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Ear to the Ground

Limbaugh Is Called Out for ‘Phony Soldiers’ Remark

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Posted on Oct 2, 2007
Rush Limbaugh
anniemayhem.com

He’s certainly not famous for his magnanimity, but this time Rush Limbaugh’s sharp tongue seems to have gotten him into a real pickle.  The conservative radio talk show host is under fire from congressional Democrats for his recent statement that U.S. troops who oppose the war are “phony soldiers.”  Limbaugh’s ill-conceived rant also caught this active-duty soldier’s attention, judging by his blog.


TheHill.com:

Thousands of active troops and veterans were subjected to Mr. Limbaugh’s unpatriotic and indefensible comments on your broadcast,” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said in his letter to Clear Channel Chief Executive Mark Mays. “We trust you will agree that not a single one of our sons, daughters, neighbors and friends serving overseas is a ‘phony soldier.’ We call on you to publicly repudiate these comments that call into question their service and sacrifice and to ask Mr. Limbaugh to apologize for his comments.”

On his show Monday, Limbaugh blasted Democrats for their criticism, saying it is part of a smear campaign aimed at discrediting him.

“If anybody in this country has been trying to demoralize the troops, it is you, sir, and your members of the Democrat Party,” Limbaugh said. “You have waved the white flag of defeat.”

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By Ben Franklin, October 8, 2007 at 12:02 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

What happened to the constitution that protects free speech and prohibits congress from taking action against private citizens.

Did anyone notice the senate resolution regarding Petraeus did not mention moveon.org nor did it take any action.

The Senate wrote a letter (taking action) naming a private citizen by name (Rush Limbaugh).  They wrote his employer and they wrote some of his sponsors.

What no one seems to have a problem with this.

http://www.standwithrush.com

So much for limiting the powers of congress

Ben Franklin

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By ocjim, October 3, 2007 at 11:13 am Link to this comment

In spite of the many hate messages,embarrasments, substance abuses, and insults of public figures like Rush, the obscenity is that there is still an audience for such miscreants.

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By Conservative Yankee, October 3, 2007 at 5:59 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

104171 by Zyskandar A. Jaimot on 10/02 at 4:32 pm

“...besmerch RUSH LIMBAUGH’s character…”


BAAAAHAAA HA HA HA Ha Ha Ha HA Ha HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA.

Wait a minute, I think I’m under control Ha Ha Ha no, I got it…HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA Oh hell…HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA

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By loneeagle, October 3, 2007 at 5:29 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

The other day on Limbaugh, a caller was decrying some peacenik as being arrogant, pompous and self righteous, and while Rush was agreeing with him, you could hear him laughing behind his hand. He thinks even the people who applaud him are stupid. And he’s right, both about them and anyone who would lower themself to try to argue points with him. Rush is nothing more than a cartoon character who would be very funny on a show like The Simpsons. But he’s not on The Simpson’s, he’s on armed forces radio, every day. For someone to believe Rush’s blanket assertions, it is essential that they remain uninformed. That he is on armed forces radio without a Thom Hartmann type counterpoint is what should be alarming to us. rather than whatever this characature of a human being might spout on about, for this is policy implementation at the highest level. The policy makers are laughing behind their hand at us too, for not only are they intentionally shoveling out shit, but it’s being gobbled up.

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By paulmagillsmith, October 3, 2007 at 1:32 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Isn’t it a sad commentary on the state of the US MSM when Lush Limbaugh stands as their representative?

Many others have gotten the ax for much less (Howard Cosell, Imus, Rosie, etc.) so why shouldn’t Rush also?

The only problem is that little bit in the Constitution about the right to ‘free speech’.

This doesn’t mean we have to listen to, or agree, with him, though.

The best thing to do to a ranting drug addict lunitic is just to ignore them.

On the othere hand, since he holds sway over so many other deviants of his ilk, he must be called to task for being a leader of the Tory opposition to the revolutionary principles upon which our country was founded. Ergo, Rush must go, and Harry Reid has every right to say so on the Senate floor.

