In what has to be one of the best OpEds I have seen this year, Rep. Jack Murtha sticks it to the Goons! And sticks it good!!
Addressing the spins coming from Rove, Cheney, Rumsfeld etal, Murtha lays down a solid response in his Washington Post OpEd Confessions of a ‘Defeatocrat’, By John P. Murtha, Sunday, October 15, 2006; Page B01
To the puerile “defeatocrat” label, I simply have this to say:
Keywords: Jack Murtha, Iraq, Republican’ts
Excerpts from Murtha’s oped with some commentary follow.
Confessions of a ‘Defeatocrat’
By John P. Murtha
Sunday, October 15, 2006; Page B01The Republicans are running scared. In the White House, on Capitol Hill and on the campaign trail, they’re worried about losing control of Congress. And so the administration and the GOP have launched a desperate assault on Democrats and our position on the war in Iraq. Defeatists, they call us, and appeasers and — oh so cleverly — “Defeatocrats.”
It’s all baseless name-calling, and it’s all wrong. Unless, of course, being a Defeatocrat means taking a good hard look at the administration’s Iraq policy and determining that it’s a failure.
…
This is realism.
Right said, Jack! Nice writing style too. Then he talks about his own vote for the war resolution.
But in this case, I made a mistake — and unlike certain members of the administration, I’m willing to say so. If I had known in October 2002 what I know now, I would never have voted for the resolution.
Simple, unambiguous, and believable words explaining and regretting his vote (in his case well-justified, since he wasn’t in the senate which tends to have better access to the intelligence agencies via the senate intelligence committe).
In the past nine months alone, $962 billion has been appropriated for the Defense Department, $190 billion for the war effort. A vast majority of Democrats voted for the funding.
I thought that the annual appropriations were in the $100-125bn range. Apparently I was off.
Forty-two months and $400 billion later, we are caught in a civil war in which 61 percent of Iraqis think killing Americans is justified and the Iraqi people butcher one another at an alarming rate. We are considered occupiers. The longer we stay, the harder it becomes for the Iraqis to find their own destiny.
The administration’s “stay-the-course” strategy is not a plan for victory. It’s not even a plan. All we have is a new military blueprint to keep 140,000 troops in Iraq through 2010.
We are seeing an astonishing and unprecedented parade of retired U.S. generals calling for a new direction in Iraq.
Important points.
Was Gen. Eric K. Shinseki, former Army chief of staff, a defeatist when he said that it would take several hundred thousand troops to prevail in Iraq? His recommendation was ignored.
This is the key point which explains why the groundless, unilateral, and pre-emptive war was ill-waged even to begin with.
Or what about Gen. Jay M. Garner, our first administrator in Iraq, who recommended that the Iraqi army be kept intact and used to stabilize the country? His recommendations were ignored.
Interesting. Perhaps this explains why Gen. Garner was let go of only days after he assumed control. Makes one wonder if civil war was in fact the outcome desired by the Neocons and Bushco.
In order not to violate the copyright, I am skipping some important paragraphs. He closes strongly:
Democrats are fighting a war on two fronts: One is combating the spin and intimidation that defines this administration. The other is fighting to change course, to do things better, to substitute smart, disciplined strategy for dogma and denial in Iraq.
That’s not defeatism. That’s our duty.
Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.) is the ranking member on the House Appropriations defense subcommittee.
He served 37 years in the Marine Corps.
Bravo, Rep. Murtha!
Clearly, this gentleman knows what he is doing and saying. Kudos to him for this much needed editorial. We need more voices like his on a consistent basis.
Please read the full editorial at the source, and perhaps visit his campaign website to help him out any way you can.
Thanks for reading.
Image Credit: Republican’t graphic from republicant.org
