A Swift-Moving Story (Murtha Alert)

WashPost ^ | 1/18/06 | Howard Kurtz

[pissant]

Is Jack Murtha being unfairly Swift-boated?

The left side of the commentariat is up in arms about my piece on a conservative Web site raising questions about the congressman's two Purple Hearts.

Here's the report by the Cybercast News Service: Check it out and reach your own conclusions.

Look, anyone can dig into a congressman's record, and Cybercast (which is part of Brent Bozell's conservative media criticism group) quoted people on the record, dug up a bunch of clips and gave the Pennsylvania Democrat a chance to respond. Editor in Chief David Thibault told me that Murtha had placed himself in the crossfire by becoming a leading voice for a U.S. pullout in Iraq.

What, exactly, does whatever Murtha did near Danang in 1967 have to do with the soundness of his stance on Iraq? In the case of John Kerry, you could argue that the Swift Boat Vets -- even though the media poked significant holes in their account -- was challenging the biography of a presidential candidate who had put his Vietnam heroism at the center of his campaign. But what is Jack Murtha running for, other than reelection in his district?

Of course, politics ain't beanbag, and Murtha, as a 37-year Marine vet, must be accustomed to hostile fire. The Purple issue, in fact, has come up in some of his past campaigns. But now it's getting national play -- and sparking a liberal backlash.

[pissant]

The liberal-traitor crowd is steaming over the conservatives shining light on Jack "George Galloway wannabee" Murtha's Kerry-esque past. I Love it.

[NRA1995]

Murthat has an ass full of rice, too?

[JLAGRAYFOX]

Murtha and John Kerry should be tried for treason. The entire Democrat Party is nothing but a bunch of traitors.

[Frank_Discussion]

"What, exactly, does whatever Murtha did near Danang in 1967 have to do with the soundness of his stance on Iraq?"

You see, that's the problem here. Murhta's stance is *not* sound, but it is being propped up by his record as a warrior. If his record is a sham, the prop is destroyed, letting the country get back to some level of reality.

[joe fonebone]

Typical lib crap.....start out on the track of the headline, branch out into some other incoherent rambling, and never finish the thought and/or article...

[FlipWilson]

The irony is that until the left starting bleeting like sheep, I had no idea this story was out there.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

you could argue that the Swift Boat Vets -- even though the media poked significant holes in their account

WTF? Did they get JFnK to sign the SF-180 or something?

[dsc]

Okay, the moral lepers are frothing about challenges to their attempts to increase Murtha's credibility by calling him a "highly decorated veteran." No surprises there.

But where is the factual information?

Slut Magazine said the records are available, but I though Murtha was pulling a Kerry on that.

[Wristpin]

I always thaought the Swift Boat vets were unfairly "Swiftboated", Together they had thousands of years of service, CMOH's, Retired Admirals, the works. The media smeared them.

[dsc]

"WTF? Did they get JFnK to sign the SF-180 or something?"

No, they just babbled some crap, and will forever after claim to have "poked significant holes" in the truth.

[kabar]

--even though the media poked significant holes in their account --

Pure BS. The media and Kerry never refuted anything that the SBVFT put forth. This is further MSM disinformation.

[DustyMoment]

What, exactly, does whatever Murtha did near Danang in 1967 have to do with the soundness of his stance on Iraq?

Ah, the old distract and destroy leftist illogic tactic. The left has lifted Murtha on their shoulders and proclaimed him to be a gen-you-wine war hero.

However, when their gen-you-wine war hero repeatedly demands that we cut and run as he did in Somalia and more recently with Iraq, one is within the boundaries of sanity by questioning what it is that makes Murtha such a gen-you-wine war hero.

If we examine the record of another gen-you-wine war hero such as Audie Murphy, we would have to ask the question what would he think about our operations in Somalia and Iraq and would he join with Murtha in calling for our immediate retreat and capitulation, or would he want us to finish what Saddam started?

As usual, the WaPo is practicing the usual leftist tactic of appearing to address the issue head-on by distracting the reader from the topic to attack the counter-argument. The problem for the WaPo is that the counter-argument, as it typically does when we are talking leftist positions, has merit; and they can't distract their way out of it.

[Frank_Discussion]

No argument from me.

[Doogle]

A Cybercast News Service investigation also reveals that one of Murtha's former Democratic congressional colleagues and a fellow decorated Vietnam veteran, Don Bailey of Pennsylvania, alleges that Murtha admitted during an emotional conversation on the floor of the U.S. House in the early 1980s that he did not deserve his Purple Hearts.

..from the article, do take note, it was a fellow DEMOCRAT that exposed his kerry like medal awards in question. Another one of these "no military records indicate" stories. And of course Murtha won't release his military records

Doogle

[Holicheese]

That is a great point. His whole reason for being propelled into the limelight is that he is a highly decorated Marine Vet from vietnam. This gives him standing as an "expert".

[sgtbono2002]

Agreed. I never saw a significant hole punched in the stories of the Swift Boaters. As far as I am concerned they helped save America.

[Holicheese]

Fox News Sunday, Juan Williams says that all the time, "The discredited Swift Boaters". I always ask, how were they discredited. JFK had to admit he was not in Cambodia, that his stories do not jibe and that Nixon never sent him to Cambodia at Christmas.

[denydenydeny]

What, exactly, does whatever Murtha did near Danang in 1967 have to do with the soundness of his stance on Iraq?

Incredibly disingenuous.

They know very well that it's precisely Murtha's war record that's being used to shield him and the Democrats from the charge of defeatism.

[Boundless]

>> ... even though the media poked significant holes
>> in their account

> WTF? Did they get JFnK to sign the SF-180 or something?

JfK signed the 180, but only for his pals at the Boston
Globe, not so that the general public could examine the
key records.

Murtha, like Kerry, could make all this go away (or
get very much worse) by signing the 180.
Kerry didn't, and Murtha won't either.

[PeoplesRepublicOfWashington]

Exactly! What holes?