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Bill Clinton and Al Gore’s ‘Phony Soldiers’
Men's News Daily ^ | 10/07/07 | Warner Todd Huston

Posted on 10/07/2007 7:01:45 AM PDT by Mobile Vulgus

Talker Rush Limbaugh is under fire for being falsely accused of saying that any U.S. soldier who comes out against the war is a “phony soldier.” He did not, of course, say such a thing. Rush was actually talking about a man named Jesse Macbeth who was touted by anti-war activists as a soldier who came out against the war, but it turned out later that Macbeth never served in the military at all.

Still, despite that Rush is utterly innocent of these scurrilous charges, members of the Democrat Party and assorted extreme leftists like Media Matters, a far left opinion group focused on the media, have used the “phony soldiers” line as a rallying cry against the right. These far left advocacy groups are desperately trying to lead people to imagine that conservatives, Republicans and war supporters are disingenuous with their support for the troops. These far left groups are at the same time trying to say that it is they, rather than the right, who really respects the troops and they who would never support “phony soldiers.”

But, a quick look back in history reveals quite the opposite. In fact, three cases of Democrats linked to phony soldiers are instructive of how Democrats feel about the military.

In 1997 a body was quietly removed from its grave in Arlington Cemetery, the nation’s military burial grounds. It was the body of M. Larry Lawrence, a long time campaign donor to president Bill Clinton. Lawrence was such a big donor, in fact, that Clinton rewarded him with the Ambassadorship to Switzerland as a payoff for his generosity.

But, there was a dark secret in M. Larry Lawrence’s past. He lied about being a Merchant Marine in World War II. It wasn’t just a white lie, either, for M. Larry Lawrence parlayed his lie into many sorts of honors during his lifetime. He even cajoled the Russian Federation into bestowing a medal upon him for his “heroism” under fire -- a heroism that never occurred.

As The New York Times reported in 1997:

"Mr. Lawrence said he had been serving in the United States merchant marine. He said he was thrown overboard into the icy Arctic Ocean after a German torpedo hit his ship as it headed for the Russian port of Murmansk."

"But Congressional investigators with the House Veterans Affairs subcommittee on oversight and investigations found that Mr. Lawrence's name did not appear in the Coast Guard's records of merchant seamen. His name also did not appear in any official documents related to the 1945 voyage of the Horace Bushnell, including the ship's list of passengers."

Bill Clinton stood by this man’s false legacy for a long time until his fake war record was finally brought to light. Then he simply forgot about Lawrence and moved on pretending he’d never heard of him.

Bill Clinton stood by a phony soldier because of the large amounts given to him. Clinton also heavily rewarded this liar with prestigious appointments and special dispensation to be buried among REAL heroes in Arlington Cemetery.

During the 2000 election campaign, Democrat Party nominee Al Gore didn’t just stand by a phony soldier, he created one from his own family!

During one of the presidential debates, Al Gore claimed his uncle had been “gassed” in Bosnia during WWI. When fact checkers went back to verify Gore’s claims, no one could find any Gore’s that had even been in WWI, much less had been “gassed” in Bosnia.

As Charles C. Thompson and Tony Hays reported on Oct. 6th, 2000.

”According to an Associated Press report, the uncle Gore referred to in the debate was his late uncle, Reginald. After the debate, the Gore campaign contacted the National Archives seeking any World War I records to support Gore's assertion. Apparently it came up empty-handed in the quest for confirmation from official sources, since, as the Associated Press story reports, the campaign fell back on the uncle's 1959 newspaper obituary. It said he had been treated for illness caused by being gassed as a soldier in France (not in the Balkans). Newspaper obituaries are typically based on information provided by the family, with no effort made by the newspaper to verify its accuracy.
Al Gore lied about his family member and created a phony soldier out of whole cloth.

Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa was one of the first Democrats to come out to excoriate Rush Limbaugh for his comments -- you know, the ones he didn’t make? Harkin claimed to be incensed over Limbaugh’s “phony soldier” comment.

Harkin would know a little something about phony soldiers. It turns out he IS one. At various times during his political career, Harkin has been heard to boast about his service as a Navy pilot during Vietnam. He has made all sorts of contradictory claims, but at one time he claimed to have flown “combat air patrols.”

In 1991 The Wall Street Journal wrote a piece detailing Harkin’s lies about his own service wherein they determine that Harkin’s claims to have been on combat missions is a fabrication.

