With no place for the cockroach to run...

As expected, charges against Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani have been dropped in the Haditha case, leaving only one marine with pending charges, Sgt. Frank Wuterich.

This has been a kangaroo court from the get-go, predicated on a story from Time Magazine whose source was an insurgent. Representative John Murtha (D., Pa-12), seeing a chance to get himself in the spotlight so as to fulfill his ambitions to be appointed House Majority Leader, latched on to the story like a monkey with a hand in a cookie jar, and bloviated on national TV, saying he had his information from "the highest level." This of course, was untrue, since Murtha went on Charlie Gibson before he was given any official military briefing on the matter, and came out and virtually convicted Haditha marines of cold blooded murder:

There was no coverup. There was no "massacre." Everything Murtha said in the Gibson interview was proven to be a complete set of falsehoods.

The day is coming when Murtha will no longer be able to redeploy himself to the nearest elevator.

The day is coming when Congressman John P. Murtha will have to answer for his reckless accusations made in the name of his own sorry political gain, that destroyed the lives of 8 Marines, who were fighting for their very lives in Haditha, and had to continue fighting for their lives upon their stateside return.

John Murtha's days of being the political boss of PA-12, the House Appropriations Committee on Defense, and other positions of largesse and prestige are numbered.

John Murtha has utilized the excuse that "the investigation is ongoing" as a means for cover from his having to answer for his actions.

I hold John Murtha personally responsible for laying a dubious cover of deceit under which the Democrat party was able to engage its anti-war, anti-troop, and anti-American pogrom, under which our enemies in Iraq and elsewhere became emboldened to carry on the fight much longer than they otherwise would have; in the process, killing more and more of our American and allied women and men than would have otherwise been the case.

Yes, it is my opinion that John Murtha has blood on his hands, and needs to answer for his misdeeds.

As the founding editor of this blog, I call on Congress to investigate John Murtha on exactly what he "knew" and when he "knew it" before coming out with his Haditha accusations and declarations of and implications of guilt. I call on Congress to investigate John Murtha of ethics violations and criminal charges in denying the Haditha Marines their Constitutionally-guaranteed right to the presumption of innocence, and to censure and strip Murtha of any committee assignments, and in turn demand his resignation from Congress.

My dear readers, as is evident by Murtha's long history of corruption, and now his foray into slander of innocents for political gain, it is more apparent than ever that now is the time that MURTHA MUST GO!!

What Hath Murtha Wrought, Part II

Where is the apology, Jack?

Jack Murtha Admits Defeat.

Despite his best efforts at thwarting our troops' efforts, despite his ongoing attempts to kill their morale, even to the point of accusing them of cold-blooded murder, Congressman Jack Murtha finally came to admit defeat, stating the other day that the surge is working, and that our troops are winning.

Well, Congressman Murtha, now that you've finally capitulated after a long, drawn out battle to secure defeat for America and its troops in harm's way, do you plan a trip to the Missourri to sign the terms of surrender with our Marine Corps?

Whatcha gonna do now, fatboy?

Looks like yet another Haditha Marine will soon be found innocent (all emphases mine):

(U.S. Marine Lt. Col. Jeffrey) Chessani was charged for dereliction of duty and violation of a lawful order. Specifically, prosecutors accuse him of failure to report or investigate the killings of Iraqi civilians, which would be a violation of war by Marines under his command. He faces up to 30 months in prison and dishonorable discharge from the Marines, if convicted.

In a sworn statement in August 2006, Chessani said the killing of civilians was unfortunate but he did not consider the shooting incident to be out of the ordinary or beyond routine combat.

It is a military order that commanders report to their superiors any time their subordinates violate the laws of war.

Chessani reported the incident on the day it happened, but prosecutors claim he did not report it to officials high enough in the chain of command, Rooney said. Further, it happened during combat and thus was not a violation of war, said Rooney.

[SNIP]

"A U.S. Army colonel and an Army general conducted two separate investigations and came to the same conclusion: There was no 'massacre' and no 'cover-up,'" said the law center's president, Richard Thompson, in a statement.

