Posted on 05/24/2006 12:27:40 PM PDT by Coop
...Diana Irey and a busload of supporters headed to D.C. to demand Murtha apologize to Marines for recently accusing some of them of being cold-blooded killers.
...
"Mr. Murtha's comments, I believe, were irresponsible and they put our men and women serving overseas in greater danger," Irey said.
Murtha recently said several Marines killed at least 15 Iraqi civilians in cold blood last November and said action should be taken.
While the U.S. military doesn't dispute the congressman's claim, Irey said Murtha is in the wrong.
"Being a former Marine himself, he should know they have a process in place to take care of situation that may have happened that should not have happened," Irey said.
"By coming out and calling them 'cold-blooded killers,' he's already tainted the minds and possible jury of those who will be hearing these allegations."
Irey's visit to Washington, D.C., comes on the heels of Murtha receiving the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award for speaking out against the war.
Irey said she believes many eye the Kennedy family with suspicions and said she's never heard anything positive about the award.
Stay with Channel 6 News Wednesday evening as we cover this story from Washington, D.C. We will bring you more details on Irey's comments, as well as Murtha's response.
(Excerpt) Read more at wjactv.com ...
Woo Hoo!!!
Thank you Freepers!
Now take off your political hat and put on your combat helmet. You're taking fire downrange, and some iditioc Congressman is publicly proclaiming your mission a failure and then declaring your fellow Marines/servicemembers have committed cold-blooded murder. You await the response of your disgusted political representatives, the media, etc. It never comes.
Talk about damaging morale.
This really isn't about politics to me. But politically punishing Murtha with the loss of his seat is the best message I can think of to send to our folks on the battlefield and deployed throughout the globe. Not to mention our enemies at home and abroad.
"Congressman Murtha, how dare you, you oxygen thief, even think of smearing our great men and women in the US armed forces? No wonder the Marine corps didn't make you a general after over 35 years, you mushy headed nitwit!"
"Congressman Murtha, I am sad and disappointed that you have chosen to criticize our armed forces at this time. With your distinguished record of service, you should know full well that the fog of war distorts the circumstances of the dangerous job our courageous fighting forces are doing."
Congressman Murtha, I am sad and disappointed that you have chosen to criticize our armed forces at this time. With your distinguished record of service, it's a shame that no one has facilitated having your head injury addressed in some VA hospital.
I really don't know what you're saying here, Dude.
Are you recommending Number 1? I think it's too harsh, but toned down just a little, I'd go with it. Number 2 isn't very clear, so I don't see how it works on the "lazy voter," who certainly can't understand anything that isn't clear.
In any case, we are never better off "saying nothing." Saying nothing is the usual GOP response, and look where it's gotten us.
Of course the message has to be crafted with the dimwit voters in mind. But the stupider they are, the more important it is to communicate well, and not to "say nothing."
My little "quick course" for you.
Western PA is a strange place. The people there are more conservative than, say, the midwest, but because daddy (or, more often now, granddaddy) worked for the union, they can't manage to pull the R lever. The D's are for the working man 'n'at.
His district is emblematic of that. If you abuse Murtha too much, they will tune out. They'll just figure the nice old man is being beaten up by meanie Republicans and they'll vote for him again. His district is also an older-skewing district that remembers the steel days fondly and are disconnected from the fact that their kids don't work in the steel mills anymore because people like Murtha made it too expensive to have steel mills in PA.
You must understand that you could show them videotape of Murtha saying something and they will believe he never said it if Murtha denies it afterwards.
I am a bit pessimistic about Irey's chances. It's an uphill battle, but she's really fighting. I think she can do it, but it will take a light touch and she has to play up every tick in the polls she makes. She has to make herself look inevitable and be a "sweet young lady".
It is wrong to let remarks like his go without reply. Don't have to reply in kind, but can't let it pass.
That's just my fuzzy recollection, but it was a nice, powerful point.
So I've heard before. Yet nobody seems to be able to reconcile that claim with Bush's 49% in 2004.
Ouch, I never made admiral either and, except for the money, didn't want the job and especially didn't want the desk. Sometimes what looks like a "promotion" can be a curse.
All of which has nothing to do with the subject at hand.
Ping
I agree...Thanks, Coop!
She's right
If asked about Murtha, what the GOP reps should do is mumble about him and then go on to praise the military themselves. Murtha's the crazy old guy who drinks from the paper bag and mutters to himself. Treat him that way.
If so, she spoke well.
"Trust me when I tell you this: If Republican Congressman say nothing about him, don't respond, etc., we are much more likely to get rid of Murtha. He'll appear to be the screaming, nutty, senile moonbat that he is. Ya gotta be Machiavellian about this."
The wise man does at once what the fool does finally.
Niccolo Machiavelli
And you're thinking like a 40-year old virgin at a Trekkie convention. :-p
I say that with humor, but this isn't a game. That's why I'm not viewing it as such.
|
Well put. Machiavelli favors boldness and decisiveness, not sitting around and waiting for your enemy to destroy himself. Amish Dude's advice is the typical dimwitted crap that Republicans use to rationalize their (or the party's) lack of activism. They fool themselves into thinking that the Rats will do themselves in. Admittedly, sometimes the Rats damage themselves, but we need to be in there pushing, at the least.
They get turned off by abortion, etc.
"what the GOP reps should do is mumble about him"
Mumbling is Denny Hastert's specialty, and Bill Frist's, and often George Bush's. It gets us nowhere.
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.