Durbin tries to silence pro-military group
Posted by Richard on July 11, 2005
Move America Forward, a non-profit organization dedicated to "supporting America’s efforts to defeat terrorism and supporting the brave men and women of our Armed Forces," has, among many other activities, "broadcast more than one dozen television and radio commercials throughout the nation advocating support for our troops and the fight against terrorism and speaking out against the United Nations."
Their most recent TV commercial chides Sen. Durbin for slandering US troops at Guantanamo as torturers and insists that our troops are decent and honorable people who deserve our support. Well, Sen. Durbin doesn’t like this commercial. So what does a Senator do when someone is saying something he doesn’t like? He twists arms at the TV stations on which the ads are scheduled to air (quoted from email to Move America Forward supporters):
In another effort to shut down the voices of American military men and women who rely on Move America Forward to defend them, it looks like Durbin’s office has also called the television stations in the state and pressured them not to run the television commercial calling him to task.
Already, two television stations have buckled under his pressure: the ABC affiliate in Chicago (WLS TV 7) and the NBC affiliate in Chicago (WMAQ TV 5), are refusing to run the ad critical of Durbin. The CBS affiliate in Chicago has withstood Durbin’s pressure, and Move America Forward has already aired the ad during their news broadcasts.
The TV Ad Senator Durbin seems so frightened of can be seen here:
What else might a Senator do to silence his critics? Well, he could hint that he’ll sic the IRS on them:
… U.S. Senator Richard Durbin’s office intimated to an Illinois newspaper that the IRS should shut down Move America Forward, telling the newspaper:
"Have you ever seen that H&R Block commercial where the guy leans in and says, ‘I see an audit’?"
One of the grounds used to threaten impeachment of President Richard Nixon was that he politicized the IRS and tried to use IRS audits of his political enemies to shut them down or silence them. That is precisely what Senator Durbin’s office is doing now! There is no place for that in American politics, and Senator Durbin must be held accountable.
Good luck holding him accountable. If you demand that he stop this outrageous conduct, he’ll probably bring up his children and grandchildren and start to cry. Then, Sens. McCain, Hagel, Graham, and Snowe will declare that Durbin has suffered enough and everyone should stop criticizing him.
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