[andyfox]

If Iraq was the only way to go in fighting the war on terror, the administration should have been prepared. Instead, it chose to exaggerate the threat posed by Iraq to the United States, to put exclamation points on intelligence that should have had question marks, and to ignore occupation planning, for fear the American people would not have supported the invasion.

And now it chooses to smear critics. This is utterly disgraceful and contemptible behavior from our leaders.

"We want to make sure that we support our troops that are fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.” Dennis Hastert.

Who doesn't support the troops? Hastert was speaking about the Republican resolution concocted in the wake of Mr. Murtha's comments of yesterday. Mr. Murtha has always said the troops have done a great job, it's the administration he thinks has done a poor one. By insinuating that by voting against the Republican bill one doesn't support the troops, Mr. Hastert shows he doesn't understand what America is about. He should resign from his post.

Rep. Jean Schmidt, R-Ohio, the most junior member of the House, told of a phone call she received from a Marine colonel. "He asked me to send Congress a message - stay the course. He also asked me to send Congressman Murtha a message - that cowards cut and run, Marines never do," Schmidt said.

Cowards accuse Marines with two purple hearts and a bronze star of being cowards.

“In Washington there are some who say that the sacrifice is too great, and they urged us to set a date for withdrawal before we have completed our mission," the president said. "Those who are in the fight know better."

Mr. Bush shouldn't be lecturing Mr. Murtha about sacrifice.

"Congressman Murtha is a respected veteran and politician who has a record of supporting a strong America. So it is baffling that he is endorsing the policy positions of Michael Moore and the extreme liberal wing of the Democratic party. The eve of an historic democratic election in Iraq is not the time to surrender to the terrorists. After seeing his statement, we remain baffled --nowhere does he explain how retreating from Iraq makes America safer." [White House Press Spokesman]

The cheapest shot of all. Equate Mr. Murtha with Michael Moore. If you have a suggestion that involves setting a date to pull out, you're surrendering to the terrorists. Isn't it possible that Mr. Murtha is still trying to supoprt a strong America, that he sees the Iraq situation as a detriment to a strong America?

The administration has gone off the deep end. Stansfield Turner has correctly characterized Mr. Cheney as the Vice President for Torture. A week of shame and ignominy for the Bush administration.