Posted on 06/21/2006 4:55:17 PM PDT by .cnI redruM
Rep. Jack Murtha (D-Pa), imagines himself to be the scourge of the hawks in the Bush administration. Many journalists do, too, because they keep inviting him to appear on talk shows.
So why were the targets of Mr. Murtha's wrath doubled over with laughter during his appearance last Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press?" Rep. Murtha's newfound fame is a product of his call for immediate withdrawal from Iraq, or in the dishonest way he likes to phrase it, "redeployment" from Iraq.
Host Tim Russert asked Mr. Murtha to respond to a question White House political guru Karl Rove had asked rhetorically in a recent speech.
"My question is, what country would take us?" Mr. Rove asked. "What country would say after the United States cut and run from Iraq, 'Yeah, paint a big target on our back and then you'll cut and run from us?'" "We can go to Okinawa," Rep. Murtha responded. "We can redeploy there almost instantly."
Mr. Russert, mindful of the fact that Okinawa, Japan, is 4,899 miles from Baghdad, offered Mr. Murtha an escape, in case he had misspoken. "But it would be tough to have a timely response from Okinawa," he said. But Rep. Murtha dug himself in deeper. "When I say a timely response, you know, our fighters can fly from Okinawa very quickly," he said.
Mr. Murtha has been recommending redeployment to Okinawa ever since his rebirth as a dove last year, so what he said on "Meet the Press" was no slip of the tongue.
Let us be clear about the Murtha "strategy." It is insane. It would be easier to defend Germany from Chicago; Alaska from Miami, or Hawaii from Pittsburgh than to defend Iraq from Okinawa.
It would take 10-12 hours -- and six refuelings -- for F-16s to fly from Kadena AFB on Okinawa to Baghdad (assuming China and India would grant overflight rights, a dubious assumption). Mr. Murtha may regard this as "very quickly," but the Air Force does not.
As Bugs Bunny would say: "What a maroon!"
Another howler is Mr. Murtha's assertion that U.S. troops currently serving in Iraq would be "welcomed" in Okinawa. For decades Okinawans have been seeking a reduction in the U.S. military presence, both because they covet the land on which U.S. military bases sit, and because of a long history of pacifism. The U.S. recently agreed to withdraw 7,000 Marines from Okinawa.
"There is no way we can win (the war in Iraq) militarily," Mr. Murtha said. Abu Musab al Zarqawi, the al Qaida chieftain in Iraq until the Air Force liquefied his internal organs, had a different view:
"Here in Iraq, time is beginning to be of service to the American forces and harmful to the resistance," Mr. Zarqawi wrote in a document captured after his death.
The Bush Administration has "no plan" for dealing with Iraq, Rep. Murtha asserted.
Mowaffak al Rubaie, Iraq's national security adviser, begs to differ. Writing in the Washington Post Tuesday, he said:
"There is an unofficial 'road map' to foreign troop reductions that eventually will lead to total withdrawal of U.S. troops. This road map is based not just on a series of dates but, more important, on achievement of set objectives for restoring security in Iraq."
If you want to know the truth about Iraq, you should listen carefully to what Jack Murtha has to say -- and believe exactly the opposite.
Mr. Murtha's howlers about Okinawa obscured a more revealing comment he made earlier on CNN. He cited President Clinton's abrupt withdrawal from Somalia after 19 Rangers were killed there in 1993 as an example of the policy the U.S. should follow in Iraq.
Osama bin Laden gave the "change in direction" in Somalia Mr. Murtha applauds as the chief reason why he thought al Qaida could strike the United States with impunity.
"After a few blows... (the U.S.) rushed out of Somalia in shame and disgrace, dragging the bodies of its soldiers," Mr. bin Laden told ABC's John Miller in a 1998 interview.
Because he is a retired Marine Reserve colonel who served in Vietnam, Rep. Murtha is regarded as one of the Democrats' leading strategic thinkers. This, sadly, may be the case.
Mr. Murtha sounds less like a Marine colonel these days, and more like a male Cindy Sheehan. Has he become senile? Or was he always this stupid?
In either case, voters in his district should take a close look at Diane Irey, the Republican who hopes to put an end to the embarrassment to Pennsylvania Jack Murtha has become.
I was in Okinawa the other day and I stayed on base the whole time because I know how much the locals hate us. In fact, the air station at Futema is being relocated to Guam because the locals want us out of there. Murtha is a joke and the Rats don't even realize it.
First: Are you people blind and deaf or just a bunch of idiots!!!!! Do you see what is really going on here!!
Bush is not a conservative!!! And anyone who supports him is supporting a WAR CRIMINAL and a TRAIDOR to our country!!! 911 has nothing to do with IRAQ!!!! Check the facts! Second: Murtha is a Republican you retard!! Third: There are NO WMD!!! That has been proven to be a fabrication a by Bush and Cheney! Murtha was a hero who fought for our country and ANYONE who will do that for there country should be honored for their and their families sacrifice.
Bush does not care about our troops. All he cares about is money!! How much evidence do you need? Our troops should be in Afghanistan and Pakistan looking for Osama! When was the last time you heard Bush say he is looking for the man who was suppose to be responsible for attacking and killing Americans on American soil. Bush says he doesn't spend that much time on it. THF is that all about. Us being in Iraq has nothing to do with terrorism, it has to do with oil and power.
If he really cared they would have sent in enough troops to begin with, secure the country and go about restoring it. Instead we have chaos killing of our soldier and civilians. NO power or water even for our troops.
Halliburton stock has gone up 600% Police and education in our own country is being cut and we have a dept that is bigger than any other dept we have had put together!! Who is making the real sacrifices not Bush or his cronies! It’s the American people and Bush is trying to get rid of the biggest part of American
the middle class.
I’m sorry to call anyone names I just think a lot of people are talking about things without checking the facts. For some reason people want to go against their own best interest and the interest of the people. Look at who the real terrorists are they are the lying GOP who cares more about stupid issues like gay marriage and flag burning then about the lives of our soldiers and what is really best for our country.
Fresh Kitty Food?
TRAIDOR ZOT!
We need to TRAID you for a real American who can think about things other than Halliburton.
You could say he is a WMD - Weapon of Mouth Diarrhea :)
Diana Irey for Congress bump-it-up!
Dang, three years without water. Our troops are even tougher than I thought!!
HEY! Moderator! Put that post back up there!
I LMAO! Either that was a sane man doing an excellent imitation of an idiot or it was an EXCEPTIONAL idiot. Either way, it was good reading and I got a kick out of it!
The turd was flushed.
We have a "Floater".
How's life in mommy's basement?
bttt
I stashed a copy in case they didn't put it back. It would be worth a Mod scolding to repost it for everyones enjoyment.
Geez-we don't get the high quality trolls like we used to.
ZOT!
Spell check is your friend, but even spell check can't help with what's wrong with you.
Jack? Jack Murtha, that you? Hold on buddy. The FR LIVE interview doesn't start until next week.
BYe Bye Troll
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