To Our Dear Readers...Our Final Post

If you're visiting this blog today, you have no doubt heard or read that John Murtha has died.

We at Murtha Must Go!! feel sorrow for the family of Congressman John Murtha and extend our condolences. It is never easy to lose a loved one; we wish them well, and it is our hope that they will not take the remainder of this post personally against them.

It gives me no pleasure to write the following; but since May 21st, 2006, this blog has stood as a record of the type of public servant Congressman Murtha was; and it is important, therefore, for purposes of the integrity of this blog, to keep the record straight.

It is for this reason that I close with this:

While we indeed do extend heartfelt condolences to the family of John Murtha, at the same time, we extend our condolences to the taxpayers whose money, in our opinion, John Murtha usurped and squandered in his efforts to seal his stranglehold on power, to build publicly-funded monuments to himself, and to line his own campaign war chest.

We extend our condolences to our troops, who will never receive an apology for John Murtha's decision to label their mission in Iraq a failure, as a means of cementing his own political fortune with the far-left power structure in congress and their benefactors; thus opening the door to years of badmouthing their mission and/or outright verbal sabotage by high ranking democrat officials.

But most of all, we extend our deepest condolences to the Haditha Marines and their loving families, who will now never receive a formal apology (at least in this lifetime) for their sacred honor being besmirched by Murtha when he told the bald-faced lie about the 'massacre' at Haditha that never happened.

There are people in this world who leave as their legacy an example of how to live their lives in service to others.

Others, like Congressman John P. Murtha, leave as their legacy an example of how not to do it.

As twitter compatriot @wilsonpd stated, "... and may God forgive him for his treachery and perfidy here on earth. Amen!"

And, Amen.

Leo Pusateri
Founder and editor, Murtha Must Go!!

Today Marks an Ignominious Day In History...

From the NPR blog:

State Rep. John Murtha (D) wins a special congressional election in Pennsylvania's 12th District to fill the seat of the late GOP Rep. John Saylor.

Murtha defeats Republican Harry Fox by just 122 votes. Many observers wondered if this race would give hints about what would happen in November. President Nixon and the GOP are on the defensive over the Watergate scandal, and some read this as a sign that this could be a big Democratic year. But Murtha's close win, in a district that has a narrow Democratic advantage in registration, left both sides with a murky message.

Meanwhile, 36 years later, Murtha still holds the seat.

Yes, and 36 years later, we have a man who narrowly escaped indictment in ABSCAM, engaged in years and years of palm greasing and backroom deals, receiving thousands upon thousands in campaign contributions while doling out millions upon millions of taxpayer dollars in quid-pro-quo earmarks; who is currently under scrutiny for ethics violations and/or outright illegalities* with respect to the PMA and Kuchera Industries scandals, who has placed his name on airports, hospitals and sundry other projects like some Egyptian pharoah, who nearly singlehandedly sabotaged our troops' efforts in Iraq, and who has unapologetically slandered and wrongly besmirched the names and honor of Marines in Haditha in 2005, whose only 'crime' was correctly following rules of engagement while under enemy attack.

Yes, one honest man could have made a difference in 1974.

Too bad John P. Murtha is not an honest man.

What Price, Treason?

Despite "Jihad Jack" Murtha's treasonous betrayal of the Haditha Marines (for which he has yet to apologize); despite numerous sweetheart deals with cronies who continually line his campaign coffers; despite documented corruption going all the way back to Abscam in the early 1980s; despite all this and more, PA-12 voters have somehow found it within themselves to hold their collective noses at the polling place and re-elect Murtha, time and time-again. All because of Murtha's reputation of "bringing home the pork" for PA-12.

Yes, PA-12 again and again sold their souls elected a self-serving, traitorous politician in the grand tradition of Huey Long and other kings of corruption, because of the millions upon millions of dollars in booty that the corpulent political pirate brought home for his district.

So, what have the voters of PA-12 received in return for selling their souls?

Not much:

The Post analysis illustrates the fleeting success of some of the companies backed by earmarks. Some of the jobs generated by Murtha's earmarks cost about $2 million each, and scores disappeared as soon as projects were completed.

Peter Fiske, a former defense executive in Murtha's district, said awarding earmarks to fledgling companies often backfires, a problem that might be avoided with a more rigorous assessment of project risks. Fiske helped found RAPT Industries, a company that Murtha forecast would generate 45 new jobs. It shuttered its four-person office this year.

"If you looked at Congressman Murtha's efforts in the same way you look at an investor's efforts, it's easy to see that the business model originally conceived hasn't really panned out in terms of its rate of return, " Fiske said.

This is only the tip of the iceberg, of course. Murtha's self-named monument, the airport to nowhere, despite its hefty price tag, still has few flights. An 8-million dollar radar system continues to go un-utilized, due to the fact that there is no one around who is qualified to operate it.

So, PA-12... what did your 30 pieces of silver you deposit at the polling place every two years get you?

The question remains: In 2010, will you continue to pay your tribute to your faux provider-god, or will you finally come to your senses and do yourself (and your nation) a favor and elect an honest man, for once.

A "Thank You" to Jihad Jack...

This LTE was published in the Indiana Gazette:

Recently in this paper a thank-you letter to U.S. Rep. John Murtha, D-Johnstown, was written by a man from Homer City. I also have some things to thank Mr. Murtha for.

First, I want to thank him for his service as a Marine; of course, Benedict Arnold also served this great nation honorably for a time before he sold out.

Thanks for calling your fellow Marines cold-blooded killers. Our enemies loved that.

Thanks for not apologizing to those fine soldiers when they were all found innocent. They deserved better.

Thanks for buying your votes with our taxpayer dollars. That's big of you.

Thanks for not having even one meeting over the past summer with the people of your district to hear their/our voices. That was cowardly.

Thanks for making the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington's list of ``Most Corrupt Politicians in Washington, D.C.'' for the fifth year in a row. Now that takes some doing.

Finally, Mr. Murtha, thank you for showing exactly who you are in front of the entire world.

My thanks are obviously sarcastic, but your actions are a matter of public record. If people still vote for you after all of this, then they will get exactly what they deserve.

Terry Anderson

Indiana

Does anyone from PA-12 have the cajones to write such a letter to the Tribune Democrat? Or has Jihad Jack Murtha actually bought the votes through the taxpayers' largesse.

