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Code Pink Praises Murtha, Picketed Military Hospital
Townhall.com ^ | Friday, January 20, 2006 | Jeff Johnson

Posted on 01/20/2006 12:55:54 PM PST by kristinn

(CNSNews.com) - The anti-war group "Code Pink: Women for Peace" is thanking Pennsylvania Democratic Congressman John Murtha on its website for his "courageous stand on Iraq." The group -- which sparked controversy last summer with anti-war protests at a military hospital in the nation's capital -- recently presented Murtha its "pink badge of courage" for his anti-war activism.

Code Pink's co-founder, Gael Murphy, and its coordinator for the Washington, D.C., area, Allison Yorra, met with Murtha earlier this month "to thank him for his courageous stand on Iraq.

"We presented him with our pink badge of courage and pink flowers sent by CODEPINK members nationwide," a statement on the group's website indicates. "Rep Murtha was very appreciative of these gestures as he has been receiving many responses to his public denouncement of the war."

Photographs on the Code Pink website show Murtha holding the pink flowers and standing arm-in-arm with Murphy and Yorra. There is no mention of the meeting with Code Pink or the award presented to Murtha on his congressional website.

Though Murtha originally voted for the resolution authorizing the use of military force in Iraq, he called for the withdrawal of all U.S. troops from Iraq in November 2005.

The Pennsylvania Democrat was the recent focus of a Cybercast News Service investigation that detailed three different accounts of the injuries that earned Murtha two Purple Hearts in Vietnam. The report quoted former Democratic U.S. Rep. Don Bailey of Pennsylvania, who said Murtha once told him on the House floor that he, Murtha, did not deserve the medals.

Murtha's alleged ethical lapses were also investigated by Cybercast News Service

Code Pink was launched in 2002 by approximately 100 women opposed to a U.S. pre-emptive strike against Iraq. The group has conducted "vigils" in front of the White House and outside the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

As Cybercast News Service previously reported Code Pink was criticized for picketing the military hospital holding signs that read "Maimed for a Lie" and "Enlist Here to Die for Halliburton."

Elaine Donnelly, president of the Center for Military Readiness, told Cybercast News Service that Murtha embracing Code Pink, literally and figuratively, is "troubling to watch.

"I don't like to see someone who, historically, has understood the military and been supportive of it, in his votes at least, suddenly being associated with people who are historically anti-military, as an institution, and, also, contrary to American foreign policy goals," Donnelly said.

In a June 27, 2005, press release related to her group's endorsement of the anti-war coalition, "World Tribunal on Iraq" (WTI), Code Pink co-founder Jodie Evans explained her reason for participating.

"I'm here to gather evidence to indict [President] Bush," she wrote.

An entire section of the Code Pink website is dedicated to the group's efforts to have President Bush and his subordinates indicted for alleged "war crimes" and "crimes against humanity."

Gael Murphy, pictured in the photo with Murtha, traveled to Lebanon in September of 2004 to participate in an "international strategy meeting" of anti-war and anti-globalization activists. Murphy is a signatory to the "Beirut Communiqué," which stated the coalition's beliefs, including: "We support the right of the people of Iraq and Palestine to resist the occupations." "We demand an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestine." "We denounce the racist and colonial character of Zionism, Israel's State ideology." Donnelly to Murtha: 'Have you thought this through?'

Donnelly said, based on Code Pink's activities and associates, it is fair to question Murtha's relationship with the group.

"He could have chosen not to accept the award. That's the decision that he made and I think it's, therefore, fair game to inquire, 'Does he support the agenda, the broader agenda of that organization and its endorsers?'" Donnelly said. "I think, in fairness, you have to ask him, 'Have you thought this through?'"

Calls to Congressman Murtha's Washington, D.C. and Johnstown, Penn., offices seeking comment for this article Thursday were not returned.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D. Calif.) has called questions about Murtha's credibility as an authority on military matters "scurrilous" and Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne accused the Cybercast News Service of being part of a "war on actual Vietnam veterans" who "take on the powers that be" for reporting the accusations.

But Donnelly rejected the idea that Murtha or his anti-war views deserve deferential treatment because of his prior military service.

"It's absurd to say that only people with certain qualifications can engage in the debate about the defense of this country," Donnelly said. "That's only a ploy to try to limit informed discussion."

Most Americans, Donnelly argued, would not want debate about an issue limited only to those with professional experience in the field in question.

"If we limited public discussion about the military only to people with military experience that would certainly stifle a lot of intelligent discussion," Donnelly said. "It's such an absurd notion, I just don't buy it and I don't think the majority of people buy it either."

Murtha has dismissed questions about his record as "clearly an attempt to distract attention from the real issue.

"I volunteered for a year's duty in Vietnam. I was out in the field almost every single day. We took heavy casualties in my regiment the year that I was there. In my fitness reports, I was rated No. 1," Murtha added. "My record is clear."


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; News/Current Events; US: District of Columbia; US: Pennsylvania
KEYWORDS: codepink; dd180; murtha; praise; walterreed
CNSNews refuses to back down on their reporting about 'Backstabbing' Jack Murtha.

Robert Novak is the only other reporter to mention Murtha's coziness with the traitors at Code Pink.

1 posted on 01/20/2006 12:55:55 PM PST by kristinn
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To: kristinn

2 posted on 01/20/2006 12:57:36 PM PST by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ... Monthly Donor spoken Here. Go to ... https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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Comment #3 Removed by Moderator

To: kristinn
"We presented him with our pink badge of courage”

LOL, that’s the most appropriate thing I have ever read.

