Murtha urges speedy return of Iraq troops (Cut and Run Tour Update)

The Daily Northwestern ^ | 5-8-06 | Diana Samuels

[smoothsailing]

Murtha urges speedy return of Iraq troops

Crowd overflows auditorium to hear representative speak, answer questions Sunday

Diana Samuels 5/8/06

The U.S. has spent too much on the war in Iraq and has ruined its international credibility; now it should withdraw its troops, Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) told local residents at a town hall meeting with Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) on Sunday.

"I'm not saying there's going to be complete peace when we leave," Murtha said. "But there's a civil war and the only people who can solve it are Iraqis."

The crowd of about 500 gave Murtha standing ovations after his speech and after he answered audience members' questions. There were too many people to fit in McCormick Auditorium at Norris University Center, so about 100 watched the speech on a live video feed in the Purdue Room, said Leslie Combs, district director for Schakowsky.

Schakowsky, who has also spoken in favor of withdrawing troops, invited Murtha to speak in her district, Combs said. Northwestern was chosen as the venue for the town hall meeting because it was a local facility that fit the size needed and because community members knew where Norris was, Combs said.

Schakowsky called Murtha the "most credible voice in our country to bring our troops home and to end this war in Iraq."

Murtha introduced a House resolution in Nov. 2005 that called for the withdrawal of U.S. troops. It was defeated by a 403-3 vote.

In his speech, Murtha criticized the Bush administration's methods in the war in Iraq, saying the U.S. went to war without a threat to national security, without enough troops to constitute an overwhelming force and without an exit strategy. He told stories about visiting injured soldiers in hospitals, and he and Schakowsky cited statistics about the cost of the war - $8 billion a month, or $3,100 a second, Schakowsky said.

"Our country is going to be a long time in overcoming this," Murtha said. "Our credibility has been destroyed."

"We have diverted ourselves away" from the more important issue of battling terrorism, Murtha said. News organizations are no longer calling the war a "War on Terror" anymore, Murtha said. Instead, they are calling it the "War in Iraq."

"We went into Afghanistan," Murtha said. "That's where the terrorism was, that's who attacked us."

Murtha said he expected the president to announce a "significant" withdrawal, of about 50,000 to 75,000 troops, this fall.

"It won't come about because (the president) wants it to," he said. "It will come about because of the public pressure that's been put on him."

Throughout the event, Murtha emphasized the power of Congress and its constituents, and the importance of the midterm elections this November.

"Don't think that the president of the United States is all-powerful," he said. "He's only as powerful as the people he represents. The public is saying, 'We want to redeploy our troops, the time has come.'"

Audience members praised Murtha's message.

"I think it's so nice to hear someone so nice and straightforward and honest," Oak Park resident Sydney Baiman said. "It's just such a delight."

Evanston resident Benjamin Solomon said he appreciated Murtha's "forthright support for our troops without equivocation."

"As a World War II veteran, I was very moved by John Murtha and his concern for our soldiers," Solomon said.

Reach Diana Samuels at dzsamuels@northwestern.edu.

© Copyright 2006 The Daily Northwestern

[smoothsailing]

[smoothsailing]

Ping to the list! ;)

[exit82]

It's downright scary when an idiot like this can pack a room of like-minded numbnuts.

I wonder what the Murtha plan is for Iran? After all, that's where the terrorism begins.

[Farmer Dean]

I had a picture of Murtha here by the computer.It came up missing,I found my cat trying to bury it in his litter box.

[Radix]

Murtha can say anything that he wants because he has such a safe seat apparantly.

Scumbag.

Our political system is a mess, and Murtha is as bad as a Kennedy or any other scumbag.

[potlatch]

Hi smoothsailing! Hope he was dressed 'pretty in pink' for his speech!

[smoothsailing]

Murtha can say anything he wants because he has such a safe seat apparently.

Not anymore.

[hsalaw]

Murtha introduced a House resolution in Nov. 2005 that called for the withdrawal of U.S. troops. It was defeated by a 403-3 vote.

You'd think he'd have gotten the hint and shut the heck up. (Actually, I don't think Murtha introduced the resolution and I'm also pretty sure he didn't vote for it.)

[smoothsailing]

LOL!

That's gotta be one of my favorites! All he needs is the roses!

;)

[potlatch]

You're right, the roses go well with the dress! Take care!

[Richard Axtell]

Murtha's last TV interview was so incoherent, so contradictory and inexplicable, to convince me that this man is well into the second or third stages of senile dementia. That being said, I will not claim I really know much on the subject of geriatric mental illness, and also do not equate either Alzheimer's syndrome or any other kind of mental deterioration with the kind of idiocy we continually hear from Congressman Murtha. Many honorable and respectable older citizens suffer from the aforementioned ailments, and they should never be so dishonored by being compared to this feeble and foolish former military man.

[P-40]

"I'm not saying there's going to be complete peace when we leave,"

Things were just super when the Soviets left Afghanistan so suddenly. The Taliban came to power and restored order. They were so nice they even gave OBL a place to hang out.

[do the dhue]

After the Russian Afghan War, the US told the Mujhadean that they would help them set up a government. In the process a couple tribal leaders caused trouble and the Taliban stepped in and brought it to civil war. The CIA washed their hands and walked away because they didn't want to be involved in a civil war. Next thing happens is the Taliban wins power and we had to go blow up terrorist camps owned by those who attacked us on 911. I think we should be in Iraq for as long as it takes. I don't want to be on a time table and I think it is foolish to put us on one. When are these people going to sit down and shut up and let us protect freedom? I'm sick of the Murtha's, the Wart Churchill's, the Mikhail Moore's, Dingy Sheehan, Code Pink, and people like the protesters in the picture below:

[devolve]

[potlatch]

Kerror? Very wordy!!

[jazusamo]

I would swear that Murtha is getting to be a bigger liar with each progressing article. I guess his dementia is progressing at a rapid rate.

On the lighter side, I recieved a thank you letter from Diana today, she'll recieve more help when the election is closer.

[do the dhue]

The only way to get the Demoratic leaders to fight is to stand between them and a white flag.

[devolve]

apropos

[smoothsailing]

You nailed it, I'm sick of all the Cindy Murthas. They're a thorn in the side of our troops. Despicable.

[smoothsailing]