pointing out that Limbaugh (who was not talking about Jesse MacBeth) hates the troops.

If you're going to hate on Harry Reid, why not attack him for something important, like his support of amnesty for illegal wiretappers?

"His colleagues could also pitch in and at least match Rush in the aggregate -- donating $50,000 for everyone who signed the letter. If they want to take credit for the fundraising, why don't they contribute some funds themselves?"

They don't want to be accused of bundling.

Nice to see 41 Senators are dittoheads. So by signing that petition were they saying they were standing behind his "phony soldiers" comment or are they on board with all his sexist, racist, and fact challenged assertions as well?

It's no wonder why none (I mean NONE) of these worthless Liberals will dare enter into a "live debate" with the likes of a Rush Limbaugh. Did you see what Rush did to Colmes last night? It would be like a pop warner football team playing against the New England Patriots; they all know it, which is exactly why none of these bafoons would ever dare enter into such a one sided contest. Liberals love to talk about the brilliance of Hillary; well, at least she is smart enough to stay clear of Mr. Limbaugh.

This was one heck of a brilliant move by the Rushbo.

Plank Tonne,

Did you even hear what Rush said? Rush echoed a lot of the sentiments of those of us in uniform who are tired of the phonies like MacBeth. I heard the comment at the time and thought, "Right on, Rush."

Turning liberal logic back on its heels, you have no right to be offended if you're not a soldier. Come on, chickenhawk, if you were really so offended, saunter down to your local recruiting office and sign up so your offense will have real weight behind it.

Did you even hear what Rush said?

Sure. After telling the previous caller that he must be lying about being a Republican (because he wanted us to leave Iraq), the next caller said that anyone who talks to the press about the fact that we can't win in Iraq must not be a "real soldier." Rush agreed that antiwar soldiers are "phony soldiers."

So Rush said that no real soldier could take issue with Bush's failed Iraq policy. Then later in the broadcast he talked about Jesse MacBeth, and tried to pretend that that's what he was talking about all along. But the whole theme of the show was that no real soldier or real Republican could oppose the policy of staying in Iraq forever.

"I didn't like the reference to the 1919 Black SOx"

You're right - how about this?

http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/images/ac00001/ac02719.jpg

Wouldn't Harry look like a low rent undertaker in one of these top hats?

Kerry could wear any of his medals he's not already flung away.

Butch Rodham can come dressed in her formal bulldyke pantsuit.

And to top it off, Kennedy could fall overboard. In his car. With his mistress in the backseat.

Harry is the gift that keeps on giving for Repubs.
I hope he never gives up his post as majority leader.
In the meantime, Chinese busboys, waiters, and dishwashers are giving $1,000s each to the Hillary! campaign.
How does that happen?
What a great day for the right!

Plank Tonne,
You are like the crooked bank president in the movie, "It's A Wonderful Life". Go ahead and stop the charade. At least the old thieving banker surrendered and pitched in. It is way past outted. Everyone knows that only a deliberate liar could still hold to the democrat slander you are trying to push.
You are as pathetic in this as Reid was transparent in his latest act of self-embarrassment.

Nice try Plank. However, that won't work. Toss another red herring or strawman out there.

Maybe you should read the transcript of the whole show and not listen to what the DNC folks spoon feed you. Rush did not trash any troops except the phony ones. Check your facts.

The Democrats attempted to silence a private citizens first amendment rights with that letter, plain and simple. They hate Rush with a passion that hasn't been seen since the likes of Senator McCarthy went on his anti-communist witch hunt.

This is a historical document of "epic" proportions. 41 Senators trying to silence one private citizen using the color of their office.

It backfired on them, and now they are trying to take credit for generating over 4 million dollars to charity.

I believe that this letter could someday actually be worth the millions it went for. NoDonkey said it was like having a baseball signed by the 1919 Black Sox. I think that it is more like having a scroll with the seals of all of the traitorous Senators that assassinated Julius Cesar. One day this could be looked at as one of the few documents that actually carry the signatures of the United States Traitorous Senators, and just their signatures.

First, Allen is absolutely right. Ms. Casey has contributed to Dems and her most recent donation is to Obama.

Second, a caller to Rush today echoed what Carol had to say, MORE LETTERS, MORE LETTERS!! His idea was for Rush to make 1000 copies and have him personally sign them and sell them for a $1000, raising another million for his charity. A great idea.

Most of those Dem Senators that signed those letters make Rush look like a pauper. Feinstein, Boxer, Clinton, Kennedy, to them 2 mill is walking around money. I think it is somewhat of a stunt on Rush's part (he knows they would rather eat nails than help him out) but the 41 of them really should put there pea brains together and come up with the 2. I'm not talking 2 million apiece but combined. Harkin, Feingold, etc arent in the big bucks class but get up the money and have them all sign onto it. And if not to Rush's charity another one supporting the troops.

Plank Tonne, why not stay in Bikini Bottom (better known as your Mom's basement) and continue your evil plots to take over the world? If you think of a good one I am sure HRC will immediately put you on the payroll.

This is a good time for me to read this post. I just came from looking at my stock account, down three percent today and plunging. Reid is clearly pathetic, but he gave me the biggest laugh of the month. I'm still smiling as I look forward to the end of the week with a several percent loss for the week.

Rush did not trash any troops except the phony ones. Check your facts.

Again, he and his caller were not talking about actual phony soldiers. They were saying that if a soldier points out the fact that we cannot "win" in Iraq, that can't be a real soldier. Apparently you don't understand why that's insulting.

This is a historical document of "epic" proportions. 41 Senators trying to silence one private citizen using the color of their office.

Again, this would carry more weight if you'd also been similarly outraged about the Moveon.org resolution. I mean, at least the Moveon.org ad was accurate, since Saint Petraeus had spent the summer claiming that Iraqi casualties were going down when they were in fact going up at the time.

I don't support condemnations of private citizens nor do I support the Fairness Doctrine, but at least I'm consistent about it. The Senate shouldn't be condemning Rush Limbaugh for his inaccurate slur of the troops any more than it should be condemning Moveon for its accurate ad about Saint Petraeus.

So Rush gets in a pickle for making remarks some interpreted as anti-troop, and turns it into money for a military charity. I suppose anything for a charity is nice to see.

Does this mean the next time he makes one of his outrageously racist statements he'll raise money for a minority charity? Or a female charity after his next sexist gaffe?

planktonne,
And to clarify a bit further - Rush's record breaking e-Bay charity fundraiser did not 'make up' for anything he did wrong. He was the aggrieved party. His turning of the defamatory letter into a source of charitable giving was something brilliant enough that Harry Ried has tried to glom onto it and falsely claim credit, even as he falsely accused Rush of defaming the troops.
You are going to get a bellyache if you keep sucking on them sour grapes, boy.

Plank Tonne writes,

Q: Did you even hear what Rush said?

P T: Sure. After telling the previous caller that he must be lying about being a Republican (because he wanted us to leave Iraq), the next caller said that anyone who talks to the press about the fact that we can't win in Iraq must not be a "real soldier." Rush agreed that antiwar soldiers are "phony soldiers."They pull these soldiers that come up out of the blue and spout to the media," to which Rush adds: "The phony soldiers

That is an outright lie. Period. Please stop insulting our intelligence. Here is the what actually was said:

RUSH: 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 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're proud to serve, they want to be over in Iraq, they understand their sacrifice and they're willing to sacrifice for the country.

