Rallies for and against Murtha held in Johnstown (Max Cleland There)

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06215/710889-100.stm

The competing passions of the Iraq War reverberated across Main Street as Rep. John Murtha was vilified as a traitor on one side and praised as a patriot on the other.

Outside the veteran Democrat's campaign office, former Georgia Sen. Max Cleland brought cheers from Murtha loyalists as he vowed to combat attempts to "Swift Boat'' the outspoken critic of the Bush administration's conduct of the war.

Across the railroad tracks at the fringe of the Downtown business district, a handful of Murtha critics denounced his statements against the war, while heralding their plans for an October rally of protest against him.

The pro-Murtha demonstration, hastily assembled to counter the news conference called by his critics in a group called Veterans for the Truth, drew a crowd of between 150 and 200, who stood under a sweltering sun listening to a series of speakers praise the hometown lawmaker.

So the Swift Boaters had a bit over a dozen and the hastily-called pro-Murtha had 150-200!

[gademocrat7]

1. When are the swift boats going to sink?

These spiteful people just get worse and worse.

[xchrom]

4. not any time soon.

all the swiftboaters need to do is make pronouncements and show up in any numbers.

their leaders have the ears of the media - along with the media's mouths.

[warrens]

2. I want to see these assholes

Ground into a fine dust and blown away. Treasonous bastards.

[me b zola]

25. Indeed. A well placed shot INTO the bow of their swift boat.

Screw a "shot across the bow"--place that shot directly into their bow. Sink that nasty, lying, rusty tub of liars.

[malaise]

3. Cleland is on MSNBC now

defending Murtha.

[Ladydawnelle]

5. Max Kicked Butt!

He was GREAT on MSNBC just now! AL Sharpton was on earlier defending Lamont over some "very nervous and sweaty looking" Lieberman defender. He also did a GREAT job!

Mike Barnicle is NOT much better than Chris Matthews either. So CUDOS to our guys for getting the POINT across regardless of the cheap shots of the anchor person.

[Monkeyman]

6. The veterans for truth will be gone very soon

[Barrett808]

7. "Of course we're Swift Boating him"

"Of course we're Swift Boating him,'' Mr. Bailey said with a smile. "I love that term.''

Nice.

[Monkeyman]

8. There is no little person stopping us this time

Kerry's staff would not let us fight back.We will not let a brother vet be swiftboated by Rove's people again

[blm]

9. They didn't know the extent the media was in bed with the swifts - now we

ALL know better. They had a counter for the swifts, but te media underplayed it and in most cases didn't play it at all.

ALL efforts were being muted - check out the research forum here at DU - Kerry-Edwards response to swiftliars. You'll see what I mean.

[karynnj]

14. Many Kerry allies are among the main people fighting this at Murtha's side

It's not a contest of Kerry vs Murtha. The advantage now is we know they are coming, basically who they are, and who funded them. Murtha also has the advantage that the "testimony" of the liars is similar to that against Kerry - and except for the denizens of Free Republic most Americans know it was a sleasy campaign dirty trick.

The other advantage is that the people in his congressional district have known him for decades. The SBVT in 2004 came out with their slime as most people were getting to know who Kerry was. If the SBVT had instead come around during the 2002 Senate campaign - they might have increased his 81%.

[Monkeyman]

15. yep are hands were tied not this time

[wisteria]

21. Kerry did fight back. Denials were made and people like Max Cleland

defended Kerry. The media played along with the administration and made it impossible to get our message out frequently and clearly. Why is it that only Kerry is accused of not fighting the Swift boat charges when max Cleland and John McCain were both swift boated also?

[happyslug]

10. Who is Craig Minnick?????

He is called a "Johnstown Attorney" but he is NOT on the list of Cambria County Bar Association. If this was a LOCAL attack on Murtha where are the Gleasons?? (The Gleason have run the GOP in Cambria County for Decades).

I am sorry I missed the rally, I had work to do and it is HOT out there.

By the Way I AM AN ATTORNEY WHO PRACTICE IN JOHNSTOWN and I have never meet this person. Now there are some attorneys I do NOT deal with do to the nature of my Practice but this County is NOT that big for him NOT to be a member of the Cambria Bar Association. I also checked the Somerset BAR Association and did not find his name.

Somerset Pennsylvania BAR Association (has list of members):
http://www.somersetctybar.com/index.cfm?Page=MembersDir...

Cambria County BAR Association (NO list of members, but look at my list and NO Craig Minnick is listed):
http://ccbapa.org /

Allegheny County BAR association:
http://www.acba.org /

[RamboLiberal]

12. Some Vet - alumni of Univ of Pittsburgh-Johnstown Branch

Here's his pic. Served a year in Iraq as an MP.

But not all of his constituents agree with him. Craig Minnick served for a year in Iraq as a military policeman.

"Well, obviously I respect Mr. Murtha's opinion on it. Unfortunately, I think he is dead wrong on it quite frankly."

http://voanews.com/english/archive/2005-12/2005-12-19-v...

