Posted on 11/18/2005 8:52:21 PM PST by Para-Ord.45
The House on Friday overwhelmingly rejected calls for an immediate troop withdrawal from Iraq, a vote engineered by the Republicans that was intended to fail. Democrats derided the vote as a political stunt.
"Our troops have become the enemy. We need to change direction in Iraq," said Rep. John Murtha of Pennsylvania, a Democratic hawk whose call a day earlier for pulling out troops sparked a nasty, personal debate over the war.
The House voted 403-3 to reject a nonbinding resolution calling for an immediate troop withdrawal.
"We want to make sure that we support our troops that are fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. We will not retreat," Speaker Dennis Hastert, R- Ill., said as the GOP leadership pushed the issue to a vote over the protest of Democrats.
It was the second time in less than a week that President Bush's Iraq policy stirred heated debate in Congress. On Tuesday, the Senate defeated a Democratic push for Bush to lay out a timetable for withdrawal.
Murtha, a 73-year-old Marine veteran decorated for combat service in Vietnam, issued his call for a troop withdrawal at a news conference on Thursday. In little more than 24 hours, Hastert and Republicans decided to put the question to the House.
Democrats said it was a political stunt and quickly decided to vote against it in an attempt to drain it of significance.
"A disgrace," declared House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. "The rankest of politics and the absence of any sense of shame," added Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, the No. 2 House Democrat.
Critics of the politics of McCain and Murtha are not deriding their service or suffering.
We are however, weary of their acting as though their service renders their political views as being immune to all criticism or disagreement.
If somebody waves his medals in my face and says STFU, I'll just wave mine back and say UYA.
I am, frankly, quite stunned.
Yuk... Liz Sidoti needs to take a few classes.
Nice write up. The first sentance says what happens, the second calls it engineered to fail and a political stunt.
There is one sentance by a Republican, one sentance saying what happened, and 8 sentances that are democratic talking points and rebuttals.
Typical...
Liz Sidoti is a big, fat, PHONEY.
Oh, I'm sorry. Maybe I misread the post I was responding to, 'cause it said:
Unlike McCain, Sam Johnson is a former Vietnam POW with guts, honor, and love of his country!
Here is the post I was responding to, which implied that McCain was a POW without guts, honor, or love of his country. Nothing in that statement is correct and I don't see any reference to his politics, either.
John McCain spent years getting beat upon by his captors and he spent years risking his life flying off ships. Flying A-4s to a target surrounded by AAA and SAMs to deliver iron bombs takes guts. If you've ever seen the film of the fire on the USS Forrestal then you probably saw him running through flames. Excuse me, that takes guts.
If you haven't been a POW or haven't been a Naval Aviator, then you don't have any experience with which to make such a statement.
They do not want our brave sons who are fighting for freedom to have victory under President Bush.
They do not want the security of this nation nor of the world to be made secure through the freedom gained by oppressed people around the world if is gained with the help of President Bush and freedom loving people around the world."
Well said!!!!!!!!
I reread my thread and it makes no mention of Sam Johnson, whoever he may be. I only commented that one's military service or POW experience do not immunize from criticism one's political views or actions.
BTW, I'm a Vietnam combat UH-1 pilot. I'm now volunteering to fly CH-47s in Iraq, if I can pass a flight physical. I feel I owe that to the troops whom I support and I'm grateful for the opportunity.
I should clarify, in Sen. McCain's case, that he has never used his heroic background to silence his critics. The MSM are the ones who have attemtped to do that on his behalf. I am only saddened by Sen. McCain acting as the determined maverick.
But Rep. Murtha is the one who is beating his opponents over the head with his Marine vet status. Frankly, I'd never heard of him before Thursday. Murtha is in fact waving his medals in peoples' face.
Read post #28. That was what got me miffed. It implied that McCain didn't have guts, honor, or love for his country.
Wow! Well said!
Tweren't me. I disagree with Sen. McCain but find his character unimpeachable.
Just who is Sam Johnson, anyway?
No, it was ExTexasRedhead. Sam Johnson was a Phantom pilot/Vietnam POW who is now in the House.
Far more interesting are the considerable number who didn't vote.
I would like to commend Reps. McKinney, Serrano, and Wexler for having the courage to vote their principles, unlike the rest of their party. As terribly wrong as their position is, you have to give them credit for at least having the courage of their convictions. It';s more than Murtha or any of the other Dimmycraps had.
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