Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

New star Murtha is worrying Dems
CHICAGO SUN TIMES ^ | 6-22-2006 | ROBERT NOVAK

Posted on 06/22/2006 9:42:22 AM PDT by stan_sipple

Murtha's Okinawa answer embarrassed Democratic House members who would not dream of criticizing publicly the former back-room pol who became an icon to the party's antiwar base last November by calling for an immediate troop withdrawal. His performance on ''Meet the Press'' reinforced dismay inside the party that Murtha, at age 74, has announced his candidacy for majority leader if the Democrats regain control of the House.

Murtha proves there are second acts in American politics. I had forgotten that federal prosecutors designated him an unindicted co-conspirator in the Abscam investigation 26 years ago. I was reminded of it after Murtha became a candidate for majority leader, not by a Republican hit man but a Democratic former colleague in the House. In a long political career, Murtha has made bitter enemies inside his party who are alarmed by his new stature.

Murtha got into politics in 1968 as a 36-year-old highly decorated Marine and in 1974 became the first Vietnam War veteran elected to Congress. In 1980, the FBI named him as one of eight members of Congress videotaped being offered bribes by a phony Arab sheik.

(Excerpt) Read more at suntimes.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Government; Politics/Elections; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: abscam; aidandcomfort; congress; corruption; democrats; helpingenemyforces; helpingterrorists; iraq; jackmurtha; novak
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-66 next last

1 posted on 06/22/2006 9:42:25 AM PDT by stan_sipple
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: stan_sipple
Mad man Murtha.

Go boy! Lead the lemmings directly off a cliff.
2 posted on 06/22/2006 9:43:32 AM PDT by BenLurkin ("The entire remedy is with the people." - W. H. Harrison)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: stan_sipple

3 posted on 06/22/2006 9:44:10 AM PDT by The G Man (The Red States ... the world's only hope for survival.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: stan_sipple

Murtha bragging about his military record is beginning to sound a lot like a Kennedy bragging about his driving record.


4 posted on 06/22/2006 9:46:20 AM PDT by N. Theknow (Kennedys - Can't drive, can't fly, can't ski, can't skipper a boat - But they know what's best.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BenLurkin

"Murtha now wears his heroic combat record like a suit of armor. In recent House debate over the Iraq war resolution, Murtha dominated the Democratic side -- compensating for a lack of articulation with vehemence. Rep. Louie Gohmert, a freshman Republican from Texas, had the temerity to suggest that had Murtha ''prevailed after the bloodbaths in Normandy and in the Pacific . . . we would be here speaking Japanese or German.'' Murtha pounced on Gohmert, asking whether he had been a combat soldier. The Republican had not, and he meekly thanked Murtha for ''all that he has done with the wounded.''


5 posted on 06/22/2006 9:46:37 AM PDT by stan_sipple
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: BenLurkin
Oh, and an Abscam alumni . . .

" In 1980, the FBI named him as one of eight members of Congress videotaped being offered bribes by a phony Arab sheik.

"The videotape showed Murtha . . . expressing interest in further negotiations, while bragging about his political influence".

6 posted on 06/22/2006 9:47:04 AM PDT by BenLurkin ("The entire remedy is with the people." - W. H. Harrison)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: stan_sipple
...and next on Wild Kingdom with Marlin Perkins "When Dems eat thier own".

Someone get some popcorn, this is going to be good.

7 posted on 06/22/2006 9:49:49 AM PDT by strange1 ("Show the enemy harm so he shall not advance" Sun Tzu The Art of War)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: stan_sipple

I would be very interested to know how he is polling right now. I suspect that the msm is not taking any polls because they don't want to know that he might be slipping. The democrats don't want to wake up from their beautiful dream of retaking the House.


8 posted on 06/22/2006 9:50:16 AM PDT by sportutegrl (People who say, "All I know is . . ." really mean, "All I want you to focus on is . . .")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Coop

ABSCAM heads up.


9 posted on 06/22/2006 9:50:35 AM PDT by NeoCaveman (The Latest on the Ohio gov race http://blackwellvstrickland.blogspot.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: strange1

Murtha acts more like Martha


10 posted on 06/22/2006 9:51:28 AM PDT by stickandpucknut
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: BenLurkin
"videotaped being offered bribes by a phony Arab sheik...The videotape showed Murtha . . . expressing interest in further negotiations, while bragging about his political influence".

