Republicans Fail to Note Political Activity of Pro-Bush 9/11 Widow

Hey DU family!

I just composed the following and sent it to Media Matters for America as a tip. Wanted to share with you:

Republicans Fail to Note Political Activity of Pro-Bush 9/11 Widow

In speaking out against a group of 9/11 widows known as the Jersey Girls, conservative commentator Ann Coulter said they were an example of "the left's doctrine of infallability" (meaning the left wants to innoculate itself from criticism by putting up women who Coulter says can't be responded to because they are widows). During an appearance on the Today show, Coulter also took the women to task for "cutting ads for Kerry" during the 2004 campaign.

And conservative commentators such as Sean Hannity, as well as various Republican strategists, have defended Coulter's attacks on the Jersey Girls. Hannity, in particular, noted the Jersey Girls "entered the political arena" and, like Coulter, mentioned their support of the Kerry/Edwards ticket.

But they failed to point out the political activity of Deena Burnett, whose husband was also killed on 9/11 (on United Flight 93). Burnett, in particular, has spoken out in support of President Bush and other Republicans, and of the Iraq war.

Burnett was one of the featured speakers at the 2004 Republican Convention. (Remarks here: http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/micro_stories.pl?ACCT=919633&TICK=REPS04&STORY=/www/story/08-30-2004/0002241057&EDATE=Aug+30,+2004)

She also appeared at a "Hutchinson for Senate Dinner," in support of Republican Senator Tim Hutchinson of Arkansas). President Bush attended the dinner and made note of her presence: "Deena Burnett is here today with us. Her husband was on that flight. She knows about which I'm about to speak. She heard it firsthand. These were great Americans who were flying across the country and learned that their airplane was going to be used as a weapon. Who knows what it was targeted for, the White House or the Capitol, but it was going to be used as a weapon. Their loved ones said good-bye on the telephone. Their last words were, I love you, to their loved ones. They said a prayer. A guy said, "Let's roll," and they took the plane in the ground. There is a new spirit in America of serving something greater than yourself in life." (http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/08/20020829-8.html)

What's more, she spoke out in support of the Iraq war, during a "You Don't Speak for Me, Cindy" rally in Crawford Texas.

From a Bloomberg News article:

A group called ``You Don't Speak for Me, Cindy'' held a rally in support of the president in downtown Crawford later in the day.
The competing protests drew about 8,500 people, roughly split between the two sides, said Donnie Tidmore, the police chief of Crawford, which has a population of 705 people, according to a sign as you drive into town.
Among those at the pro-Bush rally was Deena Burnett, whose husband Tom was killed on United Airlines Flight 93 on Sept. 11. Deena Burnett said her husband died trying to re-take the plane from the terrorists.
Tom Burnett ``believed in doing what's right and not necessarily taking the easy way out and that you have to fight for freedom and democracy,'' Burnett said at the rally. ``He would have supported this war.''
(Entire article here: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000087&sid=awokh.zZBSE0&refer=top_world_news)

Finally, in stating her theory that the Jersey Girls are an exmaple of "the left's doctrine of infallability," Ann Coulter failed to note that the most vocal of the widows, Kristen Breitweiser, is actually a Republican who voted for Bush in 2000, and she said that her support of Kerry/Edwards did not mean she had switched to Democrat. She explained her position in interviews with Mary Jacoby (Salon.com) and Newsweek magazine:
http://dir.salon.com/story/news/feature/2004/09/15/widows/index.html
www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6030699/site/newsweek/

I'm switching to the GOP. It will be so much easier to just be able to make everything up as I go along.

Why let a few facts get in the way, right?

That's exactly how the GOP thinks.

'The Hug' becomes a TV ad for Bush
MASON - At the Faulkner household, it's known as "The Hug."

Now the embrace between President Bush and then-15-year-old Ashley Faulkner has turned into something more than just a personal moment.

It's also the most expensive TV ad campaign of the presidential election.


http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2004/10/20/loc_campaignad.html

Did she ever appear at any Bush events?

and if anybody "cashed" in on 9/11 it was her with her book/movie. I shouldn't say cash-in, because I don't begrudge her of it, but Coulter doesn't include her as a "Jersey Bitch"