Megalomaniacal Murtha

ahIFirst he declared the Iraq War all but lost, and more than once called for an immediate withdrawal. Seeing as how the Left just loved him, invited him to all the right parties, and even gave him awards befitting Benedict Arnold, Murtha felt even more brazen in his lust for power, when he declared Marines at Haditha guilty of murder, without any official briefing, again, to further his drive for power.

Then, in 2008, came William Trower Russell. A retired Army Colonel, who still knows the meaning of honor and practices it, Russell had Murtha running scared for the first time in his checkered, scandal-laden political career. So scared was Jihad Jack Murtha that he had to call in Bill Clinton to wag his finger at PA-12 constituents in a last-ditch effort to save his sorry, fat, political backside.

Having won re-election, now Murtha is again usurping his power in another nefarious way:

Russell, a retired Army man who plans another run against Murtha next year, now contends that the congressman’s chief of staff used coarse language while threatening to have the GOP candidate “recalled” to active military duty.

Russell further claims that Murtha’s office has contacted his former commanding officer, also to inquire about a potential recall.

“This is a brazen abuse of power and a threat to the integrity of both the Department of Defense and the Congress of the United States,” Russell wrote in a recent fundraising letter to local voters.

Russell, who last year lost by about 15 percentage points to the veteran congressman, said the encounter with Murtha Chief of Staff John Hugya happened at a March banquet benefitting the National Rifle Association in Washington County.

“To my face, (Hugya) said, ‘What are you going to do when we get the new Secretary of the Army seated and have your (expletive) recalled to active duty,’ ” Russell wrote.

Murtha’s office is not denying that the exchange took place.

But spokesman Matt Mazonkey also claims that Russell’s letter leaves out an important part of the conversation.

“Mr. Hugya, who is a retired Marine Colonel, was reminding Mr. Russell that his conduct while in uniform during the last campaign was in violation of sections of the uniform code of military justice” and a Department of Defense directive, Mazonkey said in a written statement.

That directive forbids those on active military duty from campaigning for federal office.

The contention, apparently, is that Russell should be recalled so that he can face charges for allegedly campaigning while he was on a 90-day, active-duty Army assignment last year.

Those allegations have been brewing since last summer. But Russell still contends they are “absolutely false.”

While he was on duty from April 30 through the end of July, Russell said, “the campaign committee operated independently of me.”

And that, my friends, is absolutely TRUE. William Russell did not personally begin campaigning until his discharge from the Army. His May, 2008 interview on the Michael Savage show was actually taped well before his April activation, and then aired later. But don't let a little thing like the truth get in the way of Jihad Jack Murtha holding on to power like a hooker grasps her last 5 dollar bill.

Bottom line is, to Jack Murtha, the Constitution and the rights it extends may as well be a roll of toilet paper. He will crumple it, trample it, and do anything he can to extend his reach on his power.

Megalomania? You bet.

PA-12-- are you starting to get buyer's remorse yet?

W.T.F?

Murtha has gotten an award... from the Navy?

The U.S. Navy awarded U.S. Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., its Distinguished Public Service Award, triggering an Internet campaign to have Navy Secretary Donald C. Winter withdraw it.

Murtha, who publicly accused U.S. Marines of cold-blooded murder in a firefight in Haditha, Iraq, and was caught on camera in the Abscam scandal appearing to negotiate a bribe, was honored by the Navy for his "selfless devotion to the Nation's Sailors and Marines."

The award credits him with making sure the military services "were provided the resources necessary to effectively conduct the Global War on Terrorism."

"His courageous leadership, vision, and loyalty to the men and women of the Department of the Navy greatly contributed to their quality of life and helped create the most modern and highly trained fighting force in history," the honor said.

This is like giving Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge an award for his humane treatment of the Hmong. I don't know, Maybe Winter saw fit to hand ol' Jihad Jack an award because it was Marines that he threw under the bus? Or was it some quid-pro-quo and some palm-greasing PR gesture, knowing that Murtha holds the purse strings for the stuff the Navy needs?

At any rate, this better be some really twisted joke. I know at least twelve Marines and their families who I'm sure don't find this amusing at all.

If you're as disgusted with this as I am, please sign this petition.

**UPDATE***

As of this writing, there are 17,934 signatories asking this honor be revoked.

Murtha: "See This? This is the Constitution!:

Murtha: As arrogant as ever!



Yes, Jihad Jack, Murtha--that is the Constitution in your grubby, slimy, greasy, blood-stained hands. That is the Constitution that you so cavalierly discarded when you played judge, jury and executioner to the Marines in Haditha, including Lt. Colonel Chessani, Sgt. Wuterich, and Lance Corporal Justin Sharratt, whose father is a contributor to this blog. That very Constitution that you held in your hand is the one you put in the chipper shredder as you threw these gallant Marines under the bus for your own sorry-assed political gain.

Then you have the chutzpah to pull it out of your pocket and tell reporters, PA-12 voters, and the American people that that same Constitution gives you the right to do as you please like you're some kind of friggin' emperor?

I can't wait til this PMA investigation comes through, Jihad Jack. I can't wait to see you in handcuffs and leg-irons as you're frog-marched into a federal courtroom. I can't wait for the day when you're introduced to your new roommate, Bubba at the Federal Penn. Hope you have plenty of vaseline handy.

Yep, Jihad Jack, that day can't come too soon in my book.

Jihad Jack Murtha Stands By His Lies.

If there was ever a more brazenly self-serving, arrogant man alive than John "Jihad Jack" Murtha, I've yet to find him:

CNSNews.com: “Recently, all the charges were dropped with the soldiers involved in the Haditha event. You had been on TV with CNN and different outlets and you were saying that they were, quote, the civilians were killed in cold blood, end quote. But now that the charges have been dropped, do you think that was the right thing to say?”

Rep. John Murtha: “Yes, I think it was, that’s my job. My job is due. Listen, the NCIS (National Criminal Investigation Service) came to exactly the same conclusion I did. They had a two-star general investigate it. General Hagee went over right after I spoke out and talked to all of the Marines in the field and said you got to stop this kind of killing.”

What the hell does "That's my job. My job is due" mean? Is it your job, Jihad Jack, to usurp the Constitutional protections of soldiers who lay their lives on the line to defend that very Constitution? Is it "your job" to pronounce guilt before any investigation has taken place?

