Murtha is assailed for daring to speak out

Centre Daily/Phil. Enquirer ^ | 8/6/06 | Editorial staff

[Coop]

John Murtha... is taking obscene criticism from the right for daring to point out that the Bush administration has given our troops an all-but-impossible job in Iraq.

The 17-term congressman had already inflamed the Swift Boat crowd last year by calling for a rapid withdrawal of U.S. forces.

The fallout reached a ridiculous low point last fall when a Republican congresswoman who'd never been within several time zones of a battlefield called Murtha, winner of two Purple Hearts, a coward on the House floor. [Coop note: Any bets as to how close any of these editors ever came to a battlefield?]

Now, incredibly, the partisan rhetoric is even more vile. Murtha is being called a traitor and a "fifth columnist" because he responded to reports of a possible massacre in Haditha, Iraq, by lamenting that Marines shot Iraqi civilians "in cold blood."

The descriptions of what happened in Haditha on Nov. 19, 2005, are among the ugliest to come out of the war. The Marines said initially that civilians were killed in crossfire with insurgents after a bomb killed a Marine. A military probe since then has amassed evidence that Marines may have deliberately shot and killed 24 civilians, including children, in a house-to-house search, and that attempts were made to cover up the incident. [Coop note: A military probe, which you're apparently so fond of, has already concluded there was no cover up. Get up to date... on a whole host of issues!]

Murtha's point was that such incidents are an inevitable result of leaving troops too long in the middle of an emerging civil war with no clear mission.

That's not the talk of a traitor... A country that can't handle that kind of debate is a country that can't handle democracy.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[RaceBannon]

Original Message -----
From:
To: cdtletters@centredaily.com
Sent: Thursday, August 10, 2006 12:26 AM
Subject: Editorial | Murtha is assailed for daring to speak out


In response to your editorial of Sun, Aug. 06, 2006

Your editorial defending Jack Murtha shows you have no clue what the argument is all about concerning the anger against EX-Marine Jack Murtha.

Jack Murtha spoke about a story that was leaked to him by his inside contacts in the DOD, people who should have kept their mouth's shut about ANY information, true or false, especially about something as potentially sensitive as the accusations Murtha made about his own countrymen.

Jack Murtha repeated something that was known as raw data, not something that is the result of an investigation.

NIS had NOT issued any report, neither did NCIS or the Marine Corps itself, so what ever Jack Murtha said, it was just hearsay at best when he said it!

Also, importantly, Jack Murtha has shown absolute disregard for the innocence of the accused before any official fact finding, or Article 32 hearing of any kind. As an elected representative of Pennsylvania and a Ex-Marine former officer, he is without excuse, for he clearly knew the difference about the information he received and the manner in which he released his comments to the media.

Which brings up this final point: It is obvious that Jack Murtha did not do this action for the sake of keeping the reputation of the Marine Corps clean, or the honor of his country clean, he did it to tarnish the efforts of the sitting President of his opposing political party. A Marine officer knows the difference between supporting the Commander in Chief whom he disagrees with, and opposing an opponent rightly or wrongly, and to deliberately make statements about people he knows nothing about from sources which leaked classified information to him before any fact finding investigations and prior to any Article 32 hearings of whether there is going to be a trial at ALL show Jack Murtha is NOT a patriot, he is just a loudmouth with no honor and no longer deserves the title, Marine.



http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/contact_us/

http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/news/opinion/15206949.htm

[devolve]

A Smurf for all seasons

ENEMYWITHIN

[NormsRevenge]

Smart kid.


Hayden Malloy, 3, shies away from U.S. Rep. John P. Murtha, D-Pa., left, as he enters a campaign stop for Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell in Carrolltown, Pa. on Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2006. A Marine Corps sergeant under investigation in connection with the deaths of 24 Iraqi civilians in Haditha is accusing Rep. John P. Murtha of defaming him in public comments about the case. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

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Help the 'Pendleton 8' and their families.