Not even close to your point. The caller is clearly talking about people who come out of nowhere, no one knows who they are and the MSM just reports as if they were Moses coming down from the mountain, no checking their stories or anything.

Surely you can find better topics to beat up Republican's over, not outright lies Plank Tonne.

"They were saying that if a soldier points out the fact that we cannot "win" in Iraq, that can't be a real soldier."

Actually, they weren't, but being a Democrat flack means never having to be accurate.

"Again, this would carry more weight if you'd also been similarly outraged about the Moveon.org resolution."

The Corporation MoveOn.org is tax exempt - which is patently ridiculous. It's a viciously ignorant bunch of anti-American liars. MoveOn.org should be condemned.

Rush, on the other hand, is a private citizen. He's not tax exempt.

"I mean, at least the Moveon.org ad was accurate"

General Petraeus skewered their lie of an ad, along with Butch Rodham's attempt to malign his character.

General Petraeus and Rush Limbaugh are men - the Democrat Senate is full of corrupt, incompetent little cowards and this entire episode proves it.

Plank thanks for engaging the motorized goal posts, and tossing another strawman out there.

Read the entire transcript from the show first, before you comment on what was said.

And second, why bring the General Petraeus ad into the debate about this letter? Hmmmm.....could it be that maybe you just might be trying to change the subject?

Moveone.org ad in a major newspaper that got a huge discount to have the NYT run the ad in preparation of the Generals testimony, or Rush on his show talking to a caller. Apples and oranges there.

Stick to the point of the debate.

>

Would that start with Hillary and her sycophants at the top of that list?

Not even close to your point. The caller is clearly talking about people who come out of nowhere, no one knows who they are and the MSM just reports as if they were Moses coming down from the mountain, no checking their stories or anything.

Uh, no. The caller is saying that any "real soldier" supports the war and anyone who talks about how we can't win in Iraq is lying about being a soldier.

The fact that Rush Limbaugh later referred to one actual phony soldier doesn't make up for his agreeing with the caller that all anti-war soldiers are fakes.

Plank Tonne

Amazing, I listened and knew exactly who he was speaking of (the fake rangers etc.). I think you and the others trying to create this controversy are more than slightly stretching things. Must be an impediment caused by hearing the word "is" parsed to many time a few years back don't you think?

Where was all this manufactured outrage when Dole was running for president? Apparently then, military service meant nothing, if in fact it wasn't detrimental to sound leadership. Hell the left even made fun of his mutilated hand (yet fairly recently grew vaporous over some questionable purple hearts received by another individual). Now we see the left expressing outrage that someone who had never been in the military would make comments and in fact go out of their way to twist said comments for some fantasized political gain. Reminds me of the drunk who tried to gouge out a cop's eyes, then screamed brutality when he got tasered.

Do me a favor, just try spitting on me directly, like your earlier generation did. At least it's more honest and gives me the option of performing traumatic dentistry.

Plank Tonne (isnt that the equivalent of pond scum? or is that Al Gae?) said:

...If you're going to hate on Harry Reid, why not attack him for something important, like his support of amnesty for illegal wiretappers?...

Would that amnesty include Hillary and her sycophants at the top of that illegal wiretapping/listening-in-on-opponents conversations list, as the MSM has finally been reporting on?

they won't donate to that charity cause that isn't something that would be for their benefit of what they believe in it would more like go to the ACLU or some other left wing cause that matches their ideology

Planktonne again:

...Again, this would carry more weight if you'd also been similarly outraged about the Moveon.org resolution. I mean, at least the Moveon.org ad was accurate, since Saint Petraeus had spent the summer claiming that Iraqi casualties were going down when they were in fact going up at the time.

I don't support condemnations of private citizens nor do I support the Fairness Doctrine, but at least I'm consistent about it. The Senate shouldn't be condemning Rush Limbaugh for his inaccurate slur of the troops any more than it should be condemning Moveon for its accurate ad about Saint Petraeus....

No - the smear letter is basic constitutional abuse. Or have you not read the first amendment of the Bill of Rights? The government shall pass no law - and by implication, take no action - that prevents a private citizen from exercising his or her right to free speech. THAT is the issue here. And that is exactly what the Democrats did in calling for Clear Channel to force Limbaugh to apologize for something he did not say, nor has acted upon in 20 years of supporting the military. I'm surprised that you arent defending Limbaugh on this - the ACLU is. It should be sending a chill up your spine that the government is going after a private citizen for using his words. THAT is Fascism - and if you cant see it for that, more's the pity. I would be saying the same thing if Republicans treated a liberla, say, Alan Colmes or Al Franken, in the same manner.

Rush may be a public figure, but he is a PRIVATE CITIZEN. This is not the same as the Moveon.org situation, which is a non-profit organizaton, but using our tax dollars to promote its agenda (in the sense that they are therefore tax-exempt, so are subsidized by you and I). And blatantly partisan. And denouncing them as the Senate did was NOT an abuse of governmental power, since if you read the statutes and regs governing the use of their establishment, moveon.org was clearly in violation of those terms and conditions. Rush Limbaugh speaks as a private citizen, and is beholden to NO political group, nor takes their funds, nor gets governmental tax breaks to function. Moveon.org does.


That Hillary Clinton ALSO signed onto the Reid smear is telling, making her an advocate of using government powers to stifle free speech (which she and her machine also have a slight history of doing). Railing after a political opponent is fair game, but to use the power of hte government as a hammer as they have done in this case is just plain wrong, and probably unconstitutional as well.

Petty squabbling would be between the two political parties, on the floor of the senate, or in front of cameras and a microphone. Rush is NOT a politician - he is a private citizen, excercising his First Amendment Rights.

You dont get to use the Senate to publicly excoriate a private citizen who has no political redress, hide behind the "doing senate business" laws, and then excuse the action of an imperious Senate by claiming that this is "petty partisan squabbling." Reid is trying to save himself in this Rush moment. On taxpayer time, he led colleagues in attacking a patriotic American with nonsense Limbaugh never said. He went to the floor today and didn't acknowledge he was wrong, apologize, or even pledge to match the final bid. Some leader. At best, that is disingenuous, at worse, mendacious and the height of chutzpah, as Harry Reid is NOW claiming credit that he raised $2 million for charities. Rush hit Reid back right between the eyes, NOT as a political entity, but as a private citizen using the only means he knows - PUBLIC SHAME AND HUMILIATION. FITTING.

Where was all this manufactured outrage when Dole was running for president?

Nowhere, because Democrats didn't make up stories attacking him for his military service, or claim that he faked his service, or that he was a baby killer -- you know, the claims Republicans made about John Kerry.

You've just proven that Democrats respect military service and Republicans don't.

Do me a favor, just try spitting on me directly, like your earlier generation did.

Actually, that didn't happen. This was another myth made up to blame our loss in Vietnam on evil hippie liberals, just like our loss in Iraq is being blamed on the evil hippie Democrats who made us lose.

The spitting myth is a nice touch, though. I'm sure it will be recycled again.

Harry Reid: "Never did we think that this letter would bring money of this nature."

Hutzpah of the First Water.

Like running a car off the road and killing the Father of six children. Then going to the funeral and telling the grieving widow and fatherless children:

"I hear you're going to get a great big settlement! Never did I think that when I got in the car drunk that afternoon, that I would be able to bring money of this nature."

Plank,

You're hopeless. It is clear you believe 100% in what you say. Fine, go for it. On the other hand, I take my hat off to you as you willingly offer yourself as a target with your obliviousness.

Next time you come to a gun fight, bring something besides a water pistol.

Dear Plank Tonne, if you knew anything you would be dangerous. At least to yourself. If you are going to cheery pick, assuming summer for you is June, July and August, then you absolutely are, cherry pickin, correct. So let me ask you to look at Iraqi casualties for August, September, and October, already nearly 2/3 complete. See any trends?

While your reviewing Iraqi casualties, can you tell us which month did the AQI turn to Iraqis as their main target?

Or why don't we take the US casualties. See any trend since May 2007?

I know it irks you and your cohorts no end to think the Iraq war is going much better than Dingy Harry expected, but the truth is a dangerous thing to play with. Especially when truth is used just for political gain.

Plank Tonne,
I just re-read for the umpteenth time the transcript of the Rush call you are claiming says what you assert.
It does not say that.
Only an imbecile or someone lying coud make what he said into what you and the democrats claim.
And even Reid has rolled over on this.
You are standing alone, entertaining us all.
And clearly people across the country, not just here, see it as a clear attempt by people like you to smear and censor a guy for what he did not say.
Good luck - you may still beleive it yourself. But next time you look in a mirror, the resemblence you see to a troll is not an accident. You are bringing it on yourself.

So let me ask you to look at Iraqi casualties for August, September, and October, already nearly 2/3 complete. See any trends?

Well, yes, September and October casualties have been lower than this time last year, which is a good thing. Casualties for most of the other months, however, were higher than last year, and August saw a big bump in casualties due to the Yazidi massacre.

So when Saint Petraeus said, all year long, that casualties were going down, this was a lie; the surge was in fact making casualties worse relative to last year.

Now why should Saint Petraeus be commended for testifying about a drop in casualties that didn't exist yet?

So, given that the surge caused Iraq to get worse, we might want to wonder what happened in September that caused casualties to go down. (Hint: Sadr, cease-fire.) But that hardly lets Saint Petraeus off the hook for pretending that casualties were down when they were up.

Plank Tonne: "The spitting myth is a nice touch, though. I'm sure it will be recycled again."

Sorry, sport, but it's not a myth.

We got called "baby killers" and spat AT and ON more times than you can count!

Anti-war rally, Washington D.C. 1972, I and several hundred of my fellow Marines were brought up from Quantico for crowd-control. A crowd gathered around our position on the 14th Street bridge and then some media showed up. Once the media showed up the "protesters" got braver and rowdier. One individual came up and started taunting the Marine next to me. Sgt. XXXXX (I'm omitting his name...but still remember him) took it all, INCLUDING being spit on...directly in the face. He remained stoic. Finally the media got bored and turned around to cover some other disturbance. Sgt. XXXXX took that opportunity to slam the butt of his rifle into the solar plexus of this moron. And then quickly returned to Port Arms.

When the media turned around to the screeching moonbat writhing on the ground everybody just stood there grinning!!

Semper Fi

I believe any gambling I do will not be done in Nevada until Las Vegas gets rid of this ass-hat- clown.

Atlantic City or any casino anywhere but Dirty Harrys' town.

Hope all 41 Dem senators go bye bye next election.

Don't forget the "phony" soldiers that testified for John Kerry in 1972.

What was the context of Limbaugh's remark about "phony" soldiers? Was he referring to the impostors, or was he referring to someone who was actually on active duty and complaining?

Really enjoying all the solid comments on the thread today (loved the Al Gae retort-so clever) But the overweight(by at least a tonne) commenter really seems to be stubbornly as thick as a plank in spite of all the solid evidence presented by the commenters (and more importantly the transcript itself). There are none so blind as those who WILL not see(or so supremely smug). And as for that dunce Reid he should be feeling more than a little humiliated and one upped.

16 Tons of Fun said of Bob Dole:

"Democrats didn't make up stories attacking him for his military service, or claim that he faked his service, or that he was a baby killer -- you know, the claims Republicans made about John Kerry."

LOL! If you're referring to the Swift Boat Veterans, many of them were in fact from Kerry's OWN PARTY. In fact, one of the lead Swifties had previously endorsed Kerry in his Massachusetts Senate campaign.

And by the way, the Democrats DID attack Dole's military service in 1996. Here's one example:

http://www.tedellis.net/dole-article.htm

I had to also howl in laughter to see that you posted an op-ed piece from the NY Times-owned Boston Globe by a Marxist college professor claiming that returning Vietnam veterans were never spat upon. Lembke's claims have been widely disputed, as there are many news accounts mentioning such activities (see wiki). This "professor" also claims that the whole spitting episode was dreamed up by Pappy Bush to sell the first Gulf War to the people. Too funny!

Lembke can also be scary-here's an excerpt from a review of his book:

"Lembcke's most controversial conclusion is that posttraumatic stress disorder was as much a political creation -- a means of discrediting returning vets who protested the war as unhinged -- as it was a medical condition. The image of the psycho-vet was furthered through such Hollywood productions as 'The Deer Hunter' and 'Coming Home.'"

Now, how about all of the false claims the Democrats used attacking Bush's Air National Guard Service?

From littlegreenfootballs - Audio of Harry Reid's secretary answering calls today:

http://www.icallbs.net/audio/Reid-vs-Rush.mp3

Plank

You really are a liberal! Ann Coulter was right: facts just roll off your brain like oil...

You just completely contradicted yourself in the same blog!
First, you note that Rush just engineered a donation of over 4 million dollars to a military organization - half of it from his own pocket - and then you say:
"It is symptomatic of the conservative disease that you think Rush's ebaydom makes up for his anti-American, anti-troop rhetoric, or that you think Harry Reid's the villain for pointing out that Limbaugh (who was not talking about Jesse MacBeth) hates the troops" What part of your first hoguht on the donation can possibly be construed as "troop hating" or "antitroop rhetoric". Wow! I wouldn't have believed the ignorance if I hadn't read it myself!

And, once again, the Dems try to sweep things down the memory hole.

Not only did they accuse Dole of making up his war wounds (as Del Dolemonte notes), but no less a figure than Sid Blumenthal was going around claiming that Bush didn't deserve any credit for his wartime service.

That'd be George Herbert Walker Bush, as in the forty-first President, and we're talking about World War II.

But, hey, being a Dem means refitting reality to fit your needs! That's reality-based, bay-bee!

Yesterday Lisa Benson did a great political cartoon that was on Townhall.com.

It depicted a cartoon version of an ebay screen that read:

Senator Harry Reid's Credibility
Seller: Rush Limbaugh

Harry's caricature was sitting in a chair and there was a stuffed rat in the background.

