Democrats turn up heat on Limbaugh, network

[Soldier4Christ]

Democrats turn up heat on Limbaugh, network
Reid urges public to complain to Clear Channel, force apology

In a prelude to likely efforts to legislate the Fairness Doctrine in 2009, Democratic Party leaders in the Senate, including the party's likely presidential nominee next year, Sen. Hillary Clinton, are turning up the heat on Rush Limbaugh's network, attempting to force him to apologize for maligning anti-war soldiers as phonies – something he didn't say.

On Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid sent a letter, signed by 41 Democrats, to Clear Channel Chief Executive Officer Mark P. Mays demanding he repudiate Limbaugh's comments and extract an apology from him. Mays responded the same day in a letter to Reid defending Limbaugh's right to express his opinions openly on the airwaves.

But Reid is not dropping the matter.

In an e-mail to Democrats today, he urges the public to inundate Mays with similar demands.

"I normally ignore Rush Limbaugh, but his comments last Wednesday went too far for me to remain silent," Reid wrote. "It's one thing to call me 'Dingy Harry' – it's another to insult our men and women in uniform, calling those who oppose the war 'phony soldiers,' as Rush did during his Sept. 26 broadcast."

None of the calls for repudiation or apology, however, contain a transcript of Limbaugh's remarks. That's because other than the two words "phony soldiers," it wouldn't be possible to make the case that Limbaugh was maligning anti-war soldiers generally. He was, in the context of Wednesday's commentaries, specifically addressing the case of Jesse MacBeth, an anti-war activist who claimed to have witnessed atrocities as a Purple Heart recipient in the Army Rangers.

MacBeth, however, never served in Iraq. He was expelled from the military after 44 days in uniform.

"He became a hero to the anti-war left," explained Limbaugh. "They love phony soldiers, and they prop 'em up. When it is demonstrated that they have been lying about things, then they just forget about it. There's no retraction; there's no apology."

Nevertheless, the "phony soldiers" remark was posted on the website of Media Matters, where it was alleged that Limbaugh characterized all anti-war military personnel that way.

Limbaugh has spent the better part of a week explaining all this on his daily, three-hour radio program, the most popular talk show in the country. Yet, Reid and the Senate Democrats remain undeterred about using their government power to rein in Limbaugh and his network.

Reid had also made a speech on the Senate floor accusing Limbaugh of making a "hateful" and "unpatriotic" attack on U.S. troops opposed to the war in Iraq.

Limbaugh, contending he was "smeared" with false charges, demanded Reid come on the top-rated radio program, confront him "like a man" and "stop hiding behind the speech-and-debate clause and your Senate immunity."

"You want to come on this program and call me unpatriotic, come on this program and call me unpatriotic," Limbaugh said. "You want to call me a liar, you want to tell me that I did not say what I said, you come on this program and you tell me to my face that I said what I did not say."

Democrats seized on the issue as a counterattack to criticism from Republicans over a MoveOn.org ad that referred to Gen. David Petraeus as "General Betray Us."

Reid, demanding Limbaugh apologize to U.S. troops, told his Senate colleagues: "Last week, Rush Limbaugh went way over the line, way over the line. While I respect his right to say anything he likes, his unpatriotic comments I cannot ignore. During his show last Wednesday, Limbaugh was engaged in one of his typical rants. This one was unremarkable, indistinguishable from his usual drivel, which has been steadily losing listeners for years, until he crossed that line by calling our men and women in uniform who oppose the war in Iraq, and I quote, 'phony soldiers.' This comment was so beyond the pale of decency, and we can't leave it alone. And yet he followed it up with denials and an attack on Congressman Jack Murtha, who was a 37-year active member of the Marine Corps, combat veteran."

Limbaugh called Reid's speech "Kafkaesque," noting he had just finished an interview with Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, "talking about the lies and stuff spread about him during his confirmation hearings, and now I, little old private citizen, Rush Limbaugh, the subject of Senate action, the subject today of House of Representatives action, all based on a purposely told lie, which they know is a lie, and yet they are persisting in this."

Many elected officials, mostly Democrats, expressed their displeasure with talk radio following the defeat of what President Bush called his "Comprehensive Immigration Reform" legislation – a plan characterized by many talkers as "amnesty." There were a number of calls for reinstating the Fairness Doctrine – which has also been called the "Hush Rush" bill.

