Washington -- U.S. Representative Barbara Cubin (R-WY) came out in strong support of Rush Limbaugh today after Democrats in the House and Senate took to the floor of their respective bodies to smear the broadcaster's name to the American public.

“It is shameful that Democrats in the House and Senate would purposefully distort what Mr. Limbaugh said during a recent radio broadcast,” Cubin said. “I have always been a fervent defender of freedom of speech, but I do not believe the floors of the U.S. Congress should ever be used to slander private citizens.”  

The Democrat attacks on Limbaugh stem from a comment Limbaugh made last Wednesday during his daily radio talk show. In the broadcast, Limbaugh used the term “phony soldiers” to describe individuals who have purposefully lied about their service in the Iraq war. The term “phony soldiers” had been used previously in an ABC News report on Jesse Macbeth, an anti-war activist who claimed to have participated in war crimes as a soldier in Iraq. In reality, Macbeth was discharged before completing basic training, was never in Iraq and has since admitted to lying about his service record in the court of law.

Democrats have tried to spin Limbaugh’s words, accusing him of calling all service members who oppose the war in Iraq “phony soldiers.” In response, Cubin is joining colleagues in the House of Representatives in introducing a resolution to publicly honor United States service men and women and applaud Limbaugh for his commitment to American troops serving both in the U.S. and abroad.
  
“Rush Limbaugh has been a tireless advocate for our troops for over twenty years,” Cubin said. “He has done nothing but praise their efforts, visit them abroad and continually work to boost their morale. Twisting his words in pursuit of a political vendetta on the floors of the U.S. House and Senate is an absolute disgrace.”

The assaults on Limbaugh from Democrats came in retaliation to Republican efforts to publicly condemn Moveon.org for attacking the integrity of General David Petraeus, Commanding General of U.S. forces in Iraq.  Moveon.org, an organization that funds liberal political candidates throughout the country, placed a full page advertisement in the New York Times on September 10th, displaying a picture of the four star general with the headline “General Petraeus or General Betray Us?”  In the last two weeks, both the House of Representatives and the Senate have voted overwhelmingly to condemn the advertisement.

“To compare Rush Limbaugh’s comments to Moveon.org’s defamation of General Petraeus is an abuse of power and a waste of time,” said Cubin. “Democrats are looking for any way to distract from their own broken promises as leaders of the United States Congress. Democrats have failed to fulfill their promise for an open and honest congress and are struggling to pass any substantive legislation.”