You say that General Hagee went right over right after you "spoke out" [read: LIED] and talked to all of the Marines in the field, telling them "you got to stop this kind of killing." Where is your proof of that? Why should we take you at your word when you have proven time and time again that you will lie to protect your sorry-assed, corrupt, political career? Did you even bother to look at the facts, Jihad Jack? Hell--you didn't even wait for an official briefing before you opened your big fat piehole on that fateful day in May of 2006, when you couldn't wait to run in front of the nearest camera to spill your bile--all just so you could pad your resume to advance your big, fat, self-serving backside to a coveted House Majority Leader post.

Jihad Jack Murtha: We here at Murtha Must Go!! continue to stand with our demand that you apologize and forthwith resign your seat in the House of Representatives. If you can't back up your story, if you can't back up your lies with facts, then you not only need to resign your post, but you need to be tried for slander.

We here at Murtha Must Go!! know of course that you will not do the honorable thing, because YOU HAVE NO HONOR!

Nonetheless, Congressman John Murtha, we here at Murtha Must Go!! will not rest until justice has been served!

We ask all like-minded readers to fill out the "Vets For Freedom" petition on the sidebar of this blog to call on Jack Murtha to apologize for his abject slanderous remarks and his blatant disregard for the principles inherent in the United States Constitution which his oath of office demands that he uphold.

Murtha: Not a leg to stand on.

As has been chronicled on this blog time and time again, Congressman John Murtha threw his lot with the anti-war kook left as he threw Haditha Marine's Constitutional right to presumption of innocence out the window for reasons of cheap, political gain. Congressman Murtha mis-used the influence of his office in a manner, as John Kerry would say, reminiscent of Genghis Khahn as he ran roughshod over the Constitutional rights of those who so valiantly put their lives on the line to defend it.

Now that Murtha's chickenzzzz have come home to roost, Boss Murtha is claiming immunity, saying that he can't be sued because, according to him, he was actually doing his job when he was denying the Haditha Marines their right to due process and presumption of innocence.

Which led Judge Karen LeCraft Henderson to question:

“Who is his master?” Henderson asked. “Do you ever serve the interests of your constituents by making a derogatory comment to the media?”

Of course, the short answer to that is that Boss Murtha has never been about serving his constituents, but rather about weaving a web of quid pro quos designed for the sole purpose of keeping his big phat backside in PA-12's seat in Washington.

Make no mistake. Jack Murtha never does something without there being a whole lot of something there for-- Jack Murtha.

Jack Murtha is used to getting his way, by hook, or, by crook. But this time, Jack Murtha has spun himself a web from which there should be no escape. Christina Jeffrey, the historian for the 104th congress, asserts:

While Murtha wants us to believe talking to reporters is an activity covered by the Constitution's speech and debate clause, the Supreme Court doesn't agree.

In the 1979 decision Hutchinson v. Proxmire (443 U.S. 111), the court ruled against Sen. William Proxmire because this clause does not protect him when he is off the floor and transmitting information to the media in the form of a press release. Why should a verbal "press release" be any different?

The Herald-Journal makes the case, popular inside the Beltway, that members of Congress need immunity from lawsuits when conducting the people's business. (They also want to be free of lawsuits if they are in traffic accidents). Since they consider themselves to be conducting the people's business 24/7, we're creating a very privileged class - one that can run us over and defame us at will. However, if necessity were a legitimate defense, it's certainly undermined by changes in communication that have made it easy to amplify a million times every word a congressmen speaks on the floor of Congress. No, we don't need to relieve congressmen of the nicety of going down to the well to have their say. Constitutional forms remain important.

As Thomas Jefferson stated, "When governments fear the people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny."

Jeffrey expands:

The clear language of the Constitution with respect to the responsibility of legislators to live under the law has been articulated since Montesquieu and is enshrined in the English common law on which the Constitution is based.

President Madison, writing in the Federalist, warns us that if ever our legislators are exempt from law, freedom will be lost. The 104th Congress actually passed a congressional rule that Congress would henceforth abide by the law. Murtha should be punished for failing to do so.

There can be no argument made against the fact that a grave, purposeful injustice was perpetrated against citizens by a duly elected Constitutional officer by the name of John Murtha.

Murtha, again, is not a king, but is rather elected to serve the people and at the pleasure of the people; and, even according to his own governing body's rules, must not only be held accountable for acting in the best interests of those he serves, but to live under the same laws, as well.

The Wheels of Justice are Turning...

On the road toward justice for the Haditha Marines:

A Marine who is suing Rep. John Murtha for defamation wants a federal appeals court to order the powerful Pennsylvania Democrat to testify under oath about comments he made related to the deaths of unarmed Iraqi civilians in the town of Haditha in 2005.

An attorney for Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich on Tuesday asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia to compel Murtha to give a deposition in the case. Attorney Mark Zaid said he needs information about how often and in what context Murtha claimed that Marines in Iraq engaged in “cold-blooded murder and war crimes” in killing the Iraqi civilians.

A government lawyer representing Murtha argued that the congressman does not have to agree to testify under oath and is immune from the lawsuit because he was acting in an official capacity as a member of Congress when he made the comments to the media.
Last year a federal judge ordered Murtha, a decorated former Marine and Vietnam veteran and close ally of Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), to testify in the case. His lawyers are appealing that decision.

Does 'congressional immunity' allow the right for an elected Constitutional officer of the United States, sworn to uphold and defend the Constitution, to in effect deny those very rights to due process and presumption of innocence to the constituents that they serve?

Perhaps a judge involved in the case stated it best:

Judge Karen LeCraft Henderson questioned whether Murtha’s comments were made within the scope of his employment, and if his constituents are considered his employer, what kind of service he was providing them by making the Haditha comments.

“Who is his master?” Henderson asked. “Do you ever serve the interests of your constituents by making a derogatory comment to the media?”

Amen, Judge Henderson.

To hold Murtha unaccountable for what can only be construed as outright slander and lies that wrought immeasurable damage against the Haditha Marines (not to mention toward the security of all our soldiers in harm's way), would be a travesty of justice of monumental proportions.

Much to his amazement, Murtha is a public servant, not a king.

CHUTZPAH!

chutz⋅pah

–noun Slang.

1.	unmitigated effrontery or impudence; gall.

2.	audacity; nerve.

Also, chutzpah, hutzpa, hutzpah.

With all the work that John Murtha has done to undermine our troops' mission in Iraq, with the apologizing he has yet to do by playing judge, jury and executioner to the Haditha Marines, Jihad Jack Murtha has a helluva lot of nerve!

