Murtha Must Testify in Defamation Case

The New York Times ^ | September 29, 2007 | Staff

[Thombo2]

This is good news.Hope they take him to the cleaners.I could envision (former:)Sen Murtha,pennyless,livin in a dumpster in downtown Boston,goin thru the DT’s,and eventually expiring,totaly alone,shamed and shunned.

[navyguy]

“Either we are equal under the law or we are not.”

Apparently we aren’t equal under the law. Its increasingly apparent that the only people who actually have to obey the law are middle class tax payers. If you’re a politician, a celebrity or an illegal alien you get to operate with nearly total impunity.

On the million to one chance the Murtha sufferes any consequences whatsoever for his remarks, he will get the absolute minimum possible punishment.

[60Gunner]

Personally, I don't care what war Murtha fought in. That was then; this is now.

And now, John Murtha is a treasonous, seditious, American-murdering, terrorist-aiding sonufabitch who deserves to swing by his flabby neck. And it would be sweet justice indeed if the man who threw the lever on the trapdoor was a Haditha Marine.

[nyyankeefan]

Murtha Must Testify in Defamation Case...

as long as he is under oath...ask him about abscam...

oh wait...he is a lib/dem...oath means nothing!!!!

[Logical me]

What bothers me more is the response of the Justice Department. No wonder nothing substance was brought against fraud or outright criminal acts against the RATS.

[OSHA]

The deaths became prominent in May 2006 when Murtha, who opposes the Iraq war, said at a Capitol Hill news conference that a Pentagon war crimes investigation will show Marines killed dozens of innocent Iraqi civilians in the town in 2005.

I don't think the Speech and Debate clause covers news conferences

[El Gato]

U.S. District Judge Rosemary M. Collyer .... said she was troubled by the idea the lawmakers are immune from lawsuits regardless of what they say to advance their political careers.

The immunity is limited to "any speech or debate in either House"

Constitution for the United States Section. 6.
The Senators and Representatives shall receive a Compensation for their Services, to be ascertained by Law, and paid out of the Treasury of the United States. They shall in all Cases, except Treason, Felony and Breach of the Peace, be privileged from Arrest during their Attendance at the Session of their respective Houses, and in going to and returning from the same; and for any Speech or Debate in either House, they shall not be questioned in any other Place.

Pretty sure Sunday Morning Interview shows don't count.

[El Gato]

Flies in the face of the 14th Amendment. Either we are equal under the law or we are not.

The equal protection section of the 14th only applies to the states. Art 1 Sec. 6 remains controlling. (But that probably doesn't apply in this case either, since Murtha did not make his allegations *only* in the House.)

[Hoof Hearted]

"Jack Murtha is laughing his fat ass off as the House Counsel dusts off the Speech and Debate Clause which protects our elected lords and masters from any accountability for any statements made in their official capacity. Murtha will never see the inside of a court over this."

Wanna bet?

[RedRover]

What Murtha did was especially egregious (in addition to the content, I mean). He gave most of his interviews from his campaign headquarters in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Look at the location identification in these stills...

[jazusamo]

Thanks for the ping, RedRover.

Murtha Watch Ping!

Code Pinkos

To be added to the Murtha Watch ping list please notify myself or RedRover.

[DennisR]

I think it was Korea and Vietnam - not WWII. That said, the guy needs to resign after his stupid statements.

[El Gato]

Is not Murtha a WWII vet?

No he's a Vietnam vet. as a voluntarily activated Marine reservist. But your point remains, and his true record in Vietnam might bear some more scrutiny, just as former Senator, and MoH winner, Bob Kerrey's did. Maybe the Congressman has a guilty conscience?

[jazusamo]

BUMP!

[El Gato]

He was a Nam “strap hanger”

Well, sort of. He was there voluntarily, he had been a reservist, and received two purple hearts and a bronze star, with V device. He'd also been a DI before going through OCS.

But to me, and the few Marines I've talked to, that makes his unfounded accusations against fellow Marines even more abominable.

[no-to-illegals]

even though he (his case) will argue protection to and from (travel), plus protection while on the floor of the House.....

I wonder if transcripts, documents, and possibly video tape.......will be ruled as inadmissible evidence.....

[El Gato]

Maybe some of our Nam Vets, who suffered from Kerry’s, Kennedy’s and Fonda’s lies can sue these liberal bastards for defamation.

Only if their lies got specific enough. In the Haditha/Murtha case there were a small enough number of Marines involved to *know* that Staff Sgt. Wuterich was one of those being defamed.

[El Gato]

Jack Murtha is laughing his fat ass off as the House Counsel dusts off the Speech and Debate Clause which protects our elected lords and masters from any accountability for any statements made in their official capacity.

The speech and debate clause is very specific. It only covers speeches and debates *in either House*. Not in your district office, your home, the Courthouse steps, a TV or radio studio or any other place, only "in either House". That would be in that big building at other end of Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House and perhaps could be stretched to include Congressional offices in DC, but not in the building itself.

[A.A. Cunningham]

Is not Murtha a WWII vet?

No.

[art_rocks]

Worse for Murtha is that he was in Korea and Vietnam so fought in the racist wars against non white participants trying to impose the American imperialism on those asian countries (I’m ready to go back to college and get an A in history).