Democratic leaders call Limbaugh comments ‘beyond the pale’

In a letter prepared Friday by Senate leaders, Democrats continued to blast conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh’s description of antiwar troops as “phony soldiers,” setting up a parallel to Republican outrage over MoveOn.org’s recent Iraq ad.  

During his Wednesday broadcast, Limbaugh responded to a caller who identified himself as an active-duty member of the Army and said troops who criticize the war are not “real soldiers.” Limbaugh responded in agreement, rousing Democrats’ ire.

{mosads}Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-Pa.), both veterans, condemned Limbaugh on Thursday. The Senate’s Democratic leadership followed up with a letter to Clear Channel  Chief Executive Mark Mays, calling on Limbaugh’s broadcaster to disavow his comment.

“Our troops are fighting and dying to bring to others the freedoms that many take for granted,” the Democratic leaders wrote to Mays. “It is unconscionable that Mr. Limbaugh would criticize them for exercising the fundamentally American right to free speech. Mr. Limbaugh has made outrageous remarks before, but this affront to our soldiers is beyond the pale.”

The letter will be sent early next week by Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Caucus Vice Chairman Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Caucus Secretary Patty Murray (D-Wash.). An accompanying statement noted that the letter would not be sent Friday so that other senators, “including those who have recently spoken up against attacks on our troops’ patriotism,” still have time to sign on.

That strategy mirrors a growing call in the liberal blogosphere to push Republicans to repudiate Limbaugh’s comments. If GOP lawmakers who excoriated MoveOn.org for its “General Betray Us” ad fail to create distance from Limbaugh, the reasoning goes, they would be exposed to charges of hypocrisy.