Whether or not one agrees with Rep John Murtha (D -PA) about immediate withdrawal of US troops in Iraq, it is indisputable that his proposal to do so has ignited a firestorm. The Republicans who are used to lobbing their pseudo patriotic grenades at liberal and dovish soft targets, are finding it a bit more difficult to paint the hawkish, decorated (a Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts) veteran of the US Marines Corps, with the same "yellow belly" brush. But it has not stopped them from trying .
All hell broke loose on the US House floor when Rep Jean Schmidt, R – Ohio, the most junior member of the House, who narrowly defeated anti-war Iraq vet Paul Hackett, told of a phone call she received from a Marine colonel. "He asked me to send Congress a message — stay the course. He also asked me to send Congressman Murtha a message — that cowards cut and run, Marines never do," Schmidt said. Democrats booed and shouted, causing an uproar. "I won’t stand for the swift-boating of Jack Murtha," said Sen. John Kerry later of Schmidt’s comments.
I doubt that Rep Murtha will need anyone’s help in defending himself. Here is an example of his response to Dick Cheney, who likes to fight his wars by remote control, tele-kinetics and other peoples’ sacrifices.
On Wednesday, Vice President Cheney said that the suggestion by some senators that the administration purposely misled the public about the reasons for invading Iraq "is one of the most dishonest and reprehensible charges ever aired in this city."
"What we’re hearing now is some politicians contradicting their own statements and making a play for political advantage in the middle of a war," Cheney said. "The president and I cannot prevent certain politicians from losing their memory, or their backbone — but we’re not going to sit by and let them rewrite history."
Murtha sarcastically dismissed such attacks by alluding to the fact that Cheney never served in the military because he received deferments from the draft during the Vietnam War era.
This is what Rep Murtha had to say about Cheney’s remarks:
"I like guys who’ve never been there that criticize us who’ve been there. I like that," said Murtha. "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."
Accidental Blogger 
2 responses to “The Hawk and the Chickenhawks”
It never ceases to amaze me the uproar that is created whenever someone such as Murtha voices his opinion – an opinion that those in an uproar seem to forget/ignore is shared with over half of the American population at this point. I cannot help but shake my head in disgust when a war veteran is criticized as being “unpatriotic” or “yellow bellied” by those who have never served in the military and therefore do not completely understand the meaning of the words “sacrifice” and “patriotism.”
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It is pretty mind boggling – the chutzpah. But they succeeded in “swift boating” John Kerry, didn’t they? This time though, with public opinion shifting on Iraq, they will have a little more difficulty with Murtha.
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