JOHN MURTHA | Honoring our veterans takes more than words

BY JOHN MURTHA
The Tribune-Democrat
Veterans Day is a time to honor those Americans who answered the call to service and who proudly fought to defend our freedoms.

America owes an immeasurable debt to each of the 23.4 million veterans alive today, including the tens-of-thousands living right here in southwestern Pennsylvania.

Honoring our veterans means more than just words and speeches.

You're damn tootin' it takes more than words and speeches, Jihad Jack!

For starters why don't you yet apologize to the Marines you slandered by labelling them cold blooded murderers, without so much as an official briefing.

While you're at it, Jack--if you want to repay your debt to our gallant men and women in uniform, why not apologize to the people whose enemy you emboldened with every lie and with every word of discouragement that came from your piehole, all in the name of endearing you to the moonbat left and furthering your pathetic political career.

But ultimately, Jihad Jack Murtha--if you really want to honor our gallant men and women who put their lives on the line every day to protect your sorry ass, let me suggest you do the following:

RESIGN YOUR SEAT.

Pork Over Principle: The Johnstown-Democrat gets out the defibrolator.

Pork over Principle.

The Johnstown Tribune-Democrat, truly living up to its name, has once again thrown its scruples (if it had any to begin with) under the bus to try to resuscitate Jihad Jack Murtha's sorry political career. After falsely labeling William Trower Russell as a "carpetbagger," the two-bit call-girls on the editorial board of the Tribune go on to say,

• He is virtually a one-issue candidate, repeatedly attacking Murtha on his comments concerning Marines in Haditha, Iraq.

Yeah, I know... it's no biggie that Jack Murtha put 8 Marines and their families in a state of living hell for over two years with false accusations (for his own political aggrandizement), without so much as a subscription to the Jelly of the Month Club for the trouble he put them through. It's no big deal that he, an elected official sworn to uphold the Constitution of the United States, threw their Constitutional right to the presumption of innocence out the window. Yep... the same guys who put their lives on the line to defend that very Constitution.

But yes, I know. Pork over Principle.

The lemmings at the Tribune-Democrat go on in a lame, rambling attempt to rationalize their "principled" decision to back Jihad Jack:

For some politicians, “experience” simply means too many years drawing a comfortable salary and nice benefits on taxpayer dollars without giving much back.

That is not the case with Murtha, who has provided leadership and sparked the development of new programs in key areas, especially in the health-care arena:

• He helped increase funding for Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., where service personnel returning from combat are treated for their injuries.

Yep... Jihad Jack cares so much about those who defend our country that he refuses to apologize to the Haditha Marines--not even to Justin Sharratt, who just happens to be Murtha's constituent! They go on to say,

• He has increased awareness and helped fund programs aimed at two of our region’s deadliest afflictions: Breast cancer and diabetes.

Pork, pork, pork, and more pork. There are beyond a doubt more pork projects with Jihad Jack's name in the Johnstown area than there were buildings with Caesar's name during the height of the Roman empire.

The Tribune Democrat then employs some feigned indignation at Murtha's arrogance against his own constituency:

We have been troubled by Murtha’s statements in recent weeks about racism in his district. He first said that “western Pennsylvania is a racist area,” then tried to clarify that a week later by saying there are a lot of “rednecks” in the region. We would like to see our congressman use better judgment and not attempt to lump all of his constituency into one category.

Yeah, I know.

Pork before Principle.

And, beyond all of that, Murtha’s social positions reflect those of his region much more so than those of his party. He opposes gun control and is pro-life, both positions that put him in step with most voters in our region.

Yep. Pro life and anti-gun control. I wonder if that's why he was pal-ing around with the likes of Nancy Pelosi and Code Pink. If Jihad Jack Murtha is so "in step" with how he sees most voters of PA-12, I wonder if he sees a "racist" or a "redneck" when he looks in the mirror. Likewise, I wonder if the editorial board at the Tribune-Democrat see the same thing when they take a shave in the morning.

Further, would most voters in PA-12 have the temerity to play judge, jury and executioner to those who defend freedom without the benefit of due process?

Somehow I doubt it.

But then again, Pork over Principle, right?

Once upon a time, when there wasn't an election on the line, the editorial board at the Johnstown Tribune-Democrat wrote:

We can’t accept the congressman’s earmark dollars with one hand and brush off his alleged transgressions with the other.

When he steps in mud, or when others throw mud at Murtha, we all get dirty.

That’s why, when questions are raised about possible improper activities at a Murtha-created organization, we get anxious.

And when a watchdog group rates our local congressman as being among “the most corrupt” lawmakers in Washington, we are embarrassed.

We don’t like being characterized as folks who support questionable activities, or who endorse troubling behavior by our elected officials.

Yet when the rubber hit the road, the Johnstown Tribune-Democrat found it fit to swallow their embarrassment and sell whatever remained of their principles to once again endorse a decidedly crooked politician to represent their readership in Washington.

Pork over principle, I guess.

Jihad Jack Murtha: San Francisco Elitist (Wannabe)

For years, Congressman Jack Murtha had been a major behind-the-scences powerbroker in the U.S. House. He pretty much pulled the strings in all things defense, and nothing happened without it going through him first. But despite the power that Jack Murtha had, he was, in the end, still behind the scenes.

Tired of being the red-headed step-child of the democrat party, Congressman Jack Murtha (PA-12) devised a plan that he hoped would propel him to the ranks of the democrat elite. So back on a bleak November day in 2005, Jack Murtha took out his thirty pieces of silver, and traded them for what he hoped would be a seat at the movon.org power structure of the DNC. An ex-Marine, Murtha willingly gave cover to the democrat party in their bid to set into motion an unprecedented, unsrupulous, and unprincipled campaign to make political hay out of the war in Iraq by pushing to ensure its failure, damn the casualties. From that fateful day in November, 2005, Murtha (at least in his own mind) became the absolute toast of the democrat anti-war kook left.

