When I spoke to his office 10 days to 2 weeks ago, I was told he strongly disagrees with what murtha says. Time for him to step up to the plate again.
GOP Congressman and Former POW Rips John Murtha
CNSNEWS.com ^ | February 10, 2006 | Sherrie Gossett
Posted on 02/10/2006 10:35:03 AM PST by yoe
Amid cheers, whistles and two standing ovations, U.S. Rep. Sam Johnson (R-Texas) took fellow Congressman John Murtha (D-Pa.) and the U.S. media behind the proverbial woodshed for a verbal walloping.
"Most of you know, at the end of last year, a liberal congressman from Pennsylvania insisted we immediately withdraw our troops from Iraq," Johnson told the Conservative Political Action Conference on Thursday. "When I heard this, it made my blood boil."
"It hurt to think what the men and women in harm's way would believe when they heard the news that someone in Congress was not behind America's mission," Johnson said. "It hurt to think what the military families here at home would believe when they learned that people in Washington did not support the troops. And it hurt me to think that some people would just give up on our men and women in uniform.
"I do know what it's like to be far from home, serving your country, risking your life and hearing that America doesn't care about you," Johnson said, choking back tears. "[Hearing] your Congress doesn't care about you. Your Congress just cut off all funding for your war. They're packing up and going home and leaving you."
Johnson added he was "scared to death" by such talk because years ago, he was afraid he would be left in Vietnam "forever."
"I know what it does to the mission," said Johnson, "and so help me God, I will never, ever let our nation make those mistakes again."
Is Rep. Johnson still in Congress? He sounds like he would make an excellant spokesperson for the accused Marines and Soldiers. A good PR offensive is what's so sadly missing from each of these cases. Americans get confused between the various case, most media only broadcast the worst, and sadly since there have been some pleas in the Hamdania case, too many Americans assume it's absolute fact and shy away from defending the remaining accused.
Murtha is at the heart of this whole mess. After the NY Times printed the accusations in mid-March, Murtha started referring to the Marines as murderers. He was given an inordinant amount of respect, even from the VP, for having served. Shortly, thereafter a myriad of accusations/charges came out - Hamdania, Phan & others assault case, the Iron Triangle, Mahmoudiya rape case, and then Haditha. It was a busy spring/summer for investigators and too many in the congress/military seemed to be busy showing they could be tough on the military as well. Few stood up to vigorously defend them in front or behind the cameras.
Now Murtha is on a power trip in Congress exploding at a Republican committee member regarding spending for the war. Whatever his problem is, he needs to be confronted directly, forcefully, and repeatedly. Our service men and women deserve much better, along with the rest of the country.