Fox co-anchor Hemmer mischaracterized Limbaugh's "phony soldiers" remark
SUMMARY: Fox News' Bill Hemmer mischaracterized Rush Limbaugh's comment about "phony soldiers," stating on America's Newsroom that "Limbaugh called a soldier a 'phony soldier' after that soldier made up stories about atrocities in Iraq." In fact, Limbaugh characterized as "phony soldiers" -- not the singular "phony soldier," as Hemmer claimed -- service members who support U.S. withdrawal from Iraq.
On the October 16 edition of Fox News' America's Newsroom, co-anchor Bill Hemmer asserted: "Earlier in the month, 41 Democratic senators sent a letter criticizing [conservative radio host] Rush Limbaugh after Limbaugh had called a soldier a 'phony soldier' after that soldier made up a story about atrocities in Iraq." As Media Matters for America documented, on the September 26 edition of his nationally syndicated radio show, Limbaugh characterized as "phony soldiers" -- not the singular "phony soldier," as Hemmer claimed -- service members who advocate U.S. withdrawal from Iraq. Further, Limbaugh did not mention Jesse MacBeth, who pleaded guilty to one count of making false statements to the Department of Veterans Affairs for pretending to be an injured Iraq war veteran, on the September 26 show until 1 minute and 50 seconds after making the "phony soldiers" reference.
On his September 28 broadcast, responding to criticism of his comments, Limbaugh claimed that rather than speaking generally of soldiers who support withdrawal from Iraq, he was "talking about one soldier with that 'phony soldier' comment." Later in the program, he asserted, "[E]verybody involved in this knows full well I was talking about one genuine, convicted, lying, fake soldier," referring to MacBeth. But, following Limbaugh's repeated assertion that he had been referring to "one soldier," a caller asked, "But you did say 'soldiers' in plural, though, didn't you?" Limbaugh replied: "Yes, because there have been a number of these people, but they were not active duty -- I was not talking about anti-war, active duty troops. I was talking about people who've been exposed as frauds who never served in Iraq but claimed to have seen all these atrocities, [unintelligible]." Limbaugh repeated this explanation -- inconsistent with his initial assertion that he had been referring to one phony soldier -- during his October 2 broadcast, describing MacBeth as "the man I was referring to and others like him as 'phony soldiers.' " The transcript (subscription required) of the September 28 broadcast that is posted on Limbaugh's website shows him asserting: "I was talking about one soldier with that phony soldier comment, Jesse MacBeth." [italics, bold, and underline in original]
From the October 16 edition of Fox News' America's Newsroom:
HEMMER: A bit earlier in the month, 41 Democratic senators sent a letter criticizing Rush Limbaugh after Limbaugh had called a soldier a "phony soldier" after that soldier made up a story about atrocities in Iraq. Now Limbaugh says he's putting that letter for sale on eBay and so far the auction is up to 50 grand. Four more days to bid -- they'll do it -- they'll close the window on Friday at one o'clock. Limbaugh says the proceeds will go to a charity benefiting the children of fallen Marines and law enforcement officers. He'll match the money, too, and he's challenging the senators who wrote the letter to do the same thing.
Yeah Bill Hemmer is a real clone of Limbaugh, a real misinformer.
Nothing like seeing a bunch of millionaires acting like 5 year olds.
Really, it's time regressives got over it. Rush blew it, and it's time they let it drop. They're embarrassing Rush.
"Limbaugh says the proceeds will go to a charity benefiting the children of fallen Marines and law enforcement officers."
I do hope (probably in vain, however) that some of them will refuse the money until Limbaugh apologizes and totally retracts his "phony soldiers" slur, and-for good measure-his remark (on another thread) where he threatens a critical reporter's children.
I think Pinky Reid and the Democrats should apologize for lying about what Limbaugh said. I also hope that they accept Limbaugh's challenge and match what Limbaugh contributes to this charity. I doubt that they would do so, but it would be nice if just once the Democrats offered more than just lip service concerning their alleged support for the troops.