Maybe Senate Majority Leader Reid can re-direct some of the 1.1 million dollars of earmarked pork going to the Charlie Rangle taxpayer paid monument to Charlie Rangle.

"Fifteen Republicans, including Ted Stevens, voted to affirm Rangel's $2 million earmark for his self-aggrandizement."

I stand corrected, as you wrote earlier Captain, the figure stands at 2 mill. This makes a pretty good fit for Reid. Maybe he can cut a deal with Charlie. Or maybe the "incredible" porker Stevens can do some heavy lifting on his way out the door. ; ))

Lembcke's "debunking" of the spitting "myth" was itself debunked utterly not long after he tried to push it. Lembke claims that there were no contemperaneous accounts of soldiers being spit on.

You gotta love Lembcke claims that PTSD was also mostly a myth and that Vietnam vets were welcomed back with open arms.

I guess John Kerry and Bob Kerrey were in on the whole "smear the anti war protesters" conspiracy.

John Kerry, to the Senate, in 1971

"...I understand 57 percent of all those entering the VA hospitals talk about suicide. Some 27 percent have tried, and they try because they come back to this country and they have to face what they did in Vietnam, and then they come back and find the indifference of a country that doesn't really care, that doesn't really care."

And here's Bob Kerrey, Democrat Senator, detailing his experience coming home in 1969:

"After the race I was taunted by a group of long-haired men who blocked the exit and knocked me to the ground as I pushed past them to leave."

Damn those fascist conservatives Kerry and Kerrey slandering the anti-war movement by making up political myths!

Read a more throrough debunking here.

As for Lembcke's claim that there were no contemporaneous accounts of spitting in the press, this is debunked by two niggling details:

1) He lied. Blatantly. There's plenty of them. The only way he couldn't have seen them is if he didn't even look.

2) To his claim that "surely some victim of it would have reported it to the press", uh, that's liberals projecting their own proclivity for whining to mommy onto our servicemen who don't deserve it. The accounts at the time were made by observers who saw it happen, not soldiers running to the press to cry about it. Because they're men. Not liberals. Two traits that are ever more clearly being shown to be mutually exclusive.

Qwinn

MacBeth, who was doing his level best to follow in John Kerry's footsteps, was convicted for padding his resume, a felony under the "Stolen Valor" law.

If we'd had the Internet in '72, I doubt that Kerry and his Winter Soldier cohorts would have gotten away with it as long as they did. It truly amazes me that the Democrats thought Kerry (who has yet to sign the SF 180 as he promised) was electable.

Bush the Elder was a genuine war hero -- he was a Navy fighter pilot. Blumenthal was an idiot.

Harry Reid is a bigger idiot. Between him and Pelosi, they have managed to meet precisely one of their advertised legislative goals. How soon do you think we'll see a budget?

As I recall, the pro-military leftists were claiming that Pappy Bush bailed out of his shot-up burning plane too early, and as a result his crew-mate died in the crash.

However, Google seems to want to hide this story-whenever I try to find it there, I get "Jenna Bush dodges military service". Gee, there's a real objective search engine...

Harry Reid is a pathetic liar.

I hope someone in NV is watching this and taking notes. The next Republican challenger to Reid to his Senate seat should not only confront him with his lies, but defeat him absolutely, beyond any hope of recovery.

Go Rush!

Del,

It was at The New Republic of all places that published ol' Sid's little hatchet job.

The reporting on it is from the National Review (which reproduces the entire story from the New Republic, since that particular item isn't available electronically).

But, as the Plank's of the world aver, the New Republic is a conservative magazine.

Timeline

Two days before the broadcast in question, ABC News ran a story on "Phony Veterans." And used the words, "Phony soldiers" in the story.

The day before the broadcast in question, Rush ran a morning update on Jesse Macbeth.

Rush takes the phone call in question and agrees with the caller about "phony soldiers" "appearing out of the blue."

Immediately AFTER Rush took the phone call where he said "phony soldiers," he RE-RAN the morning update about Jesse Macbeth. So, in context, the issue of "phony soldiers," CLEARLY references liars like Macbeth. Not veterans that disagree politically with Limbaugh.

So get your facts straight, plankton. I listen to Limbaugh daily and to take four or five sentences out of three hours isn't going to provide a clear picture of what he discusses on his show. He usually sticks to an overarching topic per week--SCHIP, immigration, the DREAM act, etc. That week it was phony soldiers, who claim to have served and didn't, or claim to have committed atrocities overseas when they hadn't even deployed.

Beauchamp would constitute another phony soldier. Yeah, he's in the military. And he hides behind his service to smear our troops with lies, using his uniform as a gloss of authenticity. Thirty years from now, I'm sure he'll be another Senator from Massachusetts.

Plank,

All you've done is shown that you can take comments out of context. You have clearly NEVER listened to Rush outside of sound bites. Thanks for showing you hew to democrat talking points and pay zero attention to what was actually said.

BTW, when are you going to sign up in order to properly take offense. Come on, chickenhawk, show us you'll put your principles where your mouth is. I look forward to having you in my battalion.

The worth of that letter signed by Sen. Reid and the other 40 senators is that there now is an historical record of an attempt in Congress to deny Constitutional rights of private citizens.

The letter is additionally an object lesson in the utter stupidity of forty one members of "the world's greatest deliberative body," who have demonstrated publically that they can neither read, hear, or understand basic English. When such dimwitted legislators can be so easily manipulated by a partisan PAC's cherrypicking of words and then respond in kneejerk faux indignation, one can only laugh at how the self-important can be brought so low through their own pride.

Deluded Harry Reid egotistically believes that his signature has intrinsic "worth". Sorry, his signature in itself has as much value as his word: nothing.

Now that selling off a night in the Lincoln Bedroom has been outed as a quid pro quo for hefty campaign donations, will Reid and company in the Dem party begin offering photocopies of their signatures for the DNC war chest?

Hey, Reid and Co.: How does crow taste like?

Heh, heh, heh...

Ladies and Gentlemen,

May I suggest that we now refrain from any further discussion with Mr. Tonne regarding his many ill-informed comments? I believe it is abundantly clear by now that nothing will dissuade him from these positions however misguided they may be. Perhaps ignoring him will cause him to seek more congenial surrounds at Daily Kos.

Bottom line on holding one's breath waiting for the Dems to match Rush's contribution, is that they would rather do about anything than contribute to something that directly supports military, or law enforcement, heroes. To them even thinking that a real hero could be someone who gave their life for their country in combat would be sacrilegious. Their heroes are people alike Lenin, Mao, Jimmy Carter, Neville Chamberlain, Mohammad Atta, Tokyo Rose and Jane Fonda. They HATE those evil war mongering military guys, as evidenced by the treatment of General Petreus.

San Francisco International Airport, 1973, in uniform getting off a United Airlines flight from home on my way to Monterey for Language School, had been in the Army for less than a year, after Basic and AIT.

I was confronted inside the terminal by a group of dirty, unshaven, tattered torn field-jacket wearing thugs, wearing peace and VVAW buttons, was called a "baby killer" among other things and was spat on and had a soft drink poured on me.

Just prior to going in the Army I saw the Kerry "testimony" and remembered my Dad, a retired Army officer, getting angry that Kerry was out of uniform, wearing an improper uniform, was still in the Naval Reserve and needed a haircut...and was a bald faced liar in his testimony.

I also heard for the first time about Vietnam Vets Against the War [VVAW]. They are still around. Provided "security" for Sheehan during one of her camp-outs in Crawford.

Jerry Lembke, "author" and current associate professor of sociology at Holy Cross was a member of VVAW, and a proud member for years afterwards. I wonder, today, after this "spitting on troops" has been raised here at CQ if Lembke wasn't one of those thugs that greeted me so many years ago.

Troops were being spit upon and having to suffer so many other, far greater indignities. That is no myth.

And, unfortunately, the VVAW has raised a large audience over the years. Some have built careers on it. The indignities at Oakland International Airport two weeks ago were no accident. What Lembke stated as "myth" is alive today.

And there are those such as Plank who willingly shill for them.

While I don't agree with Rush on a lot of things, I think that he has done admirable work in fighting the MSM/Democrat mud machine while raising money for a worthy charity. The challenge to Democrats to match the funds already raised is a stroke of genius.

Rush also has shown us that you don't deal with MSM/Democrat Party lying by either ignoring it or turning the other cheek. You fight back by fighting back. President Bush - are you taking notes?

Turning liberal logic back on its heels, you have no right to be offended if you're not a soldier. Come on, chickenhawk, if you were really so offended, saunter down to your local recruiting office and sign up so your offense will have real weight behind it.

Russ, that is absolutely brilliant!

Planck -- How much does George Soros, or is it Tim Gill? pay you to act this way? You can obviously read and write so you can't possibly be as dense as you portray. Sad the need for the Orwellian left to employ people like you just to interfere with honest discussions. What is your integrity worth?

Plank Tonne....
stumbled through his fantasy world of googled misinformation and said....

Actually, that didn't happen. This was another myth made up to blame our loss in Vietnam on evil hippie liberals, just like our loss in Iraq is being blamed on the evil hippie Democrats who made us lose.

The spitting myth is a nice touch, though. I'm sure it will be recycled again.

Amazing... then what pray tell did I wipe off the front of my uniform in Oakland back a few decades ago. Just before I terribly scarred my left knuckles on the upper teeth of a mouth breathing hippy (excuse me, social progressive).

Don't give me that BS son, I was there and had it happen to me. As far as the rest of your delusional mouthings they're just as lacking in facts. Pfftt go back to playing WoW or excitedly posting to Kos. Factual discourse, beyond postings in progressive hate sites and random, inaccurate googling is beyond you.

Blank Domme, you remind me of the lying leftist' at the NYT. Your argument has no basis in fact, but you're convinced if you say it long enough and loud enough, people will believe you.

Blank, most Americans are smarter than you give them credit for. We're not buying your BS here and no one is buying the NYTimes any longer either.

Don't forget to see this Video of Dennis Miller's legendary demolition of Harry Reid.

It is truly an epic for the ages, that I feel compelled to see a 4th, 5th, even 6th time.

I have something for losers like Russ. So you can't support the war unless you sign up?

Thus, by your 'logic', you oppose even teh War in Afghanistan, as well as Clinton's wars in Bosnia, etc.

You're stumped now, I can see. Logic is anathema for leftists.

Furthermore, you sir, are a CHICKENTERRORIST. Yes, someone who supports Al-Qaeda but does not have the balls to join them. So how about it, Chickenterrorist, why aren't you doing anything to help your side other than talking?

ha ha ha ha!

Observe, friends, how to obliterate an left-wing fifth-columnist like 'Russ'.

The most remarkable aspect of this affair is that it was played out on the Internet in full view of the public. Those who were interested in learning the truth behind the ruckus could see it all online for the price of a few mouse clicks. That was a price too high for many (most?) liberals to pay. They preferred to be outraged by a manufactured lie than to expend the trivial effort required to learn the truth.

Mediamatters posted a version of the Limbaugh transcript that was truncated just before he brought up Jesse MacBeth. For a few days at least, the full transcript was available for all to see on rushlimbaugh.com, while the truncated version was at mediamatters.com. Since the MacBeth comments went to the heart of the "phony soldiers" issue, this omission by mediamatters was obviously intentional. Their attempt to deceive could not have been more obvious.

The "phony soldiers" issue is not new. Anyone who follows the news knows of Jesse MacBeth, Scott Beauchamp and other military heros of the left. Well, they are heros until their lies are discovered, after which the left forgets their names. Those in the military who serve their country well but honestly oppose the war are, in my experience, always treated by conservatives with respect. They are not phony soldiers and no conservative of consequence -- including Rush Limbaugh -- refers to them as such.

Why feed the troll? It has changed the subject 3 times on this thread. Give it a rest.

This is typical leftist behavior. If you can't defend your original position with facts, well then change the subject, even if you have to change said subject multiple times.

Lets get back in the topic of this thread ok Plank?

Leftist Debate Skills:

1. Deny the original debate without any facts. If that does not work try;

2. Refuse to look at the facts as presented and bend words or statements to make it look like something else, try this multiple times if it does not work the first time. If that does not work try;

3. Toss a strawman into the debate and attempt to focus on another subject. Again, try this multiple times if it does not work the first time. If this does not work you have no choice but to try;

4. Engage motorized goalposts and switch the debate to a totally unrelated subject. I.e. Vietnam Vets. Attempt to focus people on a totally unrelated subject so they dont remember your lame argument on the actual post or argument.

Oh and refrain from calling me a "chickenhawk" as I retired from the Navy with 22 years of service ok?

The real beauty of this is that Jesse MacBeth is currently in jail for...being a phony soldier, under laws passed by Congress.

JohhnRb,

Actually, I think Plank's (and others of the Liberal/Progressive Ilk) are following Hillary's Patron Saint Saul Alinsky's diktat. He does do it well; I wonder if he was top of his class at Anarchist U.

Hey guys -

Don't get so upset by Plank Tonne. There is a reason he has chosen that moniker.

plankton, n. plant organisms that float or drift in the water, widely found through the oceans of earth.

No brain, no rational thought, but widely considered to be one of the most important organisms on earth. Sounds like a liberal.

I believe Hillary is working on a bit of wealth redistribution so that the democrats in the senate can use the money taken from other people to make their donation and then accept credit for it.

Rush Limbaugh and "Dingy" Harry Reid-The Letter

" He put the letter up for auction on eBay, and I think very very constructively, let the proceeds of that go to the Marine Corps Law Enforcement Foundation that provides scholarship assistance to Marines and federal law enforcement personnel whose parents fall in the line of duty. What could be a more worthwhile cause? I think it's really good that this money on eBay is going to be raised for this purpose. When I spoke to Mark May (sic), he and I thought this probably wouldn't make much."- Senator Harry Reid on the floor of the Senate, 10-19-07.

This is an excerpt from a statement that Harry Reid made today in response to the astounding amount of money made on eBay for a letter from Sen. Reid and 40 other Democratic Senators to Mark Mays, CEO of Clear Channel, asking Mays to "confer" with Rush Limbaugh about his on-air remarks about so-called "phony soldiers". The final bid came to $2, 100,100, setting an all time record for money raised on eBay for a charitable cause.