The 'Pendleton 8': A look at the 7 Marines and Navy corpsman charged in Hamdania incident
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1670877/posts

VIDEO-Camp Pendleton demonstration for Marines
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1655852/posts

Marine families wait and worry; (Frustrations, anger expressed by relatives of Pendleton 8)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1671948/posts

-0-

Attorney: Col. visited ‘Pendleton 8’ before announcing charges
Navy Times article - 07/28/06

Accused troops' supporters busy fundraising - Hamdaniya / 'Pendleton 8' defense funds ^
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1654104/posts

Dozens rally at Camp Pendleton gates(24 June 2006) ^
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1655341/posts

Military justice under spotlight in Hamdania case - 'Pendleton 8' - 7 Marines, 1 Navy Corpsman ^
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1655333/posts

Lawyers for Marines, medic plan counterattack in Iraq murder case - Hamdaniya - 'Pendleton 8' ^
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1656712/posts

FREE REPUBLIC EXCLUSIVE: DIRECT INFORMATION ON THE 7 MARINES AND SAILOR HELD FOR MURDER
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1659084/posts

Defending the accused: Many attorneys in Hamdania case practiced law .. in military - 'Pendleton 8'
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1659351/posts

Letter reportedly from accused servicemen expresses thanks(Camp Pendleton 8)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1660140/posts

Delay is likely for (Camp)Pendleton(8) hearings
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1668925/posts

Attorneys for accused troops say Marine Corps hampering defenses
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1669976/posts

-0-

Some of the familes and supporters of the 7 Hamdaniya Marines & a Navy Corpsman, now charged with multiple criminal offenses, have setup web sites for use in accepting donations for legal defense funds or sending notes of encouragement and support to the detainees and their families.

Cpl. Robert Pennington
http://www.defendrob.com

PFC John Jodka
http://www.innocentmarine.com

Tyler Jackson
http://www.fightingfortyler.com

Cpl. Marshall Magincalda
http://www.defendourmarine.com

Cpl. Trent Thomas
http://www.defensefundformyhero.com

Lance Cpl Jerry Shumate
http://friendsofjerry.blogspot.com/


Hospital Corpsman Third Class Melson J. Bacos
http://patriotdefensefund.com/


Other sites supporting the men:

http://www.defendthetruth.com

http://www.warrior-fund.org

If your financial situation permits, please help as you can to cover legal representation costs.

Thanks!

[potlatch]

LOL, kinda looks like I feel! Plus the roar.

[devolve]

And you zip out the perfect animated reply in seconds!

[potlatch]

That pig's not flying! But could be.

[devolve]

That would be a sight

[river rat]

Amen! Amen! and Amen!

The letter is outstanding.... Loved it....
A lot less profane than I would have submitted, but nonetheless outstanding...

Murtha MUST pay a price....

Semper Fi

[potlatch]

[river rat]

The editorial staff of this Philly fish wrap - should ALSO pay a price for writing this piece of tripe...

I would love to hear that subscribers in PA, call in thousands of subscription cancelations tomorrow..

The bastards have a right to give their opinion -- but Americans don't have to pay for the insults to their intelligence or convictions..

Our local paper - the San Jose Murky News - is already paying the price for their constant leftist drum beat...

Make em all pay...

Semper Fi

[JulieRNR21]

Excellent letter!

The editorial is shameful......just like Murtha.

The writers have no problem with Murtha's despictable pronouncement which made no presumption of innocence until proven guilty.

Murtha was not 'debating' foreign policy he was defaming & slandering the Pendleton 8 before they were charged with anything!

[Just A Nobody]

We must stand and fight them at every turn and never give in, never give up.

I hear you loud and clear! I will be standing up to them at least twice this week-end. July 4th I scared one of their big, tough men. Kristinn was LOL!

They are loosing the media war IMHO

[devolve]

The high-flying Murtha Brothers

[Just A Nobody]

Murtha was not 'debating' foreign policy he was defaming & slandering the Pendleton 8 before they were charged with anything!

Just exactly right!

I agree it was a very good letter Race!

[BigSkyFreeper]

BTTT

[Valin]

John Murtha... is taking obscene criticism from the right for daring to point out that the Bush administration has given our troops an all-but-impossible job in Iraq.

Oh Good lord! What complete and utter nonsense!
Hey johnny boy, it's called politics, "if you can't stand the heat..get out of the kitchen"

[E.G.C.]

BTTT

[E.G.C.]

BTTT

[W04Man]

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