Another Democrat Insults Our Military

by Gary Bauer, Campaign for Working Families, End of Day Updates: I'm sure by now you have heard about liberal Democrat Senator Jay Rockefeller's attack on John McCain. Well, let me correct the reporting of the story. He didn't just attack Sen. McCain; he smeared every American fighter pilot in the United States Air Force and impugned the integrity of our military men and women.

Tuesday, The Charleston Gazette ran an interview with Senator Rockefeller regarding his recent endorsement of Barack Obama. In the interview, Rockefeller attempted to contrast his favorite Democrat with Senator McCain and made the following remark:

"McCain was a fighter pilot, who dropped laser-guided missiles from 35,000 feet. He was long gone when they hit. What happened when they [the missiles] get to the ground? He doesn't know. You have to care about the lives of people. McCain never gets into those issues."

Several of the senator's facts are simply wrong, but far more disturbing is the radical worldview betrayed by such remarks. John McCain was a pilot serving his country during a time of war. Yet Senator Rockefeller, who happens to be chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, speaks about his service with such contempt that the reader is left with the impression that John McCain was the "bad guy." The McCain campaign was quick to respond with a statement from retired Marine Lt. Col. Orson Swindle, who said: "

Senator Rockefeller's statement is an insult to all the men and women who are serving or have served in America's military. Had Senator Rockefeller served himself, he would appreciate and understand that most who have been to war emerge with a much deeper concern for humanity than they otherwise might. If he knew what he was talking about, he would know that John McCain wasn't dropping laser-guided missiles at 35,000 feet in 1967."

Rockefeller, to his credit, did apologize, saying, "I have deep respect for John McCain's honorable and noble service to our country. I made an inaccurate and wrong analogy and I have extended my sincere apology to him. I regret my very poor choice of words." Unfortunately, there is a pattern here. Last week, liberal talk-show host Ed Schultz, while warming up a crowd for Senator Obama, called John McCain a "warmonger." The Obama campaign tried to distance itself from the remarks, but Schultz repeated the accusation Monday morning on CNN.

Then there is the radical leftwing group MoveOn.org, which endorsed Senator Obama just before the Super Tuesday primaries. MoveOn.org has a history of outrageous anti-military rhetoric, including the infamous "General Betray Us" ads the group ran the last time Gen. David Petraeus testified before Congress. The ads were so offensive that 72 senators, including nearly two dozen Democrats, voted to condemn them. Conveniently, Obama dodged this vote, just like he did when he voted "present" over 120 times in the Illinois State Senate.

Democrat Rep. Jack Murtha has called our Marines, "cold blooded killers." Democrat Senator John Kerry accused our soldiers of "terrorizing women and children" in Iraq. Democrat Dick Durbin, the senior senator from Illinois, compared our military police at Guantanamo Bay to Nazis and Soviet gulag guards. And Ted Kennedy once said that "Saddam's torture chambers reopened under new management, U.S. management."

I know that most Democrats, like most Americans of all political persuasions, respect our men and women in uniform. But on the political Left today, there is a growing hatred for American servicemen and women. These leftwing radicals increasingly wield great influence and power within the Democrat Party. Senator Rockefeller should be aiming his fire at these radicals who are transforming the party of JFK and FDR into the party of Michael Moore and George Soros. The chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee should not be kowtowing to these fringe extremists by adopting their hateful leftwing rhetoric to attack Senator McCain.

Americans may be frustrated with the pace of progress in Iraq, but I believe the "silent majority" is rapidly running out of patience for the "blame America first" crowd and the "God D--- America" chorus.

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