To be added to the Murtha Watch ping list please notify myself or RedRover.
Posted on 12/03/2007 8:49:15 AM PST by smoothsailing
It's (Past) Time for Murtha to Resign
By FrontPage Magazine
FrontPageMagazine.com | 12/3/2007
With one comment late last week, John Murtha argued eloquently for his own resignation.
In a video teleconference last Thursday, Murtha told his constituents, “I think the ‘surge’ is working.”
Jack Murtha is remembered as the main opponent of American involvement in Iraq, who argued not merely against the surge but for an immediate withdrawal while al-Zarqawi still treated Anbar province as the beachhead of a new, pan-Islamic Caliphate. The Abscam unindicted co-conspirator has demoralized the troops for years by claiming the war is “lost” and can never be “won militarily”; he has now vindicated the president and invalidated his unchanging, interminable counsel of withdrawal.
Every public official has the right to be wrong on an issue, even forcefully wrong – and to bear the responsibility for his stand. That’s what being a “Profile in Courage” is all about. As the most publicly visible advocate of American surrender, his endorsement of the surge he derided as hopeless and opposed even as it was bearing fruit just months ago amounts to an almost total self-repudiation. His continued, full-throated defense of American withdrawal from Vietnam, Beirut, and Somalia – the three reversals that convinced Osama bin Laden he could attack the Great Satan with impunity – indicate the Congressman is not merely passionately wrong but possibly ineducable. This alone would demand for the resignation of an honorable man. The most compelling reason for John Murtha’s resignation, though, is that he is not an honorable man. Citing inside military sources, he publicly accused U.S. Marines of murdering innocent Iraqis “in cold blood.” (Unfortunately, Murtha was not referencing these informants when he said, “Look, these guys have lied to us so much, I've even lost confidence in the military”; he was referring to those honest enlisted men who said the surge was working.) Although all but one of the accused has been cleared of criminal charges, Murtha pointedly refused to apologize for painting American troops as pariahs, sadists, and maniacs – even as they face al-Qaeda demons who cook their opponents’ children alive.
Media coverage of his admission has been predictably disappointing. Not one of the three “major” networks covered the Congressman’s self-destructive comment. Certain aspects of the Murtha story were significantly absent from those media outlets that deigned to cover the story at all. Gone were references to Murtha as a “decorated war hero,” a war hawk of unassailable patriotism who could be counted on to make the well-being of his brothers-in-arms his lodestar. (The Associated Press cited this hagiography only when noting Murtha’s opposition to the war.)
The media did not report that such an admission proves the president’s military strategy has been an overwhelming success. Only the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette dared to note:
About 711 Iraqi civilians have been killed or found dead in November, according to statistics compiled by The Associated Press. That figure compares with 2,155 deaths in May. U.S. forces also have seen a major decline in casualties. The military yesterday reported its 35th death in November, the lowest monthly number since March 2006. More than 120 troops died in May of this year, just as the troop surge was reaching its height.
Nor did “mainstream” media reporters place his comments into greater political context. None pointed out that the leadership of both houses of Congress wrote off the surge as an utter failure months ago, even before it had reached full-strength. Few noted the political implications of the admission. CNN revealed that Murtha “stunned” his colleagues. Only The Politico surmised, “This could be a huge problem for Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and other Democratic leaders, who are blocking approval of the full $200 billion being sought by President Bush for combat operations in Iraq in 2008.” It further quoted a “top House Democratic aide,” who responded: “This could be a real headache for us. Pelosi is going to be furious.”
This was the first and last media assessment that Murtha’s comments meant trouble for Congressional Democrats. The Washington Post’s Jonathan Weisman analyzed the statement, when asked, parrying that while “progress poses a huge dilemma for the Democrats…a new poll from the Pew Center found that Americans are far more optimistic about military efforts in Iraq and still back Democratic efforts to end the war. For Republicans, that is the dilemma.”
Instead, media outlets took the opportunity of Murtha’s “clarification” the next day to belittle those bold enough to mention this sea-change political development. CNN claimed “Republicans quickly seized Murtha’s comments.” The AP and Fox News, “GOP shill” that it is, also said Republicans had “pounced” on his words.
