Posted on 11/23/2005 8:53:13 AM PST by MikeA
CINCINNATI (Nov. 23) - Ohio Republican Jean Schmidt said Tuesday she should have rephrased her sharp critique of a fellow congressman's call to immediately pull troops from Iraq.
Schmidt was booed off the floor of the U.S. House on Friday after she criticized Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., saying that "cowards cut and run, Marines never do."
When Schmidt made the comment, Democrats rose in protest at the suggestion that Murtha, a decorated Vietnam veteran and the ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations defense subcommittee, was a coward.
Schmidt said the comment was prompted by a conversation she had with state Rep. Danny Bubp, though he denies discussing Murtha with Schmidt.
Schmidt, who sent Murtha a note of apology on Friday moments after her speech, said in a statement Tuesday that she never intended to attack Murtha personally.
"While I strongly disagree with his policy, neither Representative Bubp nor I ever wished to attack Congressman Murtha," she said. "I only take exception to his policy position."
Bubp said in a statement of his own Tuesday that his conversation with Schmidt "was based strictly on the proposal to immediately withdraw our troops from Iraq and the consequences of such a proposal."
"This is not a war of words, this is a war." -John Murtha, D-Pa.
Schmidt declined during an interview on Cincinnati radio station WLW to discuss her fellow Republican's denial: "I was repeating words. I am not going to get into that debate."
Neither Schmidt nor Bubp returned calls left at their offices Tuesday.
Murtha has called Schmidt's comment ridiculous.
"You can't spin this. You've got to have a real solution," Murtha said Monday when asked about her remarks at a news conference in Pennsylvania. "This is not a war of words, this is a war."
Other Republicans also criticized Murtha for calling for the withdrawal of troops. President Bush and other administration officials have since said that while they don't agree with Murtha, they do not question his patriotism.
11-23-05 03:23 EST
Bwa ha ha ha ha ha ha
Bwa ha ha ha ha ha ha
Bwa ha ha ha ha ha ha
Bwa ha ha ha ha ha ha
Bwa ha ha ha ha ha ha
Bwa ha ha ha ha ha ha
Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight.
"Yes, I'm truly sorry I spoke those words...too softly."
I so much agree, Glenmerle. It is time for the Republicans to go on the offensive, to call out those who are anti-American, namely the leftist dorks. They act like they are the subservient party. Jean should've come out showing how Murtha voted against what he was talking about, and called him a coward of his convictions. Man the RNC and White House do not know how to play the game.. We need to kick the Dems when they are down.
I thought a republican congress woman had grown the backbone the rest had lost.
I guess I was wrong. Or was she berated and baggered to give up her position, not by democrats, but by republicans?
I'm Now going to be sick.
I would never apologize for speaking the truth!
That's part of my reason for suggesting it. It's obvious enough that he got caught with his pants down to let people figure it out for themselves, without her having to be openly rude to Murtha. Let him reveal himself for what he is: a coward for advocating cutting and running, and then a coward for running away from the political consequences of his own words.
"I'm SICK of Republicans either not stepping up and speaking the truth or taking the truth back once they've said it. It MATTERS."
Especially when Democrats show no shame in return in the immense disrespect they show the president and in the intemperate comments they make that hurt our armed forces and the job they're trying to do overseas. They never take a single thought as to how their extreme partisan comments will be interpreted by our enemies and what the division Democrats are sowing in this country does to enliven the hopes of our terrorist adversaries. But never does the MSM, or the Republicans, call on these people to apologize for their angry, ill-advised rhetoric. The only sacred cow is critizing a Democrat. Amazing.
Not to mention, the Marine she quoted did not deny the substance of the remark, only that it was directed at Murtha. So once again, CNN lied. "We lie, you decide."
I would not know how or where it is being played because I do not watch or listen to a biased MSM.
I am in the silent majority.
I vote on election day and enjoy liberal frauds use the words 'unexpected' and 'surprising' to describe GOP vitcories.
Screw the biased press.
They lie regardless.
Caring how the perpetuate a lie only gives you uneeded stress.
Flimsy Graham, a.k.a. Goober, falls for this crap along with John McLame.
Who cares?
False media interpretation is not reality.
Next they will produce a Fake Poll to back up their Fake news.
Damn, just when I was going to write a check to the RNC for a Republican finally standing up for America. I've closed the check book and still no check to those wimps.
On another thread about Cynthia McKinney's never-ending lunacy, she is quoted as having said this on the floor of the House. The article's lead in to the quote is first:
Rep. McKinney's support of the enemy during her nation's time of war is nothing new for the congresswoman. After the United States was attacked by suicide bombers on September 11th 2001, she had the audacity to imply that President Bush had advance knowledge of the attacks. In a radio interview at the time, McKinney stated: "We know there were numerous warnings of the events to come on September 11th. . . . What did this administration know and when did it know it, about the events of September 11th? Who else knew, and why did they not warn the innocent people of New York who were needlessly murdered? . . . What do they have to hide?"
McKinney implies the president had a role in planning 9-11 and no apology is sought for or demanded, the media ignores the comments and nary a word of rebuke from her own party?? But Schmidt merely points out the truth that cowards cut and run and she's roundly villified all over the news and by her own party??! I give up folks! Evil has won!
More from McKinney from the same article I quoted above:
"It was McKinney's belief that Bush had benefited from the World Trade Center attack because, "an administration of questionable legitimacy has been given unprecedented power...What is undeniable is that corporations close to the administration have directly benefited from the increased defense spending arising from the aftermath of September 11th." (So did Michael Moore's holdings in Halliburton, but no need to get picky about it.)"
But again, no apology sought for or demanded here...and none given.
Beautifully said.
I guess he's not only afraid of al Qaeda, he's afraid of America.
He should be.
(http://www.house.gov/murtha/contact.shtml)
I heard the original comment, and she never called Murtha a "coward". She repeated a generalized remark attributing it to someone else. This is a tempest in a teapot. IMHO, Schmidt deserves to be named "woman of the year".
Rep. Murtha and his defenders protesteth too much -- perhaps out of guilty consciences?
Funny thing is, she was quoting a letter from a constituent. She wasn't voicing her opinion. I only wish she had said that she agrees with the letter-writer.
Jean, no apology was necessary. In fact, quite the opposite.
I thought someone captured the poll yesterday before it was pulled...and at that time, only 12% agreed with Murtha.
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