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

[NNN0LHI]

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

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. snip

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." snip

The White House had no immediate comment...

[rooboy]

1. Of course not. He's too old. :) n/t

[Cocoa]

2. someone should ask administration members the same question

compare their answers to Murtha's.

[babylonsister]

3. Who served and who sends to war....

(From my bookmarks)
Military efforts from both parties


Edited on Mon Nov-28-05 08:15 PM by splat@14

Can't add much to the comments and the list!
Splat!(USN, 68-72...in case anybody was wondering)

"The Little Piggies Who Tell You To Support Our Troops.
by johninwisconsin
Sat Nov 12, 2005 at 01:17:30 PM PDT

Do you remember the 1992 Presidential election between old man Bush, and Bill Clinton? One of the central issues raised at the time, by the Neo-Con pigs, during their smear campaign was, "would Bill Clinton, a draft dodger, have the moral authority to send the country to war". I received the following list of service records on a listserve yesterday, and found it interesting.
To me it is utterly sickening that these cowardly Neo-Con Hypocrites, who would send your children to wars, which they refuse to fight in, would even conceive of playing the "Draft Dodger Card" and then on top of it, smear the service record of a war hero in the 2004 Presidential election. But I suppose it shouldn't be surprising, because after all, you can't really expect a pig to change its stench.


MILITARY SERVICE RECORDS

DEMOCRATS:

Richard Gephardt: Air National Guard, 1965-71.
David Bonior: Staff Sgt., Air Force 1968-72.
Tom Daschle: 1st Lt., Air Force SAC 1969-72.
Al Gore: enlisted Aug. 1969; sent to Vietnam Jan.
1971 as an army journalist in 20th Engineer
Brigade.
Bob Kerrey: Lt. j.g . Navy 1966-69; Medal of Honor,
Vietnam.
Daniel Inouye: Army 1943-47; Medal of Honor, WWII.
John Kerry: Lt., Navy 1966-70; Silver Star, Bronze
Star with Combat V, Purple Hearts.
Charles Rangel: Staff Sgt., Army 1948-52; Bronze
Star, Korea.
Max Cleland: Captain, Army 1965-68; Silver Star &
Bronze Star, Vietnam. Paraplegic from war injuries.
Served in Congress.
Ted Kennedy: Army, 1951-53.
Tom Harkin: Lt., Navy, 1962-67; Naval Reserve,
1968-74.
Jack Reed: Army Ranger, 1971-1979; Captain, Army
Reserve 1979-91.
Fritz Hollings: Army officer in WWII; Bronze Star
and seven campaign ribbons.
Leonard Boswell: Lt. Col., Army 1956-76; Vietnam,
DFCs, Bronze Stars,and Soldier's Medal.
Pete Peterson: Air Force Captain, POW. Purple Heart,
Silver Star and Legion of Merit.
Mike Thompson: Staff sergeant, 173rd Airborne,
Purple Heart.
Bill McBride: Candidate for Fla. Governor. Marine in
Vietnam; Bronze Star with Combat V.
Gray Davis: Army Captain in Vietnam, Bronze Star.
Pete Stark: Air Force 1955-57
Chuck Robb: Vietnam
Howell Heflin: Silver Star
George McGovern: Silver Star & DFC during WWII.
Bill Clinton: Did not serve. Student deferments.
Entered draft but received #311.
Jimmy Carter: Seven years in the Navy.
Walter Mondale: Army 1951-1953
John Glenn: WWII and Korea; six DFCs and AirMedal
with 18 Clusters.
Tom Lantos: Served in Hungarian underground in WWII.
Saved by Raoul Wallenberg.

REPUBLICANS (and these are the guys sending people to
war):

Dick Cheney: did not serve. Several deferments, the
last by marriage.
Dennis Hastert: did not serve.
Tom Delay: did not serve.
Roy Blunt: did not serve.
Bill Frist: did not serve.
Mitch McConnell: did not serve.
Rick Santorum: did not serve.
Trent Lott: did not serve.
John Ashcroft: did not serve. Seven deferments to
teach business.
Jeb Bush: did not serve.
Karl Rove: did not serve.
Saxby Chambliss: did not serve. "Bad knee." The man
who attacked Max Cleland's patriotism.
Paul Wolfowitz: did not serve.
Vin Weber: did not serve.
Richard Perle: did not serve.
Douglas Feith: did not serve.
Eliot Abrams: did not serve.
Richard Shelby: did not serve.
Jon! Kyl: did not serve.
Tim Hutchison: did not serve.
Christopher Cox: did not serve.
Newt Gingrich: did not serve.
Don Rumsfeld: served in Navy (1954-57) as flight
instructor.
George W. Bush: failed to complete his six-year
National Guard; got assigned to Alabama so he could
campaign for family friend running for U.S. Senate..
Ronald Reagan: due to poor eyesight, served in a
non- combat role making movies.
B-1 Bob Dornan: Consciously enlisted after fighting
was over in Korea.
Phil Gramm: did not serve.
John McCain: Vietnam POW, Silver Star, Bronze Star,
Legion of Merit, Purple Heart and Distinguished Flying
Cross.
Dana Rohrabacher: did not serve.
John M. McHugh: did not serve.
JC Watts: did not serve.
Jack Kemp: did not serve. "Knee problem, " although
continued in NFL for 8 years as quarterback.
Dan Quayle: Journalism unit of the Indiana National
Guard.
Rudy Giuliani: did not serve.
George Pataki: did not serve.
Spencer Abraham: did not serve.
John Engler: did not serve.
Lindsey Graham: National Guard lawyer.

Arnold Schwarzenegger: AWOL from Austrian army base.

PUNDITS and PREACHERS:

Sean Hannity: did not serve.
Rush Limbaugh: did not serve (4-F with a 'pilonidal
cyst.')
Bill O'Reilly: did not serve.
Michael Savage: did not serve.

George Will: did not serve.
Chris Matthews: did not serve.
Paul Gigot: did not serve.
Bill Bennett: did not serve.
Pat Buchanan: did not serve.
John Wayne: did not serve.
Bill Kristol: did not serve.
Kenneth Starr: did not serve.
Antonin Scalia: did not serve.
Clarence Thomas: did not serve.
Ralph Reed: did not serve.
Michael Medved: did not serve.
Charlie Daniels: did not serve.
Ted Nugent: did not serve. (He only shoots at things
that don't shoot back.)


http://www.choicechanges.com/modules.php?op=modload&nam...

[Cocoa]

4. that list is about real service

when it comes to hypothetical service, I bet the republicans would kick the dems' ass.

[babylonsister]

5. Hypothetical service? You're right;

repugs would rule, as they do in all things. :spank: :grr: :thumbsdown: :sarcasm:

[Mr.Green93]

6. If Murtha, Kerry and others who have served

would make public statements encouraging young people not to join and soldiers not to re-up we could bring this illegal war machine to a halt.