US Rep. Murtha says he wouldn't join military now

[sabra]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N02252209.htm

US Rep. Murtha says he wouldn't join military now


WASHINGTON, Jan 2 (Reuters) - Rep. John Murtha, a key Democratic voice who favors pulling U.S. troops from Iraq, said in remarks airing on Monday that he would not join the U.S. military today.

A decorated Vietnam combat veteran who retired as a colonel after 37 years in the U.S. Marine Corps, Murtha told ABC News' "Nightline" program that Iraq "absolutely" was a wrong war for President George W. Bush to have launched.

"Would you join (the military) today?," he was asked in an interview taped on Friday.

"No," replied Murtha of Pennsylvania, the top Democrat on the House of Representatives subcommittee that oversees defense spending and one of his party's leading spokesmen on military issues.

"And I think you're saying the average guy out there who's considering recruitment is justified in saying 'I don't want to serve'," the interviewer continued.

[Cha]

1. Wow, this is BIG!

This is going to put a damper on Wanker's little recruitment schemes!

[Rainscents]

7. Yes, this is big!!!

[mom cat]

2. Good for him, although, you know they will twist this.

[stepnw1f]

4. They Are Irrelevant

What is relevant, is our government becoming a tyranny and treating we the people like slaves..

So let them twist. We have a mountain of evidence... soon, no one will listen to their type for a very long time.

[mom cat]

6. I hope that you are right, but they still have incredible power.

[stepnw1f]

11. They Do...

but it's not going to be enough.

[AuntiBush]

14. Murtha Seems to Have A Whole Lot More, Though...

When he speaks, people listen.

[roguevalley]

25. let them twist. he has 37 military years on the books. How many do they

have? :)

[stepnw1f]

31. Exactly...

The truth will prevail in this case.

[zapp]

3. Say what you want about Jack, He sticks to his guns

Has kept the same story.

[AnneD]

40. The Truth IS ALWAYS the same story....

I remember watching Joe Wilson when his wife was first outed. His words were like iron. You knew he was telling the truth and I followed the story from the first moments after he spoke and here we are now. Murtha speaks with the same moral authority as does Cindy Sheehan. They can try to do all they can to smear these honest people but truth is the original teflon.

[onehandle]

5. What a coward.

We need real men out there like this one:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Schmidt

[Jim Sagle]

8. She is a manly man, I'll give her that.

:puke:

[Barkley]

21. Cincinnati's Finest!

save Marge Schott and of course Paul Hackett

[saigon68]

29. I like this SLUG'S shirt

Its the thing you want to wear ---when killing a few (Insert Racial Epithet here) Head children.

[Nite Owl]

9. What can they say to this?

They haven't gone, their kids don't go either so what can they really say without being called on it. The loudest ones for the war are all chickenhawks.

[bpilgrim]

10. American soldiers are being treated like toys a rich kid got for Christmas

from Cold Turkey

By saying that our leaders are power-drunk chimpanzees, am I in danger of wrecking the morale of our soldiers fighting and dying in the Middle East? Their morale, like so many bodies, is already shot to pieces. They are being treated, as I never was, like toys a rich kid got for Christmas. - Kurt Vonnegut

source...
http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0512-13.htm

peace

[blueinindiana]

12. Military Service is not all that bad.

I served in the Navy from 1991-1997. I Will admit times I regretted joining but overall it taught me a lot and gained a lot of valuable exp in life. I wouldnt however join the Army or Marines. I know you could be sent over in the Navy to Iraq but that is less likely.




You don't have to serve in the MIlitary to be a Patriot but hiding behind Patriotism to bash others who have is one of th lowest things on this earth and I can not stand these types of people. I dismiss anything they have to say. especially when it comes to war and national security.

[tuvor]

20. Who's bashing those who have served?

ON EDIT: My apologies: Welcome to DU! :hi:

[me b zola]

28. You may be misunderstanding Congressman Murtha

I don't believe that Congressman Murtha is saying that he regrets one day of his 37 years of service. I believe that he is saying that if you love & respect the military this would not be the time to serve. Congressman Murtha most certainly is not opposed to laying his life on the line for his country, nor is anybody else who has worn the uniform with pride. What is going on under this administration is more than a slap in the face to the military, it is the worst kind of disrespect & disregard that an executive office could possibly hold for the military.

The point is that proud patriots whom have worn the uniform, who would lay down their lives to protect this country & it's Constitution, reject this current "leadership".

[fooj]

13. He must be COMPLETELY disgusted with these neocons!

This speaks volumes!

Peace.

[MidwestTransplant]

15. And when the RW scream machine says he is undermining troops

whomever is conducting the interview should offer that they should then go themselves.

[Bush_MUST_Go]

16. They should say that, but they WON'T.

[Pirate Smile]

17. more

"Murtha did not respond directly when asked whether a lack of combat experience might have affected the decision-making of Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and their former top deputies.

