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Defense Official Contradicts Murtha Claim that Petraeus Didn't 'Talk to Any of Us'
CNS News ^ | May 3, 2007 | Mark Finkelstein

Posted on 05/03/2007 8:52:35 AM PDT by Kaslin

(CNSNews.com) - Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) this week criticized Gen. David Petraeus for not meeting with members of Congress during a recent visit to Washington, D.C., to report on the status of operations in Iraq, but not only did the commander of Multinational Force - Iraq meet with hundreds of lawmakers, he personally briefed Murtha himself.

Murtha told MSNBC's Chris Matthews on Tuesday, "They bring Petraeus back - purely political move. Petraeus comes back here. He doesn't talk to any of us. He only talks to the news media and so forth trying to sell this program."

But a senior Defense Department official told Cybercast News Service that Petraeus personally briefed Murtha and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) in an April 24 phone conference that lasted 20-30 minutes.

The following day, Petraeus conducted two 90-minute, top-secret level operations intelligence briefings for representatives and senators.

The first, to which all members of the House of Representatives had been invited, was attended by 250 congressmen, and the second was attended by 86 senators. After brief opening statements at the two briefings, Petraeus spent the remaining time answering questions from the congressmen in attendance.

"These were two of the most widely attended operations intelligence briefings in recent memory," the Pentagon official said.

The official also disputed Murtha's claim that Petraeus' briefings were a "purely political move."

"Members of the military are inherently non-political. Moreover, General Petraeus was unanimously confirmed by this Senate. He is their man, reporting to them on operations in Iraq. There is nothing political about that," the official said.

Attempts to obtain reaction from Murtha's office Wednesday evening were unsuccessful.

Roll Call reported on April 18 that Pelosi had initially declined the Pentagon's request to arrange a meeting for Petraeus with members of the House.

"According to an administration official, Pelosi and Armed Services Chairman Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) initially declined recent requests from the Defense Department to schedule a briefing ... panel aides said they were 'too busy' to schedule a meeting next week, the administration official said. A second attempt to set up a briefing with the Speaker's office was likewise declined," the newspaper reported.

House Minority Leader John Boehner [R-Ohio] criticized Pelosi's reluctance to meet in person with Petraeus.

The Washington Times on April 26 quoted Boehner as saying that Pelosi had met with President Bashar Assad of Syria - designated a state sponsor of terror by the State Department - but that she "somehow can't find the time to meet with the American general in charge of our troops fighting the global war on terror."


TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs; US: District of Columbia; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: democrat; demoncrat; demonrat; iraq; liar; murtha; pennsylvania; petraeus; senate; senator; traitor; wot
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To: RacerF150; jazusamo
Thank you for saying what I was too bashful to say!!!
41 posted on 05/03/2007 10:04:06 AM PDT by Just A Nobody (PISSANT for President '08 - NEVER AGAIN...Support our Troops! Beware the ENEMEDIA)
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To: bukkdems

Whoa! More research.........


42 posted on 05/03/2007 10:04:57 AM PDT by Just A Nobody (PISSANT for President '08 - NEVER AGAIN...Support our Troops! Beware the ENEMEDIA)
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To: Paperdoll
What prevented Murtha and Pelosi from attending the briefing?

They did not want to go. Simple as that!

43 posted on 05/03/2007 10:06:00 AM PDT by Just A Nobody (PISSANT for President '08 - NEVER AGAIN...Support our Troops! Beware the ENEMEDIA)
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To: Just A Nobody; jazusamo; Bitsy; Kaslin
From RedState:

Jack Murtha is a Delusional Windbag (includes video).

44 posted on 05/03/2007 10:07:33 AM PDT by smoothsailing ("Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction"--President Ronald Reagan)
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To: Lurker

liar goes without saying, but I honestly think he’s demented. If he doesn’t have alzheimers, he’s sure got something bearing a close resemblance to it.


45 posted on 05/03/2007 10:10:27 AM PDT by EDINVA
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To: Kaslin; jazusamo; smoothsailing; RacerF150; Bitsy; Paperdoll
The following day, Petraeus conducted two 90-minute, top-secret level operations intelligence briefings for representatives and senators.

Yeppers...top-secret all right!

Report: Democrat Congressman Lobbies for Code Pink to Sit In On Gen. Petraeus Classified Briefing

46 posted on 05/03/2007 10:13:36 AM PDT by Just A Nobody (PISSANT for President '08 - NEVER AGAIN...Support our Troops! Beware the ENEMEDIA)
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To: smoothsailing; jazusamo

Thanks for the link. I’ll catch later...I’ve gotta fly!


47 posted on 05/03/2007 10:14:32 AM PDT by Just A Nobody (PISSANT for President '08 - NEVER AGAIN...Support our Troops! Beware the ENEMEDIA)
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To: Kaslin

The traitors lie 24/7 because they are covered and protected by the treasonous media which constitutes 90% of the total media.


