Limbaugh’s Cowardly Smear
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Joe Conason
The controversy over what Rush Limbaugh meant when he uttered the phrase “phony soldiers” last week isn’t just another broadcast sideshow. As the political power of conservatism declines, the symbolic authority of figures such as Mr. Limbaugh is likewise shrinking. That is why he backs away from his own words, rips them from context by selectively editing his program’s transcript and insists he didn’t demean soldiers and veterans who dissent from the Bush White House war policy—as he and his fellow partisans have done so many times before.
This revealing episode began on Sept. 26 during a conversation between Mr. Limbaugh and “Mike,” a caller who identified himself as an active-duty soldier and supporter of the Iraq war, who warned against the consequences of withdrawing U.S. troops as urged by a previous caller “because Iraq itself would collapse and we’d have to go right back over there within a year or so.”
At that point the host interjected, “There’s a lot more than that that they don’t understand. They can’t even—if—the next guy that calls here, I’m gonna ask him: Why should we pull—what is the imperative for pulling out? What’s in it for the United States to pull out? They can’t—I don’t think they have an answer for that other than, ‘Well, we just gotta bring the troops home. Save the—keep the troops safe,’ or whatever. It’s not possible, intellectually, to follow these people.”
Replied Mike, “No, it’s not, and what’s really funny is, they never talk to real soldiers. They like to pull these soldiers that come up out of the blue and talk to the media.”
That was when Mr. Limbaugh said: “The phony soldiers.”
Two days later, under heavy critical fire for using those words to describe critics of the war who have served in uniform, he claimed to be the victim of a “smear.” He served up a neatly trimmed transcript of the Sept. 26 program, which cut more than a minute and a half of yakking to make it seem as if his “phony soldiers” reference was intended solely for an antiwar activist who had allegedly masqueraded as an Army Ranger after washing out of basic training. That falsified transcript has provided fodder for Mr. Limbaugh’s defenders, a motley assortment of bloggers, Fox News personalities, and a Republican congressman from Georgia who has actually introduced a resolution commending the radio blowhard.
Not content with insulting the troops, the Limbaugh clones seem to think any soldier who examines the transcript will be too dumb to figure out how they have tampered with it. It is equally telling that both Mr. Limbaugh and his defenders change the original phrase “phony soldiers” and say “phony soldier” instead—because the plural belies his alibi and makes his nasty intention so plain.
Today he whines because Media Matters for America, the progressive watchdog group, caught and publicized his slur. But he cannot escape what the audio proves he said.
Only in a media environment where conservatives have long felt exempt from serious scrutiny would Mr. Limbaugh still feel free to mock the military service of those who disagree with him. He is, after all, a certified chickenhawk who cheered on the Vietnam War as it ground up tens of thousands of young Americans, but saw no reason why he should serve. His local draft board in Cape Girardeau, Mo., a town where his family enjoyed great political influence, granted him a 1-Y deferment after he dropped out of college and forfeited his student deferment.
Explaining how he escaped the draft, he has cited both a “bad knee” and a cyst on his backside that supposedly rendered him medically unfit for service.
Despite that undistinguished record, however, he has never hesitated to denigrate the service and patriotism of Senator John Kerry, former Senator Tom Daschle and other Democrats who volunteered to wear the nation’s uniform. He called Mr. Daschle “Hanoi Tom,” and he spent many hours repeating the “Swift boat” lies when Mr. Kerry ran for president in 2004.
And now he insinuates that the troops and vets who question this war are “phony soldiers.”
No doubt what really worries Mr. Limbaugh and his right-wing comrades is that more and more of those who bravely serve America abroad, from foot soldiers to flag officers, have begun to voice their anger at the reckless and dishonest policies that have cost them and their comrades so dearly.
Leaders of Vote Vets, a group of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans organized in support of smarter military and security policy, have angrily challenged Mr. Limbaugh to repeat his slur to their faces—something he is most unlikely to do.