"Let me tell you, war is a nasty business. It sears the soul," he said, choking up. "And it made a difference. The shadow of those killings stay with you the rest of your life."'

[MadisonProgressive]

18. ROFL - Sounds like he has some friends in the DOD

Asked for comment, a Defense Department spokesman, Lt. Col. John Skinner, said: "We have an all-volunteer military. People are free to choose whether they serve or not."

"Our freedom of speech in this country allows all of us the opportunity to voice an opinion. It's one of our great strengths as a nation," he added in an e-mailed reply.

[tuvor]

19. This does not excuse the bushloving freepers.

Get your asses to a recruiting centre, pronto.

[sweetm2475]

22. Tell it like it is, Murtha

The truth will set you free............:yourock:

[kynn]

23. Not big...

HUGE!

[quiet.american]

24. I'm former USAF, & I would be disgusted to have AWOL Bush as my CiC.

I completely agree with and understand Rep. Murtha's remarks.

[EFerrari]

26. We should rename this action the Chickenhawks' War. nt

[JohnstownDEM]

35. one guy i know...

...held off on his retirement so W could sign his retirement certificate. He didn't want the "taint of Clinton" to be on his cert. He claimed that "I can't respect a president who did something in his office that I would have been discharged immediately for doing". My reply was simply "Executive Privilege" :)

[trogdor]

36. Actually...

...you would have been reduced in rank for fraterization with subordinates and engaging in what the UCMJ lists as a deviant sexual practice. The reduction in rank would usually end your career eventually, but you wouldn't have been summarily discharged for getting your weasel greased unless the person giving the blowjob was either underage or a member of the same sex.

[malmapus]

37. Former workmate did the same

Was a lifer Marine and held off his retirement so that Duh'byah could sign his papers and not Clinton. I pretty much just shook my head when he told me (came to do that often with him heh).

[quiet.american]

39. The twisted logic boggles the mind.

So this fellow would rather have a Supreme Court-appointed, AWOL frat-boy signature on his retirement papers than Pres. Clinton's. And now that we can add international war criminal and domestic terrorist (Hurricane Katrina), I guess he's mighty proud. :crazy:

[Algorem]

27. " video's up at abcnews.go.com/Nightline/ "-librechik

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x38117#38191

http://www.abcnews.go.com/Nightline/

He said he would not join today and average guy who is considering recruitment today is justified in saying "I don't want to serve"

started out saying he had no idea would get so much attention

his staff all disagreed beforehand with him making statement,told him he was going too far,was making a mistake

White House immediately smeared him-"That's how they respond to everything,they made mistake doing it to me"

>BEFORE war he says many people from first Bush administration called him saying don't let this president go to war.

Reporter asked him if Bush's enthusiasm for going to war would have been different if Bush,or Cheney.or Rumsfeld,or Wolfowitz,or Feith had ever seen combat-

"Let me tell you, war is a nasty business. It sears the soul," he said, choking up. "And it made a difference. The shadow of those killings stay with you the rest of your life."'

has had no conversations with Bush,doesn't expect any,doesn't take it personally...

they showed him on Nightline from 2004 making same argument as he did before Thanksgiving

Bush ignored letter he sent to him 1 year ago,Murtha got reply 7 months later from assistant Secretary saying "everything's fine..."

on fellow Dems like Lieberman and Hillary Clinton keeping their distance from his statement-

'it's a complicated thing,they don't know how long it's going to last,and the timing,like me,they waited too long to say anything,and it will be interesting to see after this recess how many say something different'

as anwer to those saying if we leave it will be defeat he said he says we won victory by beating Sadaam and his army,despite the way we got in there

and if insurgency claims victory when we leave we'd just have to put up with it

far fewer h.s. students in his district are applying to military

he rates troops highly but the Army is broken,overstretched,undertrained

worries about recruitment levels and military strength

reporter's end statement-'Murtha has taken stand that may not change what happens in Iraq but has certainly changed the nature of how it will be debated here'

[The Backlash Cometh]

30. This man is a leader.

One who doesn't underestimate the intelligence of the people.

[sargon9]

32. At least one democrat has his voice

Every Democrat should be speaking out. The silence of the Democrats give the Republicans political cover.

[superconnected]

33. The silence of the democrats is making me feel like they are

bought.

[JohnstownDEM]

34. I disagree

I think they are trying to stay mum about anything and unleash hell right before, or right after the primary elections. Jack Murtha is a safe bet for them. Our district (PA-12) does not offer any opposition to him, so he can keep this in the public's mind, without sacrificing political capital.

[centristo]

38. that's funny

i was just talking to a friend of mine who is getting medically discharged from the Marines and I told him the same thing. I told him the only difference between me (a civilian) and him (a soldier) is that I refuse to put my life in the hands of George W. Bush. Were our nation to become invaded, that is a different story, but in the current context of our pre-emptive invasion, hell no. Glad to see I'm on the same page as Murtha.