Hoystory

You can see a full size PDF of today’s MoveOn.org ad in today’s New York Times by clicking on the accompanying image. I’ve got to say that this is probably the most disgusting piece of political hackery since Grover Cleveland had to endure taunts of “Ma, Ma, where’s my pa? Gone to the White House. Ha, ha, ha.”

It will be interesting to see what the Democrat Party’s reaction to this will be. Radio talk show host Hugh Hewitt highlights a comment from a Los Angeles Times online debate that attempts to spin the “betray us” as the rhetorical equivalent of “someone who doesn’t tell the whole truth.”

That says something about how out of line MoveOn.org is if the best it’s defenders can do is argue that an Army general is lying to Congress rather than treasonous.

Watching Fox News’ “Special Report with Brit Hume,” I was intrigued by an exchange this morning during Petraeus’ testimony to the House Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees.

Florida Republican Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen: Once again, I offer my colleagues the opportunity to use this hearing to distance themselves from the despicable ad that was published today, calling into question the patriotism of Gen. Petraeus.

Hawaii Democrat Rep. Neil Abercrombie: Point of order, Mr. Chairman. Nobody has to distance themselves from something they weren’t associated with.

Ros-Lehtinen: Take it easy.

Well, Abercrombie appears to be in the clear. But here’s a list of all of the elected representatives who’ve received MoveOn.org money, and how much they received, for the last few cycles. Follow the links for the complete list that includes losers too — they may run again in 2008:

[I believe I've culled the list of all candidates who are not currently serving in Congress.]

2006 cycle

House candidates

Giffords, Gabrielle (D-AZ) $5,000
Gillibrand, Kirsten E (D-NY) $5,000
Hare, Philip G (D-IL) $5,000
Hodes, Paul W (D-NH) $5,000
Murphy, Patrick J (D-PA) $88,112
Perlmutter, Edwin G (D-CO) $5,000
Rodriguez, Ciro D (D-TX) $163,643
Sestak, Joe (D-PA) $5,000

Senate Candidates

Klobuchar, Amy (D-MN) $5,000
Sanders, Bernie (I-VT) $5,000

2004 cycle

House candidates

Bean, Melissa (D-IL) $4,250
Cleaver, Emanuel (D-MO) $5,000
Edwards, Chet (D-TX) $5,000
Higgins, Brian M (D-NY) $5,000
Lampson, Nick (D-TX) $5,000
Moore, Gwen (D-WI) $4,000
Rodriguez, Ciro D (D-TX) $4,000
Ross, Dave (D-WA) $5,000
Schwartz, Allyson (D-PA) $250

Senate candidates

Bayh, Evan (D-IN) $1,000
Boxer, Barbara (D-CA) $1,000
Dodd, Christopher J (D-CT) $1,000
Dorgan, Byron L (D-ND) $1,000
Feingold, Russ (D-WI) $1,000
Lieberman, Joe (D-CT) $16
Lincoln, Blanche (D-AR) $1,000
Mikulski, Barbara A (D-MD) $1,000
Murray, Patty (D-WA) $4,000
Salazar, Ken (D-CO) $4,000
Schumer, Charles E (D-NY) $1,000
Wyden, Ron (D-OR) $1,000

Presidential candidates

Gephardt, Richard A (D) $16

2002 cycle

House candidates

Carson, Julia (D-IN) $5,000
Grijalva, Raul M (D-AZ) $5,000
Harman, Jane (D-CA) $303
Herseth Sandlin, Stephanie (D-SD) $5,000
Holt, Rush (D-NJ) $520
Inslee, Jay R (D-WA) $252
Larsen, Rick (D-WA) $591
Ross, Mike (D-AR) $4,000
Schiff, Adam (D-CA) $493

Senate candidates

Harkin, Tom (D-IA) $719
Johnson, Tim (D-SD) $163
Landrieu, Mary L (D-LA) $8,067
Lautenberg, Frank R (D-NJ) $5,000
Pryor, Mark (D-AR) $4,591

If you see a senator or representative close to you, I encourage you look them up and ask them what they think about the MoveOn.org ad and what they’re going to do about the money they’ve received. Might I suggest that returning the funds to MoveOn would be an unsatisfactory response; the money would be better spent on something like the Wounded Warrior Project.