Congressman John D. Dingell

Washington, DC - Today, Congressman John D. Dingell (D-MI15) released the following letter that he sent to radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh:

August 2, 2006

Mr. Rush Limbaugh
1270 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020

Dear Rush:

Your comments about me and my position on the terrorist organization Hezbollah during your program on August 1 and 2 were dishonest and misleading.

I am consistently on the record saying that I believe Hezbollah to be a terrorist organization dedicated to the elimination of Israel. The world community must come together to work to eradicate Hezbollah and their power. They unilaterally provoked this conflict, they use civilians as human shields, and they generally have no regard for the loss of either Israeli or Lebanese civilian lives. The sad and unfortunate events of the past few weeks have reinforced this belief.

Here are the facts:

In March 2005, I voted for a resolution calling on the European Union to list Hezbollah as a terrorist organization.

In June 2006, I voted for a resolution urging the Organization of American States countries to designate Hezbollah as a terrorist organization.

On July 28 of this year, I signed onto a letter again reiterating the request for the EU to regard Hezbollah as a terrorist organization.

You also disregarded my continued support of the State of Israel including:

• A July 19, 2006 statement in which I said on the House floor "Israel's right to defend itself is absolute."
• A statement two days earlier on July 17 on the House floor in which I said: "The actions of Hezbollah have been wrong and counterproductive. They violated Israel's borders, they have continually targeted civilians, and they have endangered Lebanon's promising future."
• And, the fact that during my 50 years in Congress, I have proudly supported more than $300 billion dollars in aid for the State of Israel.

For your own political agenda, you ignored the facts and relied on an edited soundbite which does not stand up to the scrutiny of unbiased reporters.

Let me make it clear: I will continue to call for a cease-fire and to advocate for peace in the Middle East. I want an end to the deadly attacks for many reasons, including my belief that this conflict has cost Israel dearly in the international community. I also believe Israel faces a long-term threat if the government of Lebanon is controlled by extremists. This could happen if the violence brings down Lebanon's democratically elected government - which has received strong support from the Bush Administration. I believe Israel has both the right to exist and the right to protect its borders. I am doing what I believe will help our friends in Israel today, tomorrow and for years to come.

You and I disagree on many things, but we do share a love of this country and its people. I ask you to use your influence to stoke the fires for peace in the Middle East - a peace that will advance America's standing in all corners of the world - instead of furthering the bloodshed and pain for the sake of partisan politics.

Sincerely yours,

John D. Dingell
Member of Congress
15th Congressional District, Michigan