Jack Murtha is a traitor
And Nancy Pelosi throws a temper tantrum
By Jeff Emanuel Posted in Anti-war liberals | Congress | Democrats | War — Comments (39) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
Jack Murtha is a traitor. He is a traitor to the base of his party. He is a traitor to every voter who placed their faith in him and in his anti-war stance. He is a traitor to every progressive who trusted him to help lead the charge to force the Bush administration to bring our troops home from Iraq (or at least, to move them to Okinawa).
He is a traitor because, when the rubber met the road, he capitulated to the Bush Machine - and cast his vote for a bill which not only provided funding to keep combat operations going in Iraq and Afghanistan through the end of the fiscal year, but which had no set date for capitulation to the eeeevil terrorists who are, of course, only there (and only fighting) because we are.
Way to go, Jack. He's not the only traitor, though; click on on through to see some big names who are his companions in shame (below the fold).
Murtha, Hoyer, who cares who the House Majority Leader is? Both gave in to the Bush War Machine and voted for a clean bill of funding. DCCC chair Rahm Emanuel? Yep - he did too, as did 83 other House Democrats. Way to keep your representatives in line, Democrat base.
Fear not, though - the Speaker herself, Nancy Pelosi, voted against the bill. Then again, before you read too much into that decision and listen to the credit she'll doubtless claim for sticking to principle and steadfastly opposing the war, there's one other thing which should probably be taken into account: the fact that Pelosi spent the better part of the day today trying to get her minimum wage exemption for American Samoa tacked on to the bill (which ostensibly would have meant that she would have voted in favor of it). When her handout to the Delmonte Corp. was rejected (again), she voted against the bill. (Remember, though, that it's the GOP that's in the pocket of big business, not the Dems ;-)
The Senate quickly followed the House leadership's mass capitulation to BushCo, passing the bill 80-14. Their amendment to the legislation included the following terms:
When the Armed Forces are deployed in harm’s way, the President, Congress, and the Nation should give them all the support they need in order to maintain their safety and accomplish their assigned or future missions, including the training, equipment, logistics, and funding necessary to ensure their safety and effectiveness, and such support is the responsibility of both the Executive Branch and the Legislative Branch of Government
Emphasis added. Sounds pretty anti-war, doesn't it? Didn't think so. But, just in case there was any remaining doubt about whether or not the Senate Dems, like those in the House, have completely abandoned their anti-war base in favor of mindlessly parroting the Bush machine, take this admission found in the Senate amendment:
Thousands of members of the Armed Forces...have fought bravely in Iraq
Ouch. You, the anti-war progressive base, actually have Senators who allowed themselves to be put on the record saying that good work has been done in Iraq.
Oops. Guess all that hard work and tough rhetoric didn't pay off quite as well as some might have hoped.
One other encouraging thing can be taken from this experience: the knowledge that, when it all comes down to it, tough talkers like Jack Murtha will get in line and vote like good Republicans.
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Jack Murtha is a traitor 39 Comments (0 topical, 39 editorial, 0 hidden) Post a comment »
When you visit the zoo, you're not supposed to taunt the animals.
"No compromise with the main purpose, no peace till victory, no pact with unrepentant wrong." - Winston Churchill
We may not be fans of Murtha's behavior in Congress, but he's a 30 year veteran of the Marine Corps, and served honorably in combat in Korea and Vietnam. Whether it's intended as humor or not, I won't be calling him a traitor.
Murtha's actions and conduct have been conscious and deliberate. He's done much more to disgrace his Marine service than those embassy guards who were seduced by female KGB operatives in the 1980's, for example, and arguably, he's done more human damage than those certain Marines accused of the crimes committed in Haditha. Maybe he didn't kill people in a fit of passion but he has led a chain of events that most certainly has had a price in human lives. Worse, nobody knows if he even cares.
Benedict Arnold had a reputation for heroism at one time, too. Past service is not a magic exemption for all lapses past, present and future.
Is ex-patriot.
