Murtha: "Iraqis are not against Democracy, they're against our occupation"

[shance]

http://kyw.com/topstories/local_story_346151416.html

Murtha, Also In Town, Blasts Bush On Iraq

(AP) PHILADELPHIA President George W. Bush is using rhetoric and falsely portraying Iraq as the center of terrorism, instead of offering a plan of substance, U.S. Rep. John Murtha said Monday.

...

"Iraq is not the center for terrorism. Iraq is the center for insurgency, and there is a big difference," said Murtha, a Pennsylvania Democrat.

Murtha said that 7 percent of the insurgents in Iraq have come from other countries and al-Qaida is not focused in Iraq but composed of small cells around the world.

"The Iraqis are not against democracy, they are against our occupation," he said.

[sabra]

1. Murtha Rocks!!!

[StephanieMarie]

2. this guy is my new hero

he's not letting Bush get by with any lies......but where was he 4 years ago?

[mermaid]

7. Check Out The Rest Of His Voting Record Before You Hero-Worship This Guy!!

Murtha's voting record is ABHORRENT in all areas except for this latest. He is most definitely what we would call a DINO. don't hero-worship this guy, on just one issue, until you at least know his voting record on all other issues we progressives/leberals hold dear. I think you will find you have less in common with Murtha than you have in common with Lieberman, and that is saying something.

I say this as a Pennsylvanian!

[shance]

10. What is interesting is the impact his constituents have had on him.

How he has talked about how their stories have shifted his stance.

People can change if they are given a different view.

[tom swift]

13. Murtha

Mr. Murtha, I think, came out the way he did for a number of reasons. One, his visits to Walter Redd have affected him deeply. Second, he knows better than most of congress that the dead and wounded are only part of the story, it's also the ones who have cracked under the stress, seeing their friends killed and maimed. Third,and I think very importantly, he has seen what Iraq has done to his military.

He,obviously has a lot of classified information on the state of the military, but the GAO reports detail a lot of information that can show the effects.

GAO report 06-170-T shows what has happened to the Army National Guard (ANG). When returning from deployment, these units leave their equipment behind for the next unit. According to the GAO, ANG units have left 101,000 pieces of equipment behind worth $1.2 Billion. The Army cannot account for more than half of this stuff and has no plan to replace it as required by DoD policy. So,instead of being equipped at 65-75% of deployment status, most units have only 30% and radios, generators, and Humvees are all in Iraq. Nobody has the equipment to train until they get to Iraq.

The GAO report also says that as a result of Iraq, Congress can no longer have assurance that the ANG can fulfill another mission if called upon.

Other recent GAO reports outline significant problems with long-range planning and funding, despite the recent request for $40 billion in 2005 supplemental funding to be spent in 2006 just to keep up with operational requirements.

This is Murtha's baby and he's watching it seriously degrade over the last three years.

[shance]

14. I wonder how many others in Congress have visited Walter Reed.

Seems to me if they had, they wouldn't be so blind to what they are responsible for allowing.

[hippiechick]

3. Tell it, Senator !

:applause: :applause: :applause: :applause:

[Perky]

5. Umm He is a Congressman

I wish someone in the Senate had his gumption and credentials.

[hippiechick]

8. Ok, that too !

:blush: :hi:

[shenmue]

4. Right again

:thumbsup:

[adarling]

6. Go Murtha GO!!!!

i don't want him for President, but i love the fact that he is the face of the war for the democrats and he cant be touched by the republican spin machine. He is an old player and has a great rep on military matters.

[shance]

9. The more people speak the truth, the more other people will speak it too.

Thank you Congressman Murtha.

[David Zephyr]

11. Kick. But how long before Hillary says "not so"?

Start your clocks. Clintonspeak is winding up somewhere.

[shance]

12. She's doing her polling and wind gaging right now!

n/t