Congressman Joe Walsh, a Tea Party favorite in the Chicago area, is running against hand-picked Democratic candidate Tammie Duckworth, an Iraq war veteran who lost both her legs when her Blackhawk helicopter was shot down. Walsh, already a lightning rod for speaking before he thinks, has criticized Duckworth for talking too much about her service and not about the issues of the campaign. Walsh stepped in it the other day when he said that “true heroes” don’t talk about their sacrifices all the time, and liberal bloggers are predictably outraged.
Walsh needs to forthrightly apologize for his stupid remark, honor Duckworth for her service, remind us that it isn’t a sufficient qualification for Congress, and say we can’t base this election on gaffes because the voters deserve to hear about the future and the critical issues the nation faces. Then he needs to point out the obvious: A vote for Tammie Duckworth is a vote for ObamaCare, a larger national debt, and a return of Nancy Pelosi as House Speaker.