Reconstructing Murtha III: It’s a Somalia Deja Vu

American Thinker ^ | Nov. 23, 2005 | Noel Sheppard

[conservativecorner]

When one is trying to make a political figure look like a conservative hawk, it is in one’s best interest to hide from the public any moments when said figure acts like a dove. Such appears to be the case with the ongoing character reconstruction of Rep. John Murtha (D-Pennsylvania) since his call last Thursday to withdraw American troops from Iraq.

A story published by NewsMax on Monday stated that Congressman Murtha urged former President Clinton to remove U.S. troops from Somalia in 1993:

“Clinton took the advice and ordered the withdrawal – a decision that Osama bin Laden would later credit with emboldening his terrorist fighters and encouraging him to mount further attacks against the U.S.”

It is now approaching 48 hours since the story broke, and the results of a google news search suggest that not one mainstream media outlet has decided to pick this story up. In fact, apart from conservative radio hosts and bloggers, this issue is being largely ignored.

What makes this even more curious is that a LexisNexis search identified a number of articles confirming that Congressman Murtha was indeed instrumental in President Clinton’s decision to remove American forces from Somalia. Rowan Scarborough, who was then working for the Washington Times, reported the following on September 6, 1993:

“Foes of America’s lingering military involvement in Somalia will force the first congressional debate on the policy this month, just as some senior Democrats begin to question President Clinton’s open-ended troop commitment.”

“House aides say other senior Democrats, like Rep. John Murtha, chairman of the House Appropriations subcommittee on defense, are privately expressing concerns.”

[HarleyLady27]

I have a real hard time here thinking that this man is a Marine.

This isn't the type of Marine my hubby is, nor any of my friends that are Marines.

They are for the war, they are for putting the killers in the ground.

Are you guys sure that this person isn't another 'Kerry' phoney??????

He sure fits that bill better than a 'brave, decorated soilder'....

[SR 50]

He is from your state. You should find out and let us know.

[Alia]

bump.

[Donald Rumsfeld Fan]

Putting it all together, a powerful and influential “conservative hawk” pressured the president twelve years ago to withdraw American forces from an embattled nation with the net result being the emboldening of the most heinous terrorist organization that has ever threatened the United States. Now, that same “conservative hawk” is pressuring a different president to make what could end up being the very same mistake, but with potentially more dire consequences.

Is it any wonder that the mainstream media don’t want the public to know about this?

.."conservative hawk"..

[chgomac]

Clinton/Murtha pull-out & appease bump

[HarleyLady27]

He might be from my state, but thank you God he isn't from my district!!!!

[Stultis]

My personal interpretation is that Murtha is genuinely (and certainly in his own mind) pro-military, but that he's a lot like those bureaucratic generals who want a large (if not bloated) military with loads of infrastructure, equipment and weapons systems, but then don't ever want any of it actually used; or, if pressed, want it all used, i.e. insist on maximal (and often impossible) sized deployments.

Note that up until he began to argue for withdrawal, Murtha was arguing for a ponderous and impossible Shinseki sized commitment, and transitioned abruptly to his current view without acknowledging the possibility of any intermediate option, and without any discernible reason related to facts on the ground. (His complaints before were essentially the same as now with only superficial modification and the addition of a gloss here and there.) IOW Murtha's a HUGE or NOTHING absolutist, sorta like the infamous Union General McClellan during the Civil War who loved (and was loved by) his troops, but refused to ever DO anything with them, instead constantly whining that he needed more troops and resources.

[FeeinTennessee]

Murtha wants us to tell him what our views are in regards to us leaving Iraq (POLL):

http://www.house.gov/murtha/iraqsurvey.shtml

[Ditto]

To call Murtha either a "Conservative" or a "Hawk" is well beyond silly.

This article demonstrates that from a foreign/military policy standpoint, he is nothing even approaching a "Hawk". His only real interest in the military is increasing spending for defense contractors in his district.

The Conservative label is even sillier. His conservative rating by the ACU is only 33%. Even Arlen Specter scores 10 points higher, and no one in the media confuses him with a Conservative.

The only possible explanation for the media's tag on Murtha as "Conservative" is their particular "blind spot"; Murtha he is a reliable vote against both abortion and gun control. But are either of those issues valid tests when one considers that Murtha's district in the rural mountains of Pennsylvania around the City of Johnstown is probably 60% ethnic Catholic and 90% hunters? Those abortion and gun control votes are simply a matter of survival in that particular district and no test of conservatism.

[chgomac]

Murtha has visited Iraq and a soldier who met with him and is quoted on this forum said that Murtha was basically looking for trouble and was disappointed when he didn't find any over there.
I think he is is playing a dangerous game for political purposes by undermining the mission and declaring the entire operation a failure while we have troops on the ground.

If Murtha is like "little Mac"....then in this battle for Iraq, my sincere prayer is that GWB is as victorious as the "King of Spades" was in saving Richmond!