Limbaugh blasted kidnapped peace activists again: "self-absorbed, self-inflated, self-important people" who made their rescue "all about them"
SUMMARY: Rush Limbaugh blasted three members of the Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT), who were kidnapped and held hostage in Iraq but rescued this week, stating that "these self-absorbed, self-inflated, self-important people have made this all about them." The three activists, along with a fourth colleague who was killed prior to the rescue, had been held hostage in Iraq since they were kidnapped in November 2005.
In a discussion during the March 23 edition of his nationally syndicated radio show, host Rush Limbaugh blasted three members of the Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT), who were rescued in Iraq this week in a British-led military operation, stating that "these self-absorbed, self-inflated, self-important people have made this all about them." The three activists, along with a fourth colleague, whose body was found March 9, had been held hostage in Iraq since they were kidnapped in November 2005. As Media Matters for America has noted, when the activists' kidnapping was first reported, Limbaugh said, "I like any time a bunch of leftist feel-good hand-wringers are shown reality. ... I'm telling you, folks, there's a part of me that likes this."
Later in his March 23 program, Limbaugh continued to attack the activists. He claimed that "these people, when they [the activists] go to vote, they're Democrats. They're liberals. They're socialists. They're anti-capitalists. ... But you know they vote Democrat." In fact, of the four activists who were kidnapped, only one -- Tom Fox -- was American, and he was killed before the rescue. The other three were from Canada and the United Kingdom.
From the March 23 edition of Premiere Radio Networks' The Rush Limbaugh Show:
CALLER: Right, roger, that's right. You know, the thing is, the guys overseas that went on -- I don't know what unit actually did this; obviously, that's, you know, all classified and everything. But they probably don't care if these guys are ungrateful. That's not really their concern. What really, I think, probably concerned them is the fact that they're wasting their time -- instead going and getting terrorists and getting the bad guys and bringing this war to an end, possibly, over there, they're having to worry about these peace activists and devote time, devote money, devote assets to them instead of possibly going and getting terrorists on that same day.
LIMBAUGH: I mean, but, you know, that is exactly right. What you have nailed here is that these self-absorbed, self-inflated, self-important people have made this all about them. They've -- they -- they try to take every -- and I think this goes back to childhood. I think it goes back to the way they were raised. I think it goes back to a whole lot of things in their early days. Everything is about them. They want to be the focus of attention, and they don't mind taking the military off path and out of its mission, and they have no appreciation for it in the first place. I mean, just, totally ungrateful. It -- it's offensive. So I -- I'm -- I'm glad you called. I can -- you sound remarkably composed, given the details of this story. You don't sound like --
[...]
LIMBAUGH: Also, went to these -- this group's website, the Christian Peacemaker Teams. And for any of you that had any doubts -- we had Amy call in the last hour, enraged and upset what these people are saying. And I said, "Amy, let 'em speak. Let more and more people find out who they are and what they think." And I said to her, and you heard me because you were listening. You are riveted to this program each day -- it's EIB airborne phenomena spread by casual contact, the only healthful addiction known to exist in America, by the way. And you heard me say that these people, when they go to vote, they're Democrats. They're liberals. They're socialists. They're anti-capitalists, probably from the hate-America, blame-America wing of their organizations. But you know they vote Democrat.
The CPT organization did not thank the hostages' rescuers in its initial March 23 press release, but it appended an addendum to the release later that day, stating: "We have been so overwhelmed and overjoyed to have [kidnapped activists] Jim [Loney], Harmeet [Singh Sooden] and Norman [Kember] freed, that we have not adequately thanked the people involved with freeing them, nor remembered those still in captivity ... We are grateful to the soldiers who risked their lives to free Jim, Norman and Harmeet."
...you're being ad hominem if you don't kiss Rush's ass and you're against first amendment rights and you need to raise the level of your discourse and this shouldn't be posted on MMFA and you liberals don't have a sense of humor and and and and...
By the way, Rush the conservative's darling, is a nasty character.
No one said you had to kiss his ass. Rush deserves most of the criticism directed his way and he should be called on it when he steps over the line.
However, I stick by what I said about not stooping to his level and making the discussion degrade into something you might hear outside a grade-school playground. I guess you never get tired of hearing the same old "fat bald pillpopper" posts that you see on 50 other Rush related articles here. I guess it fills your heart with joy or something every time you read them.. My apologies if it causes me to yawn.
Your post was....yawn....sorry....yawn.
going to stop whining soon?
"And you heard me say that these people, when they go to vote, they're Democrats. They're liberals. They're socialists. They're anti-capitalists, probably from the hate-America, blame-America wing of their organizations. But you know they vote Democrat."
