“The Tokyo Rose Of Al Qaeda”

by

by hilzoy

You’ll never guess who “the Tokyo Rose of al Qaeda” is:

“Republican U.S. Senate challenger Christopher Reed accused fellow Navy veteran and Democrat Sen. Tom Harkin of aiding the enemy because of his call to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq on a scheduled timetable.

In a taped debate that aired Thursday night on Iowa Public Television, Reed called Harkin the “Tokyo Rose” of al-Qaida and Middle East terrorism.

“We’re taking advice from somebody who has an eight-year history of becoming the Tokyo Rose of al Qaida and Middle East terrorism,” Reed said.

After the debate, Harkin called Reed’s comments “beyond the pale.” and says Reed has lost his bearings.

The term refers to Japanese women who broadcast anti-American messages in English to U.S. troops during World War II.

“The white flag of surrender, accusing our Marines of torture, voting to defund our troops while they are in harm’s way, those are all records of having an anti-American policy,” Reed said.

Reed specifically said Harkin was “providing aid and comfort to the enemy,” language consistent with the U.S. definition of treason. When asked by the moderator whether he was accusing Harkin of treason, Reed replied, “”No. I’m accusing him of giving our enemies the playbook.””

Tom Harkin? A traitor? That’s just unhinged.

As I said yesterday: in a sane world, this sort of slander would be not just wrong, but politically suicidal. Luckily, Iowa seems to be pretty sane: the latest polls have Harkin leading Reed by 21 points. With any luck, the rest of the country will get the message.

18 thoughts on ““The Tokyo Rose Of Al Qaeda””

  1. Why hasn’t anyone flipped the argument on these people’s heads? It seems to me that the person who is aiding and comforting our enemies is the person who keeps nurturing the silly idea that there is some kind of fifth column within the American state. If you listened to Limbaugh, Reed, and Co., you’d be under the impression that there are legions of Americans just itching to overthrow their benevolent masters and throw up the white flag of surrender.

  2. I think it is important to point out that the person prosecuted for being Tokyo Rose, Iva Toguri-Aquino, was arrested due to a mass media witch hunt led by Walter Winchell and an indictment that was brought thru the subornation of perjury, and was convicted of the one count of treason, which reads
    “…on a day during October, 1944, the exact date being to the Grand Jurors unknown, said defendant, at Tokyo, Japan, in a broadcasting studio of the Broadcasting Corporation of Japan, did speak into a microphone concerning the loss of ships.”
    Link

  3. I hope that Chris Reed and Michelle Bachmann can be very happy together, in careers unconnected to political office.

  4. I aqree with LJ, but wish to stress the even more important point, which LJ somehow managed to more or less leave out, which is that that Iva Toguri D’Aquino was essentially innocent, and was pardoned by Gerald Ford because of that.

    Identified by the press as Tokyo Rose after the war, she was detained for a year by the U.S. military before being released for lack of evidence. Upon return to the U.S., the Federal Bureau of Investigation began an investigation of her activities and she was subsequently charged by the United States Attorney’s Office with eight counts of treason. Her 1949 trial resulted in a conviction on one count, making her the seventh American to be convicted on that charge. In 1974, investigative journalists found key witnesses had lied during testimony and other serious problems with the conduct of the trial. She was pardoned by U.S. President Gerald Ford in 1977, becoming the only U.S. citizen convicted of treason to be pardoned.[1]
    […]
    In 1976 an investigation by Chicago Tribune reporter Ron Yates discovered that Kenkichi Oki and George Mitsushio, who delivered the most damaging testimony at Toguri’s trial, lied under oath.[5] They stated they had been threatened by the FBI and U.S. occupation police and told what to say and what not to say just hours before the trial.[5] This was followed up by a Morley Safer report on the television news program 60 Minutes
    Due to these revelations, U.S. President Gerald Ford pardoned Mrs. D’Aquino on January 19, 1977, his last full day in office, after she had appealed to him in writing. The decision was supported by a unanimous vote in both houses of the California State Legislature, the national Japanese-American Citizens League, and S. I. Hayakawa, then a United States Senator from California. The pardon restored her citizenship.

  5. Well, to be fair, Harkin should have known he was risking political trouble when he began reading each Friday morning all those Al-Qa’ida communiques on the radio and ending each broadcast with “This is Tom Harkin, Death To America, In-sha’llah!”

  6. We don’t have duels anymore, so I guess that solution is right out.
    Time for Harkin to issue the Obama “Say it to my face” challenge. Call for Reed to say it to his face in a public forum, where Harkin can make a direct reply.
    Most bullies are cowards, that would probably be the end of this line of talk from Reed. Or at least the end of it’s effectiveness.
    Thanks –

  7. I thought about sending Harkin a cane to beat his opponent up for that but the precedent* is too ugly to consider this.
    *Charles Sumner

  9. Russell, the post appears to indicate that the statement was made in a debate – wasn’t it made to his face? And Hartmut, thrashing a senator with a cane is, as you yourself point out, traditionally done in support of treason, so I guess that even beyond the repugnant and criminal nature of the physical violence, thrashing a senatoral candidate who accuses you of treason with a cane could be seen almost as an admission of guilt. I’ll let him take his thrashing metaphorically, at the ballot box and in the minds of all decent people, thanks.

  10. I volunteered one summer in college for Harkin’s office in Des Moines. It taught me alot about the work pols do in terms of helping out constituents, defending their policies, etc.
    It also confirmed my thought that I would never, ever, want a job that involved dealing with random members of the general public.
    Oh, and fnck Christopher Reed.

  11. As I said yesterday: in a sane world, this sort of slander would be not just wrong, but politically suicidal.
    Which is exactly what Harkin told Reed after the debate, according to the Des Moines Register:
    “You’re a nice young man, and I thought you had a political future ahead of you,” Harkin said in the television studio after the taping.
    “But that just ended your political career right there.”
    He’s right, too. I’d be shocked if Harkin won by only 21 points.

  12. If only Bush hadn’t been so weak on terror and ignored the multiple warnings he received, 9-11 would have never happened and we wouldn’t have to listen to these chickenshit conservatives puff out their chests and act tough, when most like Reed are afraid of their own shadows – the gutless weinies.

  13. I can’t believe the best part of this whole incident was left out of the OP (finally posted by Ubu above). Harkin had a great response to Reed after the debate. That quote should answer at least a few of the earlier comments.
    Just to be clear, I’m referring to this:
    “You’re a nice young man, and I thought you had a political future ahead of you,” Harkin said in the television studio after the taping.
    “But that just ended your political career right there.”

  14. it seems Reed did say it to Harkin’s face.
    Oops, my bad. Sorry!
    “You’re a nice young man, and I thought you had a political future ahead of you,” Harkin said in the television studio after the taping.
    “But that just ended your political career right there.”
    Sounds like Harkin doesn’t need any advice from me, after all.
    Thanks –

  18. Apologies if my comment gave anyone the impression that Iva Touguri-Aquino not, in terms of actual fact, innocent. I was just worried that someone might object to labeling her ‘innocent’ when she was actually found guilty and pardoned, which I think is a different thing.

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