Thanks to all the veterans with the courage to speak out—no matter what their affiliation or opinion—it is no longer so easy for the Limbaugh crowd to claim that the military and the flag as their exclusive property.
That illegitimate seizure of everyone’s patriotic heritage is coming to an ignominious end.
Limbaugh, Coulter, O'Reilly and numerous others are brown shirt verbal thugs for what is now the Fascist/Nazi Party of America. They try to suffocate the truth, just like the SA brown shirt thugs in Nazi Germany. Yes, they were the anti-truth police that beat people up and even killed them. In reality, these brown shirts are vocal fifth columnist's out to repress the American conscience and voice. It is they who really hate America! It is they who are trying to destroy America from within!
To jjrousseau33,
Take a deep breath, collect your thoughts and offer us cogent reasoning for your claims. You don't like right wing commentators. I understand that. Please don't offer the stale comparision of American conservatism to Nazism. If Rush Limbaugh is elected president of the United States and formulates a 'final solution' to liberals and leftists then you will have a point. If not, you're beating dead air. Try not to hate so much. It hurts the soul.
I guess the part where jjrousseau33 wrote "They try to suffocate the truth, just like the SA brown shirt thugs in Nazi Germany. Yes, they were the anti-truth police that beat people up and even killed them." totally eludes you.
Good point, flatpick: "Try not to hate so much. It hurts the soul."
A few years ago I sent the more or less the same message to Ann Coulter... don't think it had much effect.
We would be a less than vigilant society to not pay close attention to just what the giant FOX News media is up to.Especially since they gobbled up as much of the media as they could clearly in an effort to ensure that their "spin" would be taken as the only correct point of view.
There is no getting around the media role they played in the debate leading up to the war with Iraq. The 24/7 "they don't want you to be safe" spin wore Democrats as well as a few Republicans down to the point they dammned if they did and dammned if they didn't vote to go to war....
And with the loss of more and more individual rights an O'Reilly threat of "we're comming after you" could turn into more than mere bluster...
Don't ever think it can't happen here.
Just as the Clinton's tap China for campaign funds, this bozo is making up his responce to the Linbaugh comment about Jesse McBeth who made up a pack of lies that he was a decorated soldier and was against the war. Linbaugh brought the truth to his program and of couarse, jerks like Conason are making up his own story of lies to fit his hate for the right.
Joe Conason and the rest of you anti-war hypocrites you can’t claim to support the soldiers and not support their mission. It's one in the same. Remember we were attacked. Rush whole heartly supports all the soldiers and their mission. If you only listened his radio show for one day you would know that.
Funny the one day I did listen to Rush he's calling soldiers who are war critics "phony soldiers" - who needs support like that. Just because Rush is a fat blowhard it doesn't make him right.
Maybe if Steven and CES123 didn't spend their day listening to Rush, they might actually have a clue. Yes we were attacked, by 15 Saudis, 1 Egyptian, 1 Lebanese, and 2 from the UAE after planning by a Saudi (bin Laden) and his Egyptian ally. And precisely zero Iraqis. So when you are remember things CES123, try to remember them correctly. And precisely what is the mission of the U.S. troops and the ~160,000 contractors in Iraq? Find and destroy weapons of mass destruction? Kill Saddam? Install a Jeffersonian Democracy? Give the Iraqis breathing space to form a functioning government? The mission seems to be changing daily. (Expect the mission for control of Iraqi oil and hefty no-bid contracts to Haliburton.) Your ignorance and the ignorance of many of Rush's listeners has led this country into hole that it is in and one that will take many years (if ever) from which to recover. And while you wrap yourselves in the Flag, this administration, with the help of smoke screening blow-hards like Rush is slowly eroding the very Constitution our troops are supposed dying to defend.
To Bob.