He is an opinion maker, but full of venom, and every opportunity he has he demonize all people who vote (so not in or related or something) democrats. I thought we were a free country (with just 2 parties).
I wonder that he he does not say I think before his allegations, whether he can be sued.
When they would have been republican voters or a republican war organization, would he have urged saving them. Besides that, 1 man died, and he is also smearing his name.
The hostages took "the military off path and out of its mission"?! Yes, Rush, how dare these "self-absorbed" people get themselves kidnapped and imprisoned for four months.
But I would think that rescuing somebody from kidnappers would be a somewhat fulfilling thing to do. When I see paramedics and firemen interviewed after rescuing someone, I've never heard one criticize the victim for getting themselves into the mess, or not acting grateful enough.
Rush is an idiot.
How dare that woman asked for being raped. And she didn't even thank the cops who helped her. I think she is a democrat and anti-man. She is probably a feminazi
is self-absorbed, self-inflated, self-important it's Rush Limbaugh. To pontificate as he did when these people were captured and then one of them killed shows the absolute meaness of this alleged person. And then to label then as he does in this latest attack after they were rescued only gives more evidence of his low or non status a a human being.
If these soldiers are upset about having to waste time, money and assets in Iraq, maybe the bone they have to pick is really with Puddinhead George and idiots like Rush.
... commentator on POLITICS in America, and he doesn't see any difference between ...
1. Democrats 2. Liberals 3. Socialists 4. Anti-Capitalists
They're all ONE IN THE SAME to this commentator? Of course, there are people in each category, the FIRST category sporting HALF of America's voters.
If Limbaugh is correct that HALF of America's voters are both Socialists and Anti-Capitalists, shouldn't it fall to him to make this case, rather than engaging in gross stereotyping and generalizations?
After all, isn't Soros a devout capitalist? How about Bill Gates? I mean, is Limbaugh seeking to cultivate the reputation of being just a name-calling bomb-thrower and ignorant blowhard to whom FACTS and REALITY have no meaning?
Excuse me ... of COURSE he cultivates that image. My bad.
A majority of the republican grassroots are anti-american by stating the USA was established as a christian state and want back to a theocracy. Talking abour traitors ...
He loves to sit on his butt and say this kind of garbage from the safety of his studio and have it go out on Armed Forces Radio.
You think we'll ever see him visit Iraq and face the same risks that these people faced? Hell no. He can't stand to be that far away from his local pharmacy for that long.
It is my understanding [from what I read about THIS elsewhere] that Limbaugh went off on this group [the Christian Peacemaker Teams] PRIMARILY because they did NOT initially THANK their rescuers. While this does NOT excuse Limbaugh's offensive tirade, it may at least somewhat explain what got him fired up--this time.
MMFA has noted that the Group DID amend their statement the FOLLOWING DAY--and thanked the soldiers that rescued their kidnapped members.
It will be interesting to see IF Limbaugh mentions THIS. I wouldn't hold my breath
What you mean to say is that the organization affiliated with the hostages didn't immediately issue an official statement that expressed enough gratitude to satisfy the likes of Rush, O'Reilly, Malkin, etc. To say that the hostages are ungrateful and didn't thank their rescuers is ridiculous. We don't know what they said to their rescuers. Their only "sin" was in not issuing an immediate press release, but something tells me that that wouldn't have kept the wolves at bay either.
"What you mean to say is that the organization affiliated with the hostages didn't immediately issue an official statement that expressed enough gratitude to satisfy the likes of Rush, O'Reilly, Malkin, etc."...by clams casino
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Please Note in my second paragraph I say QUITE CLEARLY : their kidnapped members...so OBVIOUSLY I was also referring to the organization SPEAKING for their *kidnapped members*- NOT the hostages.
ALSO they (the Organization) DID immediately issue an "official statement"...it simply LACKED any reference to the soldiers that rescued it's kidnapped members. They, as I wrote in my post AMENDED their original statement THE FOLLOWING DAY to include a thank you to the soldiers that RESCUED their members.
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"To say that the hostages are ungrateful and didn't thank their rescuers is ridiculous. We don't know what they said to their rescuers."...by clams casino
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Nobody said that. Limbaugh was speaking about the Organization's Statement...as was I. Which I think you know--but just feel like arguing about.
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" Their only "sin" was in not issuing an immediate press release"...by clams casino
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WRONG. They DID issue an immediate press release...they just did NOT issue an immediate Thank You to the RESCUERS.
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Again, I'm not excusing Limbaugh's tirade...just explaining WHY I think he went off his nut in the first place AND ALSO INCLUDING a few FACTS that were NOT mentioned HERE by MMFA.