The 41 Democratic senators who signed the challenge to Limbaugh's network were:

   1. Harry Reid, majority leader

   2. Richard Durbin, assistant majority leader

   3. Charles Schumer, vice chairman, Democratic Conference

   4. Patty Murray, secretary, Democratic Conference

   5. Daniel Akaka

   6. Max Baucus

   7. Joseph Biden

   8. Barbara Boxer

   9. Sherrod Brown

  10. Robert Byrd

  11. Benjamin Cardin

  12. Tom Carper

  13. Bob Casey

  14. Hillary Rodham Clinton

  15. Kent Conrad

  16. Christopher Dodd

  17. Byron Dorgan

  18. Dianne Feinstein

  19. Tom Harkin

  20. Daniel Inouye

  21. Edward M. Kennedy

  22. John Kerry

  23. Amy Klobuchar

  24. Mary Landrieu

  25. Frank Lautenberg

  26. Patrick Leahy

  27. Carl Levin

  28. Blanche Lincoln

  29. Bob Menendez

  30. Barbara Mikulski

  31. Bill Nelson

  32. Barack Obama

  33. Jack Reed

  34. Jay Rockefeller

  35. Ken Salazar

  36. Bernie Sanders

  37. Debbie Stabenow

  38. Jon Tester

  39. Jim Webb

  40. Sheldon Whitehouse

  41. Ron Wyden

In another example of government officials going after talk radio programming, this week the San Francisco Board of Supervisors condemned nationally syndicated host Michael Savage for comments he made about illegal aliens. They characterized his remarks as "hate speech."

[Soldier4Christ]

Rush’s “Phony” Soldiers” Real Name is…Jesse Al-Zaid?…

It appears that Jesse Adam Macbeth had a name change in July of 1986.

Case information located at:

http://www.cosc.co.pima.az.us/record_search/casesearch.asp?casenum=C234837


Interesting.

[Brother Jerry]

Very much so

[Soldier4Christ]

A Little History On democratic "Phony Soldiers".


Clinton’s Phony WWII ‘Hero’ –Dem. Campaign Donor, Ambassador, Phony Soldier

In a little blast from Clinton’s past it’s an avalanche of Democrats and their supporters who are turning out to be liars about their military service, lately. We are reminded of the late M. Larry Lawrence, a long time Bill Clinton donor who was such a heavy contributor that Clinton paid him off with the ambassadorship to Switzerland (1993 to 1996). Even The New York Times can’t hide this one because since his false service had been confirmed, in 1997 his body had been removed from Arlington Cemetery, an honor that Clinton had strings pulled to bestow upon him after his passing from cancer in 1996 — an Arlington burial being just another payoff for his huge donations to Clinton’s campaign fund.

“Confronted with mounting evidence that M. Larry Lawrence, the late Ambassador to Switzerland, had fabricated a heroic World War II record, his widow decided today to have his remains exhumed from Arlington National Cemetery, where he was granted burial under an unusual waiver.”

So what was the story? How was his military service a sham?

“Mr. Lawrence said he had been serving in the United States merchant marine. He said he was thrown overboard into the icy Arctic Ocean after a German torpedo hit his ship as it headed for the Russian port of Murmansk.”

Well… not so much.

Turns out Mr. Lawrence was attending Wilbur Wright College in Chicago during March of 1945, the same time period he claimed he was under fire as a Merchant Marine.

“But Congressional investigators with the House Veterans Affairs subcommittee on oversight and investigations found that Mr. Lawrence’s name did not appear in the Coast Guard’s records of merchant seamen. His name also did not appear in any official documents related to the 1945 voyage of the Horace Bushnell, including the ship’s list of passengers.”

Ooops.

But it’s even worse than a mere little white lie. Lawrence was given all sorts of honors during his lifetime for his supposed bravery in WWII. The Russian Federation even gave him the Medal of Valor in 1994. Then Clinton bent the rules to allow him to be buried in Arlington upon Lawrence’s death in 1996.

Why did Clinton do this?

The money.

“The story of Mr. Lawrence and his spectacular, self-made war record began as yet another campaign finance allegation, in this case, that wealthy Democratic donors traded campaign contributions for Arlington burial plots.”

Yes it was all “Because Mr. Lawrence was a generous contributor to Mr. Clinton’s 1992 Presidential campaign.”

Say it isn’t so! Bill Clinton selling influence and giving gifts for campaign cash? Next thing you’ll tell me is he sold the Lincoln Bedroom!

[Soldier4Christ]

A Little History On democratic "Phony Soldiers".

From 2000: Al Gore’s uncle a ‘phony WWI soldier’?

