<p>Murtha is a subject that just makes my blood boil. I’ll make a quick response here, and I’m stop talking about the subject. If someone else wants the last word, they can have it.</p>
<p>First of all, noone ever questioned his service record on this thread. He is a Vietnam veteran, and we should all be thankful for his service, as I am.</p>
<p>That said, his service as a Marine Colonel does not mean that his word is not disputable on military affairs. He is a politician, and has been for over 30 years now. There are quite a few things about Murtha that I disagree with, especially:</p>
<p>His belief that the U.S. needs to leave Iraq, like we “did in Somalia”. OBL himself said that he believed that the 9/11 attack would be successful because the U.S. will not enter a war where we would take casaulties. He specifically mentioned how quickly we left Somalia, and how that shaped his strategy. Murtha was one of the big advocates of that decision, and uses it as an example of what we should do in Iraq. If you follow recent events, Somalia is quickly becoming a place we may have to revisit… That’s his opinion, and he’s entitled to it. I disagree with it.</p>
<p>Now what makes me furious about the guy, is when he came out and condemned the Marines and sailor involved in the Haditha massacre incident. Those guys hadn’t been formally charged, the criminal investigation wasn’t completed, and the sure as heck haven’t had their day in court… and they have a much different story than what Murtha put out as fact. It’s a shame that a former Marine Colonel doesn’t give Marines the benefit of doubt, and publically slander/libels them for political gain. The incident still hasn’t been resolved, and if those guys are found not guilty, one could only hope for an apology from Murtha. I somehow doubt that would come. To me, his handling of this is definitely without a shred of honor.</p>
<p>I also find Murtha’s involvement and handling of the Abscam scandal to be telling of his character. If you can find a relatively unbiased source, Abscam is an interesting read. I doubt you could find one at this point, but the quote along the lines of “I’m not interested… at this time,” on tape… I don’t see how you could come out of that in a positive light.</p>
<p>As for the editorial usna09mom posted: There are dirty tactics used by both parties. The extreme left and right represent the least people in America, but they both shout the loudest. Maybe my emotions are getting the best of me, but if we were in a declared state of war, I wouldn’t mind seeing Murtha charged with sedition. I don’t totally discount his ideas for how to deal with Iraq, but he way he supports his ideas… I have a definite problem with.</p>
<p>That’s all I have to say about that… take it as you will.</p>