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Another Casualty of War? (Barf alert)
DFW Star-Telegram ^ | 8/20/06 | Jim Wright, former Speaker of the House

Posted on 08/21/2006 6:07:48 AM PDT by Coop

[Poetry and flowery garbage edited out]

...My point in reminding us of these lingering wounds of war that refuse to be healed is to ask that we take reasoned care to protect ourselves from the ultimate affliction of war -- that we should let it make us so insensitive to verbal venom that Americans begin, self-destructively, to hate and mistrust one another.

That happened to us, tragically, in the bitterly prolonged Vietnam conflict. Americans mistrusted, protested, hated and insulted other Americans for simply disagreeing with them. [Coop note: Who did that, Jimmy?]

Today, our self-appointed jihadist enemies could do the United States no graver injury than setting Americans against one another, imploding our essential unity.

Aggressive partisanship and negative political ads in the 2002 and 2004 elections give us cause to ponder. [Coop note: Who did that, Jimmy?]

Each of our two most recent presidents, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, has been accused by political opponents of lacking patriotism for avoiding service in the Vietnam War. [Coop note: Dubya served, Jimmy. Why are you trying to put him on equal turf with the Impeached Rapist?]

After 9-11, the levels of political bitterness escalated. In 2002, demands for verbal if not actual patriotism grew so great that Sen. Max Cleland, who lost three limbs to combat in Vietnam, was considered insufficiently patriotic by his Georgia constituency and was defeated.

In the 2004 presidential contest, Democratic contender and Vietnam veteran John Kerry -- the holder of three Purple Heart medals for wounds endured in that war -- was slanderously painted as an unpatriotic wimp by a little group of "Swift Boat Veterans." They spent millions of somebody's dollars on TV ads impugning Kerry's courage and honor. Many believe that the damage they wrought to Kerry's public persona was decisive in that close election. [Coop note: Little group, Jimmy? ROTFLMAO!!! They're "decorated Vietnam veterans, Jimmy, over 250 of 'em.]

What irony! While Republicans blamed Cleland and Kerry for not supporting the Iraq war with sufficient enthusiasm, Sen. Joe Lieberman, Kerry's 2004 running mate, was denied renomination Aug. 8 by fellow Democrats in Connecticut. Lieberman was dumped for having voted for the war!

Now the same clique of self-styled "Swift Boat vets," with a new bag of money, announce an expensive television and Internet campaign to discredit and dislodge Pennsylvania Rep. John Murtha, another decorated and wounded-in-action Vietnam vet. The same old weary charge: not patriotic enough about Iraq. [Coop note: Why are you lying, Jimmy? VFTT has made it quite clear why we're going after Murtha.]

Let me say just this: I know Jack Murtha. I've observed his voting record since he went to Congress in 1974. No person in either party, in the House or the Senate, has worked harder for American service personnel or done more for our national defense. If Jack Murtha is not a patriot, there is no such thing.

Let's remember, Democrats and Republicans, that this country belongs to us all...


TOPICS: Editorial; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Pennsylvania; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: cleland; jimwright; kerry; liberaloldcranks; murthawatch; swifties; vftt
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To: Coop
Today, our self-appointed jihadist enemies could do the United States no graver injury than setting Americans against one another, imploding our essential unity

This guy needs to buy a clue

Though ... if he did .. I doubt he would understand since he's been living under a rock for the last 30+ years

21 posted on 08/21/2006 9:18:09 AM PDT by Mo1 (Bolton- "No one has explained how you negotiate a ceasefire with terrorists")
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To: Mo1

Yeah, I remember that essential U.S. unity! From 11 Sep 01 to mid Oct 01.


22 posted on 08/21/2006 9:25:57 AM PDT by Coop (No, there are no @!%$&#*! polls on Irey vs. Murtha!)
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To: StarCMC

Thanks for the ping, Star. What a load of tripe from the crooked Jim Wright. Nice response by Coop.


23 posted on 08/21/2006 9:26:19 AM PDT by Bahbah (Goldwasser, Regev and Shalit, we are praying for you...and now Steve and Olaf.)
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To: Coop

It lasted that long?