"Democrats should apologize for lying about what Limbaugh said"
Or else Limbaugh will find out where their children go to school.
Well since they didnt lie there is no reason to appologize. If you thought ignorantly spewing the hivemind propaganda would convince anbody then you are dumb even for the Limborg
I'm sorry, who's voted more for their hospital care? Who's voted to get them armor? Who's trying to get them decent psychological care? One hint: It hasn't been the Republicans, sport.
because the Dems keep adding un related PORK to the military bills (such as amnesty initiatives).In other words, if the Republicans don;t vote for the bill, the brainwashed masses think that Bush is anti soldier... if they DO vote for the bill, they pass other legislative items that Repuiblicans are completely against.
If the president had the line item veto it would have passed. Congress is full of criminals and power hungry bastards. Perhaps we should let Iran get nukes so they can wipe DC clean and we could start over.
(obviously a satirical remark)
Who said our soldiers "murdered in cold blood", were "terroizing women and children"?
For arguments sake, let's assume that Rush called all those soldiers against the war "phony soldiers". What is worse the comments Murha and Kerry made about our troops or Rush's statement. The comments made by Murtha and Kerry cannot be taken any other way.
When is Harry Reid going to lambast Murtha and Kerry and demand an apology for these statements?
(sigh) Yes, you do hope in vain.
I think we're beginning to see just how precious Pigboy is to the Troglodyte Propaganda Machine. They've pulled out all the stops to defend him, and it's beginning to look like it is actually they who are keeping the story alive.
Given Rush's influence on these cretins, I think he has given us a preview of what a prospective Hillary Clinton Presidency would face from Republican lawmakers. He said today that they should play "t*t for tat" and oppose everything, filibuster every appointment, and raise hell when she replaces the federal prosecutors, as all presidents do at the beginning of their terms. If Rush is saying it now, you can rest assured that the NeoClowns will do it if they get the chance.
I find it strange that he's calling it "t*t for tat", when the Democrats won't even consider impeaching his War Criminal president. In fact, if Hillary does win, the Dems better hold onto the House, or the Republicans will try to impeach her immediately...hide and watch.
Hemmer actually got it right.
MMFA is employing the Nazis' "Big Lie" strategy (i.e., if you tell a lie often enough people will believe it's true).
MMFA knows that Limbaugh was referring to phony soldiers such as MacBeth.
Also, note that our troops in Iraq have not demanded that Limbaugh be removed from Armed Forces Radio. If Limbaugh truly said what MMFA dishonestly claims he did, he would have been yanked off AFR the next day.
We troops support Limbaugh because, unlike MMFA and its Democrat allies, he supports us.
Rush Limbaugh has called Republicans who do not support this war phony Republicans. Howewer, you claim to believe Limbaugh doesn't feel soldiers who are against this war are phony. How do you come to your conclusion? Since he claims he is being smeared, why doesn't he provide a microphone to one of these soldiers who are against this war and debate on his show the merits of this war? He gets 15 hours a week, you would think he could find one hour for a troop who has sacrificed much more than Rush even contemplated sacrificing before that ass boil reared its ugly head during Nam. This is a Limbaugh publicity stunt and the owner of Clear Channel should be ashamed that this letter is being auctioned off. Limbaugh makes 100 times what a Senator does and they don't need to send 45k to fallen soldiers families. They are fighting for legislation that would have a tangible effect on the fallen soldiers' families and the country they fell for.
When and where did you serve?
Comakid good use of the standard wingnut use of "I know what I am but what are you?" ploy. Trust me as a veteran of the USMC and the USNR you DO NOT speak for all troops even though you think you do. BTW I don't have the time or the space to tell you my record in the military. Unlike most reich wing troops I don't have to announce the fact that i served whereas all you wingnuts seem to have to announce it to the world as if that will make you more of a man or woman as the case may be.
I never heard him say that, do you have a quote reference?
KoolaidKid...keep drinkin.
