What Rush Limbaugh actually said and did (Part 3)

In the previous post, I mentioned a TV ad by VoteVets.org featuring Brian McGough. You can see the ad here. In the ad, McGough says the following:

More and more troops and veterans of Iraq believe George Bush‘s military policy has been a disaster. I am one of them. Rush Limbaugh called vets like me phony soldiers for telling the truth about Iraq. Rush, the shrapnel I took to my head was real. A traumatic brain injury was real, and my belief that we are on the wrong course in Iraq is real.

Until you have the guts to call me a phony soldier to my face, stop telling lies about my service.

On his October 2, 2007, show, Limbaugh initially responded to the ad. NOTE: I included that response in a earlier post. I quoted Limbaugh's transcript from his October 4 show, in which he said his initial response was made on October 2. Anyway, here is what Limbaugh first said about McGough's comments:

You know, this is such a blatant use of a valiant combat veteran, lying to him about what I said, then strapping those lies to his belt, sending him out via the media and a TV ad to walk into as many people as he can walk into. This man will always be a hero to this country with everyone. Whoever pumped him full of these lies about what I said and embarrassed him with this ad has betrayed him. They're not hurting me. They're betraying this soldier. Now, unless he actually believes what he's saying, in which case it's just so unfortunate and sad when the truth of what I said is right out there to be learned.

After nationwide criticism that he had had essentially called McGough a suicide bomber, Rush responded on his October 4, 2007, show. Again, I point out that the title that Limbaugh gave to this transcript from that show was "Rush Never Said 'Suicide Bomber.'" So, his basic defense was that since he never used the specific words "suicide bomber" he did not call McGough a suicide bomber. Let me see if I can play that game...I think Rush Limbaugh is a large bag containing fecal matter. However, since I did not expressly use the words "fat sack of crap," I did not call Limbaugh a fat sack of crap. Wow, that was easy!

Of course, all the dittoheads and wingers would claim that I did indeed call Limbaugh a fat sack of crap--and they would be right. But--amazingly--these same people would still claim that Limbaugh did not call McGough a suicide bomber. Let's get this straight: A suicide bomber straps explosives to himself and then walks into an area where there are lots of people. Limbaugh described exactly what a suicide bomber does but said McGough had words strapped to him and then effectively went into a crowd of people. That is comparing McGough to a suicide bomber, and anyone who claims otherwise is delusional, grossly hypocritical, or monumentally stupid.

On October 3, 2007, McGough was interviewed on Countdown. Here is part of what he said in response to Limbaugh:

My initial reaction is disgust. How someone can sit in that chair and say that I am a car bomber or—excuse me, a suicide bomber—is disgusting. I have seen the after-effects of a suicide bomb. I have friends that were hurt by suicide bombs. It makes me mad down to a place where I can‘t even think to describe. It‘s just repugnant.

Limbaugh's attempt at spin on October 4 was rather pathetic.

I called him a hero. The other reference is the Drive-By Media runs in, blows things up, creates all these messes, and then heads on down the road to create another one. So I called him a suicide bomber. You see how this works? I didn't call anybody who legitimately serves a phony soldier. I didn't call this guy a suicide bomber.

Let's play Rush's game again...I think Rush Limbaugh is a great American and a fat sack of crap. See, the fact that I said something nice about Limbaugh does not change the fact that I also called him a fat sack of crap--and it never will. Likewise, just because Limbaugh on the one hand used the specific word "hero" in referring to McGough does not change the fact that he compared him to a suicide bomber.

Limbaugh tried to turn this into a claim of "I was really only saying bad things about the media." That is bullshit, for Limbaugh in essence said that McGough was ignorant and unaware of what he was doing and allowed himself to be used--just like a suicide bomber, by the way.

McGough had plenty to say about that in his appearance on Countdown:

OLBERMANN: To fact check his claims in there, and he has admitted he hadn‘t seen what you said, which is a sort of bad starting point from his point of view, one would imagine. But, did anybody interpret his remarks for you or tell you what to think about them? You have heard them for yourself, have you not? Unlike what Mr. Limbaugh did not hear from you.

MCGOUGH: Yes, I have heard them for myself. I have read the transcripts. I have heard the audio. I was asked if I would be interested in doing an ad. I told them I would be as long as I agreed with the language of the ad. I read the language of the ad and agreed with it. It‘s something that I stand by and stick by.

I do believe it and I can think for myself. And for Rush Limbaugh to say that an American soldier like me can‘t think for myself because I speak out against the Iraq war is preposterous. A growing number, almost 70 percent of the U.S. population, does not believe in the war. Military is just a mirror image of that, so a lot of veterans and troops don‘t believe in the war.

What he is really saying is that a growing large number of veterans and troops can‘t think for themselves.

OLBERMANN: Even if it was just you. Even if it was just you or a handful of people, that‘s still your right, is it not?

MCGOUGH: Yes, it is my right. It‘s my right that I fought for. I bled for. I sweated all the time. I cried for. And he has the right to say what he wants too. But he has to understand he has got a responsibility. And I said what I said, and I‘m coming out and saying, look, these are my words. I believe in them. Where is he? I would like him to have any member of our organization on his show at any time so we can talk to him and look him in the face and say, am I phony soldier? Do I look like a suicide bomber to you? That‘s all we ask.

And, as I already noted before, Limbaugh has not and will not grant that simple request.