And yet another flashback of a phony Democrat soldier. Here is World Net Daily’s exploration of the lie Al Gore told about his “gassed Uncle in WWI” during his doomed run for president in 2000… turns out Gore didn’t HAVE any family that served in WWI.

    Oct. 6, 2000: When Vice President Al Gore claimed, during the first presidential debate of the 2000 campaign, his uncle had been gassed in World War I while serving in Bosnia, skeptical fact checkers went to work – and they, like the campaign itself, came up empty.

    “And when the conflict came up in Bosnia,” said Gore, “I saw a genocide in the heart of Europe, with the most violent war on the continent of Europe since World War II. Look, that’s where World War I started, in the Balkans. My uncle was a victim of poison gas there. Millions of Americans saw the results of that conflict.”

    World War I started in the Balkans, true. Millions of Americans saw the results of that conflict, true. But if anyone was gassed in the Balkans, it wasn’t any of our American troops, who served in Western Europe, and it certainly wasn’t Al Gore’s uncle. An exhaustive records search raised doubts he even served in the military during the “Great War.”

    The National Archives had no record of Gore’s uncle in the service and the best the campaign could do was provide a 1959 newspaper obituary saying he had been gassed as a soldier in France, information most likely provided by the family.

    Mr. Gore, it’s Mr. Limbaugh on line 1 …

Here is a longer treatment of the Gore lie by Charles C. Thompson and Tony Hays from Oct. 6th, 2000.

Here’s the key graph:

According to an Associated Press report, the uncle Gore referred to in the debate was his late uncle, Reginald. After the debate, the Gore campaign contacted the National Archives seeking any World War I records to support Gore’s assertion. Apparently it came up empty-handed in the quest for confirmation from official sources, since, as the Associated Press story reports, the campaign fell back on the uncle’s 1959 newspaper obituary. It said he had been treated for illness caused by being gassed as a soldier in France (not in the Balkans). Newspaper obituaries are typically based on information provided by the family, with no effort made by the newspaper to verify its accuracy.

Yeah, tis a veritable cornucopia of phony soldiers on the Democrat side of the aisle.

I wonder if these stories will be reiterated by the MSM during this current flap?

[Soldier4Christ]

A Little History On democratic "Phony Soldiers".

Then we have the 90 day wonder John Kerry. While he did in fact serve in Viet Nam his Purple Hearts were received in less than honorable conditions and he lied about his involvement in being in Cambodia and the things that actually happened in Viet Nam. He also dishonored the uniform and Service by being illegally involved in anti-war protests while still a member of the Uniformed Service.

Yep, the democrats support the Troops.

[Soldier4Christ]

Phony Soldiers and Phony Senators     

Recently, at least 41 Democratic Senators, joined by a howling mob including George Soros’ Media Matters, sought to silence Rush Limbaugh because of his reference to “phony” anti war soldiers. Limbaugh’s comments, taken in context, referred to Jesse Macbeth, a confessed and convicted phony, whose faked but graphic war crimes confessions received far wider media notice than his later confession. He had been discharged in boot camp after 40 days of service.

Macbeth follows a grand tradition of fake soldiers whose “war crimes” confessions have been used by the Left to slander the service of our troops. For example, Micah Ian Wright, author of the 2003 anti war best seller "You Back the Attack," was an Army Ranger and Combat veteran feted at USC’s Annenberg School and in media like the Washington Post until he was finally “outed” as a complete fake. Many similar examples of phony “soldiers” used by the Left for war crimes confessions are documented in B.G. Burkett’s bestseller Stolen Valor. Indeed, the problem was so endemic that a Republican Congress in 2005, at the urging of many veterans, passed “The Stolen Valor Act” finally criminalizing activities such as those of Macbeth.

There is no one more injured by phony war crimes charges lodged by phony veterans than veterans themselves whose service is dishonored by the slander. I know. In 1971, in addition to listening to John Kerry from our unit falsely compare our forces in Viet Nam to “the Army of Jhengiz Khan,” I heard Al Hubbard, the president of Kerry’s VVAW, appearing with Kerry in forums such as Meet the Press and Congress confess to war crimes such as bombing innocent villages. Hubbard was an Air Force pilot, who appeared on national television wearing the Distinguished Flying Cross and many other medals while confessing our guilt in Viet Nam. Except he was none of these things, having left the Air Force as a Sergeant, never serving in Viet Nam at all.

