Is that a shrub in your pocket...
Thursday, November 17, 2005
Attack of the Chicken Hawks
Rep. John Murtha, senior Democrat on the House of Representatives subcommittee that oversees defense spending (and military hawk who supported the Iraq war), today called for an immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.
"The U.S. cannot accomplish anything further in Iraq militarily. It is time to bring them home."
Murtha served in the Marines in the early 1950's, and then re-enlisted in 1966, at the age of 34, to serve in Vietnam where he earned a Bronze Star, two Purple Hearts and the Vietnamese Cross for Gallantry. When he won his House seat in a special election in February 1974 he became the first Vietnam veteran to serve in Congress.
Typically, Republicans attacked:
Dennis Hastert 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."
Hastert, born in 1942, avoided the draft, and did not serve in the military.
White House spokesfuck Scott McClellan said "it is baffling that he is endorsing the policy positions of Michael Moore and the extreme liberal wing of the Democratic Party."
McClellan never served.
As for the rest of the Republicans you're likely to hear from in the upcoming days?
- Disgraced former House Majority Leader Tom Delay - avoided the draft, did not serve: "So many minority youths had volunteered ... that there was literally no room" for patriotic folks like himself.
- House Majority Whip/Acting Majority Leader Roy Blunt - did not serve.
- Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist - did not serve.
- Rick Santorum, R-PA, - did not serve.
- Former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott - avoided the draft, did not serve.
- GW Bush - decided that a six-year Nat'l Guard commitment really means four years. Still says that he's "been to war."
- VP Cheney - 5 deferments, "had other priorities than military service"
- Jeb Bush - did not serve.
- Karl Rove - avoided the draft, did not serve.
As for Murtha? He had this to say:
"I like guys who got five deferments and never been there and send people to war, and then don't like to hear suggestions about what needs to be done."
: 9:33 PM