"Yet the government still pursued a multi-million dollar investigation in order to appease an anti-war politician and the blame-America-first media. Now we have the absurd situation of Lt. Col. Chessani being charged with failing to report and investigate a crime that never occurred," Thompson added.

The "anti-war politician" referred to by Thompson is Rep. Jack Murtha (D-Pa.), a retired Marine colonel who became a vocal critic of the Iraq war in 2005.

In May 2006, Murtha said at a Capitol Hill press conference: "There was no firefight. There was no IED that killed these innocent people. Our troops overreacted because of the pressure on them, and they killed innocent civilians in cold blood."

As chairman of the House Appropriations Committee and the Subcommittee on Defense, Murtha wields power over defense spending and that power potentially could influence the investigation and case against Ware, according to the law center.

In addition to Murtha, the law center's legal motions name other officials who supposedly biased the case, including Sen. John Warner (R-Va.) who, in 2006, was chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee and vowed to hold hearings on the matter; Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.), who compared Haditha to the My Lai massacre of Vietnam; and U.S. Navy Secretary Donald Winter, who also made comments that potentially could pre-judge the case, said Rooney.

"They all showed a bias that these men were guilty before an investigation was complete," Rooney told Cybercast News Service .

"It's frustrating to me, as a former Marine, that a lot of reporters, media types, and politicians have the worldview from the 1960s that never changed. They wanted to make this the new My Lai because they have tried from the beginning to make this the new Vietnam," he said.

And so it goes. As has been shown time and time again on this blog, Murtha opened his fat piehole and sold fellow Marines down the river so as to endear himself to those who he thought would give him a ticket to the Majority Leader gig in the U.S. House.

And now the chickens have come home to roost.

Will Murtha now apologize, or will he continue to cut and run from his responsibility in the matter?

A spokesman from Murtha's office could not be reached for comment on this story, nor could a spokesman from Warner's office.

What a freakin' surprise.

NOT!

Acceptable collateral damage?

From here:

CNSNews.com) - If pulling U.S. troops out of Iraq results in "a bloodbath," the guilt will rest with the Iraqi people and not with the U.S. Congress, according to Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.), a leading proponent of withdrawing troops.

"Many have threatened that there will be chaos, a bloodbath, when the United States redeploys from Iraq, and this in fact may be the case," Murtha said in a speech at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., Monday. "If they continue to choose to spill blood, it will not be on the conscience of the United States."

And it certainly won't be Al Qaeda's fault either, will it?

Yeah, what's a few hundred thousand lives if you can win in your campaign for defeat of the U.S. and keeping democrats in power, eh Jack?

Yeah, I know... all in a day's work.

Truth is, their blood will be on YOUR hands Jack. After all, it was you, who got the ball rolling. You gave the rest of the "Fifth Column" faction democrats political cover to undermine our mission, our troops, and our national security; not to mention the security of the Iraqi people. It was your rhetoric that gave the message to the Jihadists that if they can just kill enough troops and innocents, then America would run away.

All as a means to endear yourself to the leftist George Soros bunch and brighten your chances to get Stenny Hoyer's job.

Hear this, Jack. You have failed on so many levels.

Not only did you not get Hoyers job, our soldiers in Iraq are getting the mission accccomplished, despite your best attempts to undemine their efforts, and despite your attempts to label them cold blooded killers.

Face it Jack--you're a loser.

Murtha: Surrender now!

And we better be fast about it, before we actually emerge victorious! After all, when you've been banking your whole political career on the notion that we must lose in Iraq at all costs, what else can one do, eh Jack?

Murtha Insists: Redeploy Out of Iraq Now

June 3 (LPAC)—"There's a bloodbath now that is going on" in Iraq and the only solution is for the U.S. to redeploy out of the country, declared Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa), who has one of the most accomplished military records in the U.S. Congress. Murtha also demonstrated today on the ABC News show, "This Week," that he is one of very few elected officials with a competent and full intelligence picture on Iraq.

...With a competent and full intelligence picture??? Is that so?

