Chicken hawk admirers target John Murtha

[whometense]

http://www.mcall.com/news/columnists/all-5chickenjul09,0,6973505.column?coll=all-randomcolumnistsnews-misc

Congressman John Murtha, said a letter to the editor last Sunday, is a ''traitor, disgrace and outright fool'' for questioning the glorious war in Iraq.

There's a disgrace, all right, but it's not Murtha, a Democrat from Johnstown who, demonstrably, is the opposite of everything that letter said.

Three days later, another letter ran. It was from John Halasovski of Lynn Township, who, like Murtha, is a former Marine who went to Vietnam.

''I ask that all these so-called patriots and war hawks who attack war veterans like John Murtha and John McCain please state their military experience and qualifications,'' Halasovski wrote. ''Putting a magnetic ribbon on the car that says 'Support Our Troops' does not mean anything to me. If you really want to support the troops, enlist. Then talk to me about war.''

I was so impressed by Halasovski's piquancy that I contacted him later in the week...

...''People have pounded on McCain and John Kerry,'' Halasovski said, referring to two other politicians viciously attacked by Bush administration supporters for criticizing Iraq policies.

Like Murtha, McCain and Kerry were willing to serve in Vietnam while the chicken hawks cowered at home.

I asked Halasovski about his position on Iraq. ''I think it's the wrong thing,'' he said. ''I think it's Vietnam all over again. When they say cut and run, I think we should have cut and run in 1966. It would have saved 55,000 lives.''...

[wisteria]

1. Good piece. n/t