FATS' SMEAR STARTING TO GET SOME TRACTION IN THE MSM

Thanx to Memeorandum, I can get a sense of how far a story is spreading. TIME's blog The Swampland posts Sen. John McCain's remarks about Fats:

Any American who risks his or her life to defend us has earned the respect and gratitude of every American citizen, irrespective of their views on this war. If Mr. Limbaugh made the remark he is reported to have made, it reflects very poorly on him and not the objects of his offensive comment. I expect most Americans, whatever their political views, will have the same reaction. He would be well advised to retract it and apologize.

CNN's Political Ticker unfortunately chose to emphasize the partisan angle to this story:

September 28, 2007
Dems seize on Limbaugh's 'phony soldiers' comment

WASHINGTON (CNN) — In the wake of the high-profile uproar from Republicans over a MoveOn.org ad attacking Gen. David Petraeus, Democrats are seizing on recent comments from popular conservative talk-radio host Rush Limbaugh who said on a recent broadcast on Iraq that some veterans who criticize the war in the media are "phony soldiers."

This misses the main point: Limbaugh smeared our troops! Thanx to Greg Sargent, I learned that the WH also takes objection to Fats' remark:

Q And then I have another question, unrelated to this. Apparently this week Rush Limbaugh used the phrase "phony soldiers" to describe American troops who oppose the Iraq war. Given that the President has commented last week on the MoveOn ad of General Petraeus, and called it disgusting, is this something that the President would feel compelled to comment on?
MS. PERINO: It's the first I've heard of that comment. I'm taking that it is accurate; I have not heard it myself. The President believes that if you are serving in the military that you have the right that every American has, which is you are free to express yourself in any way that you want to. And there are some that oppose the war, and that's okay.
Q And the use of the phrase "phony soldiers" to describe these --
MS. PERINO: It's not one that the President would have used, no.

Matt at ThinkProgress found that Mitt Romney has also criticized Fats:

In a statement to the Huffington Post, Romney's spokesman Kevin Madden offered the following on Limbaugh:

"Governor Romney would disagree with the negative characterization of those men and women who serve with honor and distinction in the United States Military. There may be disagreements with individual opinions, but no one would ever dispute the fact that those members of the military who disagree with the war have earned the right to express that opinion."

McCain, Romney and the WH have come out against the remarks and I think CNN should seriously reconsider it's headline.