Feeling stuck in a position of being a backroom powerbroker in D.C., Jack felt he deserved a more prominent spot at the table of power. Safe in the womb of his own district from years and years and millions upon millions in taxpayer-supplied pork spending, Murtha felt (and was at the time) invulnerable. Jack therefore felt it safe to cast his lot with the looniest of the leftists, in a whorish effort to gain favor with those who would nourish his already checkered political career. Betting that the U.S. Congress would change hands in the 2006 elections, Jack Murtha became more and more virulent in his anti-war rhetoric. he even went so far as to throw eight of his Marine brethren under the bus in May of 2006, when without evidence he played judge, jury and executioner in the Haditha incident; an incident in which all were exonerated (and for which Murtha to this day refuses to apologize).

With his eyes ever on the prize, and with his rheteric growing ever more ruthless and reckless, Jack Murtha looked forward to the day when he, too, would be invited to all the right cocktail parties, and be seen as an equal with the rest of the anti-American elite democrat power structure. Visions of Soviet hammers and sickles danced in his head, and he probably orgasmed in his pants when his dream of a democrat takeover of Congress came through in November of 2005. Murtha was the pied piper of death and destruction in his role in sabotaging the war effort for the democrat party, and felt that he must be paid. Speaker Pelosi agreed, and placed upon Jack Murtha her impiratur for the coveted House Majority Leader spot. Nothing could stop Jack from finally achieving the apex of his congressional career, and was looking forward to being coronated as the second highest ranking member in the U.S. House.

Or so he thought.

You see, Murtha, like any member of the white limousine liberal kook-left plantation, was expendable. Not too many people liked him in the first place. Murtha proved his usefulness in handing the democrats a 2006 electoral victory. His usefulness gone, their victories won, the DNC power structure that Jack Murtha so wanted to be a part of, for which he sold his very soul, threw him under the bus like the sack of disposable diapers that he is. Like a college frat that uses a dweeb pledge to take the fall for a major prank and then dumps him, the DNC power structure rejected Murtha's bid, and nearly laughed in his face doing it.

Dejected, but not broken, Murtha continued his stint as major pork-broker in the U.S. House, and continued to line his political coffers with donations from the beneficiaries of Murtha's looseness with the publicly funded largesse.

But you see, to this very day, Jihad Jack Murtha wants to continue to endear himself to the tainted left, to be wanted and loved, and wanted so much to be considered relevant, that he is willing to throw not only Marines, but his very constituency under the bus. Calling PA-12 residents racists the other day, and then rednecks today, Murtha is trying desperately to continue to be accepted by the democrat D.C. power structure who continue to treat him like a house boy. Knowing that Obama will lose in a decidedly conservative military district, Murtha is striving to apologize for the very people who have placed him in power lo these 17 congressional terms.

Jack Murtha's story has all the makings of a Greek tragedy, only his actions have had some very real consequences, His megalomaniacal penchant for power has, in my opinion (and others') had the net effect of prolonging the war; and his aid and comfort given to our enemies have resulted in unnecessary and untold loss of life and subsequent grief to soldiers and their families.

Jack Murtha may never fit in with the San Francisco elite he is trying so desperately to emulate and to be a part of, but one thing is for sure: for his entire sorry political career, the only thing that has ever mattered to Jack Murtha, is and was, Jack Murtha.

From" Racists" To "Rednecks", Flattery Will Get You Nowhere Jihad Jackoff

Will he come out Wednesday and claim he really didn't mean to call them racists or rednecks, he really meant to say Jerry Springer loving White trash? Never know as his senility reaches new heights previously detected.

So at this juncture can someone take ol' Jack out to the proverbial woods like a suffering hound and possibly put him out of his obvious political misery and increasing dementia before he finally says something that gets someone hurt, just like it did to our 8 brave soldiers in Haditha, Iraq, likely getting other soldiers killed as a result, thanks to the apprehension they all must carry with them in the field of battle, afraid they'll become the next target of not Al Queda but their own government with Jihad himself driving the Humvee of innuendo and personal destruction.

Pennsylvanians, please tell me you've finally had enough of the Haditha Hog who needs to finally be sent to the butcher once and for all after this past week of insulting anyone and everyone he could manage. After all, what'll it take to finally raise the ire of you folks may I ask? Isn't being referred to as Rednecks and Racists just a little too much from your own congressman?

I sure would hope so.....otherwise if you don't send him packing now. I would have to say he may just be right about you all at the end of the day.

Murtha Calls Western Pa. 'Redneck' -

Pittsburgh News Story - WTAE Pittsburgh: "CHARLEROI, Pa. -- U.S. Rep. John Murtha is calling many of the people who put him in office 'rednecks.'

The news comes one week after Murtha claimed the area is racist, then apologized for that comment.

In explaining his comments about racism, Murtha told WTAE it's difficult for many in the area to change. Murtha said that just five to 10 years ago the entire area was 'redneck.'

Now Murtha said only certain segments of the population are holding on to those racist feelings.

Just days after classifying western Pennsylvania as racist, Murtha took a step back from those comments, albeit a small one.

'What I said, that indicted everybody, that's not what I meant at all. What I mean is there's still folks that have a problem voting for someone because they are black,' Murtha said."

Boy oh Boy.....

MMG EXCLUSIVE: HADITHA PROSECUTIONS- We lived IT

by Darryl R. Sharratt

My wife and I protected and educated my son for eighteen years. When he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, my family and I felt secure in the belief the Corps would continue his education and maturation process. As part of the enlistment procedure all recruits take an oath ‘to defend and protect the Constitution of the United States.’ Little did we know that the judicial process within our military would deny him the Constitutional rights he took an oath to safeguard.

The Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) is broken. The Marine Corps investigative authority, Naval Criminal Investigation Service (NCIS), is an organization with no oversight and operates with the impunity of the Russian KGB. In a pre- 9/11 world the UCMJ and NCIS floundered to keep judicial equilibrium within the military. Using coerced, manufactured and falsified evidence provided by the NCIS, criminal cases rarely found their way to Article 32’s and almost never to Courts Martial. Most were plea bargained into judicial obscurity. JAG officers, Junior Officers. Senior Officers and the Convening Authorities rationalized these improprieties as a means to maintain discipline within its ranks. To maintain the status quo was the final objective. The needs of the many outweigh the rights of the few. High profile cases labeled the Iron Triangle(Sgt Ray Girouard), Hamandia(the Pendleton 8) and Haditha- to name a few- are exposing the un-Constitutional operation of the UCMJ and the corrupt investigative tactics of the NCIS.

