[Updated at 6:05 p.m. ET] An Illinois congressman has stuck to his guns – including during a testy interview with CNN’s Ashleigh Banfield this week – in a flap over his assertions that his double-amputee election opponent talks too much about her military service and war injuries.
Rep. Joe Walsh, R-Illinois, has said that the story has been blown out of proportion, arguing that it has been manufactured by liberal opponents who recorded his comments at a campaign event Sunday and then posted them on the Internet, with liberal website ThinkProgress.org starting the coverage.
But he’s defended his stance, arguing that Democrat Tammy Duckworth – a Black Hawk helicopter pilot who lost both legs when her crew was shot down in Iraq in 2004 – rarely makes campaign appearances in her bid to defeat him in Illinois’ 8th Congressional District. When she does, he said, she talks mostly about her background fighting overseas.
We’d like to hear what you think about the issue. First, here’s how it played out this week.
In a Sunday campaign event in a Chicago suburb, Walsh was recalling the 2008 presidential campaign of Republican Sen. John McCain, saying McCain was modest about his background as a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War. Walsh said McCain was reluctant to make that story a focus of his campaign, despite pressure from advisers to do otherwise.
“That's what's so noble about our heroes. Now I'm running against a woman who, my God, that's all she talks about," Walsh said. "Our true heroes, it's the last thing in the world they talk about. That's why we're so indebted and in awe of what they've done."
The comments spread online, and several groups, including VoteVets.org and Emily’s List, condemned Walsh’s remarks.
Walsh, elected in 2010 with support from the tea party, told CNN’s “The Situation Room with Wolf Blizter” on Wednesday that he believes Duckworth is a hero, but she gives voters a narrow window into her positions on political issues.
“She is a hero, and that demands our respect, but it doesn’t demand our vote. All she does, guys, is talk about her service,” Walsh said.
On Thursday, Walsh got into a heated back-and-forth with Banfield during an interview on CNN. After Banfield attempted to contradict Walsh’s allegation that Duckworth doesn’t talk about issues – she read a list of moments when Duckworth commented on things other than military service – Walsh responded:
“She spends a lot of time talking about her war service. I’ve asked her to debate me monthly. She won’t. I’ve asked her to get directly in front of voters with me. She won’t. She will not get in front of voters and take questions directly from voters. Because she’s a war hero, Ashleigh, that demands our respect. But that doesn’t demand our vote.”
While Walsh and Duckworth might not have debated frequently, they did debate on May 11. According to a Chicago Sun-Times account, Duckworth criticized the GOP’s federal budget proposal, accused Walsh of wanting to end Medicare and backed President Obama’s support of gay marriage, but she declined to answer a question about whether she would have supported the bank bailout of a few years ago.
Duckworth’s stances on issues, according to her campaign website
Duckworth hasn't hidden her war service or injuries. She highlights them on her campaign website. After last week's U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the health care reform act, she referenced her injuries when discussing the act, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Walsh’s criticism of Duckworth isn’t new. Politico, on March 28, reported that he said this during a 30-minute interview: “I have so much respect for what she did in the fact that she sacrificed her body for this country. Ehhh. Now let’s move on.”
“What else has she done?” Walsh said, according to the March 28 Politico article. “Female, wounded veteran … ehhh. She is nothing more than a handpicked Washington bureaucrat. David Axelrod, Rahm Emanuel just picked her up and dropped her into this district.”
He later backtracked on the “dropped her into this district” comment in an interview with Chicago Magazine.
Hitting back on Friday, Duckworth told CNN's "The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer" that she discusses the issues "a majority of the time" and argued that Walsh was trying to "distract" voters away from his record in Congress.
"It's very irresponsible for Mr. Walsh, as a sitting congressman, to try to muzzle war veterans and keep them from talking about their service," Duckworth said.
Duckworth said during a Tuesday interview with MSNBC that Walsh had disrespected veterans and called him an "extremist loudmouth for the tea party." On Wednesday, she told CNN affiliate WLS that Walsh’s comments were “not even worth mentioning.”
This election year marks Duckworth's second run for Congress. The Iraq War veteran made an unsuccessful House bid in 2006, before being tapped by President Barack Obama in 2009 to become an assistant secretary at the Department of Veterans Affairs. She is a lieutenant colonel in the Illinois Army National Guard.
The two candidates are fighting for a seat representing the new 8th Congressional District outside Chicago and created by the state's recent redistricting process.
– CNN's Ashley Killough contributed to this report.
