Senators Who Forced Debate On MoveOn Ad Earlier Complained Of ‘Wasting Time On Empty Resolutions’

Today, the Senate voted 72-25 to approve Sen. John Cornyn’s (R-TX) bill criticizing MoveOn.org’s Gen. David Petraeus ad in the New York Times. The “sense of the Senate” resolution “strongly” condemns the “personal attacks on the honor and integrity of General Petraeus.”

Rep. Tom Davis (R-VA) has now called for an investigation into “possible elections violations by the New York Times for selling an advertisement to the liberal group MoveOn.org at a reduced rate.”

Neither Cornyn’s resolution nor Davis’s investigation have any bearing on the course in Iraq. The senators who today voted for Cornyn’s bill have previously chastised the Senate for engaging in “a colossal waste of time” on “empty” and “meaningless resolutions.” Some examples:

On Iraq debates/resolutions:

“Mr. President, we have nearly finished this little exhibition, which was staged, I assume, for the benefit of a briefly amused press corps and in deference to political activists opposed to the war.” [Sen. John McCain, 7/18/07]

“We have just seen a procedure in the last 24 hours that was a colossal waste of time.” [Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA), 7/18/07]

“I want an open and honest debate, and not political posturing. I was sent here to take action, not waste time on non-binding and empty resolutions.” [Sen. Craig Thomas (R-WY), 2/23/07]

On the Gonzales vote of no confidence:

“[W]e ended up…spending our time on a meaningless resolution giving the president advice about who the attorney general ought to be.” [Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), 6/12/07]

“This is a very disappointing spectacle here today.” [Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS), 6/12/07]

On general partisanship:

“They’ve wasted the first seven months by being excessively partisan and creating unnecessary, in my view, disputes with a pretty robust minority of 49.” [Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), 7/25/07]

“The way that they have proceeded, I am not sure that you can count on anything getting done, even those things that look like a fairly certain bet.” [Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ), 7/25/07]

Evidently, it’s not a partisan waste of time to condemn an advocacy group for a New York Times ad.

I did not think the MoveOn.org ad was a good intiative in the first place, it was unbecoming of a progressive organization to spend money on an attack ad like that, the money should have been spent on creating new forms of progressive media expansion.

But its striking to see how much fervor was generated over an ad that really has no bearing on the Iraq War. So much so that the Senate votes on it, while other amendaments to give troops the same leave time as combat duty, troop withdrawl and such get fillibustered.

Will Rush get the same treatment? Hell no. Because unlike MoveOn.org he is pushing forward a beneficial agenda for the GOP and the current administration, perpetual involvement in Iraq.

upvote for backup material and hypocrisy exposure.

I think the MoveOn ad against Patraeus was spot on; we should be "getting in their faces" like that every chance we get, because it's the only thing the conservative republican pro-war profiteers respond to.

They're not fooling anybody: they can denounce the ad all they want, but they cannot address the truth of it. People know that, and people are starting to see that.

A lot of people, myself included, joined MoveOn because of that ad, and MoveOn rasied a half-million dollars as a result of it.

I see the comments overwhelmingly aimed at the defense of a juvenile ad taken out by the single most liberal/communist organization in the US. By not sticking to the titled issue I'm guessing you've already researched the quote, which is quite easy, and found that, as usual, Rush Limbaugh has been misquoted to further the aims of the most extreme wing of a desperate party on a downhill slide. Just in case you didn't bother to look it up the "quote" was directed at a specific troop that washed out of basic training and began to pass himself off as a ranger back from a tour in Iraq. He should be prosecuted for impersonation a human being much less an honorable soldier. The politicians who jumped on this Rush bash are just as guilty as he is.

Ha! Rush is a stinking establishment liar. He always has been, catering to buffoons too boneheaded to dream up their own snark.

The fascist pig who would make Goebbels proud.

The local nazi's sure love ol' fat boy.

You just believed the spin Rush Limbaugh pushed out to defend his statement, that kinda invalidates your statement.

I don't know if I should be amused by your mewling liberal pap or amazed by your stunning ignorance. If you bothered to look up the transcripts and read "all" the words you would see the truth. Trust me, the truth doesn't burn you. You don't have to keep swallowing the liberal drivel and the Stalinist teachings of the left wing blogs. I feel sorry for you.

Reality does have a liberal bias I heard.

reason - post your source.

*waronterror

Adding video to channels (Waronterror) - requested by raven.