4 posted on 01/20/2006 12:58:44 PM PST by usurper (Spelling or grammatical errors in this post can be attributed to the LA City School System)
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To: NormsRevenge

Send them all to Cuba.


5 posted on 01/20/2006 12:59:09 PM PST by EagleUSA
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To: kristinn
Release War Records
6 posted on 01/20/2006 1:02:25 PM PST by Mr.Atos (http://mysandmen.blogspot.com)
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To: NormsRevenge

That's does it. Mr. Murtha no longer has any hold on the description of himself as "a decorated Vietnam vet" and longtime Democratic hawk. He is a traitor, and so are these two women.

My God, what happened to Murtha? Is he just stupid, or out-of-touch or a traitor? Which is it?


7 posted on 01/20/2006 1:09:51 PM PST by RexBeach ("There is no substitute for victory." -Douglas MacArthur)
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To: kristinn
I am trying to figure out the cause of the epidemic of Democratic Party Dementia in this country.

Is it possible there was a syphilis epidemic in the 1960's and now all the people who were infected and not treated are going through the tertiary stage of the disease?
8 posted on 01/20/2006 1:19:58 PM PST by msnimje (Senate Democrats ----------- Sound and Furry Signifying INSIGNIFICANCE)
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To: RexBeach
I have heard lots of Marines call him an "ex-Marine" which is the worst insult a Marine can suffer.
9 posted on 01/20/2006 1:20:49 PM PST by msnimje (Senate Democrats ----------- Sound and Furry Signifying INSIGNIFICANCE)
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To: kristinn
At this point I'm thinking Osama Bin Laden is probably carrying a picture of Murtha in his wallet right next to his picture of cindy ("mother moonbat") sheehan.
10 posted on 01/20/2006 1:22:26 PM PST by Zacs Mom (Proud wife of a Marine! ... and purveyor of "rampant, unedited dialogue")
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To: kristinn

A pink badge of Courage Bwahahahaahaha-----and some pink flowers Bwahahahha. I sure hope they gave him a pink pair of panties to go with them. Size 54 Thongs.

He sure look and acts like they would go well with his character.


11 posted on 01/20/2006 1:23:24 PM PST by sgtbono2002
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To: kristinn

Yep, the Code Pink crowd are traitors. They want us to lose. So does Murtha.


12 posted on 01/20/2006 1:35:23 PM PST by popdonnelly
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To: kristinn
Sent following letter to Townhall editor in response:

Jeff Johnson writes that the anti-war group Code Pink "sparked controversy last summer with anti-war protests at a military hospital in the nation's capital". In fact, Code Pink has been continuously protesting the Iraq war at the gates of Walter Reed every Friday night since March 2005. Moreover, their disingenuous "vigil" for peace has been met and overwhelmingly outnumbered for the past 40 weeks by patriots who support not only our troops, but also their mission and their commander-in-chief.

The core groups of counterprotesters arrayed against Code Pink are the DC Chapters of FreeRepublic.com and Protest Warriors, as well as many other groups and individuals. Coming from as far away as California, Texas, Michigan, North and South Carolina, Arizona, New Jersey, Florida and Italy, patriots have read news forums or blogs about Code Pink's scurrilous political antics at the gates of the Walter Reed hospital and have traveled to DC to stand up against them.

Fully illustrated reports have been posted every week since March 2004 on the FReeRepublic.com web site: Keywords "CodePink" and/or "WalterReed" -- search backwards by week number. Here is the report from last week, Walter Reed Week 39: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1561491/posts

Allow me to invite anyone who wants to take part in a non-violent, law-abiding showing in support of our troops and their mission (in the face of anti-war protestors) to join us on the East side of Georgia Avenue at Elder Streets -- most certainly including anyone from the Townhall community.

Yours truly,

Albion Wilde

13 posted on 01/20/2006 1:45:35 PM PST by Albion Wilde (America will not run, and we will not forget our responsibilities. – George W. Bush)
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To: kristinn
The people who praise Murtha must never be allowed to forget that he was one of two Congresscritters (the other was Stark of California) who voted for Charlie Rangel's 2003 draft bill when it came up for a vote in October 2004. (108th Congress, 1st Session, HR 163 -- defeated in Roll Call vote 494 on 5 Oct 2004 at 7:29 PM)
14 posted on 01/20/2006 1:46:55 PM PST by markomalley (Vivat Iesus!)
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To: Zacs Mom

"...Osama Bin Laden is probably carrying a picture of Murtha in his wallet right next to his picture of cindy ("mother moonbat") sheehan."

Yeah... he probably threw out his picture of JF'nKerry and replaced it with Murtha.


15 posted on 01/20/2006 1:52:20 PM PST by GoodWithBarbarians JustForKaos (We need to kill ALL terrorists, including their support networks!!)
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To: kristinn; All
Oh where to start...??

our pink badge of courage and pink flowers

ROFLMAO!!!

Murtha was very appreciative of these gestures as he has been receiving many responses to his public denouncement of the war."

Lemme guess....responses like this? What a lamea$$. He depends on hippies bearing pink flowers to shore up his courage.

"It's absurd to say that only people with certain qualifications can engage in the debate about the defense of this country," Donnelly said. "That's only a ploy to try to limit informed discussion."

Right on!

In my fitness reports, I was rated No. 1," Murtha added.

Judging from how he looks now I'd say tht is ANCIENT history! LOL

16 posted on 01/20/2006 1:54:38 PM PST by StarCMC (Old Sarge is my hero...doing it right in Iraq! Vaya con Dios, Sarge.)
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