Although CNN’s John Roberts underscored the totality of this flip-flop, no media outlet has reported the complete hypocrisy embodied by Thursday’s statement. Local media reported, “Mr. Murtha, a Vietnam veteran who chairs the powerful House panel on defense spending, said the latest military successes aren't a surprise.” This is the same John Murtha who confidently asserted in March on Meet the Press “a surge just won’t work. And that’s what we believe, and, and I think, in the end, this is what you’ll see will happen.” In July, as the surge quelled violence and drove “insurgents” out of Iraq, Murtha insisted: “I think the surge has failed. I think there was no possibility it was going to work.”
Although he said repeatedly the military conflict “cannot be won military,” in his post-faux pas interview with Wolf Blitzer on CNN, Osama’s Congressman said, “militarily, sure, we can win.”
In his “clarification” – which even a usually complicit media dubbed “unusual” – Murtha further contradicted himself. “The fact remains that the war in Iraq cannot be won militarily, and that we must begin an orderly redeployment of U.S. forces from Iraq as soon as practicable.” But, he added, “If you put more forces in, things will work out.” He concluded, “We can't win.” Not only can Murtha not craft a winning foreign strategy for America’s troops in wartime, he can’t voice his own vision of retreat without contradicting himself.
When two Brookings Institution antiwar liberals wrote Iraq was “A War We Just Might Win,” Murtha retorted, “They were there seven days…I dismiss it as rhetoric.” During his own short stint in the region, Murtha met U.S. troops in Kuwait and discovered to his shock, “They want to finish the job. But, on the other hand, they want to get home.” That would describe the aspirations of any enlisted man in any war in American history. It would also be exactly what Murtha’s plan would prevent.
Murtha is an ethically defective defeatist who has advocated the Waziristan Party Line on foreign policy for more than two decades. He has unapologetically handed Osama bin Laden a propaganda coup while falsely maligning the Marines he claims to support. He has acknowledged the error of his most deeply-held policy position, which he now cannot even enunciate in anything resembling a coherent fashion.
U.S. Marines should have the time they need to finish their job. Jack Murtha should not.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
He won’t and the people in his district love him. However we have a pretty good candidate going against him next year so we will see.
I continue to talk with my family about the guy and how horrible he is. I also have friends who still live there as well. My grandparents were raised there along with my Dad. We lived there for five years when I was young before moving to Eastern Pennsylvania. Anyway I am doing my part to rid us of Murtha.
Also, William Russell has a real challenge when it comes to the "carpetbagger" label. The folks of the 12th district are quite tribal, if you know what I mean.
This old fat boy commie is lower than a snake. Murtha has funneled billions of federal taxpayers dollars to his hometown and district - more federal money than any other single member of Congress has been able to funnel into their own. that is the reason the pig get reelected over and over.. These pig is a traitor to this country.
A liar, traitor and fool.
He won’t resign as long as he is in a position to make money hand over fist by abusing his position to turn the defense budget into pork.
MAYBE he can be defeated at the polls if he goes too far. We saw that happen when the voters of South Dakota finally pushed out one of the biggest pork grubbers and voter bribers of all time, Little Tommy Daschle. They lost a lot of money coming into the state by doing that, but he finally went too far for even bent consciences to support.
Murtha won’t resign, his brother needs him for a lobbying connection and after all of Murtha’s faux pas he won’t be able to do any himself if he retires.
Nothing but hatred for the filth that support that traitor.
The only way Lardass will resign is when he’s gone to that big pork barrel in the sky, and even then he’ll garner at least 37% of the vote come election day.
Nothing but hatred for the filth that support that traitor.
Oh I know....
"They won't be able to continue. They won't be able to do the deployment. They won't have the equipment, they don't have the training and they won't be able to do the work. There's no question in my mind".
Heres my reply to him & I stand by it.
To John Murtha; "You are a senile old fool that shouldn't continue in your job. You don't have the brains to do your job. Your equipment is failing beyond repair. You ought to deploy yourself to a nursing home or a mental ward where your ranting can be kept under control. Your training is inept and needs to be upgraded but alas you just are not frankly worth the time, effort or money to invest in any longer. You just can't do the work anymore and need to realize what a joke you are. Step down before you disgrace this country any more then you have already done so. You are a traitor and a disgusting old fool. There is no question in my mind that the above is completely true"...... ~Pandora~
I thought Diana Irey was a pretty good candidate, and she lost. The power of incumbency is a powerful thing. It can get even a waste of human flesh like Murtha re-elected.
mark
To be added to the Murtha Watch ping list please notify myself or RedRover.
pinging for later~
They try hard in the media to say that he said all those things some long time ago...but as recently as Nov. 20 he said
“Look at all the people that have been displaced, all the [lost] oil production, unemployment, all those type of things,” said Rep. John P. Murtha, chairman of House Appropriations defense subcommittee. “We can’t win militarily
as reported by the Washington Times and quoted here.
