Posted on 11/17/2005 4:20:47 PM PST by churchillbuff
Don't know how many of you caught Rep. John Murtha's very angry, very moving speech just now in which he called on the White House to institute an immediate withdrawal of US troops from Iraq. CNN didn't air the entire thing, but as I listened to it, I could feel the ground shift. Murtha, as you know, is not a Pelosi-style Chardonnay Democrat; he's a crusty retired career Marine who reminds me of the kinds of beer-slugging Democrats we used to have before the cultural left took over the party. Murtha, a conservative Dem who voted for the war, talked in detail about the sacrifices being borne by our soldiers and their families, and about his visits out to Walter Reed to look after the maimed, and how we've had enough, it's time to come home. He was hell on the president too.
If tough, non-effete guys like Murtha are willing to go this far, and can make the case in ways that Red America can relate to -- and listening to him talk was like listening to my dad, who's about the same age, and his hunting buddies -- then the president is in big trouble. I'm sure there's going to be an anti-Murtha pile-on in the conservative blogosphere, but from where I sit, conservatives would be fools not to take this man seriously.
(Excerpt) Read more at corner.nationalreview.com ...
Think again. According to the link I posted in 149 he saw combat in Korea.
"Ex-Marine" is there ever a greater insult to any Marine than to be called an Ex-Marine?
Just because he once served doesn't mean he still is. He's nothing but a Soros/Pelosi/Kennedy mouthpiece now. Benedict Arnold was a great hero once as well.
Yes, and more attacks against our troops. Thank God we have President Bush - a lesser man would fold under these attacks because until now, he has had next to no support from our Repubs.
Wow, Vietnam redux(50,000 Americans dead in vain and 1.5 innocent million Cambodians dead to a communist takeover). Yeah real good history to follow, jane fonda/murtha keyboard commando.
Considering all this is now coming out after all those Reps signed on to Weldon's deal, you could very well be right. Interesting thought!
Yeah- Ex-Marine, Dem Water-Carrier.
"...needs to suck up to his base."
Murtha's base is blue-collar Johnstown and other coal mining/steel towns and gun rights rural western PA. This is not left wing country, believe me. A lot of people in his base identify strongly with the military and are serving in Iraq.
I watched anger like that shown by Rep. Murtha for 14 years, I watched a man who use to be resolute in his opinions and reasoning become a vacillator, unable to make a decision and often reversing a decision today with a virulent protest of denial tomorrow. I watched it until Oct 28th of 2002 when my father succumbed to one of the most hideous diseases; Alzheimer's. I see symptoms of this ravaging illness so often when I listen and look at our statesmen that I have to wonder if a mandatory retirement age wouldn't be in the nations best interest.
Bingo. I'm glad you had the experience of dealing with Alzheimers (not glad it happened to your loved one as it did to my mother) but it raises another question: why such deference with the press? You could ask this guy twenty questions and determine he is a shell of his once self.
Another condition that hits men more often than women and is quite common, much more so than people think, is ppd- paranoid personality disorder. I have seen symptoms of that behavior in my own brother in his early 40's and it skews all of their thinking and their relationships with others.
The formerly very honorable gentleman's intellect is undoubtedly a fraction of what it was. The outbursts now, as you so perceptively point out, are recognizable traits of the tragedy of mental decline. Would the honorable gentleman kindly consent to a simple mental acuity test? If people can question vp Cheney's ability to lead because of perceived physical problems, is there any reason, based on his behavior, that a call not go out to have this elderly gentlemen's head examined?
Unfortunately, I believe you are right about one thing. I think it will take a significant number of American deaths on American soil (and I mean a lot more than 3000) for some of these idiots to wake up. Some of the more hardcore leftists, of course, will never see the light. But I think we'll be able to spot them rather easily.
Well I hope and pray that Americans and the government will continue to stand behind us in Iraq and not "pull the rug out from under us" like they did in the Viet Nam war. The Viet Nam war was not lost in Viet Nam but in America.
Semper Fi,
Kelly
Yeah, just like pulling out of Somalia and failure to react to the 1st WTC bombing, the Saudi bombing, Pan Am bombing, Cole bombinb, etc..etc..etc...made us look tough and the Islamofascist terrorists respect us and leave us alone.
Oh, now I get it! {sarc}
What an idiot, although what do you expect from a Democrat?
Another guy who puts the Democrats FIRST, Country next, and forgets his Corps comrades.
Congress corrupts.
Homeland security is a joke: Chertoff: Not 'practical'to deport illegal aliens
However, this is the time the GOP base needs to stand up and be heard and make sure those members of the GOP in the Congress and the Senate stand firm as well.
Murtha and Osama Bin Laden are in agreement on this. Following this fellows inclination would in effect turn the middle east over to the Jihadists. First, Iraq,then Saudia Arabia would fall, then Kuwait, then Jordan and the control of the worlds oil would be in the hands of these radicals.
Our country is at the mercy of the oil producing countries as a result of the enviromental nut cases and the do gooders who have stopped ANWAR, off shore drilling and the building of more refining capacity. A catastrophic event is going to have to occur before people come to their senses.
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