The Senate voted overwhelmingly to condemn the recent ‘General Betray Us’ ad by MoveOn.org, passing by a margin of 72-25. A large number of Democrats supported the measure, but Hillary Clinton did not–which isn’t at all surprising given that she’s declined to condemn the ad on numerous occasions leading up to this vote. What is surprising is that John Kerry did not support the measure; he was, I believe, the first Democrat to break ranks on this. Also joining the ‘nays’ was Senator Daniel Inouye–perhaps that isn’t surprising, but if there’s one name on that list that disappoints the most, it’s Inouye. Here’s the text of the resolution:
It doesn’t even name MoveOn–how can anyone be opposed to condemning “personal attacks on the honor and integrity” of Petraeus or any other member of the military? The reaction from the netroots to the resolution’s passage is sort of interesting. Talking Points Memo‘s Greg Sargent writes:
Doesn’t it follow then that he voted for the resolution because he shares the apparently widespread opinion that the ad was in bad taste? The response from MyDD is even more telling:
Indeed. DailyKos adds:
The extent to which these bloggers believe they “own” the Democratic party is striking–and I’m not sure they’re entirely wrong, either. But as Brian Faughnan has repeatedly pointed out, “if the anti-war Democratic base flexes its muscles, Republicans will likely be the beneficiaries.” HT LGF Update: Mitt Romney’s response:
