"General Betray Us" originated from .... Rush Limbaugh listener to describe Chuck Hagel.

[beachmom]

Who is a Vietnam veteran, I may add.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0907/General_Betray_Us.html

Anyway, it also appears to have been borrowed, indirectly, from Rush Limbaugh. According to a Free Republican diary, Rush took a call in January from a listener who suggested he contrast General Petraeus with Senator Chuck Betrayus -- i.e., Hagel.

As Carpetbagger says (h/t on this story):

http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/12844.html

My first thought was to note the crocodile-tears quality of all of this. Do we really need to rehash every recent instance of a notable right-wing lawmaker, activist, or media personality using over-the-top rhetoric? Every example of this crowd questioning a Democrat’s patriotism, and engaging in character assassination? Every occasion of a far-right talk-show host using disgusting language on the air, only to have Dick Cheney on shortly thereafter?

But that’s probably the wrong response, in part because it equates MoveOn with clowns like DeLay, Coulter, Falwell, and O’Reilly. My second thought was to note that it wasn’t liberal activists who came up with “General Betray Us” line, it was conservatives.

But that’s unsatisfying, in part because it’s kind of irrelevant. The real point here is that MoveOn.org, whether the ad was offensive or not, is not the problem here.

Too many Republicans, particularly in the House and at the grassroots, have apparently decided that Iraq policy is far too difficult, so it’s preferable to attack MoveOn. But that’s absurd — we’re in the midst of a national discussion on a war. Lives are at stake. National security is on the line.

[Moochy]

1. I support a spontaneous origin theory :)

I thought of it as soon as I heard his name. Its only one consonant difference for gosh's sake.

B vs P is only a difference in voicing aspect of that consonant.

[Orangepeel]

5. me, too. Not only possible but LIKELY that more than one person thought of this independently

It's clever, but it's not THAT clever

[hisownpetard]

7. Me, two, too! I used it in a post a couple weeks ago and then was flabbergasted

that within MINUTES I saw it being used all over DU. WOW, I thought,
people are really into my posts.

DUH!

[Moochy]

8. Well all those linguistics classes were good for something!

:)

[Warpy]

2. I doubt if any dittohead came up with it

He was just trying to score points after he read it somewhere else, like lurking at DU.

Face it, Lamebawl's listeners are not creative and they're certainly not smart.

[beachmom]

Hello, this was a long time ago. Way before the ad.

I never read "General Betray Us" until the Moveon.org ad.

[Warpy]

9. I called the man BetrayUs the first time I saw his name in the news

However, if you want to give undue credit to a dittohead who was trying to reflect it back at antiwar people, that's up to you.

I don't buy it and I don't suppose too many other people will.

[babylonsister]

3. Oh, the irony, or is this kharma?

}(

[shain from kane]

6. Most likely karma, or something like it. n/t

[TwilightGardener]

4. I heard "Senator Betray-Us" about Hagel from Limbaugh first, in January, you're right.

That was his catchy nickname for Hagel. It's OK to call a US Senator and veteran a traitor if the GOP disagrees with him politically.