U.S. general says troop surge has led to progress in Iraq

By Aamer Madhani

Chicago Tribune

(MCT)

WASHINGTON - With the last month marking one of the deadliest periods for U.S. troops since the start of the war, the second-ranking U.S. military commander in Iraq said Thursday that some progress has been made in the early going of the troop buildup.

Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno, the commander of multinational troops in Iraq, said that overall sectarian violence is down, attacks in volatile Anbar province have been cut by half and nearly 18,000 enemy fighters have been captured this year.

"We've made small progress here. We have not made the progress that I think is necessary yet, but I hope over the summer that we will continue to make progress," Odierno said.

For the moment, however, any gains on the security front have been overshadowed by the American death toll.

At least 122 U.S. service members were killed in May, making it the deadliest month of the war since November 2004, when 137 troops were killed in action as the military fought some of the most pitched battles of the war in the embattled city of Fallujah. Two others U.S. soldiers who were captured in an attack earlier this month remain missing.

This increase in casualties, however are expected, since our soldiers are actually confronting and taking out the bad guys:

The increased casualties are of course lamentable, and for the individuals and families involved, they bring a heavy price. But exposure to violence is the nature of combat, and battles are fought to win. We are seeing benefits that will help bring us victory.

1. An increase in actionable intelligence from residents. The population sees that the Coalition is sharing in their hardships, that we are living among them and so a level of trust with local communities is developing that had not been there before.

2. With this increase in actionable intelligence naturally come more successful actions, in the form of raids, ambushes, attacks, and searches. The liberation of 41 prisoners from an AQ prison last month is one excellent example out of many that have been reported, and many more that have not been reported. This increase in successful operations in turn degrades the enemy's capabilities and effectiveness.

3. The press has reported the terrorists are moving to different areas outside of Baghdad, where the violence has picked up. What is not being widely reported, but is unclassified, is that in response, Coalition commanders have moved more troops into those same areas to counter the insurgents' operations. The increase in violence in these spots is a sign that they have not eluded us by fleeing., rather than that violence is really spreading.

4. Because the Coalition has moved into these COPs or JSSs with the ISF elements, trust has grown between the two forces. Any combat veteran with tell you that participating in combat with another person is the quickest way to build a deep and dedicated relationship, which in turn leads to a corresponding strong trust. This trust is not just a trust between units, it is a trust between individuals, which is the strongest trust, that compels a person to do anything for his friend. This in turn makes for more effective missions.

5. Some in the ISF that have been working with the bad guys due to a lack of Coalition presence now have, for lack of a better term, "supervision". It is now harder for these bad apples to slip away and participate in passing intelligence to, and participating in, operations with the enemy, death squads, militias, and in insurgent activities. It is informative to note how the secretarian violence has dramatically decreased since the start of the surge. This is a result of the surge, not of some random phenomenon.

6. An increase in the raw numbers of US and Iraqi Security Forces in Baghdad means more soldiers per capita in Baghdad. With more soldiers come more contact with friendly Iraqis, neutral Iraqis, and insurgents. So while the vital trust is built, the vital enemy contact is made; and so more good is done and more enemy are killed or captured; but more Americans are, unfortunately, killed and injured.

But I'm sure that Jack Murtha, being the "most competent" military mind in congress, already knew that.

Or did he?

Give 'em (our troops) hell, eh John...

Harry Truman. The rough and tumble, "buck-stops-here," decisive democrat president, inarguably made the decision (a difficult one, to be sure) that assured victory for the United States during WWII. Truman is highly regarded by members of both sides of the political aisle as a great leader of impeccable moral character.

So when Independence, MO has a celebration in honor of its favorite son and 33rd president, who should they trot out to speak?

Why the coward, seditionist, and traitor himself--yes, the old seditious gasbag, Jack Murtha

Iraq is a topic at Truman Days

Rep. John Murtha tells Independence audience that U.S. troops are confused and fatigued.

Having received a phone call from my son in Iraq yesterday, I can unequivocally say that he is anything but confused and fatigued. And for that seditious windbag of slime to come out and say anything to that effect is proof positive that the only place from which he speaks is his anal cavity.

So, to our esteemed congressman from PA-12, on behalf of our son and his comrades who are performing honorably, courageously, and with purpose in the line of duty, I hereby extend to you my one-fingered salute.

