Posted on 07/10/2006 11:00:43 AM PDT by xpertskir
IREY TO MURTHA: HAVE YOU NO DECENCY, SIR?
Congressman’s latest instance of reckless disregard for truth slurs American civilians trying to help establish democracy in Iraq
(MONONGAHELA, July 10) – Washington County Commissioner and Pennsylvania 12th district Republican Congressional nominee Diana Irey – responding to a statement by U.S. Rep. Jack Murtha, in which Murtha suggested that Irey is running for Congress because she and her husband are “benefiting from this war” – today released the following statement:
“Today I have a simple question to ask Jack Murtha: Have you no decency, sir?
“Jack Murtha’s comments in yesterday morning’s Tribune-Democrat – wherein he said, essentially, that my husband and I are ‘war profiteers,’ and impugned the motives of American civilian contractors involved in trying to help Iraq defend its new democracy – are shameful.
“For those who may not have seen Jack Murtha’s comments, here is what he is reported to have said in yesterday’s newspaper:
“Murtha said he is concerned about Irey’s motivation for running against him, considering her husband, Robert, is CEO of a Canonsburg-based firm that secured a $300 million contract with the Iraqi government two years ago.
“‘I worry about that,’ he said. ‘If they’re benefiting from this war, and if this is the reason she’s in this, it really bothers me. I don’t like that.’”
“Note that he said ‘It really bothers me. I don’t like that.’ This is not the appropriate response after raising a question; this is a response to a conclusive act. That is, he did not say, ‘It WOULD really bother me,’ nor did he say ‘I WOULD not like that.’ This was an accusation, pure and simple, no matter how poorly he failed in trying to dress it up as a question. He’s about as subtle as the candidate who, wanting to attack his opponent without being accused of dirty campaigning, says ‘Oh, please don’t ask me about my opponent’s well-known penchant for driving drunk after spending an evening gambling with prostitutes at the illegal casino down the street – I wouldn’t want to be accused of negative campaigning.’
“To imply, suggest, hint, whisper, or even wink and nod that I am running for Congress because my husband is a partner in a firm that had a contract with the Iraqi Government and that, therefore, we stand to ‘benefit’ from the war, is despicable.
“For the record: My husband, Robert Irey, is a partner in a firm that once had a subcontract with the Iraqi Government, jointly administered by the U.S. Department of Defense, to help the new democratic Government of Iraq take over the burden of defending itself by refurbishing equipment and material destroyed or damaged by the war. Had that contract been fulfilled, it would have allowed the Iraqi Government to take over more of the burden of defending itself sooner – which would have had the result of making possible a withdrawal of U.S. troops sooner than they would otherwise have been able to come home.
“But that contract was terminated more than a year and a half ago, when one of Bob’s partners and one of their employees were murdered in Iraq- a fact reported at the time by both the Los Angeles Times and The Associated Press, and , therefore, presumably known to Jack Murtha”
“To continue, for the record: other than one $10,000 down payment, their firm never collected a dime from that contract. In fact, the Iraqi Government still owes that firm $1.6 million for work completed but for which they have yet to receive payment.
“Further, neither my husband nor I have any financial stake in any ongoing enterprise related to the war – as one can tell just by looking at the Financial Disclosure Form I filed when I became a candidate. That form is on record in the Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives, just a few hundred yards from Jack Murtha’s office in the Rayburn Building.
“Surely Mr. Murtha, with his vaunted connections to and influence over the Defense Department, knew all this before he recklessly suggested that I am running for Congress because I am ‘benefiting from this war.’
“Having seen the way Jack Murtha deals with his political opponents, ‘despicable,’ sadly, is what we’ve come to expect.
“But even Jack Murtha should be held to the standard of truth and honesty – and in this case, not only was he wrong to ‘raise the question,’ he KNEW he was wrong to ‘raise the question.’
