He’s ticked me off big-time, this time.

In a discussion on tonight’s episode of Hardball of what the Democrats’ options would be in the event of a Scott Brown victory, Chris Matthews said this:

You have GOT. To be kidding me.

Audie Murphy served twenty-seven months in the European Theater of World War II.  At least a year of that time, it appears he was under the age of 18.  He won, among others:

• The Belgian Croix de Gurre
• The French Croix de Gurre
• The French Legion of Honor (That’s their highest honor)
• A Purple Heart with two Oak Leaf clusters (means he was wounded three times)
• Two Bronze Stars
• A Legion of Merit
• Two Silver Stars
• A Distinguished Silver Cross
• And last, but certainly not least, the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Rahm Emanuel has won accolades for being an unmitigated jerk to everyone who gets in his way.  That [several choice expletives deleted] doesn’t deserve to visit Audie Murphy’s birthplace, much less be mentioned in the same sentence.  Rahm Emanuel built a Democrat majority in two houses of Congress — very well, that’s a good accomplishment.  Audie Murphy invaded Sicily, Salerno, was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant at the ripe old age of 18 (six years younger than ME!), became his company’s commander at age 18, promoted to First Lieutenant in under two months, and was awarded the Medal of Honor eighteen days before his 19th birthday.

There are men who live a full century that don’t accomplish that much.  And Rahmbo never will.

Here is the text of Audie Murphy’s Medal of Honor citation.  If Rahm could imagine a story this good, I’d be impressed.

Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army, Company B 15th Infantry, 3rd Infantry Division.

Place and date: Near Holtzwihr France, January 26, 1945.

Entered service at: Dallas, Texas. Birth: Hunt County, near Kingston, Texas, G.O. No. 65, August 9, 1944.

Citation: Second Lt. Murphy commanded Company B, which was attacked by six tanks and waves of infantry. 2d Lt. Murphy ordered his men to withdraw to a prepared position in a woods, while he remained forward at his command post and continued to give fire directions to the artillery by telephone. Behind him, to his right, one of our tank destroyers received a direct hit and began to burn. Its crew withdrew to the woods. 2d Lt. Murphy continued to direct artillery fire, which killed large numbers of the advancing enemy infantry. With the enemy tanks abreast of his position, 2d Lt. Murphy climbed on the burning tank destroyer, which was in danger of blowing up at any moment, and employed its .50 caliber machine gun against the enemy. He was alone and exposed to German fire from three sides, but his deadly fire killed dozens of Germans and caused their infantry attack to waver. The enemy tanks, losing infantry support, began to fall back. For an hour the Germans tried every available weapon to eliminate 2d Lt. Murphy, but he continued to hold his position and wiped out a squad that was trying to creep up unnoticed on his right flank. Germans reached as close as 10 yards, only to be mowed down by his fire. He received a leg wound, but ignored it and continued his single-handed fight until his ammunition was exhausted. He then made his way back to his company, refused medical attention, and organized the company in a counterattack, which forced the Germans to withdraw. His directing of artillery fire wiped out many of the enemy; he killed or wounded about 50. 2d Lt. Murphy’s indomitable courage and his refusal to give an inch of ground saved his company from possible encirclement and destruction, and enabled it to hold the woods which had been the enemy’s objective.

Audie apparently was the first veteran to talk openly about battle-related psychological conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder.

And Chris Matthews thinks that ramming this god-awful health care bill through Congress is the same thing as what Audie Murphy did.

I wish that I had known Audie Murphy.  I wish that I had the opportunity to tell him how very much I appreciate his unbelievable valor in serving his country.

Rahm will never be half the man that Audie was.  Matthews oughta know as much.