Honoring All Those Who Serve
Someone should tell chicken-hawk Rush Limbaugh that the only phonies are those who choose not to serve and then criticize those who do. I served proudly, so did two of my fellow paratroopers in the 82nd Airborne who spoke out and died just weeks ago. Generations of American veterans have worn the uniform with pride and we know it is no contradiction to serve your country and still disagree with the Bush-civilian leadership that mismanaged this war.
When someone like Rush Limbaugh says that soldiers who disagree with the failed strategies of President Bush, Vice President Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld are "phony soldiers," you have to consider the source.
Rush Limbaugh, who, in January, called Vietnam veteran Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE) "Senator Betrayus" for disagreeing with President Bush, has made no secret of his disdain for those who serve and speak out. Where was Rush Limbaugh when it came time to serve his country?
What's more, where was Limbaugh's outrage when Max Cleland, a Senator who left three of his limbs in Vietnam was smeared on television? Where was Limbaugh when Senator John Kerry's (D-MA) service was called into question in the form of millions of dollars in campaign ads?
My service was questioned last year during my campaign for Congress. Fortunately, the swift-boat attack on me didn't stick because people in my district in Bucks County, Pennsylvania and across America know that if someone wears the uniform and serves their country they've earned our respect regardless of political party.
Sadly, the political debate in this country has devolved into who can be more outraged at the latest smear attempt on those who should be thanked and praised for devoted service. Rush Limbaugh's phony outrage and derisive words call into contrast that which we all must honor: our Armed Forces currently fighting for their lives and our freedom all across the world. We need to be vigilant and speak out against those who question the value of that service -- and that goes for people on the right and the left.
The real issue is how best to quickly, safely and successfully end this war. It's time for Limbaugh, Cheney and Bush to end the partisanship and work with those of us who want a change.
Prior to being elected to Congress, Patrick Murphy served as a Captain in the U.S. Army. He was deployed to Bosnia in 2002 and then to Iraq in 2003 and 2004. In Iraq he served with the 82 nd Airborne where he was awarded the Bronze Star for service. He is a former West Point professor and criminal prosecutor.
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How to end the war is an important issue, but not the only one. It is important we understand how the war started if we hope to do any better as a nation. This war was never about protecting America. The soldiers are as you say fighting for their lives, but they are not fighting for our freedom across the world. They are fighting for control of oil, that means they are fighting to steal oil that doesn't belong to them. Bush has as you say mismanaged the war, but the real problem was starting the war in the first place. If we ultimately "win" this war of agression and greed, we will only be making things worse in the long run. We are killing freedom in the process. I know the reality will be tough for the soldiers to swollow. Don't settle for the fog of war. Push for truth. Continue your push to end the war, but also push to understand the war.
This war will never be ended by Bush , Cheney , the republicans , Pelosi , Reid , Hillary , Obama , our senators or our house of representatives.
Lets face it this war if for oil and control of the middle east and the main players are Saudi Arabia , Israel , Oil corporations , war contractors and the people that which to gain control & power oven the middle east and their resources.
Cheney has never had or given plans to Bush for ending the war because , they wish to stay there.
The powers of this administraion have no intentions of letting Americans citizens know what they are doing , what the policies are and the method they use to do it.
This is now as every thing Cheney does NATIONAL SECURITY or shredded.
If this government is not what is defined as a dictatorial government , then there has never been one , now it should be deleted from the dictionary...
Reinstate the Fairness Doctrine and show the public with facts the crimes being committed by these hateful neocon radio hosts. We need to focus on building a strong media infrastructure to get the truth out,otherwise we will be stuck in this madness.
I'm a guy who still refers to himself as liberal, as opposed to the run-from-the-liberal-label "progressive". Yet, I don't think any of what has happened has anything to do with the long gone Fairness Doctrine. Sure Limbaugh and company stir up the right wing faithful with red meat, but they are people who would not know a truly critical thinking process if their lives depended on it. As Air America has demonstrated, there is not a market for the kind of "progressive" that seems to be available for an electronic counter-insurgency.
I think what the left does best is not the earnest attempts to counter every punch thrown by Limbaugh, Hannity and the like. Those guys are good at what they do and they are intellectually impregnable. What the left does best can be found on Comedy Central and in many forms of media expression that are loosely, if at all, connected to any formal network. It's a form of subversion that is more apt to win over the open minded critical thinker than the preachiness of Al Franken as an alternative to the bombast of Limbaugh.
"Sadly, the political debate in this country has devolved into who can be more outraged at the latest smear attempt on those who should be thanked and praised for devoted service. "
So, Patrick, why did you go into the gutter of debate and condemn Move On? Why not abstain?
I do not support Move On's, or anyone's disrespecting a person and making him or her a thing, but they do speak truth when they tell General Petraeus that many of us feel betrayed when a military leader carries water (blood?) for Mr. Bush.
Martin L.
A constituent in New Hope
War is sweet to those who have no experience of it. But the experienced man trembles exceedingly in his heart at its approach.
Greek poet Pindar, 518-438 BC
From another one of Rush's phony soldiers.