Excellent rebuttal and let me just add that Rush does constantly attack veterans (examples: Paul Hackett, John Kerry, John Murtha, Chuck Hagel, Max Cleland, Wesley Clark). In fact he accused Paul Hackett of "padding his resume" by serving in Iraq. That's dispicable.
It is entirely disingenous to claim Rush supports the military because he insults any veteran that disagrees with his position. Just because Chuck Hagel or John Kerry didn't serve in Iraq doesn't mean Rush has the right to belittle their service to our country. Ever notice it's always Republicans that criticize the service or patriotism of our veterans. I never hear Liberal or Democrats do the same.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it!
Anyone who listens to Rush- knows he 100% supports our troops. You people on the left are such hypocrites- for those of us who listen to Rush we know he was talking about Jesse Macbeth and others like him who claim to be decorated soldiers yet are proven not to be.
Where is your indignation when a 4 Star decorated General who has bravely risked his life for his country is called a traiter. When Harry Reid says the war is lost. When John Kerry accuses our troops of terrorizing woman and children in the dead of night. When John Murtha called the Haditha Marines murderers. These are are so called leaders. Frightening isn't it when our the leaders of this country take the time to bash a private citizen when there are so many more pressing needs they should be addressing. No wonder Congress' approval ratings are at an all time low. They are pathetic.
M169, You are a liar. If you had listen to Rush's show you would know that he called guys that claim to be soldiers but aren't "phony soilders". He did that because, guess what, they are phony.
patrioticamerican, Thanks.
Bob -the pissed off veteran. Thanks for your service, but are wrong we are fighting bin Laden's followers and better in Iraq then in the US. If the war was for oil why not go to Canada, they supply more oil to the US than Iraq, quit drinking the "cool-aid" and learn the facts.
PatrioticAmerican
You need to quite watching Hannity and Colmes so much because you just recited all of Sean Hannity's talking points (Actually, I think Sean steals them from Rush who directly gets them from Cheney! I kid.) Seriously, PatrioticAmerican you are the one who is clueless. I'm not on "the Left" as you put it but then again that's what you on "the Right" always do. You invent convenient labels such as "Liberal" or "Lefty" when someone disagrees with you. Has it ever occurred to you that Republicans, Moderates and Libertarians also disagree with Rush or even Bush?
As far as your talking points (I mean Sean Hannity's) I thought the Moveon ad was over the top and it was in poor taste. If Harry Reid thinks the war is lost, he is certainly allowed to voice that. I know soldiers who think Iraq isn't winnable. John Kerry wasn't accusing our men and women of "terrorizing woman and children in the dead of night" but rather he was making a statement. His choice of words weren't the best but the fact is unannounced night raids do occur in Iraq in the middle of the night. I’m sure the Iraqi’s are terrified as would I if soldiers entered my home in the middle of the night. Most Americans (including John Kerry) understand that our soldiers are just doing their jobs as best they can, but it would be completely ignorant to assume certain Iraq’s don’t see our soldiers as the “enemy”. John Murtha is a little nutty so I can really speak for him.
Finally, the biggest lie or misconception that you and your ilk constantly throw up is the low approval rating of congress. The fact is that Congress has a low approval rating because they don’t oppose the Bush enough. 60% percent of Americans favor a timeline for withdrawal. People expect Congress to stand up to the President, not give him whatever he wants. I wish the Republicans would quite citing the “low approval” rating for Congress in such a disingenuous way. Poll after poll shows the Amerivan public in direct contrast to the president’s positions.
Rush is an ass and below are even more negative comments Rush has made:
On the August 21, 2006, broadcast of his radio show, Limbaugh 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."
On the September 17, 2004, edition of his radio show, Limbaugh said that half of 2004 Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry's base "hates the military, hates America, hates Bush, hates the world except for France and Germany."
On the January 25 edition of his radio show, Limbaugh asserted, "By the way, we had a caller call, couldn't stay on the air, got a new name for Senator [Chuck] Hagel in Nebraska, we got General [David] Petraeus and we got Senator Betrayus, new name for Senator Hagel." A day earlier, Hagel had sided with Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in voting to approve a nonbinding resolution declaring that Bush's escalation in Iraq was against "the national interest."