It was very clear to whom Limbaugh referred on his program. That's why he has spent so much time trying to weasel out of taking responsibilty for his own words. MMFA only quoted the man and his mouth. Freedom of speech is a wonderful thing, but one has to take resposibility for what one says. Rush just doesn't get it. Neither do some of his followers.
If you believe MMFA is not mischaracterization Limbaugh's words, where is the outcry from those of us in the military?
Well when ONE soldier wrote what HE thought Limbaugh compared him to a suicide bomber. It is clear to those of us that dont have to tune into the Oxymoron to find out what we think what he said.
Like the military hasn't stomped on anyone who was active service who opposed this war? Heard of Shinzeki, knucklehead? General Abizaid, Sanchez? Try paying attention. Heard about the 12 Captains that came out against the current policy? They said, basically, start a draft or give it up.
I read the transcript. He was at least insinuating that soldiers against the war were phony. I listen to him. MM does not have and does not tell me what he means. I am a sentient being and I have ears and can read. I have heard him say much worse things with my own ears. Please support what you want but stop insulting my intelligence.
"We troops support Limbaugh because, unlike MMFA and its Democrat allies, he supports us."
You don't have the right to speak for troops, plural any more than anyone else.
Secondly, Limbaugh "supports" troops staying and dying in Iraq --endlessly. Limbaugh has made it very clear that troops who don't want what he wants and speak out about it are "phony soldiers".
Kozy, I've seen polls that most troops in Iraq still believe that Saddam was behind 9/11. Who's telling you guys that bullsh*t?
NERZOG:
No evidence that Saddam was involved in 9/11 has been found. That's not the same as saying he definitely was not involved.
It is clear, however, that bin Laden and al Qaeda struck us in Iraq's name. Bin Laden made that clear with his 1997 interview with CNN.
So there isnt any evidence but it makes sense to believe it anyway? Is that a joke? And we are supposed to take a rabid nutbag terrorists word from 1997 about why he did something in 2001? I get it now. You are really a lefty trying to make rightwingnuts look like morons. Good luck with that
No he isnt. YOU are the liar. It is YOU attempting the big lie technique. You tell the same lie over and over repeating it like the demented hivemind Myna bird you are in the vain hope it will magically become true. You can keep lying for the rest of your life it wont change reality
Yes, Solon, keep lying to yourself until it magically comes true. Repeat after me:
"George Bush lied us into war."
"Oil companies are gouging us at the pump."
"Hillary Clinton is NOT a Socialist."
"Social Security is just fine."
"Public schools are EXCELLENT!!"
"The rich need to pay more taxes."
"The poor are victims of the system."
There, aaaalllllll better.
I dont know what you are ranting about but your hivemind talking points are stupid. Yes George Bush lied about Iraq as I have PROVEN about a dozen times on this site alone. No Hillary is not a socialist and only the most retarded and brainwashed of the Limborg can buy the stupidity of saying she is. The rest of your nonsequiturs arent worth addressing. Got anything to say about the topic? No then troll away, but this is as far as I go toward changing the subject. Look over there is soooo weak.
Okay Solon. We get it. You watched a lot of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Can you go ahead and put "hivemind" and "Limborg" to rest already? Those horses are dead. They cease to be. They are no more. Stop beating them.
Yeah I will be glad to do that when they stop coming in here and regurgitating the same tired BS over and over and over and over again. Until then if you thought YOU got to tell me what to do you were mistaken. Get over yourself
Thanks for your service, WWHHHOOOOAAAAHHH!
Wow, how many times does this have to be pointed out to the talking heads?
1. Rushbo takes a call from a man who supports withdrawal of the troops and says he "used to be military."
Rushbo calls him a phony, saying "I used to walk on the moon."
2. Rushbo takes the next call, from an active duty soldier who wants to "retort" to the prior caller's points about bringing the troops home.
The caller mentions that when talking about troop withdrawals, "they never talk to the real soldiers." Rushbo says: "the phony soldiers."