Murtha is at best a buffoon, and at worst, a traitor. The blood of many of our fallen warriors is on his hands, because of his words, which give aid and comfort to our enemy. Beyond it being "past time" for him to resign, it is past time to prosecute this enemy of the United States.
Whoops Jaz - I meant to ping you to #21 too. (Sorry about that, chief!)
It is time to redistrict his part of PA.
Buffoon is great Star! Fits Murtha very well. ~Pandy~
What a disgusting slime.
I guess his progeny is the same -— apples do not fall far from the tree.
Thanks for the ping, Star and you're right on the money.
That guy gets my BP up. UGH!
Agree but it ain't gonna happen. Let's hope that he hangs it up in '08. I believe there's a chance of that happening, maybe he still has enough marbles to realize what a fool he is.
(image hat tip to Psycmeistr)
Hiya, Smooth. It looks like al-murthawi really opened up a can of worms the other day, he stuck that numer 12 fiemly in his mouth. LOL!
Star is right tagging him with buffoon, that’s exactly what he is and the MSM is finally starting to cover it, it’s been a great few days. :)
If we follow the money, can we imagine Murtha being unhappy with the freezing of all that military money that goes to Iraq?
Can we imagine that somehow some of it funds things over and under the table that are important to Murtha?
In other words, even if Democrats interfere with Murtha Money, then they better watch out. Is it possible that he’ll undermine anyone he can when cash is on the line?
Just wondering.
Smooth bumps for you!!!
Mine too. I totally detest Murtha.
On the other hand, Murtha doesn’t reap much benefit from “beans and bullets”. The big money is in next generation weaponry. A shooting war is bad for Murtha’s business. He’d love to divert money from Iraq to more boondoggles.
I agree to a point.
One of the problems in Iraq is graft, and lots of that funding goes to Iraqis within the Iraqi government. It involves billions of dollars.
Here’s my theory: If the potential for graft is High, the the odds of Murtha involvement would also be High.
I'm not sure how Murtha would directly benefit from Iraqi graft unless it's being funneled back to him through contractors. Is that what you're thinking about?
Aw geez johnny, if you had been telling the truth about visiting Walter Reed and Bethesda every week since the war began, this "discovery" would not have been a shock to your overly sensitive constitution and that addled brain that inhabits your skull.
Murtha is an ethically defective defeatist who has advocated the Waziristan Party Line on foreign policy for more than two decades. He has unapologetically handed Osama bin Laden a propaganda coup while falsely maligning the Marines he claims to support. He has acknowledged the error of his most deeply-held policy position, which he now cannot even enunciate in anything resembling a coherent fashion.
Awesome description of the traitorous pig.
He uttered, the now infamous words; "they killed innocent civilians in cold blood" 5 1/2 months prior to the election or the completion of an investigation. If that is not going too far I don't know what is!
I honestly believe Diana Irey would have dethroned him last November IF any of the famed journalists had written about him and his antics BEFORE the election. Instead, we were treated to a barrage of articles, mostly regarding ABSCAM, 2 weeks AFTER said election.
Had the GOP lifted a finger, or given a dollar to support her, she would have won. That atrocity will never be forgotten, or forgiven, by me.
Note: Robert Gleason remains the PA state GOP chairman IIRC. 'Nuff said.
Hmmmm, good point! We are lucky to have Horowitz on our side.
Ahhhh geez...didn’t notice everything in < i> mode before hitting post. ;*(
I thought Diana Irey was a GREAT candidate!
It’s like what the Republican machine did to Bill Simon in California, and that state now looks like it’s lost for good.
I was thinking any way he can get it, he’ll get it.
If I remember right, the Abscam corruption charge was over dealings with an Arab.
Yep! It is the reason I never send a penny to the RNC/GOP, but send it directly to the candidates of my choice.
Oh I agree, as long as he thinks it's safe.
If I remember right, the Abscam corruption charge was over dealings with an Arab.
Not an Arab, but an undercover FBI agent posing as the representative of an Arab shiek. There were no actual Arabs involved in ABSCAM, it was an FBI sting operation.
Murtha got burned on that, now he's more careful, he uses middlemen and third parties.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.