Let's take sides: General Petraeus or MoveOn.org
September 20, 2007
Senate Votes Overwhelmingly to Condemn Abhorrent Ad
‘This amendment gives our colleagues a chance to distance themselves from the notion that some group has them on a leash, like a puppet on a string.’
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor Thursday regarding the Cornyn Amendment condemning the MoveOn.org ad and calling on the Senate to support General Petraeus:
“It’s been more than a week since the Junior Senator from Texas offered an amendment condemning an ad by MoveOn.Org that appeared last Monday in The New York Times.
“The ad was, by any standard, abhorrent.
“It accused a four star general who has the trust and respect of 160,000 men and women in Iraq of betraying that mission and those troops, of lying to them and to us.
“Who would have ever expected anybody to go after a general in the field at a time of war, launch a smear campaign against a man we’ve entrusted with our mission in Iraq.
“Any group that does this sort of thing ought to be condemned.
“Let's take sides. General Petraeus or MoveOn.org. Which one are we going to believe? Which one are we going to condemn?
“That’s the choice. MoveOn says he’s a traitor. If we believe that, we should condemn him. If we don’t believe that, then we ought to be condemning them, not him.
“Now here's what we know about this group, and I'll bet you a lot of our Democratic colleagues don't really know everything MoveOn is for. I think you probably know they try to come to your aid from time to time, but I bet you don't really know everything they advocate.
“In the days after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, it urged a pacifist response to al-Qaeda.
“They rejected the idea that governments should be held responsible for terrorists like al-Qaeda who operate within their borders.
“This is the group that called defeating the Patriot Act ‘a success story.’
“This is the group that ran an ad on its web site equating the President to Adolph Hitler.
“This is the group that thinks international organizations like the U.N. will rid the world of al-Qaeda.
“That’s MoveOn.org. This is what we’re dealing with.
“I cannot believe those are the views of a vast majority of my friends and colleagues on the other side of the aisle.
“Now, here’s what we know about General Petraeus:
Commander of the Multi-National Force-Iraq
Been in Iraq for about four years; literally wrote the U.S. counterinsurgency manual
Commanded the 101st Airborne Division during the first year of Operation Iraqi Freedom
Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations of the NATO Stabilization Force and Deputy Commander of the US Joint Interagency Counter-Terrorism Task Force in Bosnia
Assistant Division Commander for Operations of the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg
West Point
Aide to the Chief of Staff of the Army
Battalion, brigade, and division operations officer
Assistant to the Supreme Allied Commander- Europe
Distinguished Service Medal
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Bronze Medal for valor
NATO Meritorious Service Medal
One of America’s 25 Best Leaders, according to U.S. News and World Report
Four star General of the Army
“That’s what we know about General Petraeus. Here’s what Democrats said about General Petraeus when they confirmed him in January:
“The Junior Senator from California called him ‘an amazing man.’
“Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, the Senior Senator from Delaware: ‘I don’t know anybody better than Petraeus.’
“Senior Senator from Massachusetts said he’s ‘an outstanding military officer, and our soldiers really deserve the best, and I think they’re getting it with your service.’
“Chairman of the Armed Services Committee, the Senior Senator from Michigan: ‘General Petraeus is widely recognized for the depth and breadth of his education, training, and operational experience.’
“They praised him up and down in January, confirmed him unanimously, funded him mission, sent him the troops.
“So now it’s time to be heard: is it right to call General Petraeus is a traitor or not? That’s what this vote is about. Is it right to call General Petraeus is a traitor or not?
“This group, this MoveOn.org, is crowing all over the papers that they’ve got the Democrats on a leash. They brag about it.
“Their Executive Director has said, referring to the party on the other side of the aisle, that they’re, ‘Our party,’ MoveOn’s party. ‘We bought it, we own it, and we’re going to take it back.’
“That’s MoveOn.org saying that about our friends on the other side of the aisle. They claim to be in constant contact with people on the other side.
“I just don’t believe this group is telling all of these great senators on the other side of the aisle what to do. I don’t believe that. This is an opportunity to demonstrate that.
“So this amendment gives our colleagues a chance to distance themselves from these despicable tactics, distance themselves from the notion that some group has them on a leash. Like a puppet on a string.
“It's time to take a stand, not to dredge up political battles of the past but to condemn this ad. What about this ad shouldn't be condemned? Is there anything about this ad that shouldn't be condemned?
“Mr. President, I urge my colleagues to stand with General Petraeus and against this ad.”
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