48 posted on 05/03/2007 10:16:07 AM PDT by jveritas (Support The Commander in Chief in Times of War)
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To: Just A Nobody; jazusamo
Thank you for saying what I was too bashful to say!!!

It's issues like this where my sense of diplomacy goes AWOL.

49 posted on 05/03/2007 10:18:36 AM PDT by Niteranger68 (I like Fred, but WILL be supporting the Republican nominee.)
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To: RacerF150

Ha! You are one step ahead of me! I have never had a sense of diplomacy!!! ;*)


50 posted on 05/03/2007 10:20:26 AM PDT by Just A Nobody (PISSANT for President '08 - NEVER AGAIN...Support our Troops! Beware the ENEMEDIA)
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To: smoothsailing

Thanks for the link to the tape, Smooth, that is powerful stuff.

How anyone can sit for an interview on national TV and lie like murtha did is beyond me. It is evident he is not only a liar but his mental acuity is shot.

I would think the people that are closest to him would encourage him to retire, he is not only an embarrassment to himself but to them.


51 posted on 05/03/2007 10:20:59 AM PDT by jazusamo (http://warchronicle.com/TheyAreNotKillers/DefendOurMarines.htm)
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To: Just A Nobody

We should only address these traitors and liars with the harshest of words, period.


52 posted on 05/03/2007 10:23:28 AM PDT by jveritas (Support The Commander in Chief in Times of War)
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To: Just A Nobody

>They did not want to go. Simple as that!<

Oh, RIGHT! Give JAN a big red balloon. :o)


53 posted on 05/03/2007 10:24:28 AM PDT by Paperdoll ( Duncan Hunter '08)
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To: Kaslin; garyhope

Murtha is 75 years old .
I don’t know what he was like earlier in his career, when he actually supported the military , but, even the Democrats , if they were honest-oh who am I kidding.. would have to admit that judging by his bizarre public appearances-
Murtha has lost quite a few steps.
The transcripts of his appearances on the talk shows are a jumbled mess-he rarely speaks in complete sentences.
He angrily and emotionally flies from topic to topic in the same sentence without completing a single thought.
Setting aside his political stances-it’s very difficult to watch him, as he looks like a very old man who is no longer in control of his mental faculties.
If Murtha was a Republican -the media and the Democrats would be whispering senility and Alzheimers.
The Democrats always prostitute the old ,the mentally ill , the sick ,the grieving mothers and families, if they think it will help them politically.


54 posted on 05/03/2007 10:25:32 AM PDT by Wild Irish Rogue
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To: Just A Nobody
His fellow Democrats had to set him straight and his demand was rejected.

Thanks for the link, Justa. I read that piece yesterday, Johnson has got to be a lamebrain.

I was also trying to figure out who the dems were that straightened him out. LOL! Maybe Jane Harmon was there, she's the only one that's got any sense.

55 posted on 05/03/2007 10:28:06 AM PDT by jazusamo (http://warchronicle.com/TheyAreNotKillers/DefendOurMarines.htm)
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To: RacerF150; Just A Nobody
It's issues like this where my sense of diplomacy goes AWOL.

There are times when truth outweighs diplomacy and this is one instance.

56 posted on 05/03/2007 10:30:37 AM PDT by jazusamo (http://warchronicle.com/TheyAreNotKillers/DefendOurMarines.htm)
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To: missnry

“Lead paint chips near his crib.”

lol. ...very possible......and, maybe he’s still sleeping in his crib....


57 posted on 05/03/2007 10:35:59 AM PDT by 4integrity
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To: RacerF150
My sentiments exactly. I hate them even more for they caused me to hate for the first time in my 50 plus life. My television viewing is limited to HGTV and Fox News. Movies forget about it. This Murtha and his cronies hopefully will pay one day for what they are doing trouble is I’m starting to doubt the intelligence of the American people.
58 posted on 05/03/2007 10:39:55 AM PDT by mimaw
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To: jazusamo
I would think the people that are closest to him would encourage him to retire, he is not only an embarrassment to himself but to them.

I've often wondered about that myself. Maybe he's got something on all of them, and they just can't face being exposed. He probably surrounds himself with people who are corrupt, just like him.

59 posted on 05/03/2007 10:44:10 AM PDT by smoothsailing ("Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction"--President Ronald Reagan)
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To: Just A Nobody

Every other name on Cynthia McKinney’s donor list was Arabic, from across the country. The Saudis fund the Carter Center. Alan Dershowitz has claimed Carter’s latest book was a thank you note. Muslims funding Democrats is the only reason I can think that we don’t drill in ANWR.

Just look at how Saddam bought off France, China and Russia’s vote on the UN Security Council.


60 posted on 05/03/2007 10:50:09 AM PDT by bukkdems (Western democracies! Ban the niqab in public.)
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