You're Just Another Liberal Tokyo Rose

What, has calling liberals & Democrats un-American worn thin? Sen. Tom Harkin and his Republican challenger, Christopher Reed of Marion (a Cedar Rapids suburb), had a debate last Thursday:

Reed criticized the idea of putting out a "timetable" for US withdrawal from Iraq, then charged that Harkin was a "Tokyo Rose."

"We need somebody who believes in the United States of America," Reed said. "...Don't snatch defeat from the jaws of victory."

Yepsen asked when Reed meant by the term "Tokyo Rose."

"Providing aid and comfort to the enemy," Reed said.

Yepsen asked if Reed was accusing Harkin of treason?

"I'm accusing him of giving our enemies the playbook," Reed said, adding that -- in regards to the treason question: "I believe that some of his positions and speeches were."

Yepsen asked Harkin for a response: "Well, it's hard to know where to begin. I'm very proud of my military service and I am dismayed by torture....I think we have to be better than that. I think what the Bush Administration...what they did has given us an image around the world that we shouldn't have, that we're going to engage in the same kind of torture our enemies are....So, yes, mark me down as someone who is going to do everything he possibly can...to make sure that no one in our military....can engage in things like waterboarding and torture," Harkin said, adding later: "These kinds of personal attacks of what people get sick of....This ankle-biting personal attacks. This is nonsense."

What the article from O.Kay Henderson doesn't mention is immediately after the debate, Harkin regretfully informed Mr. Rants that his "Tokyo Rose" comment had just effectively killed Rants' career.

Both Harkin and Reed are Navy veterans. Harkin served in a Naval support role in Vietnam prior to 1967. Reed served in Virginia & Connecticut on shore postings, and aboard the guided missile cruiser USS San Jacinto.