All Rush does is create a divide between Americans. I think he is disgusting and he deserves what he gets.
Bye Bye now
Van Gogh
PatrioticAmerican
You need to quite watching Hannity and Colmes so much because you just recited all of Sean Hannity's talking points (Actually, I think Sean steals them from Rush who directly gets them from Cheney! I kid.) Seriously, PatrioticAmerican you are the one who is clueless. I'm not on "the Left" as you put it but then again that's what you on "the Right" always do. You invent convenient labels such as "Liberal" or "Lefty" when someone disagrees with you. Has it ever occurred to you that Republicans, Moderates and Libertarians also disagree with Rush or even Bush?
As far as your talking points (I mean Sean Hannity's) I thought the Moveon ad was over the top and it was in poor taste. If Harry Reid thinks the war is lost, he is certainly allowed to voice that. I know soldiers who think Iraq isn't winnable. John Kerry wasn't accusing our men and women of "terrorizing woman and children in the dead of night" but rather he was making a statement. His choice of words weren't the best but the fact is unannounced night raids do occur in Iraq in the middle of the night. I’m sure the Iraqi’s are terrified as would I if soldiers entered my home in the middle of the night. Most Americans (including John Kerry) understand that our soldiers are just doing their jobs as best they can, but it would be completely ignorant to assume certain Iraq’s don’t see our soldiers as the “enemy”. John Murtha is a little nutty so I can really speak for him.
Finally, the biggest lie or misconception that you and your ilk constantly throw up is the low approval rating of congress. The fact is that Congress has a low approval rating because they don’t oppose the Bush enough. 60% percent of Americans favor a timeline for withdrawal. People expect Congress to stand up to the President, not give him whatever he wants. I wish the Republicans would quite citing the “low approval” rating for Congress in such a disingenuous way. Poll after poll shows the Amerivan public in direct contrast to the president’s positions.
Rush is an ass and below are even more negative comments Rush has made:
On the August 21, 2006, broadcast of his radio show, Limbaugh 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."
On the September 17, 2004, edition of his radio show, Limbaugh said that half of 2004 Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry's base "hates the military, hates America, hates Bush, hates the world except for France and Germany."
On the January 25 edition of his radio show, Limbaugh asserted, "By the way, we had a caller call, couldn't stay on the air, got a new name for Senator [Chuck] Hagel in Nebraska, we got General [David] Petraeus and we got Senator Betrayus, new name for Senator Hagel." A day earlier, Hagel had sided with Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in voting to approve a nonbinding resolution declaring that Bush's escalation in Iraq was against "the national interest."
All Rush does is create a divide between Americans. I think he is disgusting and he deserves what he gets.
Bye Bye now
Van Gogh
patrioticamerican, Thanks and diddois.
Bob -the pissed off veteran, thanks for your service but you are wrong, we are fighting bin Laden's followers in Iraq, better in Iraq than in the US. Stop drinking the "cool-aid" if the war was for oil, why didn't we invade Canada? They supply more oil to the US then Iraq. Get the facts, maybe you won't be so "pissed off". The truth is we will be in Iraq for as many years as we have been in Germany, Japan and Korea. Even if a, God help us all, a Dem is the next Pres.
CES123
Al Queda didn't exist in Iraq before the invasion so let's not act like that's a reason for being there. Also, Al Queda (Sunnis) make up only about 5% of the insurgency, the rest are Saudis, Syrians etc. as well as Shia insurgents. There is no way a predominately Shia counry such as Iraq will allow Al Queda (Sunni) to take it over. Finally, the "we are fighting them there so we don't have to fight them here" is a ridiculous arguement because Al Queda could attack from Indonesia, Europe, Africa or more than likely the Afganistan-Pakistan border where Bin Laden (the guy who attacked us) is hiding. Who's drinking the Kool-aid now CES123?