"No compromise with the main purpose, no peace till victory, no pact with unrepentant wrong." - Winston Churchill
he will do us all a favor and drop the hyphen.
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Gone 2500 years, still not PC.
Benedict Arnold
Henri-Philippe Petain
war heroes? or traitors?
As a matter of accuracy, he didn't serve in the Korean War.
"A man can never have too much red wine, too many books, or too much ammunition." -- Rudyard Kipling
But it's definitely a huge loss for the dems.
To borrow/paraphrase from Cigar Willie, it all depends on what one means by 'Traitor'.
According to Wikipedia (no bastion of Conservative thought):
You could argue Treason against his party and consituents.
You could argue Treason against the nation.
Hot damn....Jack's a double agent! Against both the Nation and his Party...who is he for, then?
Apparently he is only for....Jack
While you folks are perfectly happy to watch your fellow GOP-devoted troops be extirpated in service to Bush's insanity, us sane folks are horrified by Murtha and fellow party members. They will pay for it, promise!
There is nothing sane about the "surrender and retreat" notion that the antiwar left is wanting.
Murtha is no traitor, he served his country well as a Marine..I don't agree with his views now that he is in Congress but he earned the right to say what he wants.
and he needs to be held accountable for for both his statements and actions. He is a traitor to the men and women who are currently serving in the Armed Forces - his reckless actions of political posturing increased the risk to our soldiers lives and impacted the war effort in Iraq and Afghanistan.
A corrupt soulless greedy pig - federal prison is too good for him.
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"Enlightened statesmen will not always be at the helm." -- James Madison
Sadly,
When Federal Politicians go to jail, they retain their retirement benefits, even if they only served one term.
If a US service man/woman who has served 20-30 years is convicted on a Federal offense, they lose all retirement benefits.
You think we are perfectly happy to see our troops exterminated? And you call yourself sane?
I expect an apology immediately.
And it looks like Keoth Olbermann's face.
Nice to see you think it is so cute, Thomas. Read the post.
Although there was something deeply amusing about hearing the late, unlamented libbie's solemn assurance that yes, by gum, they would do something about this. Just like they were supposed to do something in January, February, March, April... and are supposed to do in September...
(shrug) I'm sure they'll come up with a reason why yet another of their failures isn't really their fault. Lord knows they've had enough practice.
The Fuzzy Puppy of the VRWC. I've been usurped!
And thank you, Thomas.
Some mandate, huh? I watched Keith Olbermann's "Special Comment" rant night before last, and I was howling with laughter at the end. The theme was "you failed us", and the list included everyone except Olbermann, his Mom and his remaining two friends (he thinks it's three, one of whom is Chris Matthews, but it really isn't).
Seems the adults take over when they need to.
RIP libbie. *SMOOCH*
you guys have been punked and you know it.
Now run down to the canteen and buy me a sandwich. Buy one for Jack, too. And when you get back to the cellblock, you'd better be in the mood.
"A man can never have too much red wine, too many books, or too much ammunition." -- Rudyard Kipling
to be a crook or a liar to the whole of the American public or a traitor to the base that helped elect him however liar/traitor are really one in the same. I don't think that military service exempts you from being a good and thoughtful human being and it certainly does not give you the right to do illegal things, you would need to be an illegal alien for that.
As a former Marine myself, I don't think the title of traitor fits Jack Murtha. His service to his country is to be commended, but that does not give him a free pass to cast shame upon that service by taking un-principled positions regarding those actively serving today. That he is not very highly thought of by other former Marines is satisfaction enough for me. Duke Cunningham was one of the few VietNam era "aces" and that distinction certainly cut him no slack when he stepped over the line. Murtha's time may be comming also in that regard. In this instance, patience is a virtue.
I understand the desire of a fellow military officer to defend Murtha against the charge of traitor. And in fact, I did use the word more loosely than perhaps I should have.
However, treasonous behavior does not only occur on the battlefield. So if you would like to take me to task for casual use of the term, I accept the critique.
But his present behavior should not be defended on the basis of past service.
