HAM RUT
RUM HAT
HURT MA
AM THRU
AM HURT
HUM RAT
I like RUM HAT. By the looks of the Kennedyesque nose polyps, ol' RUM HAT has seen the bottom of a bottle or two.
AM THRU has a nice ring also!
AV
Posted on 03/19/2006 9:34:35 PM PST by smoothsailing
Profile in What?
The latest winner of the Kennedy Profile's in Courage Award is . . . Jack Murtha?
by Noemie Emery
03/20/2006 12:00:00 AM
IT IS AXIOMATIC that political families end up in time turning into their opposites, and quite often both eerie and sad. The Adamses began with John, blunt, out-spoken, middle-class, bursting with energy and fiercely ambitious, and ended, three generations and many drunks later, with Brooks and with Henry--who gave the words "effete snob" new meaning; loathed, feared, and detested the vibrant democracy John had created; and became obsessed with their own enervation and decadence.
The public-spirited and over-achieving Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt produced Jimmy, Elliott, and FDR Jr., who specialized in producing embarrassments. There is Ron Reagan, the Republican Elliott Roosevelt. With all this in mind, it is none too surprising that the current iteration of Kennedys, in their long slide down from Camelot, have now embraced defeatist war critic John Murtha by giving him the John F. Kennedy Profiles in Courage Award--which transforms the spirit of the prize into something like the Joseph P. Kennedy medal for isolationism, appeasement, bad judgment, and very bad faith.
A history lesson might be in line here, as the Kennedy story is somewhat complex: Before Ted there was Jack, a defense hawk and war hero, before Jack, there was Joe.
Joe, of course, was a whole other story, an isolationist and an appeaser, a fan and facilitator of the Munich agreement, a man who avoided service in World War I, and earned the scorn of the British during the Blitz by leaving the embassy to spend nights out of town (and the range of the Luftwaffe) during the later unpleasantness. Historians claim that by the start of the war, the elder Kennedy had so damaged the family name that only the wartime heroics of his two older sons made it once again viable. In his first speech as a congressman, in l947, Jack Kennedy ripped into the Munich agreement as a catastrophic mistake that must not be repeated, and spent his political life preaching Churchillian vigilance.
As a state of mind, Camelot began in August, l943, with Jack's swim into Blackett Strait to try to get help for his wounded compatriots, and ended in July, l969, with Ted's swim from Chappaquiddick to Edgartown, leaving his brother's assistant to die in his car. In the public assessment of the Kennedy legacy, Jack has always been bracketed by his father and brother, with courage and sacrifice in a death struggle with cowardice and self-preservation.
The embrace of Murtha tips the balance all the more in the appeasement direction, especially as Murtha lacks so completely the courage criteria that JFK set up in his book.
In the press release from the Kennedy Library, Murtha is praised for "the difficult and courageous decision of conscience . . . when he reversed his support for the Iraq war . . . [which] made him the target of withering political attacks. "Huh? In the first place, Murtha had never supported the war in Iraq; and the attacks on him were no more "withering" than what passes for normal in current political discourse; and in most instances were softened with lavish praise for his Vietnam tours of duty.
In his book, Jack Kennedy wrote of famous men who put big careers in jeopardy, and frequently suffered "the loss of his friends, his fortune, his contentment, even the esteem of his fellow men." Before his recent outspokenness, Murtha was wholly unknown to most of the public. In speaking out against the war, he has risked and lost nothing. Instead, he has become a cult hero and media darling who is now in no danger of losing his seat.
IF MURTHA has nothing in common with John Kennedy, or with his subjects, he has a great deal in common with Joe and Ted Kennedy, at least when it comes to demoralizing people in battle. On March l5th, Laura Ingraham read on her radio program a letter to Murtha from Lt. Col. Dave Rockwell, a 60-year-old former paratrooper who volunteered to serve in Iraq:
"I cannot tell you the overall sense of discouragement, sense of betrayal and the feeling that few appreciate our efforts your comments have created," Rockwell wrote to Murtha from Iraq. "We believe it is the correct fight, and we believe we are winning. . . . I enjoy service with these outstanding officers . . . they are dedicated to winning and I believe they are winning. It is obvious to this 'old paratrooper' that your comments have hurt their morale and will eventually impact negatively on their efforts here."
"How can you ask us to leave?" Rockwell continued, quoting George Marshall on the need for morale as the keystone of victory. "I sincerely believe General Marshall as deeply as I believe your statements have undermined the morale of these young soldiers. I have watched intently as your political party has attempted to use this war for political advantage and find it to be repugnant in the extreme."
Not too repugnant for the party of Joe and Ted Kennedy, and just one more nail in the coffin of Camelot, done in, of course, by its heirs.
...............
Noemie Emery is a contributing editor to The Weekly Standard.
© Copyright 2005, News Corporation, Weekly Standard, All Rights Reserved.
JFK didn`t write "Profilies in Courage", Ted Soreson was the author.
Does anybody posting here KNOW what Murtha really did in Vietnam?
