"WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Rep. John Murtha, a key Democratic voice who favors pulling U.S. troops from Iraq, said in remarks airing on Monday that he would not join the U.S. military today.
A decorated Vietnam combat veteran who retired as a colonel after 37 years in the U.S. Marine Corps, Murtha told ABC News' "Nightline" program that Iraq "absolutely" was a wrong war for President George W. Bush to have launched.
"Would you join (the military) today?," he was asked in an interview taped on Friday.
"No," replied Murtha of Pennsylvania, the top Democrat on the House of Representatives subcommittee that oversees defense spending and one of his party's leading spokesmen on military issues.
"And I think you're saying the average guy out there who's considering recruitment is justified in saying 'I don't want to serve'," the interviewer continued.
"Exactly right," said Murtha, who drew White House ire in November after becoming the first ranking Democrat to push for a pullout of U.S. forces from Iraq as soon as it could be done safely.
At the time, White House spokesman Scott McClellan equated Murtha's position with surrendering to terrorists.
Since then, Bush has decried the "defeatism" of some of his political rivals. In an unusually direct appeal, he urged Americans on December 18 not to give in to despair over Iraq, insisting that "we are winning" despite a tougher-than-expected fight.
Murtha did not respond directly when asked whether a lack of combat experience might have affected the decision-making of Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and their former top deputies.
"Let me tell you, war is a nasty business. It sears the soul," he said, choking up. "And it made a difference. The shadow of those killings stay with you the rest of your life."
Yeah, so what Murtha? Your're not the only one whose served and said "War is hell". You pathetic coward. President Bush and VP Cheney aren't the only President and Vice President without "combat experience" - hell FDR didn't have combat experience - so what?
Murtha, of you General Patton would of said, "It has come to my attention that a very small number of soldiers are going to the hospital on the pretext that they are nervously incapable of combat. Such men are cowards and bring discredit on the army and disgrace to their comrades, whom they heartlessly leave to endure the dangers of battle while they, themselves, use the hospital as a means of escape. You will take measures to see that such cases are not sent to the hospital but are dealt with in their units. Those who are not willing to fight will be tried by court-martial for cowardice in the face of the enemy."
Amen.
Tracked with Blogs for Bush.
UPDATE: To the moonbat twinkies who have a problem with me comments on the Pennsylvania Chicksh_t Congressman, spelling isn't as important as bravery and just because some smuck served and got a medal or two doesn't make him a hero - see John (I shot the teenager) Kerry. Fact is that Murpha's a coward and he is undermining our country in a time of war. He's a disgrace to his country and the uniform. Period.
UPDATE II: It never fails that the left brings up the debunked "Bush didn't serve" crap, which is - crap. But if you want to talk about Presidents who didn't serve but who sent our men and women into battle, here is a blurb from John Hawkins from Right Wing News:
"But one has to wonder if these same people think of Woodrow "we must make the world safe for Democracy" Wilson as "Chickenhawk" Wilson? After all, Wilson, the man who launched our country into WW1, had been a professor of political science before he got into politics, not a military man. Then there's FDR, a gentleman who certainly couldn't be called a pacifist. In fact, old Franklin "Chickenhawk" Roosevelt led our country into the bloodiest war this planet has ever seen. Was he wrong to have done that since he never served in the military? Most of us would say "no," but you have to wonder if the people who're today hooting "chickenhawk" would disagree. We could even look to Bill Clinton and wonder why a President who not only didn't serve in the military, but once wrote in a letter that he "loathed the military," was not branded with a scarlet "Chickenhawk" for his rather aggressive foreign policy in Somalia, Bosnia, Kosovo, & Haiti."
So enough already of the quasi-qualification that to be Commander in Chief one must have been in the military. Simply isn't historical, nor true and quite frankly some of the worst Presidents were former military (Gen. 'Whiskey' Grant anyone?).
UPDATE III: Jack Kelly at Irish Pennants wonders if under current military standards which are much higher, would Murtha even be accepted if he joined today? I wonder.
UPDATE IV: Enough also of this crap that Murtha supported the war. Murtha called for a "cut and run" vote on March 17th, 2004, voicing the war was unwinnable. How wrong he was as the elections have shown. Let me be clear, Murpha might have been a brave and honorable soldier in his time, but so was Benedict Arnold. He later turned on his country. Murpha has done the same.
UPDATE V: The Comical "pretend" outrage in the comments by mostly moonbat dweebs who have never served a day in their life (nor would they) is - well, comical. If Murtha had come out supporting the war they would be ripping him over their Starbucks. Truth is this is the way they treat veterans and have for years.
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