It’s been a few days since the organization Moveon.org ran the advertisement in the New York Times about General David Petraeus which basically said he was betraying the United States of America.
The Moveon.org advertisement has critically hurt the democrats. You can bet we’ll see more of this advertisement in the months leading up to the November 2008 elections.
It also appears to have harmed Montana Senator Jon Tester, too.
On Tuesday of this week, the Republicans in the Senate tried to get an amendment tacked on the Transportation Appropriations bill to show support for Petraeus and our military personnel and condemn the MoveOn.org advertisement in the New York Times.
Here’s the main part of the amendment (Senate Resolution 315):
Whereas, a recent attack through a full-page advertisement in the New York Times by the liberal activist group, Moveon.org, impugns the honor and integrity of General Petraeus and all the members of the United States Armed Forces: Now, be it
Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate
(1) to reaffirm its support for all the men and women of the United States Armed Forces, including General David H. Petraeus, Commanding General, Multi-National Force-Iraq;
(2) to strongly condemn any effort to attack the honor and integrity of General Petraeus and all the members of the United States Armed Forces; and
(3) to specifically repudiate the unwarranted personal attack on General Petraeus by the liberal activist group Moveon.org.
This seemed simple enough, huh? The senate confirmed Petraeus unanimously. Petraeus is a decorated war veteran with a Bronze Star. The resolution also said, “reaffirm its support for all the men and women of the United States Armed Forces.”
Hasn’t the democrats, including Tester, been saying that they support the troops, but not the war. This should have been a piece of cake to pass. It wasn’t.
It appears that Tester was presiding (sitting in the chair) over the senate floor session during the time that this amendment was offered (most low-ranking members of the senate majority have to sit in the chair for an hour or two a few days a week).
“Under the precedent of May 17, 2000, the Chair must rule on the germaneness of sense-of-the-Senate amendments to appropriations bills. The Chair finds this amendment is not germane.” (SOURCE: Congressional Record –Senate, Page: S11361)
So it appears that Sen. Tester, because he was presiding, killed the above amendment that would have slapped Moveon.org’s hand.
Other folks are reporting that Tester received over $88,000 from Moveon.org during his 2006 campaign. If so, it appears their money was well spent on him.
Hopefully the Republicans will bring this amendment up again and again.
I heard that Sen. Tester met with some veterans recently and also spoke to some active duty folks at Malmstrom AFB on Friday night. Many of these folks have been to Iraq. I wonder how they felt hearing from Tester who, when given the chance, would not stand up for their leader, General David Petraeus, and the military men and women he represents.
The Western Word 
What’s shameful is General Petraeus appearing before the Congress of the United States with a medal for valor he didn’t earn. General Petraeus is so ambitious, so immune to the call of decency, so dishonorable, that he will claim combat valor he never proved because he wants to APPEAR like a big, tough warrior. It’s utterly pathetic. The general entered his first combat as a 2-star. How many 2-stars have EVER accepted a Bronze Valor Star. David Petraeus is a walking piece of propaganda.
Its bad enough that an outside group attacked a Military Commander in a time of war, but that the Democrat Officials did not stand up for the General is shameful.