Use your imagination as to which finger, asswipe.

Bruce Berkowitz has an excellent article today (subscription req) in WSJ regarding Jihad Jack Murtha:

Certified Madness

By Bruce Berkowitz

Word Count: 757

One of the more interesting sections of the war funding bill Congress will soon send President Bush is its provision for "readiness." The bill prohibits spending funds "to deploy any unit of the Armed Forces to Iraq unless the chief of the military department concerned has certified in writing . . . that the unit is fully mission capable."

John Murtha (D., Pa.), chairman of the House subcommittee on defense appropriations, is mainly responsible for the clause. Mr. Murtha is a Marine Vietnam combat veteran and he's concerned that U.S. forces don't have all the resources they need to complete their missions.

Berkowitz goes on to tell the tale of U.S. Navy Ensign George Gay, whose plane, along with every other underpowered, under-gunned plane in his squadron, went down while engaging Japanese zeroes during the Battle of Midway in WWII. Berkowitz makes the point that although untrained and ill-equipped, Gay and the rest of his squadron kept the Japanese Zeroes busy while American Bombers destroyed three of four Japanese carriers, the deciding point in that battle that turned the war in the Pacific in favor of the Allied forces. Ensign Gay, the only one of his squadron of 30 who survived the battle, stated:

"We had old planes and we were new," the pilot recalled. "We had a dual job of not only training a squadron of boot Ensigns," he said, "we also had to fight the war at the same time."

In fact, training and fighting became one and the same. Ensign Gay's squadron leader told him and the others to follow him to the target, and then they figured out a way to get through the flack when they got there.

Ensign Gay and the other pilots knew they were ill-equipped and under-trained. But they flew the mission anyway because they also knew that something larger was at stake -- like losing the war if they waited until someone was willing to "certify in writing" that they met official readiness standards.

Berkowitz, a research fellow at the Hoover Institute, summarizes:

Mr. Murtha has good intentions, but he's got it exactly wrong. If U.S. forces lack the equipment or training they need, it's his job, as the chairman of the one subcommittee specifically responsible for originating defense appropriations, to make sure they get it.

While I of course agree with Mr. Berkowitz' assertions, Mr. Berkowitz would do well to not be so hasty in assigning Murtha with "good intentions."

As has been evident throughout his far-too-long lasting career in the House of Representatives, Jack Murtha has never been about anything that didn't benefit his own prestige or his pocketbook.

To assign him "good intentions" in anything but service to himself is a gross error in character judgment.

Jack Murtha--Code Pink Hero!

From WaPo:

Gruff, jowly John Murtha wouldn't seem to be a Code Pink kinda guy, what with his appetite for pork and his pro-gun, antiabortion Marine hero bona fides.

But there the congressman was, in a Rayburn House Office Building hallway, gallantly protecting some war protesters from the group who had been tossed out of a hearing room and threatened with arrest.

"He said 'I know these people,' he gave me his hand and said we wouldn't be arrested," said Medea Benjamin, a San Francisco human rights activist who was doing her earnest best Tuesday to end the war when her lobbying methods provoked the displeasure of the U.S. Capitol Police. Code Pink ladies on one side; uniforms on the other. In the middle, the impressive bulk of 74-year-old Murtha. He called the sergeant at arms and didn't leave until he was assured the women would be released, Benjamin said.

"He's one of the most principled people I have ever met," said Benjamin of the Pennsylvania Democrat. "I don't know about the past. I'm sure there's plenty I wouldn't like. I'm sure there's plenty about his present record I wouldn't like. But I really respect his position on this issue. And today, he stood up for us."

And why wouldn't he? After all, he was showered with honors by this group. The same group, btw, that continues to picket the soldiers at Walter Reed, and the organization which raised money for the Iraqi terrorists targeting American troops. The same group that is in league with factions of the communist party. And yes, the same group that gave ol' Jihad Jack the "Man of the Year" award last year.

Birds of a feather, I'd say.




(h/t Free Republic)
---------------------------------------

Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain...

This could have been a re-make of the Wizard of Oz...