”That clearly is not an accurate picture of his Navy service. Though Mr. Harkin stresses he is proud of his Navy record -- ‘I put my ass on the line day after day’--he concedes now he never flew combat air patrols in Vietnam.”
So what did he really do?
”He was stationed at the U.S. Naval Air Station at Atsugi, Japan. Damaged aircraft were flown into Atsugi for repairs or sometimes flown out of Atsugi to the Philippines for more substantial work. Mr. Harkin says he and three other Navy pilots flew these ferry flights. And, when the planes had been repaired, he and his fellow pilots took them up on test flights. ‘I had always wanted to be a test pilot,’ he says. ‘It was damned demanding work.’”
So, the question becomes; why are Democrats so mad at Rush about “phony soldiers?” After all, they never had any problem the big money Clinton contributor that lied about his non-existent military service. They never worried much about the false service of Al Gore’s uncle that he boasted about during the 2000 election. And they’ve never taken much time to scold one of their high profile, attack dog Senators for repeatedly lying about his own service.

Why would any phony soldier row upset the Democrats now?


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: algore; billclinton; clinton; democratparty; democrats; gore; larrylawrence; lawrence; mediamatters; mlarrylawrence; phonysoldier; phonysoldiers; reginaldgore; rushlimbaugh; tomharkin
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So, whya re they mad a Rush, then?
1 posted on 10/07/2007 7:01:51 AM PDT by Mobile Vulgus
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To: Mobile Vulgus

they were viscerally angry at him before and now can feign “righteous anger.”


2 posted on 10/07/2007 7:11:14 AM PDT by gusopol3
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To: Mobile Vulgus

Cause he makes so much more money then they do! lol


3 posted on 10/07/2007 7:12:37 AM PDT by sweet_diane (Turn off the radio and get back to work Senator Reid.)
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To: Mobile Vulgus

It is good to reveal these Democrat lies. When one tries to explain this duplicitious lying to a person who has a leftist bent, they just simply stop listening. They’ve already made up their minds that socialism - even Communism - is acceptable and they will continue to support those who practice it. And, by the way, they have no notion as to where the government obtains its money.


4 posted on 10/07/2007 7:16:54 AM PDT by davisfh
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To: Mobile Vulgus
but it turned out later that Macbeth never served in the military at all.

Unfortunately, this is incorrect, although it was for a mere 40 to 44 days, depending upon the account one reads.

5 posted on 10/07/2007 7:18:12 AM PDT by Bahbah
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To: Mobile Vulgus
So, whya re they mad a Rush, then?

Where have you been? Limbaugh made a comment that could be construed as a slam against any soldier who opposed the war. The Democrats jumped on it as a way to deflect media attention from the moveon.org ad and Democrat refusal to criticize that organization. And you have to admit it worked.

Had there not been the moveon.org flap I doubt you would have heard about Limbaugh's comment.

6 posted on 10/07/2007 7:20:27 AM PDT by Non-Sequitur (Save Fredericksburg. Support CVBT.)
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To: Mobile Vulgus
They do hate Rush but this phony soldier story was put out because people were getting too close to their crimes.

Hsu is now off the radar and may never be picked up again.

Win for the Clinton traitors.

7 posted on 10/07/2007 7:20:42 AM PDT by HuntsvilleTxVeteran (Remember the Alamo, Goliad and WACO, It is Time for a new San Jacinto)
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To: Mobile Vulgus

Because he shone light on an issue the DEMS have a horrible history of partaking in: benefitting from the exploitation of the military while kicking it in the head. The baby boomer dems have been doing this crap since they use phony Vietnam Vets to protest Nam. When exposed, as per usual they blame the whistleblower.


8 posted on 10/07/2007 7:24:06 AM PDT by paltz
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To: Mobile Vulgus

Because just like this article Rush exposes the Clinton Chinese Mafia for the Cowards and Traitors that they are.

Pray for W and Our Troop


9 posted on 10/07/2007 7:27:12 AM PDT by bray (Think "Betray U.S." Think Democrat)
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To: Mobile Vulgus

Below is a picture of a love in between Harkin, Kerry, and Danny Ortega. Harkin has hated America for decades and is a first class Hatriotic.


10 posted on 10/07/2007 7:32:01 AM PDT by Grampa Dave (Waiting for the Next H$U to fall!)
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To: Bahbah
re: but it turned out later that Macbeth never served in the military at all.
Unfortunately, this is incorrect, although it was for a mere 40 to 44 days, depending upon the account one reads.

If you call being in boot camp “service” but getting kicked out after 40 days or so, yes Macbeth “served”. I do not think it is an inaccuracy to say that Macbeth never actually served his country.

11 posted on 10/07/2007 7:34:38 AM PDT by Nevadan (nevadan)
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To: Nevadan
I do not think it is an inaccuracy to say that Macbeth never actually served his country.

I absolutely agree with you. It just seemed to me that the author appeared to be saying he was never IN the military.

12 posted on 10/07/2007 7:49:58 AM PDT by Bahbah
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To: Mobile Vulgus
They have no reason to be mad at our elected Republican representatives or AWOL RNC.

