Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., denounced the president's use of the phrase ""Islamic fascists"" in a speech to the Arab American Institute Tuesday, arguing that it is an unfair portrayal of the majority of Muslims.
""We must avoid using misleading and offensive terms that link Islam with those who subvert this great religion or who distort its teachings to justify terrorist activities,"" Feingold said.
The term and its diminutive, ""Islamofascist,"" have been popularized by many right-wing pundits, including radio personality Rush Limbaugh, as a handle for Islamic terrorists. Critics of the term argue that Islamic terrorists have little in common with fascism as it is popularly known and simply serves as a derogatory name with little meaning.