From the Tribune Democrat:

Mason Wilson, 58, believed U.S. Rep. John Murtha’s pledge to support veterans.

The partially disabled Vietnam War veteran believed so deeply that he uprooted his family and moved them 1,100 miles from Wichita, Kan., to become a constituent of the Johnstown Democrat.

“The Wichita (Veterans Administration) was not helping me,” Wilson said, recounting his 10-year effort for increased benefits for post-traumatic stress disorder.

Homeless since arriving Friday, Wilson has been living in his 1991 Ford Astro minivan with his daughter, Tamesha Lee Wilson, 22, and grandson, Trevon Lee Duff, 2.

Wilson saw Murtha on television addressing veterans’ issues and sent him a request for help. Murtha’s office returned a polite apology, saying such assistance is a courtesy “for those individuals who reside within the 12th Congressional District.”

So, still believing in "our hero", Wilson pulls up stakes in Kansas, to travel "over the rainbow" to PA-12. He packs up everything he has in the world, and takes all the trouble to travel cross-country from Kansas, just so he has a chance to speak with "The Wizard" Murtha. And what happens?

...Wilson said Murtha has been no more helpful than his former congressman, U.S. Rep. Todd Tiahrt, R-Kan.

“I asked, ‘Will I be able to see him?’ He’s out of town.”

“We have been doing everything we can to help Mr. Wilson,” Murtha spokesman Brad Clemenson said, adding it is unlikely Murtha will meet with him.

Well, with all due respect, Mr. Wilson, much like the four who traversed the perils of Oz to seek the wizard that really wasn't a wizard, the best advice one can give to you is, "Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!"

Mr. Wilson, join the ranks of the millions of soldiers who have and continue to be "dissed" by the self-absorbed, self-important Congressman Jack Murtha.

And just as the astute Dorothy figured out that the Great Professor Marvel was in fact a charlatan, I am sure that Mr. Wilson is coming to a similar conclusion regarding the "great congressman" from PA-12.

Like I've always said--Murtha supports our troops, like an arsonist supports firefighters.
------------------------------

A Soldier from "The Greatest Generation" speaks out...

A man who knows what it felt like to be abandoned by his country in the heat of battle has this op-ed:

"...The lady doth protest too much, me thinks..."
Yes, she does protest and has been protesting with most or all of the high moral and ethical values our Founding Fathers include in our Declaration of Independence and The Constitution. Ever since her ascendancy to chair the California Democratic Party and embrace her brand of political "progressiveness," House Leader Nancy Pelosi has consistently sought legislation belying her faith and belief in these documents.

In fact, if truth be known, she, now one of the most powerful women in America is probably planning to rewrite these revered historical documents, with her confrere and collaborator, Pennsylvania Congressman John Murtha, in order to punctuate their a posteriori reasoning.

Despite all the evidence, it is Vice President Dick Cheney's contention that thwarting President Bush's troop "surge" in Iraq, as the Pelosi/Murtha bloc proposes, would in effect "validate" al-Qaida's strategy to break the will of the American people. This "slow bleed' Pelosi/Murtha unsubtle stratagem would link the $93.4 billion spending bill for Afghanistan and Iraq to an imposition of almost impossible conditions on the training, equipping of our military.
Simply put, Pelosi and Murtha maintain that our troops would not, under their resolution, have the training, would NOT have the equipment, would NOT have the proper rest and ergo! would NOT be able to function as a fighting machine.

How does one interpret such chicanery, such a deceitful action? Patriotism? Treason? Traitorous? Or merely concern for the safety of our troops, allowing them to hurry home, their tail between their legs?

Resolutions of every size, content and conceit have been flooding Congress, especially by "patriotic' Democrats who always seem to interpret a win as a grant of some sort of nobility and an endowment of unparalleled wisdom and perspicacity. Congressman Levin solemnly disparages Bush's "surge" as a "plunge." Sens. Joe Biden and Chuck Schumer seek to rewrite or decertify the war by nullifying the 2002 congressional authorization for the use of military force to remove Saddam Hussein and, thus, curb President Bush's option to fight and win the war against terror. And, in their words - as our enemies listen and our troops hear - "the pressure will mount, not unlike Vietnam, and Bush, now with a grievously flawed strategy and misplaced obsession, will per force, call the troops home." Huzzah!

