Senate rebukes MoveOn.org for Gen. 'Betray Us' ad

[stephanie]

moveon blew it with this move..

by Frank James

The Senate approved, by a 72 to 25 vote, a symbolic, Republican-initiated resolution condemning the recent MoveOn.org ad that called Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, Gen. "Betray Us," with 22 Democrats voting with the Republicans.

The resolution, introduced by Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.) as an amendment to a defense authorization bill, had this statement of purpose:


"To express the sense of the Senate that General David H. Petraeus, Commanding General, Multi-National Force-Iraq, deserves the full support of the Senate and strongly condemn personal attacks on the honor and integrity of General Petraeus and all members of the United States Armed Forces."

That official statement didn't mention MoveOn but it didn't have to. Everyone knew it was directed at the liberal group that has provided a lot of volunteers and donations to Democrats in recent years.

It was a vote meant to demonstrate the genuine outrage felt by many lawmakers, and not just Republicans, at the personal attack the ad represented on a widely respected military leader during war time.

But it didn't hurt, from the GOP's perspective, that it helped burnish the party's pro-military image and that it put Democrats in a difficult position politically since MoveOn.org has become an important force in Democratic Party politics.

Ever since the ad ran last week, Republicans have demanded that Democratic presidential candidates renounce the ad and MoveOn.org. The Democratic candidates have refused to publicly criticize MoveOn.org though Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) said the ad was wrong.

Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) had offered an alternative to Cornyn's resolution that meant to support the troops without singling out the Petraeus ad and, by implication, MoveOn.org.

The statement of purpose of her resolution read thusly:


Read the rest and lots of WHINING comments at...
http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news...org_for_g.html

NAYs -—25
Akaka (D-HI)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Boxer (D-CA)
Brown (D-OH)
Byrd (D-WV)
Clinton (D-NY)
Dodd (D-CT)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feingold (D-WI)
Harkin (D-IA)
Inouye (D-HI)
Kennedy (D-MA)
Kerry (D-MA)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Levin (D-MI)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Murray (D-WA)
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV)
Rockefeller (D-WV)
Sanders (I-VT)
Schumer (D-NY)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Whitehouse (D-RI)
Wyden (D-OR)

Not Voting - 3
Biden (D-DE)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Obama (D-IL)

[AFbombloader]

Symbolic or not,

[jimnyc]

Why do Democrats hate to condemn those who impugn a man who has dedicated his life to our country?

[stephanie]

This ad is going to be used in a lot of campaigns...

I can see it now...

Way to go....moveon..

[Abbey Marie]

Another awesome thread by Stephanie!

It's a shame that Biden and Obama did not vote. Were they away campaigning, or hiding under their desks?

[BoogyMan]

Excellent post!

The fact that some are still capable of doing the right thing is heartening.

Having said that, the fact that the predictable list of MoveOn owned miscreants doesn't surprise me much.

[hjmick]

Another awesome thread by Stephanie!

It's a shame that Biden and Obama did not vote. Were they away campaigning, or hiding under their desks?

Obama had voted minutes earlier for an alternative resolution by Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif. That resolution condemned the MoveOn ad as an "unwarranted personal attack," but also condemned political attack ads that questioned the patriotism of Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., and former Sen. Max Cleland, D-Ga.

[retiredman]

Obama had voted minutes earlier for an alternative resolution by Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif. That resolution condemned the MoveOn ad as an "unwarranted personal attack," but also condemned political attack ads that questioned the patriotism of Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., and former Sen. Max Cleland, D-Ga.

so, I take it that the Boxer resolution did NOT pass?

That would make sense. Impugning the patriotism of servicemen, veterans and heroes is only repugnant to republicans if the ones being impugned are not democrats.

[hjmick]

so, I take it that the Boxer resolution did NOT pass?

That would make sense. Impugning the patriotism of servicemen, veterans and heroes is only repugnant to republicans if the ones being impugned are not democrats.

Correct, it did not pass.

Now, speaking only for myself, I find any attack on any serviceman, retired or active, of any rank, any branch, quite repugnant. However, the time to pass a resolution condemning such attack ads is not three years after the fact. IMO

[retiredman]

three years ago, the party that paid for those ads had majorities in both houses of congress.

[JohnDoe]

so, I take it that the Boxer resolution did NOT pass?

That would make sense. Impugning the patriotism of servicemen, veterans and heroes is only repugnant to republicans if the ones being impugned are not democrats.

It surely appears that way...

[Gunny]

I was going to say I can't believe a couple of liberals who claim to be intelligent are defending such a hosed-up, extremist organization, but then ... yes I can.

[retiredman]

I was going to say I can't believe a couple of liberals who claim to be intelligent are defending such a hosed-up, extremist organization, but then ... yes I can.

I hope you are not talking about me...if you are, you need to show where I have EVER defended Moveon.org.

I'll wait.

[Dilloduck]

I hope you are not talking about me...if you are, you need to show where I have EVER defended Moveon.org.

I'll wait.

so are you saying there is a one to one comparison between the moveon ads and swiftboat ads ?

[JohnDoe]

so are you saying there is a one to one comparison between the moveon ads and swiftboat ads ?

i don't know what mm thinks dillo, but my simple answer is YES.

jane