Talk Radio, Fox News & The Washington Times are the only organizations willing to take on the lying Phony Patriots called Democrats!

13 posted on 10/07/2007 7:54:54 AM PDT by TexasCajun
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To: sauropod

read


14 posted on 10/07/2007 7:55:50 AM PDT by sauropod ("Nobody has time for your priceless prose. Get to the point." - Jim Michaels RIP 2007)
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To: Nevadan

Right on, on the order of Dan Rather. Now he is quick to allude to being a Marine—nope, won’t work, Dan, many of us are on to you.

When I was doing some PI work, it was fun exposing Phony Soldiers (an apt, accurate label). Some never spent a day in the service, others were booted out of boot camp and still others served honorably but decided that wasn’t good enough, they embellished their service with fantastical awards, medals and one of the most popular frauds is to claim POW status, and of course there are always the “black ops” and the murdering of innocents and committing of atrocities that they seem to want to claim, really weird! There are some twisted people out there...

If you’ve served, flags go up when you speak to these phonies, things don’t match up (jargon, AOs (area of operations), mis-matching of Army/Navy/Marine awards, etc., the list goes on and on. They are really twisted. I believe it is due to being ashamed as another person has concluded, so they “make up” by being a phony soldier but I ain’t a psychologist either, furthermore, I don’t care, I just want them exposed so that they don’t besmirch our service men and women.


15 posted on 10/07/2007 8:01:08 AM PDT by brushcop (B-Co. 2/69 3rd Infantry Div., "Sledgehammer!" ...and keep hammering 'em!)
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To: Mobile Vulgus
”According to an Associated Press report, the uncle Gore referred to in the debate was his late uncle, Reginald. After the debate, the Gore campaign contacted the National Archives seeking any World War I records to support Gore's assertion. Apparently it came up empty-handed in the quest for confirmation from official sources, since, as the Associated Press story reports, the campaign fell back on the uncle's 1959 newspaper obituary. It said he had been treated for illness caused by being gassed as a soldier in France (not in the Balkans).

In a liberal's mind there is no difference between being "gassed" and being a persistent drunk.

16 posted on 10/07/2007 8:06:33 AM PDT by SeaHawkFan
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To: Bahbah
He DID NOT serve. He was thrown out due to his misbehavior. He was "let go" for the good of the corp and to say that he "served" is a disservice to every VETERAN, (myself included).

His disservice continued after his stint at Basic Training when he began to LIE about his nonexistant activities in Iraq.

Phooey squared!

17 posted on 10/07/2007 8:10:21 AM PDT by Young Werther (Julius Caesar (Quae Cum Ita Sunt. Since these things are so.))
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To: sauropod

Someone should dig up the great war record of LBJ and his Silver Star. It’s a laugher! It is truly a wonderful account of how a “phony soldier” transformed a very high distinction into Democrat Party gold. It brings tears to my eyes as I sit here..


18 posted on 10/07/2007 8:13:08 AM PDT by Thommas (The snout of the camel is in the tent..)
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To: Mobile Vulgus
Hey!!! Maybe the dems should ask ME to run for officce....

I served three tours in VN. Was in the 101st Airborne and made 75 solo night jumps into NVA held territory as a Sniper and was sooooooooo good (I offed 200 NVA officers single handed on those missions), the SF wanted me so they just transfered me in - really, honest.

AND... I went from E-3 to E-8 in only two years. And then (it gets better) - when I was in the SF, me and my Mike Team killed an entire NVA regiment in a single fire fight. I was down to my last bullet, so I went hand to hand with the last 20 Commies - killed them all with my trusty Gerber.

Heck, I have so many Medals and Ribbons - almost got the MOH but I begged them not to give it to me (that was for a Double Top Secret Mission in Laos for the CIA) - that my old uniform hanging in the closet BENT the closet's 1 1/2" dia. metal bar. (They must weigh 175 pounds)

Oh and in between I was Ranger too, but that's not important. And not to brag but 'Rambo' was based on ME! But darn it I don't have my DD-214 any more, the dog ate it in 1985.

So come on Dingy Harry, get me a Congressional seat to run for. I'm a 'war hero' dammit. Hey I hear Atlantic City needs a new Mayor so I'm up for that too.

.

The sad sick thing is some DUmmie would prolly believe the above bullshit. And ABSOLUTELY no offense is meant, but this is the kind of CRAP these phony soldiers are and have been pushing. Right Jon Kerrie (sic).

19 posted on 10/07/2007 8:22:24 AM PDT by Condor51 (Rudy makes John Kerry look like a Right Wing 'Gun Nut' Extremist)
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To: Young Werther

I agree with you, Young Werther.


20 posted on 10/07/2007 8:23:15 AM PDT by Bahbah
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