Conveniently left out of your story...

Limbaugh was referring to individuals who have portrayed themselves as soldiers, only to be exposed as having false credentials. They do this to manufacture opposition to the war, become celebrities, or just get undeserved benefits.

Examples include Jesse MacBeth, Larry Porter, Merrick Hersey, Michael O'Brien, Lawrence Hammer, and Gilbert Velasquez.

The problem is so bad that Congress last year passed legislation to allow prosecution of people who claimed medals that they had not earned. It passed both the House and Senate unanimously, and was introduced by Congressman John Salazar (D-CO).

Limbaugh can be an arrogant blow-hard at times, but this is just a PHONY George Soros funded Media Matters hit job. They just want some revenge for MoveOn getting burned on the Betray-Us ad.

Carl is incorrect. Limbaugh did refer to all soldiers who have critized the war. He specifically stated that his comments were directed toward those who have come back from Iraq and critized the war. That is not the same as impostors who have never served.In 2005 he also attached Hackett, a member of the 83d Airborne Division.

On the 9/26 show in question, a caller mentions that the Lefty outlets "never talk to real soldiers. They like to pull these soldiers that come up out of the blue and talk to the media."

Rush agrees, "the phony soldiers," and then goes on a short while later about Jesse MacBeth, the imposter who the Left paraded around with false claims of war crimes.

Rush Limbaugh has crossed the line more than once, last year with his highly rude Michael J. Fox impersonation. When Imus got canned, I was hoping that someone would go after Limbaugh -- it should be done and I am hoppy someone is speaking up -- Now, this phony soldier routine of his is bizarre and demoralizing to all of the soldiers fighting for the U.S. not just Iraq
He should be given a LARGE fine and finally taken off the air --

Yeah, if Harry Reid actually had bothered to chase down the reality of what Limbaugh actually said, in its full context, he'd be red-faced. Rush was referring to someone who is indeed a "phony soldier" whom the Dems had touted as someone who could attest to the atrocities occurring in Iraq because of American forces ... only, gosh darn it, that same "soldier" did indeed turn out to be "phony," as he never even was in combat.

Rush responded with the "phony soldiers" comment when a caller referred to the military individuals who claim to have seen/heard all kinds of things that they never could have possibly been in a time or place to witness - hence, they are "phony."

By the way, Harry, Rush has challenged you to appear on his show and confront him like a man ... you know, instead of accusing him of denouncing our military just as you have done through word and action for the past several months. Be a man, take him on. If you don't, it's quite clear that you're afraid of being called out.

By the way, for everyone who seems to be jumping onto this story by being so irate at Rush ... why don't you actually listen to the transcript of what actually was said on his show? It's on the free-side of his website.

I have a feeling most of you are just all too willing to take an idiot (ahem, Harry Reid) at his word and not chase down the truth for yourselves.

The Rush transcripts are available. You can read for yourself what he said. It's simple. He was talking about the Jessie Macbeths of the world. For Limbaugh to slight US fighting forces is soooooooo out of character he would have had to have been high as Sen. Harkin suggested. But, Reid probably is going on something his staffers suggested would be a great counter punch for the MOveon.org episode. Rather than well reasoned facts.

liberals Rush to lie about limbaugh.
the libs are playing to their own, the ones who are not informed and drink the moveon koolaide.
anyone who listened to Limbaughs show would know what he said.
He didnt lie, and he didnt make up things.
shame on harry ried and the liberals who cant compete in the world of ideas and have to lie to win.

Sen. Harkin's "Maybe he was just high on his drugs again" rant on the floor of the Senate was a disgusting personal attack. Maybe Tom thought he was on with Keith Olbermann or Bill Maher, and forgot he was addressing the most thoughtful deliberative body on Earth. Or maybe he just enjoys boldly “speaking truth to power” from behind the “speech and debate” clause of the constitution, which protects him from all liability when running his mouth.

Not only that, he was truly a bizarre choice to deliver that bomb, given his own PHONY claims of flying combat missions in Viet Nam.

In case you doubt whether it was actually this soldier he was talking about, he played the Morning Update mentioning him immediately after the caller hung up. By the way, if you don't know what a "Morning Update" is, it's like an advertisement for Rush's show that plays before it starts and introduces the topic of conversation. Furthermore, the term "phony" was also used to describe that very soldier in an ABC report that aired two days before. As for the plural/not plural debate, while he only specifically mentioned the one soldier in the Morning Update, the ABC report also mentioned that there were several other similar cases.

I wonder what Tom Harkin as "High" on when he made his disgusting personal attack from the floor of the Senate.

Rush has posted the remarks he made on his website, any fool can go their and hear them. Only an insanley hateful person coulod possibly misinterpet his remarks as an attack on real soldiers. This very network did a story upon fake soldiers just a few days ago, if this network stands behind their story, then they need to stand behind Rush Limbaugh, and against the vicious attacks by partisan democrats. I will remind people that it was Dick Durbin a Democratic Senetor who compared U.S. Soldiers to Nazi's and the KGB.

Draft dodging Rush has spoken again and defamed our troops. And he has the audacity to complain about personal attacks when he made fun of Hillary Clinton's looks on the air when she was a young girl in the WHite House. Looks like this mincing, Larry Craig style Republican is man enough to pick on little girls but when it came time for him to fight for his country, he skipped away as fast as he could go. Just go away Rush and take your America-hating supporters with you. True Americans and our noble soldiers have really had enough.

I am getting tired of these so called patriots (or phony patriots) who rant and rant about how any body who does not toe the line with their believes, are not patriots. The ONLY TRUE PATRIOTS are those who actually have served, or who as watched as close family members have gone to war. Rush is NOT a patriot. He is a pompous entertainer who has done nothing for this country. Let those who have served have the final say on this. Let those have put their life on the line for this country, be able to talk without being derided, by either side of the political spectrum.

In that case, General Wesley Clark should ask the troops if they want Rush Limbaugh to continue on Armed Forces Radio before demanding that he be pulled off the air.