Why Murtha Matters

[andyfox]

Politically advantageous for what? Murtha is an old guy in the House.

[BadBoyBenny]

You're right, I have no idea, what he needs a political advantage for. I don't really know much about Murtha at all (what district he's in.. etc.), so my post was over the top.

I still don't like the line of arguement that because he was a longtime service member and has made deals with high level military officials in the past that he speaks for many of those same officials here.

[Andrew Fletcher]

You clearly know nothing about Jack Murtha besides what you read in the conservative blogs.

[Andrew Fletcher]

It's not that he has cut deals with him. He is the voice of the military on Capital Hill in a very real way. He loves the Armed Forces and they love him back. That's why the attacks on his patriotism were so funny and misplaced. Did you notice that Bush went out of his way to praise Murtha after Schmidt attacked him on the House floor? Bush knows that Murtha speaks for the top brass.

[Andrew Fletcher]

Murtha does what the military establishment tells him to do and in return they make sure jobs get into his district. All of his policies are based on that political reality. So, no, I don't think is saying that because he thinks its the best cource. Murtha doesn't come up with policy, he just listens to what military people tell him to do.

[Andrew Fletcher]

The resolution was sponsored by Republicans and had nothing to do with what Murtha proposed.

You're missing the point of the OP. Murtha speaks for the military establishment IN Iraq, which has lost faith in the leadership and ability of President Bush. Any claims that attacking the war are also attacks on the troops is now rendered meaningless, thanks to Murtha. The people charged with fighting this war believe it cannot be won. They used Murtha to tell the country that sad reality.

[Andrew Fletcher]

Good point

[Andrew Fletcher]

They don't. Murtha wouldn't have said the things he said if this wasn't the broadly shared position of senior military officals. Period.

[BCPVP]

Murtha's immune from acting like a politician?

[BadBoyBenny]

You haven't convinced me of anything. Attacking the patriotism of someone with his record is silly, and made Schmidt look like an ass. But I still don't buy that he is speaking for the "top brass". Do you have any examples of how he has done this in the past? You really haven't shown anything other than that Bush knows that Murtha is a patriot who has a different position on the war than he does, should not be attacked with ad hominems.