Though it looked like foolhardiness will continue to prevail in Congress, it was NOT to be, as the Iraq war funding bill is approved without it being "pork-laden" and revealing to our enemies a timetable for us quitting in Iraq. Now that's BETTER. Murtha's vote included.
http://osi-speaks.blogspot.com/2007/05/common-sense-prevails-as-congress...
With malice towards none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see right.
how can you anti-warriors come in here and defend Murtha against the traitor monniker when he was SO willing to slow bleed his supposed fellow soldiers into the graveyard in the name of political expediency?
He gave up the title honorable veteran, and good Marine, when he was so willing to do to the Marines NOW what this Government did to HIM when HE was one.
Take a deep breath and remember that there are lots of soldiers who later turned their backs on their countries. The former behavior does not ever excuse the latter...
Puh lease...Murtha is a traitor to his party...and to the Corps.
haystack's 12th:
Conservatives (and Presidential Candidates especially) shall offer no aid and comfort to the opposition in times of legislative conflict (and ensuing political campaigns).
right on target, haystack. First off, the context of "traitor" in this piece is in regards to him going against the Dem base on getting the troops out of Iraq - I don't think the word "traitor" was used to depict his anti-war activity in trying to fight the President's goals in the Iraq War.
At the same time, I don't care what a man's past military service is if his current actions don't meet the criteria of a true American. In other words, if I served in the Army for 20 years and received medals and honor, and now, 20 years later...I decide to sell National interest secrets to the Chinese, I am now a traitor.
John Murtha is a traitor to the Dems that elected him. And John Murtha is a disgrace to the Marines Corp. And John Murtha is enjoying his last stint as a Congressman.
Murtha is a hypocrite, a corrupt politician and a bully. Plus, he's turned his back on the troops who believe in their mission and its eventual success. But traitor? No. Treason is a heavy word, and I wouldn't throw it around lightly.
Pretty thoroughly, if anyone cares about my opinion (always an open question, alas). It'll be... interesting to see if anybody on the Left 'sphere has the guts to say so.
The Fuzzy Puppy of the VRWC. I've been usurped!
General idiot and specific gasbag? You betcha. Maybe it's just me, but I prefer to reserve the term "traitor" to those who knowingly and purposely aid and abet the enemy.
At least to the people that Murtha betrayed. :)
The Fuzzy Puppy of the VRWC. I've been usurped!
in the 109th Congress, he voted with the President to support the troops
in the 110th, he voted with the anti war types, and wanted to blame W for defunding a bill that he knew was going to be vetoed, from Jan-May 23, 2007.
Now, prior to memorial day weekend he funds the troops.
I'll fund the troops, I'll defund the troops, I'll fund the troops, I'll defund the troops,
you libbies can keep him cuz we don't want an indecisive ex marine dangling carrots in front of the troops and the CIC.
OH wait maybe a majority of the USA does support a stable Iraq before a pullout after all; and you libbies will find a home with the communist party or
ride the Dems extra hard if things go less than swell on the eve of Petreaus' assessment. And the troops will still want to fight regardless.
Jack Murtha is a traitor. He is a traitor to the base of his party. He is a traitor to every voter who placed their faith in him and in his anti-war stance. He is a traitor to every progressive who trusted him to help lead the charge to force the Bush administration to bring our troops home from Iraq (or at least, to move them to Okinawa).
Jeff never said the Murtherer was a traitor to the country, nor even a big-T "Traitor". He said he was a traitor to you.
By the way, Jeff, this makes up for taking common cause with Hitchens over his scatological Falwell eulogy.
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Gone 2500 years, still not PC.
People here obviously have seen it all along, but the general population came to realize what a corrupt old gasbag he is after his meltdown yesterday.
I believe he IS guilty of Treason and I would, as a prosecutor indict him, as a juror convict him, as a judge sentence him to death and as an executioner pull the lever. He, and several other like him, are fortunate that I am none of the above.
Envisioning when all that is Left is the Right.
He betrayed the troops and the country and the Dem Base.
Boot him out!