Only what I've read on threads here.Aparrently he was a desk jockey from what I gather.
What I find interesting is his lack of a "band of brothers" like the French guy Hanoi John had.If he was in Vietnam for a full tour he would have know all kinds of guys.They can't all be dead.
What it tells me is there is not a Marine he ever knew that want's to be associated with him.That reinforces the respect I have always had for the Corps.
Here is the article which challenged Murtha's medals.
http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewSpecialReports.asp?Page=%5CSpecialReports%5Carchive%5C200601%5CSPE20060113a.html
As Murtha has chosen to keep his record secret, we can't know whether Congressman Bailey (the guy claiming Murtha's PHs are bogus), or Murtha, is correct.
Murtha "volunteered for service in Vietnam and was a First Marine Regiment intelligence officer in 1966 and 1967." While Murtha supporters say he did two tours, Murtha himself says one. A regimental intelligence officer is not a combat leader and is not usually in the forefront of fighting. But only Murtha knows if he was a usual intel officer or an exception.
"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. My record is clear," Murtha said.
From the CNS story:
"World War II Navy veteran Harry M. Fox, previously indicated that Murtha in 1968 personally asked Fox's boss, then-U.S. Rep. John Saylor (R-Pa.), for assistance in obtaining the Purple Hearts, but was turned down because Saylor's office determined that Murtha lacked sufficient evidence of wounds. Murtha later challenged Saylor for his House seat in 1968 and lost. Fox said he personally viewed Murtha's military records in 1968 as Saylor's aide."
The Bronze Star Murtha has is not a valor award, but a routine award for staff officers in a combat THEATER. I think Murtha is a Vietnam Vet who was present when some combat was going on. Kinda like Kerry.
The press will still report he was a Vietnam "Hero" and will still report that he was a supporter of the war who turned against it, neither of which report is true. But I think we need to recognize he did legitimately go to Vietnam, voluntarily, and he did serve out a career in the USMC Reserve (for which he is now drawing a fat retirment check, mind).
He ran in 1974 as an anti-military guy and he's always voted as an anti-military guy. I dunno where he suddenly became the Democrats' war hawk, unless they're completely out of Scoop Jackson/Sam Nunn/Carl Vinson types with any credibility on defense -- which is probably the case.
d.o.l.
Criminal Number 18F
That's my understanding.It's a dem thing.
Thanks for the informative post.
Didn't he get 3 or 4 paper-cut Purple Hearts?
The Kennedys: can't fly, can't swim, can't navigate, but we're supposed to follow them?
Ha! That's what they think, but our mama's didn't raise no fools! :-)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1593241/posts
"Neither the United States of America nor the world community of
nations can tolerate deliberate deception and offensive threats on the
part of any nation, large or small. We no longer live in a world where
only the actual firing of weapons represents a sufficient challenge to
a nation's security to constitute maximum peril.
My fellow citizens, let no one doubt that this is a difficult and
dangerous effort on which we have set out. No one can foresee
precisely what course it will take or what costs or casualties will be
incurred. Many months of sacrifice and self-discipline lie ahead --
months in which both our patience and our will will be tested, months
in which many threats and denunciations will keep us aware of our
dangers. But the greatest danger of all would be to do nothing.
The path we have chosen for the present is full of hazards, as all
paths are; but it is the one most consistent with our character and
courage as a nation and our commitments around the world. The cost of
freedom is always high, but Americans have always paid it. And one
path we shall never choose, and that is the path of surrender or
submission.
Our goal is not the victory of might, but the vindication of right;
not peace at the expense of freedom, but both peace and freedom, here
in this hemisphere, and, we hope, around the world. God willing, that
goal will be achieved."
---- John F. Kennedy, Oct. 22, 1962
Let em know how we feel here........
kennedy.library@nara.gov
Brent.Carney@JFKLFoundation.org
Here is what I emailed to the JFK library..............
I am sickened that an award has been given to Mr. Murtha in President Kennedys name that clearly is against EVERYTHING that JFK stood for in regard to defending this nation and nurturing democracy. How utterly sad.
I offer no deep insight into what defines one human being to another for having courage or not in deserving of an award in the former Presidents name. But an elected official that simply makes **speeches and statements** while others sacrifice and take the risks is NOTHING compared to the TRUE HEROES fighting the war on terror afar.
Why not an award to the brave Iraqis who WENT TO VOTE and defied the terrorists?
That is ONE THOUSAND TIMES the courage of any speech made by a congress person.
Kennedy was my hero growing up. And seeing this award given to this person at this critical time in our history in his name sickens me and many others. There is clearly a political agenda driving this.
How sad. It serves not the former Presidents memory.
HAM RUT
RUM HAT
HURT MA
AM THRU
AM HURT
HUM RAT
I like RUM HAT. By the looks of the Kennedyesque nose polyps, ol' RUM HAT has seen the bottom of a bottle or two.
AM THRU has a nice ring also!
AV
Good post. Interesting history you never hear from the dying, socialist "mainstream" press.
Brilliant!
Bravo to you and your email to the library.
BUMP!
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.