I admit I lack first-hand knowledge and evidence in the Iron Triangle and Hamandia prosecutions. Regarding Haditha, a day rarely goes by when I am not thinking and reliving the false persecution of these seven Marines, Our Haditha Marines. On 21 December 2006 my family and son were dragged into the abyss by the UCMJ and its NCIS counterpart. My son was charged with three counts of unpremeditated murder for his part in a firefight on 19 November 2005 in Haditha, Iraq.

It is hard for me to keep separate the UCMJ and NCIS—for in my mind they are one. When I think back to my son’s Article 32 hearing, those five days in July, 2007 will remain with me forever. As evidence was presented in the hearing I could not understand nor will I ever understand what we were doing there. The Marine Corps, expressly the Senior Command structure, buckled to the media and politicians. My son would have been thrown to the wolves if not for the veracity of the civilian law firm my family engaged for his defense.

Naval Criminal Investigative Services (NCIS)

It was apparent from the testimony of NCIS Special Agent Mark Platt that the government was conducting the Haditha investigations with a guided agenda. While under cross examination SA Platt confirmed many times that he was following specific instructions from his superiors as to the path of the investigation. When asked by our defense counsel why he didn’t investigate leads which would have uncovered exculpatory evidence of innocence, SA Platt retorted he was following the orders of his superiors. When further pressured by the defense, SA Platt revealed he was investigating a murder.

Why an experienced NCIS investigator would not follow all leads in a capital investigation was the focal point of his cross examination. SA Platt’s testimony was that “I was following the instructions of my superiors.” It was apparent the NCIS was trying to uncover any evidence which would incriminate Our Haditha Marines and disregard the evidence which proved their innocence.

The government offered statements by Marines in an effort to support its version of the facts. A LCpl testified under oath that certain events in his written statement were not true and that an NCIS agent inserted these lines into the statement. The LCpl was now on record as providing two contradictory sworn statements. One under direct cross examination and the other provided by the NCIS.

The testimony of NCIS Special Agent Nadya Mannle further revealed the agenda of the NCIS. SA Mannle conducted an interview of the Iraqi witnesses. Although she spoke no Arabic, SA Mannle allowed the witnesses to gather in a group setting to answer questions. Through an interpreter a question and answer dialogue was conducted with the Iraqis. Defense lawyers grilled SA Mannle as to the policy of conducting a group interview of these witnesses. Such procedure went against all known guidelines in the interrogation process. SA Mannle could only answer that time was limited so the group interview was allowable.

The testimony gathered in this group interview by SA Mannle formed the basis of the charges filed against my son. In the Article 32 hearing, the IO LtCol Paul Ware found this testimony “unreliable and incredible.” Lt Col Ware also stated, “ the interview that resulted in the witness statements were taken by SA Mannle in a group setting, with each witness adding details and discussing the events in Arabic with one another in front of SA Mannle who does not speak Arabic.” I detail some of the key discrepancies in the Iraqi testimony as follows:

1. Khalid testified that the tall one, the one with the pistol, guarded the women and children in House 3. My son was the tallest Marine, he was the only Marine with a pistol. If Khalid’s testimony is correct, my son was guarding the women and children in House 3 and did not enter House 4 where the insurgents were killed. My son was charged with murder for the killings in House 4.

2. Nagham stated that no one moved the bodies in House 4 before the Marines arrived to take photographs. Forensic evidence clearly proves the bodies must have been moved from the location where they fell.

3. Khalid further testified he heard only “ four shots separated by a few seconds.”

(pop-pause, pop-pause, pop-pause, pop-pause) Testimony of the other witnesses revealed they (the Iraqis) recovered 11 spent shell casings from House 4. The NCIS pathology report details the trajectories of at least 7 projectiles in House 4.

4. Nagla states that the man with the pistol was in charge telling the other Marines what to do. LtCol Ware found it unbelievable that two senior Marines would subjugate themselves to a LCpl (my son, the Marine with the pistol) under these conditions.

5. Ehab states one of the insurgents was packed and about to travel to Trabeed. This contradicts Nagham who said the “family” was packed and traveling to Baghdad.

6. Khalid testifies that the Marines leaving House 4 had two AK-47’s slung on their shoulders. His account of seeing these weapons being removed from House 4 supports the Marine’s testimony that at least two of the Iraqi insurgents had AK-47’s when they were shot.

In my sons Article 32 hearing, SA Mannle stated she found this “Iraqi testimony to be truthful and believable.” My son passed a polygraph examination proving he was telling the truth!

SA Mannle would later become the lead investigator in the Haditha investigations and the Titling Agent to prefer charges against my son. Charges based solely on the testimony of these Iraqis.

A further indictment on the character of the NCIS can be garnered from the testimony of a Marine intelligence officer during the Haditha discovery phase. Marine Captain Jeffrey Dinsmore(now Major Dinsmore) testified during a deposition session he turned over evidence in the Haditha case to NCIS agents circa January, 2006. This evidence included Scan Eagle surveillance video, digital recordings of voice traffic from engaged squads in Haditha on 19 November, 2005 and power point presentations documenting the Haditha engagement. Defense attorneys filed motions to obtain this exculpatory evidence. It was discovered the evidence that Captain Dinsmore turned over to the NCIS was lost, stolen or destroyed…… Imagine that..important evidence, exculpatory evidence…in a criminal investigation being lost, stolen or destroyed while in the care of the NCIS! Thanks to the diligence of Captain Dinsmore in maintaining duplicates, the evidence would later be made part of the Article 32 investigations.

The NCIS is a civilian authority operating within the realm of the Department of the Navy. The NCIS conducts business with absolute impunity, answering only to the Secretary of the Navy. The FBI cannot respond to the unlawful acts perpetrated by NCIS agents unless directed by the SecNav. Civilian investigators have provided clear and concise documents detailing the un-Constitutional behavior of the NCIS in regards to Haditha, Hamandia and the Iron Triangle to the FBI. No action has been taken by the FBI

Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ)

The Code was designed to uphold discipline within the ranks of the military. From it’s inception, the UCMJ was flawed. The writers understood the need for discipline but failed in the need to preserve the Constitutional rights of those accused. The Cox Commission opined that there is “tension between justice and discipline” within the statutes of the UCMJ. The Commission further asserted “As it now exists, if any conviction under the UCMJ were appealable to an appellate court applying the constitutional standards applicable to every other criminal justice system in the United States that conviction almost certainly would be set aside. No criminal justice system with the inherent deficiencies of the UCMJ system would survive a constitutional challenge and be permitted to adjudicate such important issues involving criminal culpability.”