24 posted on 08/21/2006 9:32:49 AM PDT by Mo1 (Bolton- "No one has explained how you negotiate a ceasefire with terrorists")
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To: Mo1

Hard to even remember back that far, isn't it?


25 posted on 08/21/2006 9:44:51 AM PDT by Coop (No, there are no @!%$&#*! polls on Irey vs. Murtha!)
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To: Coop
I remember the singing God Bless America on the Capital steps

And I remember that unity going down hill ever since
26 posted on 08/21/2006 9:52:09 AM PDT by Mo1 (Bolton- "No one has explained how you negotiate a ceasefire with terrorists")
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To: Coop
Ahhh.. Go peddle your books Mr. Speaker.
27 posted on 08/21/2006 10:10:26 AM PDT by 4yearlurker (12th district Freeper.)
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To: Mo1

Yep, it's sad.


28 posted on 08/21/2006 10:10:41 AM PDT by Coop (No, there are no @!%$&#*! polls on Irey vs. Murtha!)
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To: StarCMC; IPWGOP; Mrs.Nooseman; jazusamo; MNJohnnie; Mo1; Bahbah
Hey all. Just received a call from the Star-Telegram confirming my letter to the editor. It's not a guarantee, but every time I've ever had a paper call to confirm, the staff has ended up publishing my letter.

If they do go forward with it, I give them credit for giving both sides of the story (caveat: unless they chop it to bits!). :-)

29 posted on 08/21/2006 11:12:46 AM PDT by Coop (No, there are no @!%$&#*! polls on Irey vs. Murtha!)
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To: Coop


WOO-HOO!


30 posted on 08/21/2006 11:15:09 AM PDT by onyx (1 Billion Muslims -- "if" only 10% are radical, that's 100 Million who want to kill us.)
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To: Coop

That's great !


31 posted on 08/21/2006 11:19:39 AM PDT by Mo1 (Bolton- "No one has explained how you negotiate a ceasefire with terrorists")
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To: Coop

Good news. It sounds promising and my experience has been legimate papers don't chop up letters.


32 posted on 08/21/2006 11:20:06 AM PDT by jazusamo (DIANA IREY for Congress, PA 12th District: Retire murtha.)
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To: Coop
"We only want to help screw the President...."

--Fort Worthless Jim, as revised by Rush Limbaugh

33 posted on 08/21/2006 11:27:17 AM PDT by RichInOC (...somebody was going to post it...why not me?)
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To: Coop

COOL!!


34 posted on 08/21/2006 1:15:49 PM PDT by StarCMC ("So what was the price to betray us - Judas?" - SGT Mark Russak to Traitor Murtha)
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To: jazusamo

Let's hope that's the case.


35 posted on 08/21/2006 1:35:59 PM PDT by Coop (No, there are no @!%$&#*! polls on Irey vs. Murtha!)
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To: IPWGOP

Bump


36 posted on 08/21/2006 3:34:41 PM PDT by Coop (No, there are no @!%$&#*! polls on Irey vs. Murtha!)
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To: goldstategop
Forth Worthless Jim Wright, huh? He was forced to resign as House Speaker under an ethical cloud. I'd didn't know he was still alive.

Me neither. I thought maybe he ended up in the same disgraceful politician's rest home with Lloyd Bentsen.

37 posted on 08/21/2006 4:00:58 PM PDT by BigSkyFreeper (There is no alternative to the GOP except varying degrees of insanity.)
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To: Coop

A rambling screed laced with senility and revisionist history, it appears Fort Worthless Jim is still a disgrace.


38 posted on 08/21/2006 4:03:20 PM PDT by BigSkyFreeper (There is no alternative to the GOP except varying degrees of insanity.)
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To: BigSkyFreeper

But he did get published!


39 posted on 08/21/2006 4:05:30 PM PDT by Coop (No, there are no @!%$&#*! polls on Irey vs. Murtha!)
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To: Coop
But he did get published!

It is the Red Star-Telegram after all.

40 posted on 08/21/2006 4:07:23 PM PDT by BigSkyFreeper (There is no alternative to the GOP except varying degrees of insanity.)
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