NRCC Raising Money Off Rush's "Phony Soldiers" Remark
October 4, 2007 -- 6:01 PM EST // //
Here's an amusing postscript to the whole Rush Limbaugh flap: Far from conceding that there's anything wrong with Rush's remark that troops who don't agree with Bush are "phony soldiers," Republicans in D.C. are now raising money off of Rush's sliming of antiwar troops.
The National Republican Congressional Committee has just sent out a blast email to supporters asking them to sign a petition protesting the Dem persecution of Rush. At the top of the email is a link back to the NRCC's donations page where you can contribute money. The petition -- sent our way by a D.C. pal -- was written by GOP Rep. Eric Cantor, a leading Rush defender. It says, in part:
It is at moments like these when we need to band together as conservatives and fight back.And the link to donate to the NRCC, while not explicitly embedded in this text, is at the top of the email.This issue is bigger than you or me, it is bigger than Rush Limbaugh. With the recent liberal effort to resurrect the "fairness doctrine," we have to recognize that free speech -- conservative free speech is under direct attack. These are issues that speak directly to the core of the modern conservative movement – are we going to allow ourselves to be pushed around by liberal extremists, or are we going to fight back?
I want to send Washington Democrats a message that their attempts to distract aren't working – I stand with Rush Limbaugh against liberal attacks.
Just to be clear, I'm not hitting the outrage button here. I'm just pointing this out because it's such a perfect illustration of the way your modern GOP functions in these situations. To fully grasp this, try to picture the Democrats reacting to the GOP's assault on them over MoveOn's anti-Petraeus ad by refusing en masse to condemn the ad and then blasting out an email, complete with a fundraising link, lamenting the persecution of MoveOn.
It just wouldn't happen -- out of both politics and principle. Dems have internalized the idea that the parameters of the debate in D.C. are such that doing such a thing would amount to instant mass political immolation. And -- agree with them or not -- some Democrats actually would hesitate to do this out of a genuine belief that Petraeus shouldn't have been called "General BetrayUs."
Not so the Republicans. This episode reminds us yet again of the GOP's gut-level understanding that unity is imperative in situations like this. In order to maintain it, they're willing if necessary to stand by a fellow who cheerfully urinated on thousands of troops because they don't agree with the President -- and to then march in lockstep behind the laughably transparent falsehood that he never said the words that came out of his mouth. The GOP is so committed to not cracking in the face of the Dem assault that they are now raising money off the idea that Rush is the victim here, even though there's no doubt whatsoever that Rush said what he said.
The final twist to this, incidentally, is that Republicans themselves actually attacked Democrats last year for doing exactly this same sort of fundraising. During the heat of Campaign 2006, the Republicans launched a full scale assault on the Dems for "raising money" off of a web video that showed flag-draped coffins. But as Dems in D.C. remind me, there was no appeal for funds in the ad -- just a fundraising link at the top of the standard email template that blasted the ad out to supporters. Now, of course, GOPers are raising money off Rush's remarks sliming troops in exactly the same manner they condemned Dems for doing.
Again, this isn't about outrage. I might not be noting this at all if GOPers hadn't attacked Dems for doing something similar with a standard email fundraising template. I'm just marveling at it as a kind of perfect epilogue to this whole sorry affair. The full NRCC petition is after the jump.
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Friends,One failure after another, Washington Democrats have built a record of legislative failure; one disappointment after another, Washington Democrats have failed to deliver results to the people who got them there.
This must be why, just nine months into their tenure, the Democrat-led Congress hit an 11% approval rating - that is the lowest in recorded history. Facing their record of failure, Washington Democrats decided to try and distract - and so they took a man's words out of context, then they went on the attack.
That's why I'm encouraging you to click here to "Stand With Rush" and sign this petition.
It is at moments like these when we need to band together as conservatives and fight back.
This issue is bigger than you or me, it is bigger than Rush Limbaugh. With the recent liberal effort to resurrect the "fairness doctrine," we have to recognize that free speech -- conservative free speech is under direct attack. These are issues that speak directly to the core of the modern conservative movement - are we going to allow ourselves to be pushed around by liberal extremists, or are we going to fight back?
I want to send Washington Democrats a message that their attempts to distract aren't working - I stand with Rush Limbaugh against liberal attacks.
Rep. Eric Cantor (R - VA) Chief Deputy Republican Whip
P.S. Please remember to Stand With Rush and sign the petition.