Every member of the armed forces of the United States of America takes an oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. The inherent rights provided by the Constitution are denied them when they enter the clutches of the UCMJ.

The UCMJ is not a court doing justice according to established principles of jurisprudence. The court-martial is regarded as the right hand of the commanding officer to aid him in the maintenance of discipline. The court martial is his agent and he controls it. “The court martial is not a court at all; it is but an agency of military command governed and controlled by the will of the commander.” In the case of Haditha, serious questions have arisen as to the extent to which unlawful command influence fueled the prosecution of Our Haditha Marines. Could the quest for a fourth star cloud the judgment of the Convening Authority? Could the need for a new weapons system allow the slanderous pronouncements of Congressman John Murtha to go unquestioned? Did the administration throw Our Haditha Marines to the wolves in order to distract attention from Abu Ghraib? Did a Time magazine article and the media influence the administration to establish a ‘shadow tribunal’ to influence the persecution of Our Haditha Marines? The Constitution of the United States established protections against these outside influences, the UCMJ is lacking in its ability to regulate them.

On 21 December, 2006 eight Marines were charged with multiple violations of the Law of War involving a firefight in Haditha, Iraq. Seven went to Article 32 hearings to determine whether the UCMJ charges could be substantiated by the evidence. Throughout the course of the Article 32 proceedings, the “evidence” procured by the NCIS was found lacking in substance. Charges were dismissed by General James Mattis in four of the Article 32 hearings. One officer was exonerated in a court-martial. Lt Col Chessani’s charges were dismissed but are currently in the appeals stage. SSgt Wuterich is presently awaiting his day in court. In the case of my son, the General dismissed the charges and declared him ‘innocent’.

The Marine Corps failed my son and his six comrades. General James Mattis failed Our Haditha Marines for allowing the Haditha fiasco to proceed beyond the investigation stage. Lt Col Paul Ware, the presiding judge in the three enlisted Article 32 hearings, was the bastion for justice in the Haditha prosecutions. In the three Article 32 hearings for Sharratt, Tatum and Wuterich, Lt Col Ware recommended to the General the charges be dismissed. Ware’s strongly worded declaration for dismissal in my son’s case drew the ire of the Senior Jag attorney advising General Mattis. Lt Col Riggs criticized Ware for being too stringent in assessing the government’s case against my son. The fact that Lt Col Ware found the Iraqi testimony to be “incredible and unbelievable” did not sit well with Riggs. “The government version is unsupported by independent evidence,” Ware wrote in an 18 page report. “To believe the government version of fasts is to disregard clear and convincing evidence to the contrary.” I can’t help but wonder why General Mattis did not arrive at this same conclusion before allowing the Haditha persecutions to proceed. I truly believe outside pressures clouded the judgment of General James Mattis and coerced him to proceed with these prosecutions.

Throughout the course of the Haditha proceedings I have heard law professors, journalists and various commentators critique the so-called “Haditha massacre.”

None of them can imagine the pain and suffering Our Haditha Marine families had to endure. Knowing that our Marines were innocent yet having to endure their condemnation of our brave sons was almost intolerable. While the government’s case continued to crumble as Marine after Marine was exonerated, it became comical how they retreated from their original stances and became silent. Their silence is almost deafening.

We the families of Our Haditha Marines want to thank the American people for their support of our sons. Prayers were answered and the truth prevailed in Haditha. We understand war is a tragic occurrence. We will continue to pray for the safety of America’s military personnel.

In closing I would like to include an excerpt from a speech given by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1905:

"I wish to preach, not the doctrine of the ignoble ease,

But the doctrine of the strenuous life,

The life of toil and effort, of labor and strife;

To preach the highest form of success which comes,

Not to the man who desires mere easy peace,

But to the man who does not shrink from danger, from hardship, or from bitter toil,

And who out of these wins the splendid ultimate triumph."

God Bless Our Haditha Marines

The Sharratt Family

***UPDATE****

See also, Our Journey, Not Quite Ended, by Darryl R. Sharratt.

Defend Our Heroes

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OUR JOURNEY---Not Quite Ended

When our son, L/Cpl Justin Sharratt, was exonerated of murder charges involving a firefight in Haditha,Iraq our family was finally able to sleep. We set out to piece together our lives and make some sense as to what happened to us. Bringing Justin home seemed to be the medication our family needed. With Gods help and the support of thousands we made it through this dark period in our lives. Our family can now enjoy today, look ahead to tomorrow and plan for the future.

The golf matches between father and son. An occasional fishing trip to Ten Mile Creek and the secret fishing holes. Air-soft contests in which the former Marine out flanks his dad and always wins hands down. Our family has tried to return to normal, but Haditha still haunts us. No matter how hard we try, no matter how much we want to forgive, there are questions we need answered.

We are not seeking revenge, we are not seeking retribution, we are asking for justice. We wanted to put Haditha behind us……..we just wanted to forget and finally end the journey. In a family meeting over a month ago, we, as a family decided the answers needed to be found. It was not an easy decision. Justin still loves the United States Marine Corps. He is proud to have served this country. A Marine for life……

Yesterday, 25 September 2008, through our attorney Noah Geary, Justin has filed a civil lawsuit in Federal Court naming John Murtha as defendant. Our family believes John Murtha has the answers to the majority of our questions. In a recent article on the Defend Our Marines website Retired LtCol Colby Vokey revealed his suspicions that a former NCIS agent on Murtha’s staff leaked classified information on Haditha to the media.

How much did Murtha really know when he appeared on national television on 17 May 2006 when he called our son a “cold blooded murder?” Did his political ambitions influence his statements to the media about the events of Haditha? Did Murtha’s position as Chairman of the Sub-committee on Military Appropriations allow him to influence charging Our Haditha Marines? Did Murtha and SecNav Donald Winter participate in an Undue Command Influence scenario in regards to Haditha? And finally, can John Murtha be allowed to call United States Marines “cold blooded murderers”and not be held accountable for his slander and trashing the Constitutional rights of our son?

We are hoping a court of law will allow us to ask John Murtha these questions. Whatever the outcome of this lawsuit, our family has decided our journey cannot end until we try. I don’t know if these questions would even be allowed, but maybe, just maybe some of our questions will finally be answered.

God Bless Our Haditha Marines

Darryl, Theresa, Jaclyn, former L/Cpl Justin Sharratt

Jihad Jack Murtha: Getting just desserts!