We can explain this till the ocean dries up. The Limborg hivemind doesnt know what they think or believe until the Oxymoron tells them. THEN the are incapable of believing anything else
Well, lucky for us, the oceans aren't gonna dry up. OwlGore says that the sea level is going to go up 20 feet (wink! wink!)
Thats right and the hivemind will never accept reality so I guess the example holds true
Solon you should stop using that hivemind thing--- just as soon as RL stops using femnazis and drive by media and .....
EECEE:
You have your facts all wrong.
No he doesnt. YOU wouldnt know a fact if it slept with your wife. Here is a clue. A fact is NOT whatever the Oxymoron TOLD you to believe today
MMFA is still pushing the "plural" lie. Their myrmidon, Keith Olbermann, actually made a plural a singular after Rosie O'Donnell called our troops "terrorists." Olbermann made the ridiculous claim that Rosie was referring to just George W. Bush. Olbermann even changed O'Donnell's words to "Who's the terrorist" when O'Donnell clearly asked "Who are the terrorists?"
Last time I checked, he was just one person.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxPkq8TCOJ8
I dont care much about Rosie O'Donnel who has nothing to do with this topic oh brainwashed Limborg hiveminder
medai matters gets it wrong. rush called all soldiers who make up a service records phony. and phonies that criticize the usa worse than phony.
if im wrong show a transcript without ellipsis
No he didnt. There have been many threads on this look for yourself. What he said is clear. He is a man without decency
rrastro, I can't argue with your post. Not because you've made any good points, just because of the strange spelling and sentence structure. What are you trying to say?
Hillary's Media Matters lost this falsehood so badly it is becoming pathetic to see them still try to perpetuate this lie.
YOU are lying. It wasnt a falsehood it wasnt a lie. Rush said what he said. He tried to backtrack but only you brainwashed hiveminders really were fooled by HIS lies
If you could really recognize "pathetic" when you saw it, you'd be totally embarassed at what you write here ---plus the fact that you swallow and dutifully regurgitate what the drug-addicted coward tells you.
But he did say it. He did. He did. He did. He did. He did; ....he did!(*sniff*)He did.
leatherhelmet , if you go back to the threads at the time this started, you'll see that most of the "pathetic" liberal posters here were pretty generous and open-minded as far as reading explanations and defenses of Rush.
An army of dittoheads was here for several days, and every one of them gave up. Some held on in denial for a while, but you and Kozakid are running on to the field a bit late.
This game was over a while ago, and Rush lost.MMFA was right.
(BTW, winning and losing to me are based on the truth, not ratings or publicity stunts involving payoffs by auction)
Current stats say the military population feelings, echo closely, the feelings of the civilian population. As reported by many news outlets which a military person might be familiar with, even in Iraq.
Before you rudely, ask USN aircrew to a bit after Vietnam. You are in fact in company with many vetrans on this site. None who, as far as my chunky memory can recall, has had anything good to say about Der Limborg.
I read the transcript and the variations on the transcript and true El Rushbo did not say in just so many unequivocable words that all soldiers who support the war are phony. that however is the understanding I would derive from what he said. the attempt to use the macbeth comments as a defense is laughable. to me he was clearly trying to make macbeth his own poster boy for those soldiers who do not support the war. I certainly think it is outrageous to say MM is "lying" when they give this reasonable interpretation to the words used. Maybe Rushbo didnt really intend to suggest that but MM's interpretation was both reasonable and one with which I agree. You hear the dumbest and most yet most offensive comments from ditto heads. I suppose you would like a world in which MM must never give a reasonable interpretation to his words but must wait for explicit confirmation from him that that is what he really really really intended. You have probably never applied a consistent standard to say Kerry or Gore.
Can't believe that MM and others are still trying to push the misinterpretation of what Rush has stood for these past 16 years. To prove your point, please quote just ONE other time in the past 16 years where Rush has criticized soliders as "phoney" who oppose U.S. policy in Iraq or elsewhere. You can't do it. This certainly backfired in your face...seeing that Reid's phoney letter of condemnation is now at $2 million plus dollars for charity!!