"It's Time For Them To Come Home".......John Murtha

[Myrtle]

Democratic hawk presses for U.S. Iraq pullout

By Vicki Allen | November 17, 2005

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Democratic congressional leader on defense called for an immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, as he rejected on Thursday Bush administration attacks on war critics and raised bipartisan pressure for a new policy.

"The U.S. cannot accomplish anything further in Iraq militarily. It is time to bring them home," said Rep. John Murtha of Pennsylvania, the senior Democrat on the House of Representatives subcommittee that oversees defense spending and one of his party's top voices on military issues.

Murtha's remarks followed a string of sharp attacks by President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney against critics of their Iraq-war policy and handling of prewar intelligence.

Murtha, a defense hawk, decorated Vietnam War veteran and retired Marine colonel, responded with a reference to the draft deferments that kept Cheney out of Vietnam.

"I like guys who got five deferments and (have) never been there and send people to war, and then don't like to hear suggestions about what needs to be done," Murtha said.

His call came two days after the Republican-controlled Senate overwhelmingly backed a resolution asking the administration for a plan to end the war, but rejected a Democratic resolution demanding a timetable from Bush.

Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada accused the White House of "a weak, spineless display of politics at a time of war" with its campaign against war critics.

Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Edward Kennedy said Bush's "pure, unadulterated fear-mongering" led the country into war.

Murtha, who supported the Iraq war but criticized Bush's handling of it, urged the administration to pull out U.S. troops as soon as it could be done safely. He estimated that would take about six months.

Republicans lashed out against the lawmaker who has served in Congress since 1974 and been a trusted defense adviser to presidents of both parties.

House Speaker Dennis Hastert, an Illinois Republican, said Murtha and other critics "want us to wave the white flag of surrender to the terrorists of the world ... We must not cower like European nations who are now fighting terrorists on their soil."

Rep. Geoff Davis, a Kentucky Republican, said Democratic leaders have "cooperated with our enemies and are emboldening our enemies."

PUBLIC OPPOSITION

Murtha said he would introduce a resolution calling for the return of U.S. forces in Iraq "at the earliest practicable date." He called the war "a flawed policy wrapped in illusion."

A CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll this week said 63 percent of Americans oppose Bush's handling of the Iraq war, and 52 percent say troops should be pulled out now or within 12 months.

A handful of Democrats who opposed the war from the start have called for a quick withdrawal or a set timetable. Most want the administration to provide a withdrawal plan based on conditions on the ground.

"The American public is way ahead of the members of Congress," Murtha said.

House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California, a war opponent, called Murtha's statement a thought-provoking "watershed event," but stopped short of endorsing it.

Rep. Ike Skelton of Missouri, top Armed Services Committee Democrat, said U.S. troop reductions should be linked to increases in Iraqi military readiness.

The administration has vehemently opposed any withdrawal timetables, which it calls a "cut and run" strategy. It is trying to build up Iraq's military so that U.S. troops can eventually leave.

But a number of Republicans were increasingly anxious about prospects in Iraq.

"We've got what I think is six months for this thing to begin to shape up ... to avoid a civil war," said Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John Warner of Virginia.

There are 153,000 U.S. troops in Iraq, up from the usual 138,000 to tighten security for elections in October and December. Another 22,000 troops from U.S. allies are also serving in Iraq.

Murtha said a "quick reaction force" should be kept to deal with emergencies in the region, but not with a possible civil war in Iraq.


More info at.....

http://www.topix.net/us?full=e814c8798f

Was this a public service announcement?

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[Myrtle]

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Was this a public service announcement?

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On my part?.....I just happened to get home and see his statement on the nightly news.

I checked here on 2+2 & saw no reference to it, so I googled and found a link.

I found his statement worthy of discussion here....

A Dem "hawk" who voted for the war and is now voting to tuck our tails and get outta Dodge. It's too hot in the kitchen, so leave. OK. Discussion opened.

[Myrtle]

[ QUOTE ]
A Dem "hawk" who voted for the war and is now voting to tuck our tails and get outta Dodge. It's too hot in the kitchen, so leave. OK. Discussion opened.

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Is that the entre to a discussion or the bait for a pissing contest?

[PoBoy321]

[ QUOTE ]

A Dem "hawk" who voted for the war and is now voting to tuck our tails and get outta Dodge. It's too hot in the kitchen, so leave. OK. Discussion opened.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah! Amen brother! To hell with all of those liberal nancies! God damn it, we got into this mess and no America I know of is gonna just turn around and say "This has been a miserable failure, we should make a prudent decision and affect a plan for the withdrawal of American troops," hell no! I don't care how many more military and civilian lives we have to lose, how many more billions of dollars we have to spend, how much more we have to inflate our deficit, how much more we need to divide Americans and alienate our foreign allies, we're not leaving 'till the job is done! How exactly is the job gonna get done? Well I'll be damned if I know, but I'm sure that when it is, we'll know! [/sarcasm]

[Myrtle]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

A Dem "hawk" who voted for the war and is now voting to tuck our tails and get outta Dodge. It's too hot in the kitchen, so leave. OK. Discussion opened.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah! Amen brother! To hell with all of those liberal nancies! God damn it, we got into this mess and no America I know of is gonna just turn around and say "This has been a miserable failure, we should make a prudent decision and affect a plan for the withdrawal of American troops," hell no! I don't care how many more military and civilian lives we have to lose, how many more billions of dollars we have to spend, how much more we have to inflate our deficit, how much more we need to divide Americans and alienate our foreign allies, we're not leaving 'till the job is done! How exactly is the job gonna get done? Well I'll be damned if I know, but I'm sure that when it is, we'll know! [/sarcasm]

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Phase one of the contest, folks.

How about a vote for who's whizz is more powerfull?

[/tongue-in-cheek]

[andyfox]

Murtha's not one to leave the kitchen because it's too hot. He thinks the chefs don't know what they're doing. There's certainly ample evidence of that.

[Myrtle]

[ QUOTE ]
Murtha's not one to leave the kitchen because it's too hot. He thinks the chefs don't know what they're doing. There's certainly ample evidence of that.

[/ QUOTE ]

Agreed, Andy....

I guess I'm wondering if, given his well documented conservative and pro military/hawkish POV, whether his scathing comments will have any legs?

It is not very often that one sees this kind of blunt and passionate criticism from a traditional conservative....

[canis582]

Heres a parable:

You have been waiting at a bus stop for an hour and the bus hasnt come yet. Do you start walking or wait? You decide to wait a while longer.

It has now been two hours of sitting in the cold on the hard bench...do you start walking? But the bus could come at any time now and you'd miss your ride. So why not wait another hour?