John Murtha: Not the man he used to be.
Murtha says he wouldn't join military now
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Rep. John Murtha, a key Democratic voice who favors pulling U.S. troops from Iraq, said in remarks airing on Monday that he would not join the U.S. military today.
A decorated Vietnam combat veteran who retired as a colonel after 37 years in the U.S. Marine Corps, Murtha told ABC News' "Nightline" program that Iraq "absolutely" was a wrong war for President George W. Bush to have launched.
"Would you join (the military) today?," he was asked in an interview taped on Friday.
"No," replied Murtha of Pennsylvania, the top Democrat on the House of Representatives subcommittee that oversees defense spending and one of his party's leading spokesmen on military issues.
[...]
"Let me tell you, war is a nasty business. It sears the soul," he said, choking up. "And it made a difference. The shadow of those killings stay with you the rest of your life."
[Read the whole thing here.]
John Murtha used to be a brave man and the country owes him a debt of gratitude for his actions in Viet Nam. Unfortunately, it's become quite obvious lately that he came back so emotionally scarred that he's no longer able to grasp the concept that sometimes going to war, terrible though that is, is the best alternative available.
I've seen the observation several places around the web that Murtha did the country, and the Republican cause, a major favor by calling for an immediate pull-out in Iraq. By doing so, he turned the discussion from "faulty intelligence" and "Bush lied" to " Where do we go from here?" Dafydd ab Hugh says he's still helping the good guys today:
Keep Talking, Rep. Big-Moutha!
On Friday, Rep. John Murtha (D-PA), saved another couple of seats for the Republicans in 2006.
He was once again denouncing the Iraq War, which he has called both unwinnable and morally wrong, and the following exchange occurred, per Reuters: [...]
Perfect. Excellent. So not only are the Democrats opposed to this war and want us to yank the troops out -- quickly, quickly, before we accidentally win -- but they're also now urging Americans not to join the military.
I particularly love this snide aside by Reuters: [...]
[Read Dafydd's whole post here.]
It's time to start thinking about those fall elections, folks. Do we want a September 10th Congress, or do we want people there who understand we're at war whether we want to be or not, and that our only choice is between fighting it it the Mideast or fighting it in the streets of America?
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See also: Gen. Pace Criticizes Sen. Murtha Remark
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