Al-Qaida, the radical anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and Iran, who supplies Iraq insurgents with killing weaponry, welcome all the congressional dissent. They laughingly enjoy the many defeatist signs signaling them via a Chinese-like menu of anti-Bush resolutions to pick from: Column A or Column B ... or even C or D. In effect, welcoming an American inglorious failure.

Quit. Appeasement. Surrender. The precise words interpreting these "non-binding" resolutions, especially those of strategists Pelosi and Murtha, are effectively eroding the morale of our military. In another war, and another generation, America stood as one and fought as one. Victory was the only resolution ... not the spineless and cowardly endeavors of a Congress that dares not defund the war effort, while aiming for a political and ideological win.

Memories of Cassino, Yorktown, Valley Forge, Battle of the Bulge, Tarawa, Iwo Jima, Ho Chi Minh City and the heroes who gave their lives and those who still carry their wounds - physical and mental - still live with us. Indelibly. Yet, members of Congress ... even those who claim to have earned distinguished military honors, conveniently forget, that ALL gave selflessly to achieve freedom ... freedom from brutality ... from slavery ... from secular immorality and freedom to live and love.

For the first time in a very critical phase of WWII, American troops were forced to retreat from Alsace Lorraine in the dead of night due to a fuel shortage and German armies mounting a final putsch to turn the war around. The scuttlebutt was that a black market at home caused the shortage. We cursed the culprits, hoping that hell would befall them with a bitter taste of war on home's doorsteps. (emphases added-ed.)

This should not be our wish. We need no repeat of 9/11 to shake and awaken us to the danger of terror. Yet, we invite terror to our very doorsteps with our pusillanimous partisan vacillations, whiny protests and the loss of faith in our will to win ... and our will to expunge the implacable jihadi enemy: terrorism.

Joseph J. Duome is a former New York newsman and WWII veteran.

The American Soldier is indeed being betrayed, by the unholy axis of Defeatists... Pelosi, Kerry, and yes--brave, brave Sir Murtha.
-----------------------------------------

Passing the torch of shame...

IBD has a great piece that outlines the real similarities between Iraq and Vietnam:

INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY

Posted 3/1/2007

Media Bias: He said that "for every means we have to escalate, the enemy can match us" and that "we are mired in stalemate." It was Walter Cronkite on Feb. 27, 1968. And he's at it again.

As the Democrats search for words to justify defunding the war in Iraq or imposing restrictions on our constitutionally defined commander in chief, they might revisit Uncle Walter's post-Tet offensive broadcast, in which he conned a trusting nation by describing a massive North Vietnamese defeat as a communist victory.

The "most trusted man in America" said Vietnam was unwinnable. Then-President Lyndon Johnson reportedly told an aide, "If I've lost Cronkite. I've lost Middle America." Cronkite lists the broadcast, "Report from Vietnam," and LBJ's reported reaction, among his proudest moments.

But even at 90 years old, Cronkite isn't ready to stop trying to destroy his nation:

But John Murtha & Co. needn't go back that far. Like Jimmy Carter, Cronkite refuses to leave the public stage and, while experiencing everything, appears to have learned nothing. The 90-year-old pundit was in San Jose, Calif., last week to assert that the war in Iraq was also a "terrible disaster" and "the earlier we get out, the better."

Cronkite also opined: "Look at the loss of lives of our young Americans there and those who have been maimed for life. For what purpose? No purpose we can define." He also said "I think we're probably less safe" and that the only thing we've accomplished is that the "entire Arab world has put us down as an enemy."

Cronkite and the Democrats were wrong in '68 and are wrong now. But in their world of naive appeasement, failure is not only an option, it is the desired result. Iraq is not Vietnam, but they're trying to make it so.

Walt, rest easy now. Your torch of seditionist vomit has been successfully passed to such stalwarts as Nancy Pelosi, and yes, brave, brave, Sir Murtha. They'll continue to work hard to make sure that your vision of an emasculated America, subordinate to radical Islam and every other two-bit ideology who wants to take a shot at it, takes hold.

