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Born at the Crest of the Empire

Thursday, November 17, 2005

Have you no shame? Have you no decency left?

Congressman John Murtha (D-Pa.) today, came forward and called for a withdrawal of US troops from Iraq. Just for background on Rep. Murtha.

After serving in the Marines in the early 1950's, he re-enlisted in 1966, at the age of 34, and served in Vietnam, earning a Bronze Star, two Purple Hearts and the Vietnamese Cross for Gallantry, according to The Almanac of American Politics. When he won his House seat in a special election in February 1974 he became the first Vietnam veteran to serve in Congress.


So, after years and years of tirelessly supporting the armed forces in Congress, Rep. Murtha cannot be painted as a lightweight. So, of course, in true Bush White House form, a hero, a man who reenlisted for Vietnam can be referred to like this.

STATEMENT BY THE PRESS SECRETARY

Congressman Murtha is a respected veteran and politician who has a record of supporting a strong America. So it is baffling that he is endorsing the policy positions of Michael Moore and the extreme liberal wing of the Democratic party. The eve of an historic democratic election in Iraq is not the time to surrender to the terrorists. After seeing his statement, we remain baffled -- nowhere does he explain how retreating from Iraq makes America safer.


That's the whole statement.

At long last, have you no shame? Have you no decency left?

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8 Comments:

  • So what do you propose... we just pull out tomorrow?

    I commend him on his service, but, pulling out is not the answer. Sorry. : )

    By Blogger Unknown, at 9:01 PM  

  • So what do you propose... we just pull out tomorrow?

    I commend him on his service, but, pulling out is not the answer. Sorry. : )

    By Blogger Unknown, at 9:06 PM  

  • Sorry...I didn't mean to post twice

    By Blogger Unknown, at 9:10 PM  

  • No, Jenn, I think we out to set the dreaded timetable.

    1)We ought to stop the daily patrols immediately, those are a large source of irritation, and turn those over to local forces. The US forces should be used to come in, in force, to attack insurgents, not to drive around as targets and antagonize civilians.

    2) We ought to get together with the Iraqi government and say, three months(or six months or nine months)after the December election, we will be turning over security for these cities to your troops. Three months after that, another group of cities and areas. etc, etc until we have a rather minimal response force to be used in support of the Iraqi local forces WHEN CALLED UPON.

    Until we set deadlines, the Iraqi leadership will have no real incentive to hurry along the development of their local forces. If we say that in six months, Bagdhad will be yours, they will have great incentive to get their forces up and trained if they wish to stay in power.

    That's my plan. Immediately stop the fairly useless patrolling that puts our troops at risk, antagonizes the Iraqi populace, and produces very little as result. "Incentivize" the leaders of Iraq to get their own troops online and ready. Then draw down to a minimal response force to back the Iraqis.

    It'd work. If properly presented, it could even be shown as victory. The real problem is politcal domestic in that Bush has been shouting "stay the course" so long that he can no longer make rational changes without appearing weak. So we will "stay the course to protect Bush's image and more soldiers will die.

    I hope that answers your question.

    And also, this post was more intended to comment on the disgraceful methods of this administration to shamelessly attack the patriotism of anyone who disagrees with them. McCain in SC in 2000, John Kerry, Max Cleland, and now Murtha. Honest to god war heroes, and they attack their patriotism.

    THAT IS DISGRACEFUL.

    By Blogger mikevotes, at 9:26 PM  

  • it is disgraceful. so are these statements. the level of duplicity and barefacedness is just staggering sometimes - i don't know how either of could say these things and keep a straight face....

    "I think all foreigners should stop interfering in the internal affairs of Iraq" Paul Wolfowitz, Baghdad, 21 July 2003


    "There is no justification for Iran or any other country interfering in Iraq …" Tony Blair, Downing Street, 6 October 2005

    By Blogger michael the tubthumper, at 5:02 AM  

  • Those are great quotes.

    By Blogger mikevotes, at 6:15 AM  

  • Exactly, Rachie. The claim that Murtha awnted to surrender to the terrorists is what set me off. How far is that from the McCarthyism allusion and link I put in the last line.

    And, oh, Michael, you are such a cynic, although I fear you may be right. Question, in that scenario, do the American people believe the repub spin, that we won right before the election, or do they se that the "win" was put off for the election? It all depends on how the media paints it.

    By Blogger mikevotes, at 9:52 AM  

  • I agree with you completely.

    I do not challenge your supposition, it's just that you are soooo good at seeing the political play before I do.

    Several times, you have made comments like these and my first reaction is "wouldn't people see through that?" But as your October surprise example indicates, often they do not.

    You're right, I just somehow want to think better of people. To think that there must be some line that they aren't willing to cross. I know it's naive in a way, but I have to have that hope so that I can stay participatory in politics.

    In light of that, PLEASE keep commenting and bringing this stuff up. It helps me frame my thinking.

    By Blogger mikevotes, at 10:30 AM  

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