Murtha Question - If wrong, can someone please correct me...

[HardWorkingDem]

I keep reading (Time, Newsweek) and hearing (tv news broadcasts) where it is being attributed to Murtha that he wants "immediate" withdrawal from Iraq.

From all of his speeches, I have not heard him say anything close to "immediate". It might be parsing words, but I heard him say as soon as "practicable", which I take to mean prudent or safe.

Did Murtha ever say "immediate"?

[ananda]

1. not that I know of.

nt

[madame defarge]

2. Here's his statement...

http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/pa12_murtha/pr051117iraq.html

And he does say "immediate" but I seem to remember that his resolution was for a 6 month withdrawal, and that the Republicans restated the resolution that was brought to the floor to say "immediate." And that's what all the fuss was about: their resolution was different than Murtha's original resolution.

[madame defarge]

5. Correction

Edited:

He said he wanted to "immediately redeploy US troops consistent with the safety of US forces"

[blm]

6. Immediate doesn't have the same meaning militarily...it always takes more

planning just for the logistics involved and basic security.

The media twisted his words to make it sound like cut and run because that is the strawman BushInc wanted them to use.

[npincus]

3. Murtha speech Transcript & Resolution:

http://www.dccc.org/stakeholder/archives/003914.html


Speech: (excerpt)

"My plan calls:

To immediately redeploy U.S. troops consistent with the safety of U.S. forces.

To create a quick reaction force in the region.

To create an over-the-horizon presence of Marines.

To diplomatically pursue security and stability in Iraq.

"This war needs to be personalized. As I said before, I have visited with the severely wounded of this war. They are suffering.


Resolution (excerpt):

Therefore be it

I) Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in

2) Congress assembled,

3) That:

4) Section 1. The deployment of United States forces in Iraq, by direction of Congress, is

5) hereby terminated and the forces involved are to be redeployed at the earliest practicable

6) date.

7) Section 2. A quick-reaction U.S. force and an over-the-horizon presence of U.S Marines

8) shall be deployed in the region.

9) Section 3 The United States of America shall pursue security and stability in Iraq

10) through diplomacy.

[DemoTex]

4. Murtha said "as soon as practicable."

He went on to say that an option would be to maintain an "over the horizon" reactionary force, perhaps USMC in Kuwait. "Immediate," was not Mr. Murtha's primary operative word, it was the GOP hit-squads' and Swift-Liars'.

[Donna Zen]

7. Practicable with settlement through diplomacy

is very different than immediate. The wingers are distorting his proposal to paint him as "cut-and-runner." Unfortunately, many on the left are carrying the water by also misreading, or purposefully misstating Murtha plan.