Now go ahead and die, you seditious bastard.

---------------------------------------------

As Murtha (and Pelosi) Fiddle...will Iraq burn?

As the Washington Post wrote:

Mr. Murtha's cynicism is matched by an alarming ignorance about conditions in Iraq. He continues to insist that Iraq "would be more stable with us out of there," in spite of the consensus of U.S. intelligence agencies that early withdrawal would produce "massive civilian casualties." He says he wants to force the administration to "bulldoze" the Abu Ghraib prison, even though it was emptied of prisoners and turned over to the Iraqi government last year. He wants to "get our troops out of the Green Zone" because "they are living in Saddam Hussein's palace"; could he be unaware that the zone's primary occupants are the Iraqi government and the U.S. Embassy?

Murtha may have had an honorable career in the military, but in much the same way that Mario Andretti may have driven an Indy car 30 years ago doesn't make him qualified to do so today, the fact that Murtha was in the military years ago doesn't necessarily translate to expertise in today's conflicts; nor is it, unfortunately, a guarantee of his patriotism. As Mark pointed out, and as the header of this blog has indicated since its inception, Benedict Arnold was a decorated soldier before he committed treason.

As a favorite Bible passage of mine points out, "By their fruits shall ye know them." The fruits of Mr. Murtha's labors are more than indicative of gross incompetence, senility, outright treachery, or a combination thereof. At any rate, he has proven himself grossly incompetent and/or even downright dangerous given the position of importance that he holds.

--------------------------

Murtha: A "slow bleed" for our troops?

How do you sabotage a war effort for political gain, but keep your hands clean at the same time?

Ask Jack Murtha.

Top House Democrats, working in concert with anti-war groups, have decided against using congressional power to force a quick end to U.S. involvement in Iraq, and instead will pursue a slow-bleed strategy designed to gradually limit the administration’s options.

Led by Rep. John P. Murtha, D-Pa., and supported by several well-funded anti-war groups, the coalition’s goal is to limit or sharply reduce the number of U.S. troops available for the Iraq conflict, rather than to openly cut off funding for the war itself.

You see, this way they can bleed our troops and have the conditions under which they fight deteriorate gradually, with no one being the wiser.

And then blame it on Bush.

I don't want to hear one more fucking word how the dems "support" our troops.

Not. One. More. Fucking. Word.

Traitorous blood-sucking bastards.

I hope they rot in hell.

(h/t And Rightly So; also see My Vast Right Wing Conspiracy)

--------------------------------------------------------

Murtha--a legend in his own mind?

It would appear that Jack Murtha has his own version of a web cam:

JOHNSTOWN - U.S. Rep. John Murtha took a few minutes following a Wednesday press conference to take reporters sitting in three different counties on a live tour of his Washington, D.C., office through a video conferencing system.

One wonders how they got a lens wide enough to contain Murtha's entire big phat backside. But I digress.

Spinning the camera from his office, Murtha centered the picture first on a portrait of Theodore Roosevelt. “My favorite president,” he said.

Murtha's favorite president? Perhaps Murtha was a bit dyslexic while reading his history books in grade school. Mr. Murtha--President Roosevelt charged up San Juan Hill; not down it.

From there it was on to a portrait of Marine Sgt. Michael Strank, a Johnstown man who was in the famous photograph of the Feb. 23, 1945, flag raising on Mount Suribachi, Iwo Jima.

Again, does anyone else see a major disconnect here? Mr. Murtha, you are definitely getting senile. After heavy casualties, the Marines took Suribachi--they didn't redeploy to Newark!

Another stop on the tour featured a model of the USS Bonhomme Richard, a Navy aircraft carrier active in three U.S. conflicts, including World War II, Korea and Vietnam.

Sorry, Jihad Jack. You're not fooling anyone here. Why don't you be honest with yourself and get some momentos fitting of your real mettle.

Like a flag of France, for instance.
----------------------------------------------

****UPDATE****

ibid.






Filed under Murtha Watch, The Fifth Column, FOT-WA