VanGogh
CES123,
Congratulations...you've been selected poster boy for the "We Believe Anything Bush & Cheney Tell Us!" committee. Mega-dittos to you!
For the 10,221st time - WE WERE NOT ATTACKED BY IRAQ. YOU DON'T SUPPORT THE TROOPS BY KEEPING THEM IN THE MIDDLE OF A CIVIL WAR.
The true hypocrites are the neo-cons who say this elective war was neccessary, refuse to serve in it themselves, but are just fine with other peoples' kids being sent.
This isn't rocket science. Try having one brain cell communicate with the other before posting, please.
By the way, I am serving and I see it first hand. It's a shame that you don't believe we can win, because we are winning. Thanks for you "support". Only 1% of Americans serve in the military, most because we want too, not because we have to. God Bless America!!
CES123
Where in Iraq are you stationed? And please define winning. Who are we winning against? Al Queda, The numerous Shia militias, the non Al Queda Sunni insurgents? Who are you beating? My friend who is also serving in Bagdad told me we would have to be there forever which we all klnow is millitarily impossible. While you are your fellow soldiers are fighting in Iraq, Bin Laden (who attacked us)has reconstituted ASl Queda on the Aghanistan-Pakistan border. Again, what are we winning?
It's funny how Limbaugh's defenders pretend to ignore the fact that the likes of Limbaugh, George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and many other neoconservatives vigorously supported the Vietnam War but steadfastly refused to serve. And don't give me the "Bush served" BS. Bush went to the front of the line, tanks to Daddy and 'served' in the Texas Air Guard's champaign unit, assigned to obsolete aircraft that would never be deployed to Vietnam. And then he went AWOL (and hasn't proved otherwise) Speaking of phony soldiers Dubya is the poster boy. Yet the dittoheads think Dubya is a war hero!
CES123?
We are winning? Tell that to the Polish ambassador that took a hit today in downtown Baghdad.
If the goal was ever to “win” someone would have listened to Colin Powell at the beginning when he tried to explain that overwhelming force would be need before and after the invasion; they would have listened to General Shensiki that several hundred thousand troops would be needed to stabilize post invasion Iraq. If it was about winning there would be an increase in taxes to support the war in Iraq, rather than continued massive tax cuts for those that don’t need it. If this was about winning there would be a call from the president and his administration for shared sacrifice, rather than allowing the entire burden to fall on less than 1% of our population. If this administration had competent leadership, they would have seen to it that the huge stock pile of weapons in Iraq were secured after the invasion, rather than let Rumsfeld make inane comments like “freedom is untidy” and “stuff happens” only to have those weapons be used against our troops.
No this isn’t about winning any more, this is CYA with some one else’s children, because this administration and its neocons supporters started a war of choice with the wrong enemy, with insufficient troops, and insufficient planning and when the feces hit the fan they were, and still are, completely clueless as how to proceed.
When we stayed in Germany and Japan, it was done with a plan, with funding, and shared sacrifice. This war is costing the wealthy neocons supporters nothing. In fact they are making money on it. It is the children and grandchildren of the poor and middle class that will be paying the bill for this fiasco for years to come.
Winning? Winning what? The race to the bottom? If we stayed focused and finished the job in Afghanistan we might have won there and the Taliban wouldn’t be resurgent. There might even be place outside of Kabul that would have some semblance of normalcy. And bin Laden may have been captured. But no, we had a maximum of 25,000 troops fighting the people that actually attacked us and diverted precious resources to Iraq. And yet there are still defenders of this inane administration and its continual policy blunders. I guess you might as well go back to listening to Rush, because you clearly wouldn't understand the truth, even if it jumped up and bit you in the butt.
FUBAR that’s what Bush and his enablers have given us.
Thank God we have a dedicated and effective warrior class.
