25 Democrats Refuse To Condemn 'Betray Us' Ad In Senate Vote

Hillary has been ducking, dodging and flat out refusing to respond to questions about the MoveOn.org ad taken out against Gen. Petraeus.

Today she had her chance to speak up with the rest of the Senate and condemn the ad ... something that most Democrats have refrained from doing.

Amanda Carpenter:

Sen. Hillary Clinton (D.-N.Y.) would not criticize MoveOn.org on the campaign trail for an offensive advertisement the group produced to attack Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, but she sided with the anti-war lobby in a vote on Thursday.

Motivated by the full-page advertisement MoveOn.org published in the New York Times that accused Petraeus of betrayal, the Senate passed a resolution condemning “attacks of honor and integrity” on the general and other members of the Armed Forces.

The advertisement, purchased at a discounted rate, mocked Petraeus’ name as “Betray Us,” suggested he was “cooking the books” for the White House and characterized the general as a “military man constantly at war with the facts” who “will not admit what everyone knows: Iraq is mired in an unwinnable religious civil war.”

Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn’s “sense of the Senate” resolution passed 72-25.

At least now we know which Democrats are so knee deep in MoveOn money they are willing to accuse a four star general of breaking the law, and violating his oath.

1. Akaka (D-HI)
2. Bingaman (D-NM)
3. Boxer (D-CA)
4. Brown (D-OH)
5. Byrd (D-WV)
6. Clinton (D-NY)
7. Dodd (D-CT)
8. Durbin (D-IL)
9. Feingold (D-WI)
10. Harkin (D-IA)
11. Inouye (D-HI)
12. Kennedy (D-MA)
13. Kerry (D-MA)
14. Lautenberg (D-NJ)
15. Levin (D-MI)
16. Menendez (D-NJ)
17. Murray (D-WA)
18. Reed (D-RI)
19. Reid (D-NV)
20. Rockefeller (D-WV)
21. Sanders (I-VT)
22. Schumer (D-NY)
23. Stabenow (D-MI)
24. Whitehouse (D-RI)
25. Wyden (D-OR)

You can see the full role call here.

The following didn't vote.

1. Biden (D-DE)
2. Cantwell (D-WA)
3. Obama (D-IL)

You'll notice that John Kerry voted against the measure to condemn the ad. This is odd given that he was one of only three Democrats to criticize the MoveOn ad shortly after it came out. Kerry is on record as saying the following:

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Sen. John Kerry, D-Massachusetts, criticized MoveOn.org Monday for taking an ad out in The New York Times criticizing Gen. David Petraeus. The general is testifying before Congress today about the situation in Iraq. (Related: Dems join GOP in slamming ad attacking Petraeus)

“I don’t like any kind of characterizations in our politics that call into question any active duty, distinguished general,” Kerry told CNN, adding “who I think under any circumstances serves with the best interests of our country.”

Gee, I wonder what changed his mind?

The GOP also asked the Democrat leadership to condemn the ad in an internal memo, but didn't get many takers.

Today, Bush finally spoke out against the ad, and Democrats that support it, publicly for the first time. We have had reports that he was furious in private meetings.

In a press conference Thursday morning, President Bush told reporters he thought the advertisement was “disgusting.”

He also spoke candidly about Democrats who were reluctant to criticize MoveOn.org. “That leads me to come to this conclusion: that most Democrats are afraid of irritating a left-wing group like MoveOn.org, or more afraid of irritating them, then they are of irritating the United States military."

"That was a sorry deal,” Bush said.

To top this whole thing off, Democrats have been running to hide under their desks to avoid having to go on record in support of the MoveOn ad. Dick "The Turbin" Durbin tried to block the vote from even happening.

Cornyn first offered his resolution immediately after the offending advertisement was printed on September 10—the day Petraeus was scheduled to make his first appearance to testify about progress in Iraq. When it was offered, Democratic Majority Whip, Sen. Dick Durbin (Ill.) used a parliamentary move--issued a point of order based on “germaneness”--against the measure to prevent the Senate from voting on it.

Make sure you don't question their patriotism everyone.