For those readers not fully informed on the controversy (which the mainstream news media has conveniently ignored), Limbaugh, in a recent phone conversation on his radio show, made a reference to "phony soldiers", this in reference to Jesse MacBeth, who had fraudulently claimed to be an Iraq War veteran, and who told of witnessing numerous atrocities carried out by fellow soldiers. As it turned out, MacBeth had washed out of boot camp, and, of course had never served in Iraq or anywhere else. He has recently pleaded guilty to fraud against the Veterans Administration. It was MacBeth to whom Limbaugh was referring as an example of "phony soldiers" dragged out by the left to discredit the Iraq War.

In response, the left went crazy, claiming that Limbaugh had been talking about any soldier in Iraq who was against the war. Enter Harry Reid, the Democratic Senator from Nevada and Senate Majority Leader (whom Limbaugh calls, "Dingy" Harry.) Earlier this month, Reid came to the Senate floor to bash Limbaugh and his comments, referring to the fact that Limbaugh himself had never served in uniform. (According to Reid's bio, either has he.) In addition to his remarks, Reid passed around a letter directed to Clear Channel (Limbaugh's broadcast employer) CEO Mark Mays protesting Limbaugh's comments and asking Mays to "confer" with Limbaugh. A total of 41 signatures were obtained, including Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Joe Biden and Chris Dodd, all running for president, as well as Ted Kennedy.

Think about that for a moment. The CEO of a broadcast company, regulated by the Federal Government, gets a letter from 41 senators asking him to "confer" with one of his employees (a private citizen no less). What was Mr Mays supposed to infer from such a letter? I'll tell you what: Get Limbaugh under control or your broadcast license may be in danger. (Remember, Dems are trying to get the "Fairness Doctrine" revived.)

Well, Mr Mays turned the letter over to Limbaugh, who promptly put it up for auction on eBay, along with a commitment to match the final bid-proceeds going to the Marine Corps-Law Enforcement Foundation. Bidding ended today (October 19, 2007) and the winning bid was $2,100,100. In the process, Limbaugh made a national laughing stock out of Reid, at least among those who don't depend on the mainstream media for their news. The mainstream media ignored the story, seeing it for what it was-a public relations disaster for the left.

So now, Reid, with egg all over his face, is trying to save some of that face with today's statement:

....."This morning, the bid is more than 2 million dollars for this. We've watched it during the week. It keeps going up and up and up. There's only a little bit of time left on it, but it certainly is going to be more than 2 million. Never did we think that this letter would bring money of this nature. And for the cause, Madam President, it's extremely good..... I don't know what we could do more important than helping to ensure that children of our fallen soldiers and police officers who have fallen in the line of duty have the opportunity for their children to have a good education." (Bold font emphasis added by me).

"We".

It gets even better.

"So I would ask those that are wanting to do more, that they can go to the Harry Reid search-actually go on say "Harry Reid letter", this will come up on eBay. I encourage anyone interested in this with the means to do so to consider bidding on this letter and contributing to this worthwhile cause."

" I strongly believe that when we can put our differences aside, even Harry Reid and Rush Limbaugh, we should do that and try to accomplish good things for the American people."

So there it is. Harry Reid now tries to jump in and claim partial credit for this money being raised for a good cause. Notice how he uses the term, "we", as though he and Limbaugh conducted a joint effort to auction off this letter. Of course, as of now, neither Reid nor the other signatories has made any commitment to match funds as has Limbaugh. But minutes before the bidding closed, there was Harry Reid urging others to bid. The man has the testicles of an elephant. What Senate staff aide brought this brilliant idea to Reid? During the auction process, Limbaugh humiliated the Senator from Nevada. Now the senator has doubled his own humiliation with this ridiculous effort at spin, damage control, whatever you want to call it.

So what can we learn from this? What does this say about the credibility of the Democrat Senate Majority Leader? What does it say about the other signees, all Dems? What does it say about their efforts to control speech by their opponents? Finally, what does it say about the mainstream news media that has kept the story under wraps? Will they say that the story was not worth reporting? Was it not worth reporting that Senate Democrats tried to take action and intimidate a broadcast company in an effort to harm a private citizen for speaking his mind-miscontruing his words in the process? Not worth reporting that the hated Rush Limbaugh turned the letter around on Reid, making him look like a total fool and drawing in a record amount for a worthy charity?

Great job, Rush.

gary fouse
fousesquawk

Reid and Company's attempt to shame Rush has backfired on them, big time! That was brilliant! Way to go, Rush!

BTW, since it's the liberals position that Rush shamed the troops with his statement, why don't they simply ask the troops serving in Iraq how they feel about it? After all, they're the ones that were supposedly insulted. Do you think that there will be a CBS poll of the troops on this? Somehow, I doubt it.

PT.. re: spitting myth..

Your sir are full of ----

I was raised in the Mission Viejo/ El Toro area. Many in my high school had fathers who served and were serving.

To north was El Toro Marine Base, the LTA base and to the south Pendleton..

Not far from there was Laguna Beach.. Timothy Leary's haven..

I can tell you without reservation with my own eyes I saw the "love children" calling those who served, baby rapers, murderers and spitting at/on them..

It happened on our HS campus to the children of these men and women

This is something that I'll never forget nor will I ever let another soldier experience or child of a soldier.

You are naive..

If you haven't read this yet, you should. Note yet again how dishonest and untrustworthy the MSM is even when its news is ported via internet.

See how ABC glaringly misrepresents this story and actually gives credit to the Democrats for raising the money:

The bidding ends at 1:00p.m. No mater [sic] what, Democrats are going to make a ton of money for a charity off their political vitriol.

Unbelievable. To think we've had lying such as this for years and years yet we are still amazed (well, I am) that this is still going on. The MSM cannot die fast enough.

Plank Tonne,

Rush just showed his "repentance" by matching the high bid of over $2 million dollars (US). That makes a grand total of over $4 million going to the chosen military service oriented charity.

But you are right, Harry Reid doesn't have to put up a dime -- and won't. Nor will you.

I can't come close to matching a $2M contribution, so I'll just do far better than you or Harry or even moveon.org (which is a money sink rather than a money source) by contributing a sum greater than $1.

Put your money where your mouth is, Plank Tonne. I dare you.

The letter will be worth much more in the future. It is and will be the first coordinated public statement by the democrat leadership in support of communism as a government for the United States. Silence the citizen and destroy the constitution. They started the gun grab years ago. An armed citizen can't be controlled by democrats/communism, unarmed citizen are and will be slaves. Making Reid look like a fool was as easy as kindergraden work for a college graduate. Well there are a few community college graduates that can do kindergarden work, not sure of the major college graduates.

I can't believe he could make such a statement without announcing he's putting up a dollar of his own money and urging his fellow "signing" Senators to match him. The mind boggles at Reid's pettiness.

There's one thing for sure out of all this.

No one should ever doubt, for even a moment, that Rush doesn't support the troops.

I should have said "does". I pressed the button before I caught it. AAAARRRGGHH!!!!