Military personnel all over the world thank God for Rush Limbaugh’s stout defense of our military from these fakes. In 1971, there was no one to defend us from the John Kerrys and the Al Hubbards. Indeed, it is the U.S. Senate that is a Potemkin Village. It is a body whose failure to condemn Hubbard’s and Kerry’s 1971 libels is deafening. It is also a place on whose floor active duty soldiers have been compared to the assassins of the Khmer Rouge (Senator Deck Durbin); people who terrorize women and children (Senator Kerry); and (in close proximity) cold blooded murderers (Rep. John Murtha). Hypocrisy and cowardice are terms too kind for those who demean our soldiers without regard to the consequences to them. This conduct when coupled with the effort to silence Limbaugh a stout defender of the troops, can be best described with two words: What phonies.

[Soldier4Christ]

Rush takes fight
to Senate Dems 
Auctions Reid's complaint letter on eBay,
goads critics to match bid for troop charity

Rush Limbaugh announced today he's selling on eBay the original letter from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid demanding that the head of Clear Channel Communications repudiate the talk host's comments about "phony soldiers" and extract an apology.

Limbaugh challenged each of the 41 Democratic senators who signed the letter to match the winning bid, which he said will be forwarded to the Marine Corps-Law Enforcement Foundation, a charity offering financial assistance to the children of Marines and federal law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty.

The message on the letter's eBay listing says: "This historic document may well represent the first time in the history of America that this large a group of U.S. senators attempted to demonize a private citizen by lying about his views. As such, it is a priceless memento of the folly of Harry Reid and his 40 senatorial co-signers. BID NOW!"

Limbaugh, noting he serves on the board of the Marine Corps-Law Enforcement Foundation, said he will bear all costs of the auction: "Every dollar of your winning bid will go to this charity, which has to date distributed over $29 million."

Limbaugh has been topping news headlines since last week, after Reid claimed the talk host's use of the phrase "phony soldiers" was an attack on all U.S. troops who oppose the war in Iraq.

However, a transcript from Limbaugh's Sept. 26 show clearly indicated the "phony soldiers" remark specifically addressed the case of Jesse MacBeth, an anti-war activist who claimed to have witnessed atrocities as a Purple Heart recipient in the Army Rangers.

MacBeth never served in Iraq and was expelled from the military after 44 days in uniform.

Nevertheless, Reid last week sent the letter, signed by 41 Democrats, to Clear Channel Chief Executive Officer Mark P. Mays, who responded the same day in a letter to the Nevada Democrat defending Limbaugh's right to express his opinions openly on the airwaves.

[Shammu]

The message on the letter's eBay listing says: "This historic document may well represent the first time in the history of America that this large a group of U.S. senators attempted to demonize a private citizen by lying about his views. As such, it is a priceless memento of the folly of Harry Reid and his 40 senatorial co-signers. BID NOW!"

Okay, I saw that earlier on e-bay and put in a bid.....

However, a transcript from Limbaugh's Sept. 26 show clearly indicated the "phony soldiers" remark specifically addressed the case of Jesse MacBeth, an anti-war activist who claimed to have witnessed atrocities as a Purple Heart recipient in the Army Rangers.

MacBeth never served in Iraq and was expelled from the military after 44 days in uniform.

MacBeth probably committed those atrocities. If he did commit those atrocities or not, is another story.

44 days in uniform, thats got to be some type of record.

[Soldier4Christ]

MacBeth probably committed those atrocities. If he did commit those atrocities or not, is another story.

If he did it was not as a member of the Armed Services. He never got through boot camp.

44 days in uniform, thats got to be some type of record.

Actually it isn't. There are a number of people that for one reason or another have not made it through boot camp. There are some that haven't made it past 2 or 3 days.

[MusicMedic5150]

The democrats are always argumentative about peoples rights to freedom of speech, until you speak out against one of their kind....

[Soldier4Christ]

Reid's Rush Limbaugh Smear Letter Nears $1 Million Bid

Unless you have been asleep or out of the country without Internet access for nearly a month, you are quite aware that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) recently sent a letter -- signed by 41 Democrat Senators, no less! -- to the CEO of Clear Channel, one of the leading radio networks in the country.

In said correspondence, Reid et al complained about Rush Limbaugh's comments concerning "phony soldiers."

In an almost epic quid pro quo -- that is for everyone not affiliated with mainstream media outlets ignoring the truly delicious side of this story! -- Limbaugh got the original version of this letter and put it up for auction at the Internet site eBay.

