Commenter Doug (a long time regular at the Belmont Club) is the author of this piece.
Murtha, a Marine intelligence officer in Vietnam, angrily shot back at Cheney:
" I like guys who've never been there that criticize us who've been there. I like that. I like guys who got five deferments and never been there and send people to war, and then don't like to hear suggestions about what needs to be done."
So how does this respond to what VP Cheney said?
In what way was the VP saying the administration doesn't want to hear suggestions about what needs to be done? In what way is this answering in any way the charge that the anti-war side is dishonestly rewriting history about the Iraq War debate?
Oh, and when I say "former supporter" of the war you have to go back a way notwithstanding the impression of this article and other press accounts that Murtha is only now turning on the war.
In May 2004, Murtha called the Iraq War unwinnable (Via NRO). So when you read that a "hawkish Democrat" now opposes the war, please realize this is nothing recent. Although to be fair, somebody who has been a defeatist only since May 2004 may actually count as "hawkish" in his circles.Murtha was wounded twice in Vietnam, and then saw his war lost because Congress would not spend the money to bolster Saigon after we left to validate the blood and treasure we expended to defend South Vietnam.And now Murtha is planning on doing the same to another generation of his fellow Marines as they carry out their duty in western al Anbar province to root out and kill the enemy.Semper Fi? Not even close.
Brian J. Dunn at The Dignified Rant wrote Semper-Phooey in response.
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Murtha: Iraq ‘Unwinnable’ Roll Call Staff
May 6, 2004 -
Signaling a new, more aggressive line against the Bush administration’s policy on Iraq, Rep. John Murtha (Pa.), the House Democrats’ most visible defense hawk, will join Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) today to make public his previously private statements that the conflict is “unwinnable.”
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He also schemed w/Ms Pelosi prior to his latest dishonest acting performance.
(Along w/ his other LIES, he later contended he was acting on his own, and this was not a partisan affair.
He simply cared so much for the troops.
[That he sold them out. ...Again.])
6 comments:
RadioBlogger gets a Hat tip, Here's More:
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What Patriot? Cockalorum's views of Rep. John Murtha..
. Pekin Prattle's observation that the Congressional GOP needs a spine .
The Dignified Rant's Semper Phooey salute to John Murtha. .
.Right Mom's new day of infamy - 11/15/05.
. Driftwood USA's parody naming Hugh special prosecutor in search of GOP spine .
.The Savage Republican comparing House and Senate GOP spines.
.My Sandmen's rant aginst the spineless GOP last week. .
.Point Five Blog's parody, taking John Murtha's pullout a little personally. .
.wake-up-and-smell-the-conservatism: Residual Forces' comments about Senate GOP fundraising falling behind the Dems. .
...RadioBlogger.com contest
Good post, Doug. Reminds of Senator Dole's question during the '96 cmpgn:
"Where's the Outrage?"
Do people like Murtha think we should make it necessary for the president and VP to be veterans?
I guess that rules out the Clintons...and Lincoln and FDR and Thomas Jefferson.[although I hate to include the latter three in such sorry company as Bill and Hill]
Murtha has been a politician for a lot longer than he was a soldier.
Speaking of which McGovern was a WW2 hero. He still managed to freak out so many Americans that he lost 49 states.
Refer to Vonnegut discussion below--another Mcgovern-type case. Combat veterans should--rightfully--get a pass on the behavioral effects of such as PTSD. But we can't let that pass include making national policy on the veteran basis alone--that's farther than rational gratitude should go.
Up 'til now, many on the right that did not serve in the Vietnam era evidently felt so reticent about criticizing vets that they would get a pass no matter what they said.
I always felt reticent because I never got shot at, and when I got out, I was anything but a patriot for a few years.
Then, after 9-11, on an excellent Honolulu forum that had lots of military input, I started noticing that a significant number of folks were using their service, (or claimed service) in the same way that John Kerry has each day since he partnered w/Fonda and Co.
An obvious abuse, made more obvious by the Dems insistence on inverting the meaning of patriotic behavior, then crying foul when criticized.
Finally, It struck me that this self-censorship on the right was destructive to a fair and productive debate.
Thankfully, it seems JFK2 and the passing of years has brought around more conservatives to this position.
Limbaugh was recently a lot more graceful than he used to be (used to come off more defensively) while he was addressing some OIF Warriors:
He simply lavished great praise on them for doing what a large majority of us would not choose to do, and mentioned in passing that he had had that opportunity and passed on it.
More Free Speech on the Right to Combat Leftist Word Nazis!
But could I please have that PTSD pass?
...I've been in domestic combat for over 40 years!
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