Purple Heart group gets flak over nod to Sen. Clinton

[quaoar]

http://www.knoxstudio.com/shns/story.cfm?pk=HILLARYMEDAL-02-20-06&cat=AN

By LISA HOFFMAN
Scripps Howard News Service
February 20, 2006

WASHINGTON - It was a simple plaque, the sort handed out every day on Capitol Hill by interest groups showing their appreciation for a legislator's efforts on behalf of their cause.

In this case, it was the Military Order of the Purple Heart organization that presented an award to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., last Thursday.

< snip >

But a story on the conservative media outlet NewsMax.com left the impression among some readers that Clinton had been awarded a Purple Heart medal itself by the group.

While the article described her award as "symbolic," its opening sentence implied otherwise. "New York Sen. Hillary Clinton has put in for a Purple Heart award - and she received the decoration yesterday," the Friday story said. Angry veterans erupted in protest.


And here is the Newsmax story:

http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2006/2/17/91335.shtml

New York Sen. Hillary Clinton has put in for a Purple Heart award - and she received the decoration yesterday.

The former first lady garnered the award without being wounded in combat - or sustaining any kind of injury at all - as is usually the case with Purple Heart recipients.

Neither has Clinton ever served in the military, though she once claimed in a TV interview she tried to join the Marines.

Instead, Mrs. Clinton received a symbolic award from the Military Order of the Purple Heart "in recognition of her inspirational leadership and dedicated service to America’s military service members and America’s veterans."

[niyad]

1. are the military freepers so stupid they don't even KNOW how purple

hearts are awarded? unbelievable.

[quaoar]

3. I don't know if the military freepers are that stupid

The NewsMax story is just flat out wrong.

[Mithras61]

2. Trust NewsMax.com to distort even more than Faux Snooze...

She didn't receive a Purple Heart, she received an Inspiration Leadership Award...

http://www.empirestatenews.net/News/20060217-8.htm

Senator Clinton receives Military Order of the Purple Heart Inspirational Leadership Award

Senator Hillary Clinton has been awarded the Inspirational Leadership Award by Jim Randles, national commander for the Military Order of the Purple Heart.

[warrens]

4. Dishonest and illiterate. Typical for NewSmack

If you read it, it says that most Purple Heart recipients weren't wounded.

[lakemonster11]

5. Isn't it in poor taste to say a Purple Heart group is getting "flak"?

Or is the wording supposed to be funny?

[LiberalVoice]

6. NewsMax is MADE UP NEWS!!!

And any asshat repug that gets into a titty twist over an article they read there deserves the added pressure on their heart :P

[Rex]

7. Big deal, Repukes WEAR purple heart band-aids.

Newsmax suxors.

[tabasco]

9. Here's how republicans honor wounded veterans:

[quaoar]

11. I love the Hitler button

LOLOL

[Robb]

8. BWA HA HA HA HA!!!!

Och, jeez. :D

Next Newsmax will report she got the Order of Lenin. :rofl:

[Raine]

10. Gawd...

what a bunch of IDIOTIC LIARS!!!!!! :silly:

[Historic NY]

12. Newsmax scum........

..First off the National Purple Heart Hall of honor is currently under construction at the New Windsor Cantonment. Gen. Washington's last Revolutionary War encampment of 1782-83. Sen Clinton has on numerous occasions offered her support and efforts in getting the funding going along with a bi-partisan group local politicians. A recent assist was in getting the Purple Heart Stamp changed to reflect the postal increase. She has not wavered or faltered in her support for Veterans.


HEY NEWSMAX ASSHOLES IF YOUR reading this drop dead.......you don't even have the decency to correct your mistakes.

[Texacrat]

13. Here come the purple bandage fuckers again

n/t

[NorthernSpy]

14. why do they LIE?

From the OP's article:

Funderburk criticized the NewsMax.com article for misrepresenting what the group had done. But NewsMax.com writer Carl Limbacher, who wrote the story, had no apologies and said reader reaction to his story "has been slim to none."

"My guess is that any controversy generated by my report was prompted more by the decision to give Hillary the award than by my coverage per se," Limbacher wrote in an e-mail.

Limbacher wrote that "New York Sen. Hillary Clinton has put in for a Purple Heart award - and she received the decoration yesterday".

Now, I've got scant love to spare for an Iraq-war-supporting DLC type like Hillary Clinton, and I've said so more than once. But seriously: what Limbacher wrote is a lie. Period.

There's just no other way to put it. Limbacher lied. He lied about Senator Clinton supposedly seeking and receiving "a Purple Heart award", a "decoration"; the award that Senator Clinton received is not a "Purple Heart award", and is not a "decoration" (which denotes a military honor).

When confronted with his lie, he just brazens it out without the slightest hint of apology. That behavior takes him quite out of the business of journalism. Limbacher is a writer of partisan propaganda, not a newsman. He told a LIE in order to push hot buttons with his more gullible and ignorant readers (civilians don't receive Purple Hearts, for fux sake!).


If they have the least little notion of honesty and fairness, or if they hope to retain even a whisper of credibility, NewsMax should do the right thing and print a retraction immediately. Unfortunately, there appear to be very few accuracy-promoting internal checks and balances in the NewsMax operation. We could try this contact form and see whether that results in any redress.

[tinymontgomery]

15. Link to give them support for their decision

http://www.purpleheart.org/contactus.html