Current bid: US $851,100.00

[Soldier4Christ]

They are expecting this to reach or exceed 1 million dollars by the time the bidding closes tomorrow.

Praise God this garbage letter is going to help a whole lot of children!

[Shammu]

They are expecting this to reach or exceed 1 million dollars by the time the bidding closes tomorrow.

Praise God this garbage letter is going to help a whole lot of children!

AMEN

[Soldier4Christ]

Reid letter sells for $2.1 million on eBay 
Limbaugh chastises senator for attempting to 'horn in' on charity effort

A final eBay bid of $2.11 million secured a letter from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid that demanded an apology from radio talk host Rush Limbaugh over his "phony soldiers" comment.

On his show today, Limbaugh announced the winning bidder was Betty Casey, a noted philanthropist and trustee of the Eugene B. Casey Foundation in Gaithersburg, Md.

It was the largest bid ever in an eBay charity auction, breaking the $800,000 mark paid for a Harley Davidson motorcycle bearing the signature of "Tonight" show host Jay Leno.

"The Eugene B. Casey Foundation believes freedom of speech is a basic right of every citizen of this country," the foundation said in a statement on the auction. "Their purchase of the smear letter was to demonstrate their belief in this right, and to support Rush Limbaugh, his views, and his continued education of us."

Meanwhile, Limbaugh chastised Reid for taking credit for the money raised by the letter during comments to colleagues today on the Senate floor.

Reid is trying to "horn in" on the effort, said Limbaugh, who pointed out the Nevada Democrat has not apologized for accusing him of smearing troops who opposed the Iraq war.

"Now he has the audacity to climb aboard this, praising the effort, saying he never knew it would get this kind of money," Limbaugh said.

Directing his comments to Reid, Limbaugh said, "It wasn't your letter that raised this money. It was your abuse of power that is responsible for raising this money."

If it were any other letter by Reid, he said, "people wouldn't pay a dime for it."

"This one represents an abuse of power by a U.S. senator, who after besmirching me by name on the Senate floor, gets a hold of my syndicate partner, asking him to confer with me about something he thought improper," said Limbaugh.

'That is why your letter is historic," he continued. It's "a full fledged, undeniable, 100 percent abuse of power."

Limbaugh announced last week he would sell the original letter addressed to the head of Clear Channel Communications in order to benefit the Marine Corps-Law Enforcement Foundation, a charity offering financial assistance to the children of Marines and federal law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty.

The No. 1-rated talk host said he would match the winning bid, and he challenged each of the 41 Democratic senators who signed the letter to match it as well.

Limbaugh said the winning bidder, Casey, has been a listener of his program since its inception.

"We cannot thank her enough for her support of this," Limbaugh said. "I am honored and proud and happy to be matching her $2,100,100."

Reid claimed Limbaugh's use of the phrase "phony soldiers" was an attack on all U.S. troops who oppose the war in Iraq. However, a transcript from Limbaugh's Sept. 26 show suggests the "phony soldiers" remark specifically addressed the case of Jesse MacBeth, an anti-war activist who claimed to have witnessed atrocities as a Purple Heart recipient in the Army Rangers. MacBeth never served in Iraq and was expelled from the military after 44 days in uniform.

The message on the letter's eBay listing said: "This historic document may well represent the first time in the history of America that this large a group of U.S. senators attempted to demonize a private citizen by lying about his views. As such, it is a priceless memento of the folly of Harry Reid and his 40 senatorial co-signers. BID NOW!"

Limbaugh, noting he serves on the board of the Marine Corps-Law Enforcement Foundation, said he would bear all costs of the auction: "Every dollar of your winning bid will go to this charity, which has to date distributed over $29 million."

Clear Channel Chief Executive Officer Mark P. Mays responded to Reid's letter with a defense of Limbaugh's right to express his opinions openly on the airwaves.

Many elected officials, mostly Democrats, expressed their displeasure with talk radio following the defeat of what President Bush called his "Comprehensive Immigration Reform" legislation – a plan characterized by many talkers as "amnesty." There were a number of calls for reinstating the Fairness Doctrine – which has also been called the "Hush Rush" bill.

As WND reported, another Democratic leader, Rep. Henry Waxman of California, angrily denied a report claiming he's investigating Limbaugh and other conservative radio talk-show hosts, but the magazine which made the allegation is not issuing any retraction.

As WND reported, one radio station in Oregon decided to "hush Rush" for a day and replace Limbaugh's talk program with music after receiving some requests from local listeners.