Father of Flight 93 Hero Shamelessly Uses His Son's Death to Mislead Americans

by Marie Therese
News Hounds
Oct. 10, 2006

On yesterday morning's FOX & Friends First I was stunned to see the face of David Beamer, father of Flight 93 hero Todd Beamer, appear on my screen making a political pitch out of the tragedy of his son's death. In front of a montage of clips of his son, the 9-11 towers, soldiers fighting in Iraq and the Shanksville site where United 93 crashed, Mr. Beamer appeared in a political ad and uttered words cleverly designed to mislead FOX viewers once again into believing that somehow Iraq had something to do with the death of his son and 3,000 other Americans. The ad was paid for by Progress for America, Inc..

According to SourceWatch, "the PFA was, from the beginning, 'closely associated' with the Bush administration, the Republican National Committee and 'their consultants.' PFA was established in 2001 to support George W. Bush's 'agenda for America.' The PFA Voter Fund, which was set up in 2004, raised $38 million in support of Bush's 2004 election bid." One of the most prominent names affiliated with PFA is C. Boyden Gray, a major Republican power broker.

Here's what David Beamer had to say on behalf of Progress for America in support of the war in Iraq.

Now, here's a link to another video of David Beamer speaking at the "Boot Murtha" rally recently covered on Hannity & Colmes. However, I warn you. It's 14 minutes, edited down from 41 and Mr. Beamer would not win any oration contests. The "Boot Murtha" campaign is supported by some of the same pond scum who swiftboated John Kerry in the last election.

Google Video

As Ellen reported in a recent post, H&C tried to make it appear that this anti-Murtha rally was just as big as the pro-Murtha rally. 1,000 people attended the "Boot Murtha" rally while 2,000 attended a pro-Murtha rally earlier in the week. Murtha still leads his opponent Diane Irey by 10%.

COMMENT

David Beamer has allied himself with a distinct political party and has sunk to the level of allowing his dead son's image to be used in a political ad created by an organization whose entire raison d'etre is implementing the Bush agenda. He allowed these people to craft words for him that deliberately muddy the waters, sly, sneaky words aimed at implying without actually stating that Iraq, Al Qaeda and 9-11 are somehow intertwined. For all we know David Beamer might even have been paid by PFA to do the ad.

It is, of course, his right as an American to say whatever he wants to say and to do whatever he wants to do, within the law.

However, to do so opens him up to legitimate public criticism.

Lest our right-wing readers take exception to this by claiming that David Beamer has immunity from criticism because of his loss, let me quote from Ann Coulter, the Mad Mamma of Mean, on the subject of pity for the bereaved:

"If people are going to use a personal tragedy in their lives to inject themselves into a national debate, I’m sorry, you can't just say, 'We're off limits. Now we're going to invoke the fact that our husbands died, you can't criticize us.'" (Source: CBC News).

What's good for the goose is good for the gander.

According to the Associated Press, Beamer's ad is part of a multi-level, pro-war, pro-Republican campaign directed at Ohio and Missouri.

Progress for America began airing a new ad in the political battlegrounds of Missouri and Ohio and on national cable featuring David Beamer, whose son Todd was killed when United Flight 93 crashed on Sept. 11, 2001, in a field in southwestern Pennsylvania. At the same time, the group is sending hundreds of thousands of e-mails across the country with an offer from Beamer to give away free copies of "United 93," the feature film about the passengers who joined Todd Beamer in thwarting the hijackers' plans to reach their Washington targets.

"Todd and United 93 fought back on 9-11," Beamer says on the 30-second ad. "We continue this fight in Iraq today."

Though required to work independently from candidates and political parties, the Progress for America message dovetails with Republican efforts to link the war in Iraq with the war on terror. In Ohio, Republican Sen. Mike DeWine, and his opponent, Democratic Rep. Sherrod Brown, have been sparring on the air with ads challenging each other's commitment to national security.

The Progress for America ad buy is reaching viewers in all major markets in Ohio and Missouri.

In his e-mail, Beamer urges readers to obtain the film. "I believe that when you see the movie, you will be reminded of the nature of the enemy we face today in Iraq and Afghanistan," he says. "We are at war with a real enemy and it is personal."

Progress for America, which has more than 1 million copies of the movie, is relying on its distribution to also expand its donor base and the reach of its message. People who request a free DVD are asked to share the movie with neighbors, family and friends and to provide Progress for America with their contact information. (Source: Daytona Beach News.Journal)

I live in a very Democratic congressional district in California. Last weekend I hosted a MoveOn.org Call for Change party. Nine of us spent three hours on our cell phones calling Ohio's 15th Congressional district. We spoke to approximately 150 people in that time and it was a lot of fun.

Please, please, now is the time to volunteer to attend or to host such a party. Or if you're in a too-close-to-call district, it's time for you to walk the precincts and knock on doors. Contact your local Democratic headquarters and volunteer.

Or volunteer to participate in a Call for Change activity:

MoveOn.org Political Action