Thank God just as much that we don't have to rely on them to do the thinking and policy-making.
Different jobs need different skillsets. But, in fairness, let's rememeber that the soldiers serving in Iraq do not have unfettered access to information. They are flooded with right-wing propaganda all day long. Rush is in Iraq, but Air America isn't. 'Nuff said.
Clearly, partisan hacks like Conason and Limbaugh denigrate those with whom they disagree. Is this news? Well, I suppose it is just so the Left can say, "see they did it, too" after trashing someone like General Petraeus. Of course, that "Betray Us" smear didn't require transcripts or interpretations - the meaning was clear as it was a statement rather than an insinuation. And neither Hillary Clinton nor Barack Obama were willing to condemn this attack.
Rush's smear was generalized towards a group of "phony soldiers" who are like the one soldier, Jesse, who admitted to lying about atrocities he witnessed in Iraq (he was never there). I don't know what was cowardly about Rush's comment. Wouldn't most Americans agree that a soldier who lies about their fellow soldiers and misrepresents his own service are, in fact, phony? If lying does not make one phony, what does?
I am one of the 20 million Rush listeners and one of the 150 or so people who read Joe Conason. I enjoy both of their perspectives as those commentators in the "middle" are so boring. Keep the fun coming - 2008 is just around the corner!
I read the editorial and it's typical elitist whining in my opinion. Some of the people who wrote before me point out that what some Democratic politicians wrote and said is worse than what Rush said.
I'm tired of anyone criticizing others with the "They didn't serve and they have the nerve to criticize those who did". I didn't realize the New York Observer was trying to create a superior class of people meaning those with military experience and that because I never served means I have no right to criticize anything any past soldier says.
Another big difference here is that like it or not, the President asked Petraeus for his assessment and to bring it before Congress. MoveON specifically chose to attack a sitting soldier even before he gave an opinion. You can't tell who Rush is talking about so I'm not impressed with Reid and others making their own minds up about who he was talking about and disregarding who Rush said he was talking about.
I haven't listened to Rush's show for a long time but I doubt you will find many or anyone who has defended the rights of soldiers and their needs on the air as much as he has.
You know what, why don't some of you tell me who in the media over the last 20 years has been more supportive of the troops than he has?
Dear Buckles,
It is true that the brown shirts were thugs. They fought the communists in the street That's my point. Rush Limbaugh has not advocated smashing people in the mouth. He has not advocated violence towards those who disagree with him. His veiwpoint may have vulnerable points but wouldn't it be smart to attack him through those points rather than making emotion based strikes against his personality?
To jhsyd,
Thank you for your succinct response. I find Ann Coulter entertaining but I understand that those she attacks will find her a great deal less amusing.
This is weird. All those talking heads are nothing but entertainment. Can't you all see that.
Joe, Hey, you got everyone going on this one. Congratulations! Wish I'd gotten in on this sooner. This Rush flap is the most laughable thing you Stalinists have come up with in a long time. Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! I can't stop laughing at this obvious ploy to push Hillary's biggest and most effective critic off the air. Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!
Address the issue of the "phony soldiers," Joe. You don't want to talk about that do you? Yeah, you and your little commie Demo buddies just want to throw crap and say that Limbaugh trashes any service man who disagrees with Bush's Iraq policy. Of course, you know Rush and the conservatives recognize your tactics as gaseous expulsions but the wavering independents who know litle about Rush may just believe your empty blather. You hope you'll find enough dolts out there who will say to themselves, "Conason has a point, that Limbaugh hates our soldiers!" WHAT A HUGE BALD-FACED LIE, CONASON! How can you look yourself in the mirror? Anything for the commie cause, right Joe. Sheesh! Stalin is alive and well in the Deomocratic ranks!
Limbaugh is a fat blowhard who wouldn't make a cyst on a good Corporal's butt. I feel that Limbaugh hates Soldiers and veterans because he and his fellow ChickenHawks didn't have the guts to serve.