In a new Vote Vets ad released today, Brian McGough, an Iraq war veteran who received the Purple Heart, challenges Rush Limbaugh: “Until you have the guts to call me a ‘phony soldier‘ to my face, stop telling lies about my service.” Watch it:

In response, Limbaugh today attacked McGough, comparing him to a suicide bomber and suggesting that someone “pumped him full of these lies about what I said“:

This is such a blatant use of a valiant combat veteran, lying to him about what I said and 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 aren’t hurting me. They are betraying this soldier.

In McGough’s case, Rush’s comments are especially tactless. McGough’s injury in Iraq “resulted from a real-life suicide bomber.” On DailyKos, McGough responds to Limbaugh:

I can assure you that I am no suicide bomber and that I can think for myself. [...]

Rush, your phony soldier comments pissed me off. The audacity of someone like you who never had the courage to stand and fight for what you believe in makes my head spin. That is what made me stand up and state my convictions in front of a camera. I wanted to point out that you are wrong. I am not a phony soldier. [...]

In the commercial I just taped, I told you unless you had the guts to say something to my face, stop telling lies about my service. Well you haven’t had the guts to say it to my face, but I am waiting and the offer is still on the table.

Evidently, according to Limbaugh, pretty much everyone lies and has ulterior motives…unless they agree with him.

UPDATE: Media Matters and Digby have more.

Digg It!

On the Senate floor yesterday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) condemned right-wing standard bearer Rush Limbaugh for his claim that service members who support withdrawal from Iraq are “phony soldiers,” saying that Limbuagh “owes the men and women of our Armed Forces an apology” for his comments that “went way over the line.”

But instead of apologizing, Limbaugh attacked Reid, calling him a “nut” and saying that it is the senator who should apologize.

Following Reid’s comments, Fox News began blanket, unbalanced coverage of the controversy that almost always offers Limbaugh’s spin. Beginning last night and continuing today, Fox overwhelming featured guests who supported Limbaugh. Some examples from Rush’s defenders:

Bill O’Reilly: “In addition to me, Rush Limbaugh is a favorite target of these gutter snipes who distort hours of talk radio, hoping to create false controversies.”

Sean Hannity: “Phony battle and total mischaracterization of Rush Limbaugh’s comments.”

Brian Kilmeade: “The transcript backs [Rush] up.”

Ann Coulter: “Rush was absolutely right, what he was talking about.”

Rick Santorum: “There is no story here. It’s very clear what Rush said.”

Watch a compilation of Fox’s pro-Rush coverage:

As ThinkProgress has noted, Limbaugh’s argument that he was only referring to a single soldier, rather than pro-withdrawal troops as a whole, is severely undermined by his inclusion of Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) as an example of a “phony soldier.”

Digg It!

So I read Jonah Goldberg’s column here and I’m left wondering, does he really think that American nationalism is insufficiently present in American television news? Like, sincerely believe that in a way that would make this a subject worth arguing about?