[daleo]

11. Watch for the handful to be photoshopped into a multitude

I recall someone showing an example of this recently - I think it was a Bush speech where the same three soldiers show up a dozen times in the crowd.

[Ladydawnelle]

13. LOL I remember that!!!!

These creatures KNOW their sheep!!

My Republican Aunt is convinced global warming does NOT exist and that what's happening is cyclical. (that's what her PUG people tell her so it must be true) EVEN after they are found to have lied OVER and OVER and OVER!

I am just amazed at how the now 28 percent??? That still support this evil regime can just bury their heads to all truth. sigh.

And what is this I am reading about how MORE people NOW believe Iraq had WMD's then before??? How is that possible? Because of a few inbreds like Santorum lying through their teeth?

THERE ARE/WERE NO WMDS IN IRAQ YOU MORONS! argh.

[RamboLiberal]

16. Here's WJAC Johnstown Video

http://www.wjactv.com/news/9623801/detail.html

[Penndems]

17. There is an EXCELLENT blog entry on the rally over at Daily Kos:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/8/3/164821/8158

[blue neen]

18. One of my friends in OH sent me that link.

I was very happy to read the number of pro-Murtha supporters. I wanted to drive up there today but had to work.

Maybe the swiftboaters will now stay the hell out of western PA.

[Penndems]

24. Neen, they're coming BACK to Johnstown on October 1st

Staging a rally in Johnstown - and they'll be outnumbered AGAIN!

[Slaughtermeyer]

19. I was there

I drove over 3 hours to be there. I spoke off the record with one of the media people who covered the event, he had some choice words of disgust against the swiftboat liars. I was the guy who passed out a lot of anti-Bush flyers and DVDs to the people who attended.

[blue neen]

20. Thank you from this Murtha constituent.

Welcome to DU!

[Penndems]

22. Add another "thank you" from a grateful American and a Virginian

God bless everyone who stood up for Representative Murtha.

It makes me proud and certainly does my heart good to see so many decent people who came out in support of him.

[BrotherBuzz]

23. Larry Bailey and Free Republic could only turn out a dozen freepers?

[RamboLiberal]

26. Murtha backers outnumber critics

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cit... On right of link look for audio of Max Cleland!

The political battle that has resulted from the war in Iraq was center stage across a busy street in downtown Johnstown on Thursday morning as two groups of veterans gathered, one supporting and the other against U.S. Rep. John P. Murtha.

On one side of Main Street, in front of Murtha's district office, about 200 veterans held a rally in support of the Democratic congressman's re-election bid and in defense of comments the longtime lawmaker has made in opposition to the Bush administration's military policy in Iraq. Supporters brought in Max Cleland, a wounded Vietnam veteran and former senator, to speak on Murtha's behalf.

Across the street, a much smaller group called Vets for the Truth convened for a news conference at which members denounced Murtha and announced plans for a national veterans rally to be held in Johnstown on Oct. 1.

Veterans who turned out to support Murtha blasted organized opposition to the congressman's criticism of the Bush administration and singled out Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, the national organization that formed two years ago to campaign against Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry.

<snip>

"They should be over there with the flak jackets on instead of their kids in college. They've ruined a hero's reputation, and that's what they're out to do to Congressman Murtha," Fulton said.



Love it even more that it is Dicky Mellon Scaife's Rag reporting this story.

[Buzz Clik]

27. Pre-empting the Swifties. Fantastic!!!

[zreosumgame]

28. As normal O'Neill is whining "PAY ATTENTION TO ME"

poor widdle baby

[Erika]

31. O'Neill had his traitorous 15 minutes

I don't think he'd have the guts to fae Murtha in person.

[Erika]

29. Murtha visits Walter Reed weekly and is a career Marine

You think he's going to be cowered by a bunch of bushbots? Hardly.

[PSPS]

30. They play this up like American Idol

It's like whoever gets the most "votes" has to somehow "win" the argument about who is telling the truth.

Facts don't seem to matter, nor does the lack of any investigative reporting so the reader gets the facts.

He said, she said.

[azurnoir]

32. You'd think

that after being caught in a pants down bald faced lie the first time they'd be too embarrassed to make a come back but noooooo, here they are again. They must buy into the Americans having a 2 minute memory crap, guess thats a lie too, I hope.

[NVMojo]

33. K & R for Murtha and Cleland!!!

[Vidar]

34. Applauding Murtha.

[4bucksagallon]

35. I just emailed this group

http://www.bootmurtha.com/MurthaInfo/MurthaInfo.htm


Vets for truth, swiftboaters hmmmmmmm you guys wouldn't know the truth if it hit you in the butt. Oh by the way since you are all retarded that's where your buddy Flush Limpblob had his pimple on his butt to get out of going to Nam. Oh and don't forget Cheney's other priorities, Rove's deferrements, etc. etc. etc., where are the (z)heroes in the repuklican party , look under any rock you will find them HIDING. Cowards that's all you guys are.
Quit wrapping yourself in MY flag you don't deserve it.
When I was in Nam I never met a republican they were all in the rear pulling office duty, whew rough having a 9 to 5 war huh you effen cowards.