I wonder where that video is...it'd be great if it were online somewhere. The Irey campaign ought to bring this issue up.

11 posted on 06/22/2006 9:54:13 AM PDT by T. Buzzard Trueblood ("No one cried when Clinton spied." -Crosslake)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: stan_sipple
In 1980, the FBI named him as one of eight members of Congress videotaped being offered bribes by a phony Arab sheik.

Is that right...? VERY interesting. This...needs to resurface. Diane Irey, are you paying attention?

12 posted on 06/22/2006 9:55:27 AM PDT by Republican Wildcat
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: stan_sipple
Murtha pounced on Gohmert, asking whether he had been a combat soldier. The Republican had not, and he meekly thanked Murtha for ''all that he has done with the wounded.''

What does this have to do with any damned thing? We do not lose our 1st Amendment rights when speaking to a combat veteran. Isn't it amazing how Democrats scream that we claim it's unpatriotic to criticize the president, yet they are the ones wielding that tactic as we criticize the views of the "infallability class." Of all people a combat veteran should understand the harm that comes of a divided homefront during wartime that emboldens our enemies and demoralizes our troops. That Murtha hasn't learned that tells me those of who who haven't served in combat have learned a hell of a lot more about warfare and its dynamics than he has. His combat veteran status hasn't endowed him with any special wisdom in this regards, that's for sure.

On ''Meet the Press,'' Murtha referred to presidential adviser Karl Rove ''sitting in his air conditioned office with his big, fat backside, saying, 'Stay the course!'''

LOL, this deranged tub of lard Murtha is calling Rove "fat?" Rove is in far better shape than the lump of goo Murtha. And where is Matt Lauer and all the other media shame artists to call Murtha on his "angry" rhetoric like they did Ann Coulter??

13 posted on 06/22/2006 9:55:35 AM PDT by MikeA (Not voting in November because you're pouting is a vote for Nancy Pelosi for Speaker of the House)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: stan_sipple
Interesting exchange. Were I Gohmert I would have said: "Not only have I never served in combat, I have never stabbed our troops in the back while they were serving in combat."

It's an open question as to whther Murtha actually served in combat, either.

He was a Marine intelligence officer in his one warzone assignment and I understand that it is rare for such individuals to become personally involved in combat.

For his part, Murtha refuses to release his own military records.

14 posted on 06/22/2006 9:58:46 AM PDT by wideawake
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: sportutegrl

This is an opinion poll from his home state re his appearance on Meet the Press:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1653291/posts


15 posted on 06/22/2006 9:59:42 AM PDT by BlessedBeGod (Benedict XVI = Terminator IV)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: stan_sipple
Michele Malkin refers to John Murtha on her Hot Air website as reminding her of Grandpa Simpson. LOL!


16 posted on 06/22/2006 9:59:57 AM PDT by OB1kNOb (This is no time for bleeding hearts, pacifists, and appeasers to prevail in free world opinion.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: stan_sipple

By Murtha continuing to go on national TV with his ramblings, he is only showing Americans his lack and the Dems lack of support for our military and the WOT.

He is also helping Diana Irey defeat him in the upcoming November election.

http://www.irey.com/


17 posted on 06/22/2006 10:06:48 AM PDT by jazusamo (DIANA IREY for Congress, PA 12th District: Retire murtha.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: T. Buzzard Trueblood

Rush is going to put the video up on his website soon.


18 posted on 06/22/2006 10:08:17 AM PDT by cinives (On some planets what I do is considered normal.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: T. Buzzard Trueblood

Rush just announced on his show that the tape has been found.


19 posted on 06/22/2006 10:08:29 AM PDT by Republican Wildcat
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: BenLurkin
"The videotape showed Murtha . . . expressing interest in further negotiations, while bragging about his political influence".

IOW...he could/can be bought.

Should have been run out on a rail then.....but the sheeple are stupid.

20 posted on 06/22/2006 10:10:02 AM PDT by Osage Orange (The pen is mightier than the................pigs.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-66 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson