Phony Soldiers

Hey basso

Pat Tillman was against the war. Was he a Phony Soldier?

 

Nope, but he was against the illegal war that everyone now acknowledges is a failure. Probably what got him shot.

 

Tillman didn't think so.

You still haven't answered the question.

 

FACT CHECK: "Phony Soldiers" and Limbaugh's Revisionist History

Radio Talk-Show Host Falsely Claims Comments Taken Out of Context; Records Show Otherwise

Washington, DC - As the controversy over Rush Limbaugh's "phony soldiers" comments continues to grow, Media Matters for America would like to highlight the falsehoods that Limbaugh, America's top conservative talk-radio host, has used to claim that he was taken out of context.

Limbaugh claims he referred only to Jesse MacBeth, but smeared other veterans

Misinformation: On September 28, Limbaugh asserted that his "phony soldiers" comment was a reference to Jesse MacBeth, who pleaded guilty to one count of making false statements to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for pretending to be an injured Iraq war veteran.

Fact: Limbaugh did not refer to MacBeth during his September 26 broadcast until 1 minute and 50 seconds after making his "phony soldiers" comment. Indeed, at no point during his September 26 radio show did Limbaugh refer to any soldiers he considered to be fake prior to making his "phony soldiers" comment.

Moreover, as the blog Crooks and Liars and Media Matters noted, in the September 28 broadcast, Limbaugh expanded the group of "phony soldiers" to include Vietnam veteran Rep. John P. Murtha (D-PA) and Pvt. Scott Thomas Beauchamp, who is currently serving in Iraq. In asserting that he was originally "talking about a genuine phony soldier," Limbaugh went on to state: "And by the way, Jesse MacBeth's not the only one. How about this guy Scott Thomas who was writing fraudulent, phony things in The New Republic about atrocities he saw that never happened? How about Jack Murtha blanketly accepting the notion that Marines at Haditha engaged in wanton murder of innocent children and civilians?"

According to Murtha's biography on his congressional website, Murtha joined the Marines in 1952 and volunteered for service in Vietnam, where he was awarded the Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts.

Limbaugh claims he was only speaking about one soldier, but used the plural

Misinformation: Limbaugh twice claimed that rather than speaking generally of soldiers who support withdrawal from Iraq, that he was "talking about one soldier with that 'phony soldier' comment, Jesse MacBeth."

Fact: As the transcript makes clear, Limbaugh actually referred to "phony soldiers," plural. Responding to a caller's statement that supporters of withdrawal "like to pull these soldiers that come up out of the blue and talk to the media," Limbaugh responded, "The phony soldiers" [emphasis added].

Limbaugh claims to be a victim of "selective" editing, then aired edited clip and posted edited transcript

Misinformation: Limbaugh further asserted that "Media Matters had the transcript, but they selectively choose what they want to make their point." To support this claim, Limbaugh purported to air the "entire" segment in question from the September 26 broadcast of his show. Prior to airing the edited clip, Limbaugh said: "Here is, it runs about 3 minutes and 13 seconds, the entire transcript, in context, that led to this so-called controversy." After the clip ended, Limbaugh stated: "That was the transcript from yesterday's program, talking about one phony soldier. The truth for the left is fiction that serves their purpose, which is exactly the way the website Media Matters generated this story."

Fact: In fact, the clip he aired had been edited. Excised from the clip was a full 1 minute and 35 seconds of the 1 minute and 50 second discussion that occurred between Limbaugh's original "phony soldiers" comment and his reference to MacBeth, the full audio of which can be heard here:

http://mediamatters.org/items/200709280010

 

0: Number of Republicans who signed Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s letter to Clear Channel’s CEO condemning Rush Limbaugh. Forty-one Democrats signed the letter.

In contrast, 72 senators voted to condemn MoveOn.org’s New York Times ad.

the letter

 

Well basso, you're in good company.

 

Limbaugh Compares Purple Heart Recipient In Vote Vets Ad To A Suicide Bomber

In response, Limbaugh today attacked McGough, comparing him to a suicide bomber and suggesting that someone “pumped him full of these lies about what I said“:

In McGough’s case, Rush’s comments are especially tactless. McGough’s injury in Iraq “resulted from a real-life suicide bomber.” On DailyKos, McGough responds to Limbaugh:

http://thinkprogress.org/

 

Just shows the world what Democrats are up against.