Purple Heart Recipient Stands Up to Limbaugh's Vicious Attacks

Posted by Amanda Terkel at 5:26 AM on October 3, 2007.

This post, written by Amanda Terkel. originally appeared on Think Progress

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."

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.

Tagged as: iraq war, limbaugh, us troops, vote vets

Amanda Terkel is Deputy Research Director at the Center for American Progress and serves as Deputy Editor for The Progress Report and ThinkProgress.org at the Center for American Progress.