RUSH: This is such a great thing. I found it on YouTube yesterday. There is mild controversy surrounding this ad because it is suggested by Democrats that it was paid for by John McCain and his campaign. It has not been. It was not paid for by anybody other than the man who did it. His name is Joe Cook, and Joe Cook is an injured Iraq war vet, lost his lower leg, foot. But you don’t know that until the end of the piece. The piece starts with a tight shot of Joe Cook in an outdoor setting, he says what he says, at the end of his remarks, Lee Greenwood’s God Bless the USA comes up as Joe Cook turns around and walks away, and that’s when you learn that he is an injured Iraq war vet. I want you to listen to this, particularly on this, the anniversary of 9/11.
Dear Mr. Obama: Having spent 12 months in the Iraq theater I can promise you, this was not a mistake. I witnessed firsthand the many sacrifices made by the people of Iraq. Those sacrifices were not mistakes. Iraqi people are just like us. They want a chance to live in a secure world, free from tyranny, free from terrorism, free to prosper, free to raise their children and pass on a future. Are they better off today than they were in 2002? You bet. I’ve seen many men sacrifice their lives for the Iraqi people. They died for a purpose, not a mistake. They died giving hope. They died promoting freedom. Do you rescue a fireman just as he’s about to save a child? When you call the Iraqi war a mistake, you disrespect the service and the sacrifice of everyone who has died promoting freedom. Freedom carries with it a price. Because you do not understand nor appreciate these principles, sir, I am supporting Senator John McCain for president. He, too, made a huge sacrifice promoting freedom, because he understands the fundamental truth, freedom is always worth the price. (playing of Lee Greenwood song)
RUSH: That was Army Specialist Joe Cook, an Iraq war veteran, wounded by an IED in Iraq May 2007, lost his left foot and leg six inches below the knee. And you see him walking away after making his remarks here. He’s walking on a dirt road in an outdoor setting. And everybody is saying McCain paid for it. McCain did not pay for this. This is not a paid-for by McCain campaign ad.