“I have already made clear why I am running for Congress: I am running because Jack Murtha is out of touch, and no longer represents the residents of the 12th District. It is time for a change, and I am fighting to lead that change – to secure our borders, to safeguard our retirements, to promote economic growth throughout the 12th District, just as I have done in Washington County.
“There are 120 days left in this campaign. The good news is, that’s plenty of time to make sure the voters of the 12th District know just who Jack Murtha really is.”
-- 30 --
Every thread you demand your "rules," yet you never seem to be able to do it yourself. If you want a picture, then go get it.
HUGE BUMP!
What a nice zinger from Ms Irey
Good point and I have a hunch we already know the answer but letters to the editor would seem to be appropriate on the matter.
More likely than not, it was a last-minute request. They do it ALL THE TIME. Many times the reporters will call at the end of the work day, after hours, or refuse to speak with anyone else but their intended target. Then they claim "no reponse", "no comment" or "did not return calls", which in essence is a twisting of the truth that comes off looking like someone was avoiding them. It covers their butt and makes the target look bad.
Maybe. But if so then it really should have been addressed in this press release.
Yes, I believe most of us read the article referred to and discussed it at length. I personally didn't know he was also the Cambria County Chair. Hopefully he'll get his walking papers from Cambria and the Repubs in PA should take a hard look at his state chair.
Who is "Kit" Murtha?
"He's John Murtha's brother -- a Washington lobbyist whose firm reeled in more than $20 million for its defense contractor clients in the 2004 Defense appropriations bill. And the Pennsylvania congressman is the ranking Democrat on the Defense appropriations subcommittee, which he also chaired for six years before Democrats lost the House in 1994. "
(Send this lady some $$$ support) John Murtha doesn't belong in our Congress! He doesn't belong in American government period!
I'm glad she had a rapid response.
It seems like too many lawyers went over this (too many chefs?). A bit too tedious. However, maybe some media can learn the facts from it and spin them.
What the old fool did was plant a seed but instead of backing away and letting media "discover" it, he started running around making charges and conclusions. Nuts.
Someone has to start shrieking about his brother making $20Million. Yes, I know Irey should not be the one to do this chore.
That article was so much bullspit. I don't need a stinking poll to tell me what I can see with my own eyes: Murtha knows he's in trouble.
Swifties exposed John Kerry for the liar that he was. I know Marines can do the same to Murtha!
No "demand", just a request. And are you this pissy with everyone else that requests it? Please withdraw the request. Not a demand. There is a difference.
If you want any ink at all, you can't bite the hand that scratches you (especially if you are a conservative). They know it, and are sometimes insufferable in their attitudes. You just have to smile through gritted teeth and say "thank you sir, may I have another."
| Murtha's "Cut & Run" Comments on Iraq: "there's no progress at all" "it's worse than it was prewar" "we should immediatley redeploy" "War cannot be won on the ground" "I have said it's a civil war" "We cannot win this militarily. Our tactics themselves keep us from winning," |
Murtha's Comments on our Troops: "Would you join (the military) today?," he was asked in an interview. "No," replied Murtha "And I think you're saying the average guy out there who's considering recruitment is justified in saying 'I don't want to serve'," the interviewer continued. "Exactly right," said Murtha "we have become a catalyst for violence" in Iraq Marines "killed innocent civilians in cold blood." at Haditha "I will not excuse murder, and this is what happened" "This is worse than Abu Ghraib" "Hopefully, this is an isolated incident. But we're supposed to be selling ideas of America, ideals of America, and we're losing that war." "These kind of things have to be brought out immediately," he told "This Week," "because if the Marines got away with it, other Marines might think it's okay." "What they're saying to me is we're stretching the military too thin. The army is broken, and we couldn't deploy to a second front if we wanted to." "The troops don't know what to do. They don't have the direction they need in order to supervise the prisoners," |
There. Now I don't need to ask you.
True true true!
Hot DAWG!! Murtha GOBSMACKED!! Ya gotta love it!!
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