Posted on 06/22/2005 11:05:49 AM PDT by Mach9
Costly Slander, Cheap Redemption by Scott Swett, Vietnam Veterans Legacy Foundation
(6/22/2005) -
Eight days after viciously comparing the treatment of terrorist prisoners by American troops at Guantanamo Bay to Nazi death camps and Soviet gulags, Senator Richard Durbin offered a weepy semi-apology, expressing regret before his fellow Senators if his remarks "in any way cast a negative light on our fine men and women in the military." Senator Durbin loves and supports America's troops, you see. "They are the best," he gushed. "I never, ever intended any disrespect for them." No one asked whether his respect for the troops extends to their intelligence. Senators from both parties thanked their honorable colleague, and made haste to declare the controversy at an end.
That evening, hosting a Democratic Party fundraiser, Senator Durbin was introduced as a man who "has a backbone and tells it like it is." It would be difficult to come up with a less accurate characterization. Of course, if they'd called him "a man who tells grotesque lies to slander our troops, then cries and grovels when things get hot," he might not have gotten as much applause. It's instructive to note that after a week of refusing to recant while blaming "right wingers" for the controversy, the esteemed Illinois Senator folded his hand just hours after powerful Chicago mayor Richard Daley publicly called his charges "a disgrace." Even so, Durbin managed in his "apology" to pander to his party?s radical base -- the ones who think President Bush is Adolph Hitler and openly cheer for America's efforts in Iraq to fail -- by skirting any direct admission that his claims were false. As a poster noted at DemocraticUnderground.com, it was "a very nuanced and targeted statement, essentially distancing himself from the imagery, but not the facts."
Ah, yes, the facts. Some 15 to 30 million Soviets died in the gulag; 6 million Jews died in the Nazi death camps; 2 million Cambodians were murdered by Pol Pot's savage regime. But oddly, no prisoners whatsoever have died in Guantanamo under the brutal Americans.
The Islamic network Al Jazeera took a considerably less nuanced view of the situation, broadcasting Durbin's Nazi fantasies to the Islamic world around the clock, confirmation from a high-ranking American of what Islamic radicals -- and American leftists -- have always believed; that America is fundamentally a force for evil in the world. There can be little doubt that Senator Durbin has made it significantly easier for Al Qaeda to recruit new terrorists to kill more of the American troops he professes to respect and admire.
Now, with the controversy officially at an end, Mr. Durbin returns to the warm, collegial bosom of the Senate, where he retains his influential position as the second-ranked Democrat -- the Minority Whip -- and is unlikely to suffer any long-term political harm from having helped America's enemies by lying about our troops in a time of war.
Even that could be considered progress of a sort. Thirty-four years ago, John Kerry launched the political career that brought him within 100,000 Ohio votes of the White House by comparing the U.S. military to "the armies of Genghis Khan." Senator Durbin may not receive a comparable benefit from his own slanderous remarks. Last year's presidential campaign provided many people with an opportunity to take a long look back at the Vietnam era: to recall just how badly America's returning troops were treated in those days, and why.
Today we find a new generation of Americans in harm's way, fighting far from home once again in defense of freedom. But they also need defending -- particularly from the likes of Senator Richard Durbin, who seeks to poison their reputations even as he pretends to praise their service.
Scott Swett is executive director of the Vietnam Veterans Legacy Foundation
It's indeed "the enemy within" that will prove more destructive than any terrorist.
Thank you for your service and thoughts.
Very nice as usual....
You could be on to something. But it's really worse than that, as we know. It's the fact that words are allowed to mean nothing or something, this or that, just about anything. We're told that his remarks were "taken out of context," but no one's told us or bothered to explain exactly in what context they were originally uttered! The words were given a very precise context (our behavior in Iraq)and an analogy (Gulag, et al). There can be no question that he meant exactly what he said, and that he's sorry not for having said it but because it turned out to be politically inconvenient.
Where's DOD in this argument? Where are the cries from readers of the Constitution, from Senators, from Congressmen who realize that Durbin's fightin' words were TREASONOUS?
W A A A Y too honorable--not remotely in keeping with this Dem's style.
"The Islamic network Al Jazeera took a considerably less nuanced view of the situation, broadcasting Durbin's Nazi fantasies to the Islamic world around the clock, confirmation from a high-ranking American of what Islamic radicals -- and American leftists -- have always believed; that America is fundamentally a force for evil in the world. There can be little doubt that Senator Durbin has made it significantly easier for Al Qaeda to recruit new terrorists to kill more of the American troops he professes to respect and admire."
This drunk with power U.S. Senator has aided and abetted the enemy and should RESIGN!!
One of the reasons I wish we would formally declare war when we go to war. All kind of good laws kick in when we do that.
Thanks.
It's simple, really. When the snakes pop their heads up out of the tall grass, we whack them with our croquet mallets...
What can one truely expect from the Party Of Treason!
(demoncraps)
Not easy to do in this case, since the bad guys aren't a nation or group of nations...
We could not formally declare war on “terror” – but we could have formally declared war on Iraq.
True, but I doubt that would still have been in effect after the January elections.
As Jay Severin (FM96.6) pointed out, after he parsed Durbin's alleged apology, a sincere apology begins with "I was wrong." Durbin does not sincerely accept accountability for his outrageous statements. Even Durbin's alleged apology is outrageously self-serving once you parse it - stripping to the bone for true meaning. The MSM is just not astute enough, and wholly lacks the integrity, to parse before the public Durbin's deceptive apology which disengenuously overruns with dissemble.
Durbins' feeble (teary and blubbering) apology is as false as his slanderous assertions made against the U.S. military.
Just what kind of crappy cowardly persons are American citizens electing to Congress? Congress is over-populated with career politicians who only represent THEIR self-interests. Term Limits anyone?
Since you're in the neighborhood today...
Thanks for the ping I.T.
I guess it's easy to apologise when you don't really mean it, Hillary probably told him how Bill used to do it!
It would be a chance to prove that has guts.
Immolation would be a Nice Touch!!!
Hang 'em High ~ Bump!
That can't be stated too often!
Be Ever Vigilant!
Not redeemed in this household. Too much blood has been spilled because of irresponsible, vile remarks like his, pelosi, dean and hanoi jane. Durbin is over and he will NEVER live down those remarks nor SHOULD he. He said 'em...he meant 'em. There are always consequences for our actions....some people never learn that however. They think they are above everything. But...let a republican say something simple and oh they want to do all they can to get rid of him. Well, durbin is finding out now what happens when you think you are above everyone else. The American people take so much and that is it. Their outrage FORCED this apology...thereore he is not redeemed because if he truly meant his apology as much as he did the hate he spewed and endangered our troops he would have never said it to begin with.
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