Fair is fair, and what’s good for the goose applies to the slandering gander as well. If MoveOn deserves to face censor in the Congress for telling the truth, then Limbaugh certainly deserves the same reprimand for spouting an agregious lie.

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By JazzyJeff, October 3, 2007 at 12:07 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

I’m ashamed to say that years ago I used to be a big Rush fan. Then something happened…I started thinking for myself. As a result, I hate the fat bastard! And as a vet myself, I would love to kick him in the balls.

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By 911truthdotorg, October 2, 2007 at 9:43 pm Link to this comment

Tell our cowardly, worthless Congress to pull his big, fat rescumlican ass off of Armed Forces Radio!!

http://ga4.org/campaign/dumprush

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By P. T., October 2, 2007 at 7:13 pm Link to this comment

Rush Limbaugh says he was just talking about Jesse Macbeth.  However, Limbaugh said “phony soldiers” (plural).  The chickenhawk is trying to weasel out of what he said.

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By waxman, October 2, 2007 at 6:19 pm Link to this comment

ZYSKANDAR A. JAIMOT 104171…. I THOUGHT THERE WERE NO GAYS IN YOUR HOMELAND, HOWEVER, YOU HAVE ESTABLISHED THAT YOU ARE RUSH’S LOVER…NUFF SAID..

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By Zyskandar A. Jaimot, October 2, 2007 at 5:32 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Let’d get to the FACTS shall we - or will that interfere with the DEMBHOLE ‘SPIN’ + ‘TALKING POINTS’ by MEDIAMATTERS amd others??? FACT 1) RUSH LIMBAUGH was referring to JESSE MacBETH and others as ‘phoney soldiers’ featured on last Tuesday’s ABC special by investigative reprter BRIAN ROSS. FACT 2) JESSE MacBETH was a ‘soldier’ for all of 44 days. FACT 3) JESSE MacBETH wrote/published his accounts of atrocities committed in IRAQ/AFGHANISTAN - where he never served. FACT 4) The ‘NATIONAL MEDIA’ never checked/verified these ‘ludicrous stories’ but ‘trumpeted’ them as proof of a failed WAR ON TERRORISM rather than believe a 4-star general of the U.S. MILITARY - PETRAEUS. Ergo RUSH LIMBAUGH’s comment of ‘PHONEY SOLDIERS’ as regards MacBETH and others was quite accurate!!! FACT 5) MEDIAMATTERS a ‘liberal/progressive’ shill organization took two words ‘phoney soldiers’ out of context and tried to besmerch RUSH LIMBAUGH’s character with the ridiculous assertion that LIMBAUGH was anti-military for those who objected to the war. FACT 6) SENATURDS REID, HARKIN, DURBIN have used the immunity of the floor of Congress to denigrate amd revile LIMBAUGH and to try and change the nation’s outrage at their legilative incompetence and buffoonery. Perhaps when HILLARY CLINTON is selected as President - she and BILL will employ the U.S. MILITARY OFFICERS as they did before in the WHITE HOUSE - as hors d’oeuvres servers at their soirees with all their campain donors and interns???

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By QuyTran, October 2, 2007 at 5:31 pm Link to this comment

Hey Limbaugh, you’re kind of Blackwater kids who only want to kill innocent people.

Licking Bush/Cheney’s boots isn’t so proud. Pity for your whole family members !

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By DarthMiffy, October 2, 2007 at 3:39 pm Link to this comment

I live in Japan where the FEN (radio station for the American military) broadcasts one hour of Rush five times a week during prime evening hours. Can’t FEN come up with any better way to fill the hour than with this deeply inane drivel? I’m deeply shamed that this is broadcast to any Japanese listener to hear. Please, FEN, end the pain and take this sad reprentative of American and military values off the air. End your implicit approval of his damaging invective.