Mr.Murphy: I'm not surprised that you took on Limbaugh. What DID amaze me was that you joined with the anti-Dems to censure MoveOn. Ironic, too, considering that it was some of those MoveOn members --like me -- who donated to your campaign via Blue America. Boy! Did you have me fooled!
I want to call attention to a worse comment by Mr. Rushbo the Magnificent. Check out what he said about the UK sailors who were captured by the Iranian navy some months ago. Insulting the troops of our Ally. I guess that deserves praise while taunting a single general deserves condemnation by congress.
With all due respect to Rep. Murphy and this man does command our respect, PLEASE let's not delegate any more print space to ciphers like Bill O'Reilly and Bush (sic) Limbaugh.
readers should call your local radio stations that carry limbaugh and tell them your disgust for this man. pat tillman spoke against the war....was he a phony soldier. two of the seven soldiers who wrote the ny times op ed are now dead. were they phony soldiers?
these chickenhawk right wingers are a disgrace. here in sf, ksfo carries limbaugh...415-398-5600. flood the switchboards and let your voices be heard.
Rep. Murphy,
To my way of thinking, and I come from 14 generations of lawyers, so there has been some though given to the matter, it is an act of treason, as pointed out above, not to do the duty that you were sworn to undertake.
As an elected Representative in the Congress, and I have several relatives who have held that office and office in the U.S. Senate, I find it appalling that we even discuss the bravery of our troops while the cowardice lies in the Congress. Only a fool could doubt that some of the troops support the war while others do not. Furthermore, many of the retired generals have expressed doubts about the war. However, there is a larger issue here about hypocrisy and cowardice. The Rush Limbaugh issue or the Moveon.org "Betrayus ad issue" are being used to obscure a larger, more important issue.
It is just as Un-American for Rush Limbaugh to mouth off about veterans affairs while he is stoned out on illicit prescriptions as it is for this Congress to tolerate the lies and distortions of the government. It is clear that all systems are blinking on "red" for a fascist usurpation of power by this President and Vice President. They have led us into a war under false pretenses and have undermined the integrity of the Department of Justice. Again and again our democratic institutions are abused by signing statements and illegal spying. Ever member of Congress who tolerates this abuse of power, is just as guilty as the those who perpetrate it. True courage is guts to do your duty whether in uniform or while sitting as the People's Representative.
Rep. Murphy, it is disingenuous to divert attention to the buffoon's rantings to obscure the non-performance of the Congress' duty. Please stand up where it really takes courage and stop the madness that is threatening our country's foundations.
Bulls-eye! Here, Here!
As you said so clearly, it is critical to ignore these meaningless distractions.
Thank you, well said!
I want to see a resolution against Rush Limbaugh voted on by Congress tomorrow. If you guys don't respond to the Moveon.org by attacking this much worse case I will lose all respect. Sure it's meaningless but the Replicans have set themselves up. They can either vote against Rush or vote against the troops. Make them pick.
Brilliant!
Now I know how those girls that Imus insulted must have felt. I'm a Vietnam era veteran that doesn't happen to agree Limbaugh's view on the war. I was actually surprised by how much Limbaugh's statement stung when I heard it. I enlisted in 1967 to fight the communists like our government said we were. It didn't take long to learn that wasn't the real reason we were in Vietnam so when re-enlistment time came I got out and backed the work of John Kerry and his group.
Imus was forced to apologize and then removed from the airwaves for his racist remarks aimed at a small group of athletes. The same should happen to Slime Limbaugh and then put him in a room full of us "Phony Soldiers" for a few minutes.
I'm boycotting any radio station that carries Limbaugh and requesting people I know to do the same.
As a former soldier who is against the war, I roll my eyes and laugh at this jackass--and the active duty military jackass who was on the phone with Rush spewing simple-minded vitriol. I know you have to surrender enough common sense and compassion to listen to that show, but shame on both of those losers for trying to point their fingers at people like me who served my country and then left the military in disgust over this bullshit war! Have either of them seen a dead women or child who died at the hands of our guys--be it mistake or purposefully? Have they seen a part of their friend over here...and another part of him over there after an IED ripped his body apart?
Rush is a phony, pill popping tub of shit who deserves nothing less than death for being apart of this war machine. And keep in mind that the soldier on the phone is what's wrong with the military today. I wouldn't be very shocked by what he said if he had the balls to admit nationally what he thought about innocent Iraqi civilians. Most of the "patriots"/intellectually challenged guys I served with over there seemed to share the general opinion that "they're all guilty." And you wonder why so many civilians get murdered. not killed. murdered. Why doesn't Rush praise more of that?
Yes, the assclown Limbaugh does need an ass-chewing over his "phony soldiers" remark, and the way to do it is for a large number of vets calling into his show, one after the other, and give it to him!
Fortunately, the swift-boat attack on me didn't stick because people in my district in Bucks County, Pennsylvania and across America know that if someone wears the uniform and serves their country they've earned our respect regardless of political party.
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You might want to ask John Kerry about that.
Representative Murphy, I commend you and all the others who serve our country with Courage, Pride , and Honor.Limbaugh and O'Reily do not count as they never served. Their words are as smoke in the wind. Now serve our Constitution with Courage, Honor and Honesty.
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