Rebutting the Chickenhawk slur that Al Gae such as Planke Tonne tirelessly have to bring up when they can make no other argument:

from Jeff Jacoby, Townhall.com:

http://www.townhall.com/Columnists/JeffJacoby/2006/07/24/the_chicken_hawk_slur

Since this is an historical document and a clear abuse of power and Hillary Clinton's name is on it I am curious as to how the Clintons will get rid of it. Perhaps if they become the President they could claim it as government property and remove it from the Archives (with Sandy's help of course)/s I think the Clintons already have a staff of legal hoods readying some kind of legal claim that will nulify the impeachment. They are eraser heads/s

A rooster crows in the morning and thinks he is responsible for the sun coming up. I always thought Harry Reid was a little cocky.

Heh. Rush's brilliance in this episode is matched only by Reid's buffoonery.

Final Score: Rush Limbaugh 4,200,200 - Stingy Harry -0-.

So far, Stingy Harry has not donated a penny, although exhorting others to donate today. Isn't that just like a big lib...spending other people's money freely.

Stingy Reid has gone from being a penny stock to a laughing stock.

A perfect illustration of the liberal/conservative dynamic.

The conservative thinks of a free-market way of raising private funds to aid a worthwhile causes and backs his commitment with his own money.

The liberal asks other people to donate funds, doesn't donate any of his own money, and tries to take credit for the generosity of others.

AnonymousDrivel wrote: "Unbelievable. To think we've had lying such as this for years and years yet we are still amazed (well, I am) that this is still going on. The MSM cannot die fast enough."

You're giving them too much credit. I posted some comments there. ABC started deleting them, and even altered some of them to make themselves look better.

Others posted that their comments were disappearing as well. Those posts disappeared. Right now some of my reposts are sticking.

I don't believe this.

All that matters is:

A) Limbaugh stood up to one of the most egregious abuses of power ever attempted by the U.S. Senate, and he won.

B) Petraeus won the war in Iraq.

The mental and moral defectives among us can spin like an Iranian centrifuge. They can insult, seethe, lie, bitch, distort, and foam at the mouth, and then they can blow it right out their flabby "progressive" rectums.

Rush won, and--against astonishing odds--Petraeus won, which means the country won.

So cram it, liberals. You lost.

Two comments.

I think that Rush should publicly encourage Harry Reid and the 44 Democrats who signed the letter to also sign the original of the General Betrayus letter and auction it off on Ebay for a military charity.

A corporation is owned by shareholders who often recieve a proxie request for shareholders votes. It would be nice if I could give Rush my seven yearss of active duty in the USN as proxie. It would be an honor.

Major kudos to Rush for his smackdown of the "Deliberative 41".

Yes, it's really too bad that Dingy prematurely shot this letter off to Mays before getting Nancy Pelosi and her crew to sign on as well. :(

No matter how Harry spun this, there's no denying that some of those dopes are really PO'd at him for roping them into this no-brainer vortex. The icing on this cake would be hearing, and fisking, each and every one of the 41 spins. What does that say about the DNC when 4 out of every 5 is an unpatriotic idiot? Bwahahaha.

Hmm, I wonder if there's any back-room scheming now to dump Harry as the majority leader earlier than Election Day 08?

BTW

For the life of me, I just can't reconcile in my mind's eye Dingy Harry as an amateur boxer in a former life.

Is/was he a phony boxer who never actually fought? Perhaps a wannabe contender what couldn't even tip the scales, while soaking wet, to enter the Miniflyweight ring?
(Minimumweight, Strawweight, Miniflyweight (105 lb (47.6 kg)). If, big IF, he actually did fight, then obviously his belfry has been rung one time too many.

Then again, politics has been pretty lucrative for this addled dimwit from Searchlight who dreams all day of Rocky.

While Betty has given to Dems, I'm not sure that means she actually supports them. I have only seen where she has given to two Dems, one is Lieberman, which doesn't surprise me at all. I'm guessing there are a lot of Republican that have donated to him. The other one is Obama, which could mean that she just plain doesn't like Hillary...

Christoph is right, and I think the answer is, Reid's folly embarrassed enough Senate Democrats to jeopardize Reid's Leadership post. So he's doing the absolute minimum to make this about Reid, Reid, Reid, and not about Obama or Clinton or Schumer or Kennedy.

Kudos to Mays for not rolling over on this. I'll bet the next time the Senate tries to strongarm a citizen into "sharing our deep concerns", the signatures will be typed.

Plankton:

When I was shot down over North Vietnam in 1972 and rescued, I refused to allow the media to release my name. At the time, my wife and two young sons were living in Sacramento where anti-war sentiment was quite common and often violent. The wives met often and some had their houses and cars vandalized. Apparently the brave anti-war crowd felt it was acceptable to threaten children of men serving in Vietnam. I returned to Travis AFB, CA. There were protesters at the front gate, but we stayed out of spitting range.

One final point. The US military and our allies fought bravely to defend South Vietnam. Twice, the North invaded - Tet in 1968 and Eastertide in 1972. Both of those invasions were repelled by US and South Vietnamese forces who inflicted severe losses on the communists.

In April 1972, I flew Linebacker strikes into the North. President Nixon took off the gloves and allowed us to hit real targets with laser guided weapons. We destroyed their air force, roads, bridges, railroads, airfields, communications, steel plant and electrical power generation capacity. The Navy mined their ports. On 18 December, when their delegation walked out of the peace talks, Nixon ordered Linebacker II - 100 to 150 B52 sorties per night to carpet bomb Hanoi and Haiphong. By Christmas, the NVA were out of anti-aircraft weapons and munitions with no hope of resupply.

On the 29 December, the North Vietnamese returned to the table and agreed to our terms in return for a halt in the bombing. By any standard, the agreement constituted an American military victory. The Paris Peace Accords were signed in April 1973. The Vietnam War cost 58,249 American lives. Many of them were my friends.

The democrat Congress could not allow a Nixon victory, so they reduced the South's annual security assistance from $1.4B to $700M. This cut left the South Vietnamese unable to mount another defense. Attached to the 1975 Defense Appropriations Bill was the Case/Church Amendment, which prohibited the US military from operating in North or South Vietnam, Laos or Cambodia.

Arch

RE: Looking Glass (October 19, 2007 11:39 PM)

"You're giving them too much credit. I posted some comments there. ABC started deleting them, and even altered some of them to make themselves look better...

You are absolutely right. They edited my comment to essentially mean nothing, so I went back and reposted my comment (to the best my memory could recall) and included a critique of their dishonesty for editing my comment. Naturally that second post was completely deleted.

I have never seen such a coordinated misrepresentation (Reid's dishonesty and ABC/Wolf's fraudulent coverage) and whitewash of events in all of my time on the internet. We have reached propaganda.

Here's my second post in response to the first post (that was edited without attribution) that was deleted. See if you can spot anything profane:

I guess I'll need to repost my previous comment (Oct 19, 2007 6:57:10 PM) from memory since the blogmaster has decided to start editing comments s/he dislikes.

-----
This is exactly why your industry is tanking:

ABC/Wolf: "...No mater [sic] what, Democrats are going to make a ton of money for a charity off their political vitriol."