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By boggs, October 2, 2007 at 2:41 pm Link to this comment

Go to Wes Clark’s site and sign the petition to have Rush removed from the “Armed Forces Radio”.
Rush is such a traitor to his country, not only for faking a cyst on his royal rear to keep him out of service, but for everytime he opens his mouth and insults one of our more courageous specimens.
Why should we who gave a limb for a bad cause, have to listen to this person smear our action?

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By felicity, October 2, 2007 at 2:01 pm Link to this comment

So, Rush, was that ‘rash’ on your ass - the ‘rash’ that kept you out of the military, and conveniently out of Nam - real?  Or, were you just another ‘phony’ draft dodger.

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By mary, October 2, 2007 at 1:43 pm Link to this comment

When Rosie O’Donnell spoke her opinion on The View, the outrage from guys like Scarborough and Abrams and the like was nonstop, night after night.  When Imus tried to be cute on his show, the outrage was rabid.  For once I would like to see the Media bosses put this guy out, we know that won’t happen.  Surely there must be at least one sane conservative out there.  Bill Bennet is on CNN defending this guy.  Are you kidding me…...

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By Matt S., October 2, 2007 at 1:24 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

I’ve read that the “phony soldiers” comment was explicitly intended for Jesse Macbeth, the guy who said he saw atrocities committed in Iraq, but was in fact never in the military.  Of course, I read this on American Thinker, a conservative blog (that somehow brought Duke Lacrosse into this conversation, go figure), but Truthdiggers should at least check into the context of Limbaugh’s statement.  I’m in no way a fan of Rush’s, but let’s make sure we’ve got the facts right before we crucify the guy over this.

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RAE's avatar

By RAE, October 2, 2007 at 1:17 pm Link to this comment

When people who suffer from mental illness or handicap make outrageous statements most mature folk simply consider the source and ignore them.

Just because someone with a big mouth and a microphone says something - anything - is not a reason to elevate it to the status of “news.”

Everyone knows that Limbaugh is to cerebral competence what Falwell was to sincerity. Ignore him and save yourself a lot of time.

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By P. T., October 2, 2007 at 1:08 pm Link to this comment

Where is the congressional resolution (like the one against MoveOn) from Democrats denouncing chickenhawk Rush Limbaugh’s comment?

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By Spike, October 2, 2007 at 1:03 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Has this ill mannered mouth explained his own personal lack of military service?

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By waxman, October 2, 2007 at 12:54 pm Link to this comment

WHAT A GREAT COMEDY TEAM THEY MAKE…..LIMBAUGH/HANNITY   JUST LIKE LAUREL/HARDY…WHICH IS FUNNIER ??? IT ALSO APPEARS THAT MICHAEL JACKSON LOST HIS NOSE, HANNITY FOUND IT AND PUT IT ON !!!!!

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By farmertx, October 2, 2007 at 12:05 pm Link to this comment

The fact that the addict who espoused serious jail time for white collar addicts, then managed to avoid that fate when his own self induced addiction became known, should show us that anyone who really listens to him is in deep denial of reality, like most politician’s.
Strange that he hasn’t taken his show to Iraq so he could demonstrate how safe things are there…from his own private bunker guarded by BlackwaterUSA.

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By ocjim, October 2, 2007 at 11:53 am Link to this comment

I would never condone banning hypocritical and bigoted people like Limbaugh, O’Reilly or even Imus from any program. The shame is that the first two still have slots in the media in spite of their mean-spiritedness, in spite of their propaganda, in spite of their fear and hate-mongering. That there are still that many who tune them in is the scary part.

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By nathan, October 2, 2007 at 11:47 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Ahh… Rush Limbaugh, you are truly a REAL American hero…

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By waxman, October 2, 2007 at 11:42 am Link to this comment

NOT TO WORRY, FATSO PILL POPPER WILL LIE AND DISTORT HIS WAY OUT.. SURE HOPE THE PIMPLE ON HIS ARSE DOESN’T APPEAR AGAIN IS CASE HE WANTS TO JOIN THE MILITARY TO DEFEND HIS OPINION.

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