Nancy Pelosi is to be congratulated for her backing of John Murtha for the position of House majority leader. To be sure, this was partly payback to a political ally of the speaker-designate. Far more important, however, it was the first installment on a huge debt owed to the voters who swept the Democratic Party into control of both houses of Congress, based primarily on their frustration over the dismal war in Iraq.
Because of his credentials as a highly decorated Marine veteran and stalwart Pentagon supporter, U.S. Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) was more effective than any other member of Congress in crystallizing the changing American position on Iraq when he dramatically wrote last year, "It is time to bring them home." Not intimidated by the president's "cut-and-run" smears, he said what most Americans have come to believe: The war is not "winnable" and it is time - now, not in 10 years - to let Iraqis make their own history and to get American troops out of the line of fire.
Go read the rest, including the part where Faux News accuses Murtha of being a "leftist" in the employ of MoveOn.org. Damn, the wingers are desperate! I love it!
Just how desperate? Well, Rep. Murtha is coming under fire for alleged ethics and contract misdeeds, including earmarks. How that will play out I have no idea, but it doesn't sound like he did anything that an awful lot of congresscritters on both sides of the aisle have done. Business as usual.
A little while ago, I saw Andrea Mitchell on MSGOP show a video in support of charges of ethical chicanery on Rep. Murtha's part. It was an FBI video, grainy black-and-white, showing an FBI agent trying to sting Rep. Murtha with a $50K bribe. Murtha turned down the bribe, although he left his options open to take it later, which to me sounded like a pretty good way to get the briber to leave. Republican operative Mitchell wondered if the offer to consider the bribe at a later time might hurt his chances of being Dem #2.
Oh yeah, the failed FBI sting was 26 years ago.
Let's see, the incident was in 1980, Murtha refused the bribe, no charges were brought, but somehow this is relevant today because Murtha said he might reconsider?
Desperate.
If it wasn't for Colonel Murtha USMC(ret.), questions about the viability of the Iraq war and failed occupation would not have been brought into the public consciousness like they have, and the recent elections might have gone the other way. In other words, if Rep. Murtha hadn't spoken out against this criminal president's criminal war, Bush might still be getting away with it with rubber-stamp Repuglicans still in control.
I am most definitely in favor of Rep. Murtha for the position of House majority leader. He has already demonstrated outstanding leadership against great odds.
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