Posted on 11/21/2005 9:24:07 AM PST by Reagan Man
U.S. Rep. John Murtha, a key Democrat on military issues, on Monday defended his call to pull U.S. troops from Iraq, saying he was reflecting Americans' sentiment.
"The public turned against this war before I said it," Murtha said. "The public is emotionally tied into finding a solution to this thing, and that's what I hope this administration is going to find out."
Murtha, 73, a decorated Vietnam veteran and the ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations defense subcommittee, said he has received support from the public since calling for the troop pullout on Thursday. He said he has gotten e-mails from World War II veterans and parents of American soldiers in Iraq.
Murtha noted that his great-grandfather served in the Civil War, his father and three uncles in World War II, and that he and his brothers were Marines. Murtha said western Pennsylvania, where his district is located, is a "hotbed of patriotism and they've lost confidence in this effort."
He said Iraqis must take control of their own destiny.
"We cannot win this militarily. Our tactics themselves keep us from winning," Murtha said at a scheduled news conference after a speech to a civic group in his hometown of Johnstown, about 60 miles east of Pittsburgh.
House Republicans on Friday pushed for a vote on a nonbinding resolution to pull out the troops after Murtha's comments. It was rejected 403-3, but Democrats said the quick call for the vote was a political stunt designed to undermine Murtha's comments.
"The guys in Congress are scared to death to say anything because they might be vilified," Murtha said. "The soldiers can't speak for themselves. We sent them to war and, by God, we're the ones that have to speak out."
Murtha said he was unmoved by criticism he's received from President Bush, others in Congress and the public.
U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt, R-Ohio, spoke on the House floor Friday about a phone call she got from a Marine colonel who said, "cowards cut and run, Marines never do." Asked about it, Murtha called the comment ridiculous.
"You can't spin this. You've got to have a real solution," Murtha said. "This is not a war of words, this is a war."
Aware that his comments last week would draw fire from conservatives, Murtha said he specifically asked more liberal members of his party not to step forward to support him.
"I didn't want (the public) to think this was a Democrat position plotted from the left wing," Murtha said.
Murtha expressed confidence that terrorist bombings in Iraq would cease once U.S. troops were gone and Iraqis became solely responsible for their destiny.
"Absolutely, we're the target. We're the enemy," Murtha said. "(The Iraqis) are a proud people, they've been around a lot longer than we have. They've going to win this themselves, they're going to settle this themselves. They have to, there's no alternative."
Murtha said he believes President Bush needs to realize how citizens feel about the war.
"All of us want to support the president when he's at war," Murtha said "But you can't support him when he won't change directions, won't listen."
Too bad this cannot be put to an accurate vote, then we would know how America really feels.
Uhmmm, Rep Murtha needs to realize there are times when an elected official must go against the "polls" in order to DO THE RIGHT THING FOR THE COUNTRY...
I don't give a good damn WHAT the polls show at this point- people have been brainwashed by the hateful MSM.
I will be thrilled when all of our soliders can come home, and the sooner the better. But if we pullout now, and Iraq goes into chaos, they will have fought and died for nothing. This, we cannot allow.
This from Nancy Pelosi's lickspittle lapdog.
Murtha is so sure of massive public support his staff won't even answer his office telephone.
Yes, I back a pullout from Iraq, but not before the job is finished.
Murtha has apparently fallen for the platitudes the Dim leadership lathered all over him while they were trying to talk him into being their poster boy.
Murtha. Your. 15. Minutes. Is. Over.
BTW, why isn't Murtha urging a pullout from Kosovo?
Then why didn't he and others VOTE for it? Yada, yada, yada.
and if Murtha reeeeely believed that line why did he vote Friday night against a pullout???
hmmmmmm...
Murhta is bumping senility in the rear...
time to retire and go fishin'...
Hey John..
The Whitehouse is toning down their criticisms of your stupid comments.
Instead of continuing to show the American people that you have lost it, why not follow suit and stfu?
Go have another peroghie....n-kay?
I thought that the House Of Representatives represented the PEOPLE!
Silly me!
An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known, and he carries his banners openly. But the traitor moves among those within the gates freely, his sly whispers rustling through all the alleys, heard in the very hall of government itself. For the traitor appears no traitor. 
""The guys in Congress are scared to death to say anything because they might be vilified," Murtha said."
So you are saying that Congress has no 'backbone'?
Thanks for verifying it for us.
" Democrats said the quick call for the vote was a political stunt designed to undermine Murtha's comments."
What he doesn't tell you is that the 'bill' was sponsored by a DEMOCRAT!
Murtha has a point. We need a pullout. Pull out the terrorists from Syria, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and all the other nationalities that are killing innocent people. Also, Murtha's constituents need to pull him out of the House of Representatives.
Fact is, Kerry, Reid and Pelosi don't support an immedaite withdrawal from Iraq. Neither does Cong Murtha. Murtha was one of the 403 who voted against immediate withdrawal.
Americans who advocate pull out are reacting to the constant barrage of lies and revisionist history from the left and the MSM without, until recently, many people on the right to call the left what they are. LIARS.
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