Now how about reporting honestly instead of carrying the Democrats' water. Here. Let me get you started with the conclusion first:

"No matter what, Limbaugh and the winning bidder are going to make a ton of money for a charity off Harry Reid's and 40 Democrat Senator's political vitriol."

Now do a complete rewrite with a truthful conclusion as the foundation. And please have the integrity to keep posts critical of your dishonesty intact rather than editing them out to twist an author's intent. Or is comprehensive dishonesty your modus operandi?

So this is what we get from the MSM. They selectively report with bias getting in the way of the facts. They lie while they're doing it. Critique of their work is not reported (see General Sanchez's speech from a few days ago) while an informed, fact-checking public is edited or purged from their records if it challenges their story.

I still cannot believe how bad things have gotten. But they have.

Plank:

As a proud Rush 24/7 member, I have listened to that portion of the program in question several times. He was clearly speaking to the soldiers that produce phoney service/war records. I think you should pick another line to pursue... maybe something like "fire can't melt steel"....

It is disgusting to see hear about the ABC version of "1984" in this. To make that kind of memory hole over something that is so small - a charity auction- tell me that they are very used to deliberate lying and misrepresentation of a stories basic issues. Toss into that mix the fact that their major Sunday political programis led by a very hig up Clinton insider, and it is plain that the real irritant is not people like our own little plankton, but the real issue is that the big media groups - including google- are out for blood. They are being show to not only bias their work but use their power of editing in ways Orwell would easily recognize. The kicker is that it is not the government engaging in egregious over-the-top manipulation. Those private organs in the MSM and google are imposing this themselves. How do we force organizations to be ethical and honest that are private?
The problem is going to get much worse as computer graphics, search engines, viral editing, etc. gets even more sophisticated. A company like google can edit the record in real time - eventually even to the archive level. They will be literally able to edit the past, a la Big Brother.
This charity auction should have made national news and a real free press would have at least reported the facts right. Instead ABC chose to completely highjack the story. What else have they done? Google is becoming well known for biasing searches. We know the censor content in China. We know they have declined ads that disagree with their insider's politics. And don't forget Gore is high ranking google insider.
WE are facing a really inconvenient reality, and truth is not a part of it.

To call Harry Reid a crap-encrusted worm is to do a disservice to crap-encrusted worms.

AnonymousDrivel said, "I still cannot believe how bad things have gotten. But they have."

Me, too. Having posts deleted seemingly at random is bad enough, but to lose control over the content? Have the meaning and intent altered?
Breathtaking arrogance.

Yes, your post was fine. A lot of the posts they deleted were fine. So for the ones they altered. Even anti-Dittohead Reggie (who actually seemed like a fine person), said,

"It is crap looking glass. I don't like what a lot of some have said tonight, and I know from the insults virtually no one (as a lot of the traffic here came from Drudge) liked what I said. But why are we spending time here saying anything if it is going to be removed or edited. What a joke."

That post has since been deleted.

Then there's this poor guy.

"Thanks ABC NEWS for doing a hatchet job on my post. My last post you have in here is NOT what I said. I was quoting a TROLL. If you don't like what's posted then don't let the thing in here. But at the same time, don't do like the reporter in this article and make it say the opposite of what was intended."

GK,

You missed the entire, and very satirical, point of my post.

I think the "chickenhawk" insult is an abomination. We have a civilian gov't for a reason and are not run by the military. The people are allowed to voice opinions, whether they served or not.

But many liberals are using the slur to shut down debate. I simply turned it on its heels and used that twisted logic against a liberal.

BTW, I AM a soldier who served in OIF-1 and will likely go to OEF(Afghanistan) in early 2009.

Next time, read the entire post before going off half cocked. Sheesh...

Harry Reid got schooled by Rush Limbaugh. Asking people to bid 1 hr before the end of the auction on CSpan reached about 65 viewers. What a joke.

This was an obvious and poor attempt of damage control. Perhaps something good will come of this. Harry Reid should heed this lesson and do the work of the people instead of doing the bidding of MediaMatters and MoveOn.

If he does not learn from this, he will have nothing to do but go fishing with Tom Dashle.

The Senate "IMUS-ing" (an abuse-of-power out-of-context smear hammered on by the media to create a firing) of Rush Limbaugh did not work.

Beyond disgraceful!

This letter effort represents a gross abuse-of-power. Think about it, the Senate is asking the primary distributor/syndicator of a radio show to muzzle one of its properties based upon the alligations (statements claimed from out-of-context radio broadcast transcripts) from a George Soros funded website founded by one Senator (running for the office of President) that signed the letter.

Hillary Clinton, while giving a speech at this summer's "Daily KOS" convention, proudly stated that she, in fact, initiated the website Media Matters, the website responsible for the out-of-context SMEAR on Rush Limbaugh that led to the condemnation abuse-of-power letter issued from the Senate floor and signed by these 41 Senators.

If you would like an image of the signatures of the three candidates that are running for the Democrat Party nomination for President from The Original Harry Reid/Rush Limbaugh Smear Letter, please visit and right-click copy the caption and photo found here:
http://maxine-log.blogspot.com/2007/10/harry-reid-takes-credit-for-ebay.html

This reminds me of the old joke where The Lone Ranger and Tonto are ambushed by a tribe of hostile Indians and The Lone Ranger says to Tonto "looks like we're in a lot of trouble", to which Tonto replies "what's this 'we' stuff, kemo sabe?"

Think how much Harry could raise for our soldiers if he wrote a resignation letter and the high bidder got to submit it (to whoever senators submit resignation letters - I doubt one ever did).

I donated my $50.

Included the note "It's not much, but it's more than 41 millionares have."

Plank Tonne's ability to throw out red herrings, blatant lies, and hypocrisy is hilarious.

I guess when you're an idiot you don't see any problem with referring to General Petraeus with scorn and derision as "Saint Petraeus" and then criticizing Rush Limbaugh (by lying about what Rush said).

I have just received an anonymous e-mail with a link to a site, I Call BS, that purports to have a secret recording of Harry Reid's Secretary from Friday morning. You can listen to the mp3 and judge for yourself. It seems authentic to me.

Some one should tell Rush.

Plank Tonne....I'm going to do something no one else here has done, even though I know you are wrong about it....I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt....watch this....

You state that Limbaugh slandered all troops who don't agree with Bush's stand on the war....ok, so let's say he did....according to you, that gives the senate majority leader the right to attempt to silence Limbaugh!!!

In other words, you think congress should have the right, nay the DUTY, to trample on a PRIVATE citizen's first amendment rights for rendering an opinion the senate majority leader doesn't like. I DARE you to tell me I've got it wrong.

So you now find yourself in the unenviable position of admitting that, even if you're right about the Limbaugh smear (you aren't, but benefit of doubt and all that), you're still wrong about the handling of it by the senate majority leader....or do you think harry reid did the right thing? be honest, does Limbaugh have the right to render an opinion reid doesn't like? should he be censored by the govt for rendering it?

The only money Reid or any of the others who signed the Limbaugh letter would donate would be whatever they might steal from the taxpayers or take in bribes for selling their votes in the Capitol's back halls. They never donate their own money.