He's not just criticising the group they're affiliated with for not issuing a prompt statement that reflects what he deems to be the appropriate level of gratitude. He's attacking them personally for being "ungrateful," not to mention "self-absorbed, self-inflated, self-important people."
Yes you're right-- his tirade did carry over to the hostages, HOWEVER it did BEGIN with the *statement issued by the organization* which he attacked FIRST. MMFA just didn't include that section. He was going bonkers over the STATEMENT and it's LACK of a "thank you" to the soldiers...his anger was with the organization AND from there he did go after the actual hostages.
Again, I just thought I would mention what set Limbaugh off originally...like with MANY of his tirades it is usually ends up being a derogatory litany against the Left.
MMFA bloviates as bad as O'Rielly.
Rush was specifically commentating on the 4 that were kidnapped. He was talking about these peace activists and their "ilk".
They were in Iraq to track American war crimes. That is their "peace" effort.
So it is an irony when a group that is trying to paint you as war criminals needs your help to rescue you from an enemy that would saw your head off. That is why he says there is a part of him that likes this. Do you think Al Quaeda or the Sunni insurgents would try to save someone trying to help their cause? In fact, they were killing people on their side just for being foreigners!
That you DIDN'T READ THE ARTICLE. The three rescued were from CANADA (2) and the UK (1). The fourth member, who died before the rescue, was American. Calling them anti-this, anti-that and then accusing them of VOTING for Democrats is a silly, uniformed position, AS USUAL, by Rush.
Plus if you READ one of the link articles you’d find this: “In Iraq, (the CPT) work with human rights organizations, investigating allegations of abuse against Iraqi detainees by U.S. and British forces, and help with cleanup and rebuilding in war-torn cities.” (emphasis added)
They weren’t there JUST “trying to paint (the soldiers) as war criminals”, as you cavalierly put it, but to help rebuild Iraq plus work with groups focused on investigations of detainee abuse. How selfish of them! Cleaning up a war torn country AND making sure human rights aren't abused. Sounds like self-interest to me.
If you had READ, you’d’ve also found this, too: “In Amman, Jordan, where he is currently based, Justin Alexander, a British member of Christian Peacemaker Teams who has worked extensively in Iraq, told The (San Francisco) Chronicle, "Any argument that this justifies the presence of foreign troops in Iraq must be refuted strongly. The reason (the kidnapped CPT members) were in danger in the first place is because of the military occupation." (emphasis added)
And because of Abu Ghraib, a bastion of American war crimes, which has single-handedly elongated the war, which has retarded the cleanup efforts of groups like the CPT whose members are willing, unlike Rush, to put themselves in the line of fire for the cause of peace.
And when it comes to blaming America first, it’s pretty impossible NOT to blame America first for Iraq. Bush #43 started a war with a country that didn’t attack us and without strong evidence of a threat.
End of story.
And this November, end of the Republican stranglehold on America.
I will type slower so you can understand.
Rush was NOT talking SPECIFICALLY about the 4 people, so it doesn't matter where on this earth those 4 are from.
They were not the only 4 people in the group.
The group is based primarily in AMERICA and most vote DEMOCRAT because it is the closest party to their principles.
Try reading articles other than the links MMFA provides. You see, they cherry pick their stories.
CPT is a pro-palestinian, anti-US organization.
[link to www.discoverthenetwork.org]
"Notably, CPT said nothing about the insurgent terrorists' relentless stream of suicide bombings and beheadings aimed at innocent civilians in Iraq. The organization's entire focus was on alleged instances of misconduct by a small percentage of U.S. troops."
"Once the war began in March 2003, CPT team members stayed in Baghdad to "stand alongside Iraqi families; provide an alternative voice to the reporters 'embedded' with Coalition forces; use their bodies to protect critical civilian infra-structure such as water treatment facilities, electrical plants, and hospitals; . . . raise an alternative perspective on the invasion based on interviews with Iraqi friends; . . . document abuse of detainees by Coalition forces; assist Iraqis in gaining access to loved ones in detention; [and] launch the Adopt-a-Detainee Campaign asking churches to advocate on behalf of Iraqi detainees." Again, the organization's emphasis has been consistently focused on America's alleged culpability for Iraqi suffering. "
"In response to the abductions, CPT blamed not the Muslim kidnappers themselves, but rather the United States and Great Britain. In an official statement posted on its website on December 1, CPT said: "We are angry because what has happened to our teammates is the result of the actions of the U.S. and U.K. governments due to the illegal attack on Iraq and the continuing occupation and oppression of its people. CPT does not advocate the use of violent force to save lives of its workers should they be kidnapped, held hostage, or caught in the middle of a conflict situation."