What do you think of Walsh's stance? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.
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The use of the word hero has gotten so overplayed in the last few years. I'm sorry but getting your legs blown off flying a helicopter or tripping a IED does not make you a hero. Nor does signing up for the military and going to war. A hero is someone is does something heroic. Like save a child (not indirectly) from a burning house, throwing yourself on a grenade, take a bullet for someone not involve in the conflict., ect. I'm a vet. Not a hero. I just did my job. I know many vets that feel the same. I don't support Walsh and I will not support someone that simply talks about their military record just for their personal gain.
Amen.
Well said.
She is running for an elected office. She must have a stance on the issues, an opinion that matters. My hats off to her and my prayers for what has happened to her in her line of duty. However, in no way does it relate to her candidacy.
She has to have an agenda, she will affect many lives with her vote in office. This is not to be taken lightly. Do you understand what is really going on? All you can concentrate on is the words of her opponent? His words are true and you want him hung. That's absurd. Sure some might consider what he said in poor taste but the man has a very valid point.
Finally! More voices of reason! I agree completely. Careful, you might actually get some people to use their brains.
Too bad when an anchor looses it, totally unprofessional. not like CNN anchors are ever biased....right?
Anchor losing it? Walsh is an a s s. He refuses to give a relevant answer, then just keeps yammering BS.
She seems calm ,cool, and polite ,unlike Joe Wishywashy.
Just to clear things up and for the record, Betty...I am a resident of Arizona, have been since 1970. I have witnessed McCain's campaigns first hand. I even voted for him, once, until he flipped to far to the right. He used his war record and captivety in his campaigns...all of them. Not like anyone on the right is biased or has memory lapses.
Unlike the "fair and balanced" Fox News anchors? *rolls eyes*
I remember I had the extreme displeasure of watching this guy speak in Deerfield last election. He was a d-bag then, and an even bigger d-bag now.
u r 2 nice abt Walsh
Ironically, Walsh references Senator McCain and his silence about his service record. If one listens to the debates from the 2008 election, they'll hear Mr. McCain mention "when i was a POW in Vietnam..." numerous times. I was ready to vote for Mr. McCain at the beginning of the campaign, but after his constant reference to his POW status, I lost respect. If LTC Duckworth talks only about her military service, I agree with Mr. Walsh, "She's no better than Mr. McCain." But then, I must ask Rep. Walsh his stand on "family values"! He never talks about that or his debt to the state for back child-support.
I understand what you mean, Greg. It's one thing to respect and express our appreciation for every service member. But, too many of them use it as the only reason they deserve to be elected. Too many candidates in my state send out advertisements and have nothing on there about where they stand on the issues but have a paragraph or two about their military service. I really hate to say it but I've worked with many veterans and had several as my managers and they sukked at their jobs.
This Joe Walsh guy is a joke. Vote him out of office!!!
"arguing that it has been manufactured by liberal opponents who recorded his comments at a campaign event Sunday and then posted them on the Internet"
So it's the *liberals* fault he said what he said?
Since this clown never served, he can shut up.
Assleigh Banfield is an idiot.
Mocking her name does not take anything away from the fact she is well spoken and polite.Walsh is a bad speaker, and wastes time repeating her name so he can think up excuses for his "mis-speak".
What a fool… Unless you have served and been through what she has, you have not earned the right to be critical of any part of her service. Common sense dictates that you keep your damn mouth shut about a decorated veteran’s military service unless you are thanking them for their service and sacrifice…
Why did he bring up gay marriage when he hasn't paid child support? What a slime ball Walsh is.
Much as I would never have voted for Guiliani, a candidate whose sentances always included "a noun, a verb, and 9/11", I would not vote for a candidate who ONLY spoke of military sevice and who did not speak of their position on the issues.
That said, any candidate whose been in war, and who DOES outline a positon on the issues not totally contradictory to me has my vote. I want our officeholders to KNOW what it means to send our troops to war... far too many of them seem to think it's all some game.
He was pretty good with the Eagles, but his solo career really isn't working out to good.
Of course if you look at the direction of our current congress, crashing an aircraft might be a good qualification.
"Life's been good to me so far...."
I understand we have freedom of speech, and I also know you can not fix stupid, but non serving dead beatRep. Walsh stretches the limits of my first statement and proves the second
He never served so he hates Duckworth's record of service. He IS disrespectful and condescending to Ashley CNN interviewer in your interview. He belongs on the bench outside a waiting room far from the halls of Congress.