The Senate Waste Time Debating MoveOn Ad

The Senate wasted time today voting to formally condemn MoveOn.org for its recent publication of an ad questioning the credibility of the top commander in Iraq General David Petraeus. Twenty Democrats joined the Republicans in a 72-25 vote to pass a resolution condemning the ad that referred to General David Petraeus as “General Betray Us.” These are many of the same Republicans that sat silent while swift boat ads and ads questioning Max Clelands character played during the last election. George W. Bush even attacked the character of former POW John McCain during the run up to the 2000 election. So attacking the character of men in uniform is not something new to Republicans. McCain and Sam Brownback voted for the resolution, while Hillary Clinton and Chris Dodd voted against it. Barack Obama did not participate. “The notion that we’re wasting time debating about a newspaper ad, makes no sense,” Obama said. “So I didn’t even vote on that vote, I just said I’m not going to vote on this. This is the kind of game playing that the American people are tired of.” Republican National Committee Chairman Mike Duncan issued a statement highly critical of both Clinton and Obama shortly after the votes were cast. “Senators Clinton and Obama need to decide whether they’re running for America, or running for MoveOn.org,” Duncan said. “If Clinton and Obama cannot bring themselves to take a stand against a vicious attack on the man leading our forces in Iraq, why should American voters believe they are capable of demonstrating the leadership we need in a Commander in Chief?” Mitt Romney was critical of Clinton’s decision to vote against the resolution saying, “Hillary Clinton had a choice. She could stand with our troop commander in Iraq, or she could stand with the libelous left wing of her party. She chose the latter.” Clinton along with Dodd and Obama had earlier voted yes on a resolution that condemned all political attack ads. That resolution failed because Republicans don’t have a problem with attack ads, they just want to jump at any opportunity to make Democrats look bad. The MoveOn ad has worked in many ways since people are still talking about it. President Bush even spent time today to talk about it. He called the ad disgusting, and criticized Democrats for not condemning the ad. “And that leads me to come to this conclusion: that most Democrats are afraid of irritating a left-wing group like MoveOn.org, or more afraid of irritating them, then they are of irritating the United States military,” President Bush said. The MoveOn ad wasn’t as bad as what General Petraeus’ own boss had to say about him last March. Petraeus’s superior, Admiral William Fallon, chief of the Central Command (CENTCOM), derided Petraeus on their first meeting. During that meeting Fallon told Petraeus he is, “an ass-kissing little chickenshit.” Then he added, “I hate people like that.” Maybe if Petraeus wasn’t such a suck up he wouldn’t be such an easy target for MoveOn ads. The Senate has better things to do than condemning freedom of speech.
Alan Cosgrove