Here is more information on this alleged "peacemaker" team.
[link to www.frontpagemag.com]
Now maybe you can see the irony of them being rescued by the people they despise.
I always wonder whether these kind of guys just play a role, or whether they really are deranged. Here we have a man that came from a rich and important familty, did not go the Vietnam due to some undisclosed illness, and started blasting democrats from early on. His messages, however, have become worse during all those years.
I wonder why?
was disclosed, he had a cyst on his ass.
and something he had from football, which the coach could not remember.
This poor excuse for a man wouldn't have lasted 5 minutes in Vietnam, before crying for his mommy.
He would have been killed by his own troops.
Self absorbed, self inflated and self important? OK, thats proof positive that no amount of irony and hypocrisy is lethal or Rush's head would have just exploded.
Do the rescues of the hostages count towards the "good" coverage Laura Ingraham claims is lacking from the war coverage? If not, then she has awful high standards.
Since the frred hostages were Canadian and British, they don't count as "good news."
Hush, Rush.
You're just being silly. Acquire some facts. And don't assume.
I have been lurking on this blog for some weeks now. I am fascinated by US politics and the spin doctors at work. We got Foxnews for a free trial and I was dissapointed at losing it because I found O'Reilly to be sad but hilarious. It never ceases to amaze me that some Americans are buying all of the brow-beating that goes on. We watch from the north with a mixture of regret, fear, amazement and wonder. Time will prove these fatherless fools to be nothing but liars.
The task force that rescued these hostages was made up of as many as 20 of Canada's finest RCMP and military intel. They have been in Iraq since mere days after the hostages were taken in November. This is common knowledge here now in Canada. So much for the Canadians not being in Iraq. They have been there in Intel all along...don't kid yourself.
Rush is right in one aspect.["They learned it in their childhood..."] Most religions teach that peacemakers [not peace keepers] are blessed. I quoted from Isaiah,"blessed are the feet of them who bring glad tidings of peace." If the coalition forces were interrupted because of these peace activists, well...then: God moves in strange and mysterious ways! The Rev. Dr. R.G. Hasty, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Oldermann's Worst of the Day (Week) in RashL. Bull OhReally? is quite upset. How many days (weeks) without a #1. Next week will see a ton of posts on Bullyboy as he tries to regain his spot at the top of the heap (and it's a heap of MBBE).
The man must have been looking in a mirror on that one. WOW!
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God" (Matthew 5:9)
Interestingly enough, it is the Christians on the message boards I frequent who lambast these men, and the atheists and agnostics who defend them.
As opposed to Rush Windbag, who isn't "self-absorbed, self-inflated, self-important" in the slightest....way to go, Rush. It takes one to know one.
You people are overlooking the facts as usual, they really have noting with your mental disease, but never the less, the "activists" asked when they arrived in country to not have any use of force involved if they were kidnapped, understanding that as long as they were "political prisoners" they would be fodder for the liberal press. Trouble is they were snatched for ransom, not political reasons, the second kink in their plans was being rescued by Coalition Forces that risked their lives to rescue these ungrateful ingrates. I believe their wishes should have been honered and they could still be dinning and not bathing with their former hosts as we speak while the world in general forgets all about them. There is no doubt this will never see the light of day due to the necessity of the liberals to suppress all thought that does not goose step along with theirs. If their were any "freedom" on this site, except for profanity. there is no reason to not post well thought out ideas, no matter how much they rub you the wrong way. As stated above, they did not thank their rescuers until the next day as the swell of outrage grew, this is the thing you liberals do not understand the most. Al Franken can't draw flies and Savage has 10 million listeners. I do not know for certain what Limbaugh's numbers are, but I am sure they are quite impressive. Couple that with the rest of the alternative media and it spells trouble for the liberal agenda. Speaking of Savage, isn't it odd that with 3 best sellers in a row and a forth on the way that no one has seen a single interview on any station with him? We all know why that is, because when push comes to shove, there are still some mighty big forces at work in the big networks, but I say that the network media is the next conservative frontier, and I for one can't wait, and there are millions of us out ther. Don't confuse the fact that we are quiet with being docile. We beat you in the last two and we will beat you in the next two, God willing.
Rush Limbaugh is as irresponsible as they come. His fact-checking is sloppy, and his posturing is ludicrous. The activists' statements upon their release were not so much about themselves, but about the chaos surrounding them. Acting on their beliefs, they put themselves at risk not so much to impede the troops in their mission, but to see for themselves the efforts being made to bring peace to Iraq. Limbaugh ought to be ashamed of himself for politicizing their misfortune and for dishonoring the memory of their martyred co-worker.