In Jeb's World, It's Not THAT You "Diss," but WHO You "Diss"

Donald Trump began his tasteless campaign for president by making downright nasty comments about immigrants, specifically Mexicans: "They're bringing drugs.  They're bringing crime.  They're rapists."  The GOP was silent.

Donald Trump's controversial remarks about Senator John McCain (R-Arizona), however, got a swift response both from the RNC: "There is no place in our party or our country for comments that disparage those who have served honorably." Most of the Republican presidential field voiced similar opinions.

what eye thynk:  My favorite example of selective "dissing," however, came from Jeb Bush.  

Jeb responded to Donald Trump's saying John McCain was not a hero by tweeting: "Enough with the slanderous attacks. @SenJohnMcCain and all our veterans - particularly POWs have earned our respect and admiration."

I guess Jeb ran over the Twitter 140 character limit since he didn't bother to finish.  I'm sure, being an honest man and all, that he meant to add "unless the veteran is a Democrat."

In 2004, after Col. Bud Day and his "Swift Boat Veterans" group ran a smear campaign against presidential candidate and decorated war hero John Kerry (D), who earned the Bronze Star medal with the "V" for valor designation, Jeb wrote a thank you letter to Mr. Day: "Please let them know that I am personally appreciative of their service to our nation.  As someone who truly understands the risk of standing up for something, I simply cannot express in words how much I value their willingness to stand up against John Kerry."

As MSNBC's Steve Benen said, "In this case, 'stand up to' was apparently a euphemism for 'tell lies about.'"

CNN's Jake Tappe asked why Jeb seems disgusted with attacks on one military veteran but praises attacks on another.  A Bush campaign spokesperson responded, "We reject the entire premise.  A thank you letter to Col. Bud Day...is not in any way analogous to condemning Donald Trump's slanderous attack on John McCain."  

If that response makes sense to you, you must be a Republican.

While I think that, since losing his bid for president, John McCain has lost his edge as a political leader and has become a caricature of himself, I can in no way condone disrespecting the service he gave to this country.  So I do agree with the RNC and Jeb on that.   

But Jeb saying that his thanking Republican (Bud Day) for slandering military hero (Democrat John Kerry) is "not in any way analogous" with Republican (Donald Trump) slandering military hero (Republican John McCain) is nonsense.