Over The Top

You know, Ike Skelton has never made an issue of his own physical challenge of having a left arm immobilized since his teen years because of polio. The polio and resulting loss of use of his arm dashed Ike's boyhood dream of attending West Point and following his father into military service. But Ike never let up because of his physical challenge. He finished military school, even ran track. He excelled in college and received high academic honors. He served as a crime fighting county prosecutor and later as a state senator. And in Congress, he has energetically served our men and women in uniform, rising to Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee.

Through it all, Ike has turned the other cheek to insensitive, insulting, mocking comments by Republicans about his immobilized arm, comments too tasteless to repeat. But this NRCC ad is over the top, showing Ike's arms flapping, when Ike's GOP colleagues in Congress know full well his courageous battle to overcome the effects of boyhood polio and his commitment to a life of service to our men and women in the military. So the chickenhawk award goes to the NRCC for the most insulting ad to infuriate all fair-minded Missourians and particularly those with disabilities.