Saturday, August 26, 2006

Misquoting Lincoln

I get e-mail from Factcheck.org and today they sent me the following: Misquoting Lincoln: Bush supporters falsely quote Lincoln as advocating arresting, exiling, or hanging members of Congress who damage military morale during wartime.

What shocked me was that the false quote..."has become a favorite of those who like to accuse critics of Bush's war policy of disloyalty or treason." FactCheck's "Internet search brought up more than 18,000 references to it." Eighteen thousand references!! Let me give you the origins of the false quote:

"Congressmen who willfully take action during wartime that damage morale and undermine the military saboteurs, and should be arrested, exiled or hanged," that's what President Abraham Lincoln said during the War Between the States.
-J. Michael Waller, "Democrats Usher in An Age of Treason." Insight magazine, 23 Dec. 2003.

The article goes on to say that J. Michael Waller thanked FactCheck for giving him an opportunity to correct his misquote. But it goes to show how hard it is to change or correct something that's already in print.

I have been told that Senators (like Teddy Kennedy) that say negative things about Bush's war undermines that morale of soldiers that are fighting for us in Iraq. I hope that's not so. I hope those soldiers are smart enough to know that there are people who object, and have objected, to the war from the beginning. And who object to good, young men dying for a cause that is certainly questionable.

If you want to read the whole article it's on the FactCheck.org web site.

15 comments:

chancuff said...

I can't say a enough good things about what Brooks Jackson did my original "TRUTH FROM AN HONEST MAN" pamphlet.

Cliff Hancuff
The World of Journalism Is Flat, Too

chancuff said...

Here's some background.

http://community.cnhi.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/4871074/m/664107374

Cliff Hancuff
The World of Journalism Is Flat, Too

maryt/theteach said...

Cliff, I rejected your last 2 posts because I can't tell where you're coming from. And I didn't think they were funny... i can't stand people who accuse me of treason when I talk against Bushy's war. And my nephew was over there fighting in Iraq for the last 6 months. Thank god he's home. the teach

chancuff said...

I have no clue what posts you are referring to with, "I rejected your last 2 posts".

Perhaps this will clarify:

My great, great grandfather, after whom I am named in honor of, served in Lincoln’s Union Army. He made the supreme sacrifice for our country on March 23, 1862 serving Stonewall Jackson he only defeat in the Civil war.

Lincoln was, to borrow a title, “A Uniter”

When some goofball Republican operative abuses the reputation of our greatest Republican president, in a Moonie publication no less, for today’s Republican Party’s political gain … it troubles me.

Can guess who brought this Moonie Lincoln quote to life just a few short weeks after Waller invented it?

(Hint: Swift Boat Veterans for Truth)

Cliff Hancuff
The World of Journalism Is Flat, Too

chancuff said...

opps, I guess you'd have NO idea what my last fews posts were about, unless you knew about this:

http://factcheck.org/article415.html

I thought I included this link before.

I'm sorry for the confusion.

Cliff Hancuff
The World of Journalism Is Flat, Too

maryt/theteach said...

First of all Cliff, why don't you let me see your blog, give me the link.
Okay I see where you're coming from and how the misuse of Lincoln's quote bugs you. Are you suggesting, when you say Swift Boat Veterans, that Kerry "rought the quote to light"? the teach

chancuff said...

"First of all Cliff, why don't you let me see your blog, give me the link."

I did. See my post above that begins with; "Here's some background."

Sorry again for the confusion.

Cliff Hancuff
The World of Journalism Is Flat, Too

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maryt/theteach said...

Cliff, I read all or most of your posts...All I can say is that you are one patriotic guy! I admire your enthusiasm! Am I right that you only started posting Aug. 16 with this "misquoting Lincoln" subject? I love that they wanted you to stop writing to Ms. Irey, hah! Keep up the good work! the teach

chancuff said...

"Am I right that you only started posting Aug. 16 with this "misquoting Lincoln" subject?"

ummmm ... no. I wrote Diana Irey and her entire campaign managment team about this fake Lincoln quote on August 4th. 21 days later Irey apologized here:

http://irey.com/news/contentview.asp?c=35681

I never suggested anyone ever stop writing Ms. Irey. On the contrary. I think everyone should write asking her to explain how she turned 21 days into:

"I would hope that my example today -- in acknowledging, apologizing for, and correcting an error of fact within just a few hours of having the error brought to my attention -- would serve as an example to all our political leaders."


Follow the fun watching a goofball “Freeper” retired Air Force Colonel crash&burn.

http://community.cnhi.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/38410611/m/589102094


Cliff Hancuff
The World of Journalism Is Flat, Too