Veteran Marine Lance Corporal Justin Sharratt, whose father Darryl is an occasional contributor to this blog, is rightfully suing Jack Murtha for the slanderous remarks made in 2006 naming the Haditha Marines "cold blooded" killers; all without reading reports, or without even receiving an official briefing. Sharratt joins Frank Wuterich in suing the pants off the corrupt, opportunistic gasbag.

Murtha has yet to apologize for his slanderous remarks, even though seven of the eight have been acquitted of any charges, and the eighth Marine is now likely being tried just to save the JAGs and Murtha's sorry faces. Numerous calls to his office continue to go unanswered. Murtha continues to redeploy his sorry phat backside to avoid being called to task.

No more. It is time that Murtha answer for his slanderous and traitorous remarks, all for the purposes of his cheap personal political gain.

Congressman Murtha, in the parlance of the Rev. Wright, the chickenzzzzzz have come home to rooost!

From Prosecution to Persecution?

At what price, saving face?

The Murtha-inspired, media trumped so-called "Haditha Massacre" has had its share of casualties long after the event had transpired. Eight Marines, whose only crime was to follow Rules of Engagement (ROE) and to execute their mission of weeding out terrorist elements in the town of Haditha, have had their reputations and their honor dragged through the mud, not to mention having had the "honor" of treatment that would make Guantanamo detainees look like they're being put up at the Waldorf Astoria in comparison.

On Tuesday, Military Judge Colonel Steven Folsom, USMC made the right decision when he saw through the undue command influence and dismissed all charges against Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani without prejudice.

Said Richard Thompson, resident and Chief Counsel of the Thomas More Law Center, who has been defending Chessani,

“This case has turned into the persecution of one of the Marine’s finest combat commanders. LtCol Chessani devoted his life to the Corps and his Nation. He served three tours of duty in Iraq, away from his wife and children in defense of us all. In their attempt ‘to get’ Chessani, prosecutors granted immunity to seventeen Marines, including one they had charged with murder. Still they failed. Sadly, in the process they have destroyed the career of an outstanding officer. Enough is enough.”

WND just had a story published today that Chessani rightfully planned to sue Congressman John Murtha over his slanderous pronouncement of the Haditha Marines guilt of murder in cold blood. I wouldn't be surprised at all if there is more "undue influence" coming from Murtha to pressure prosecutors to make an example out of Chessani. Murtha, after all, is in charge of defense appropriations in the House and is certainly in a position to exert such influence. Given Murtha's long history of what was, in my opinion, influence peddling in the form of a legion of earmarks and defense contracts, there is in my opinion nothing too low for the King of Pork to resort to save his sorry fat backside from the consequences of his actions.

The military powers that be, along with the politicians that be, know that the Haditha prosecutions will be considered by historians as one of the largest travesties of justice in military history; a time when the interests of politicians and military leaders were put far ahead of the interests of justice itself. Their pitiful attempts to continue to prop up a false set of charges against one of the great military leaders in the Corps as a means of salvaging face serves neither the honor of the military nor the interests of justice.

It is nothing less than reprehensible.

Lots more on the background of this case here, here and here.

Read more on Murtha's role in this travesty here, here, and here.

Haditha Marine prepares to sue Murtha over smear

From WND:

With most of the eight Marines charged in the Haditha, Iraq, incident now exonerated, the highest-ranking officer among the accused is considering a lawsuit against Democratic Rep. John Murtha, who fueled the case by declaring the men cold-blooded killers.

In an interview with nationally syndicated radio talk host Michael Savage, the lead attorney for Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani said he and his client will look into suing Murtha and the Time magazine reporter, Tim McGuirk, who first published the accusations by Iraqi insurgents.

But the attorney, Brian Rooney, said nothing will happen immediately because he wants Chessani, described as a devout Christian and the father of six homeschooled children, completely "out of the woods" legally before any action is taken. The government, through Lt. Col. S.M. Sullivan, today filed a notice that it would appeal the case to the next judicial level.

As WND reported, a military judge at Camp Pendleton in California yesterday dismissed charges that Chessani failed to properly investigate the Nov. 19, 2005 incident in which 24 Iraqi men, women and children were killed.

Rooney, an attorney for the Thomas More Law Center who served a tour of duty in Iraq himself, is urging citizens to tell their representatives in Congress and military officials that they want the case to come to an end.

"At some point you have to have somebody in the chain of command, whether it's civilian or military, saying enough is enough," said Rooney, who served with Chessani in the second battle of Fallujah.

[. . .]

Rooney acknowledged to Savage it's difficult to sue a sitting congressman, but he believes it can be done.

"If he leaves his realm of speaking from the congressman's point of view … then he can be sued for libel and defamation," Rooney said.

The Time magazine story, according to Rooney, was planted by an insurgent propaganda agent. Publishing of the story was soon followed by a May 17, 2006, news conference by Murtha. The congressman announced he had been told by the highest levels of the Marine Corps there was no firefight and Marines "killed innocent civilians in cold blood."

"All the information I get, it comes from the commanders, it comes from people who know what they're talking about," Murtha told reporters at the time.

Murtha's assertions, however, conflicted with results from the military's own investigations. An initial probe by Army Col. G.A. Watt found no indications coalition forces "intentionally targeted, engaged and killed noncombatants." Later, Army Maj. Gen. Aldon Bargewell found no cover-up.

I hope he sues Murtha and wins everything that Murtha has or ever will have. I hope that every dime that Murtha ever makes has to go directly to the Marines he slandered. I hope Murtha winds up living on the street, wearing rags and eating out of garbage cans.

I want this not because Murtha disagrees with me about the war in Iraq but because of what he did to destroy the lives of innocent men who were risking their lives in the service of their country. Murtha lied about the case to the press which influenced the attitude of the press and public against the Marines. This caused the men and their families unnecessary extra pain and distress and provided the enemy with propaganda material to aid in their recruitment efforts and to strengthen their resolve to continue fighting.

Murtha knew this and did not care. He demonstrated depraved indifference both to the lives of the "Haditha Marines" and to the lives of American military personnel still in the combat theater.

Murtha did this not because he actually believed in the Marine's guilt but because he saw some short term political advantage in it. This makes him at best a sociopath and at worst satanically evil and I hope this winds up utterly destroying him.

Cross posted at Hillbilly White Trash.