John Murtha: "When I go by the graveyard over there at Arlington...

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

...it doesn't say Democrat or Republican, it says American."



Murtha appeared on MTP today and got the full body treatment from Timmy. Russert wailed away at John (who wouldn't like to see that same treatment with Condi or Cheney?) and threw everything and the kitchen sink at him, but Murtha was relentless in his feelings about the Iraq war. He admitted that he made a mistake with his vote and then slapped down Ken Melman. He also addressed the criticisms from the wingnuts about the media and their coverage of the war.

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Murtha: You can't win this with rhetoric. What the Republican chairman has no impact on me or anybody else as far as I’m concerned. This should not be political. When I go by the graveyard over there at Arlington, it doesn't say Democrat or Republican, it says American.

Russert: Some in the administration say the media is distorting the good news that's coming out of Iraq.

REP. MURTHA: Well, they said the same thing about Vietnam. They said the same thing over and over and over about Vietnam. They said, "We're winning the war in Vietnam." That-you could go back and get quotes from Vietnam, and you’d see the same kind of, of, of reports, "The media’s the one that’s distorting; everything’s going fine in Vietnam." Well, everything’s not going fine in Iraq...

Read the full transcript

permalink3:15:08 PM

[BigBearJohn]

1. kicked and recommended.

[bluerum]

2. "Some in the administration say ....." - FU Russert you mouthpiece. nt

[cdb]

3. Murtha is a HERO! Why don't the pukes get this???

The man was THERE! He knows what is going on now. He needs much wider exposure, IMHO.

[pretzel4gore]

4. how Rep Murtha resists the temptation to slap russert

to the ground, then kick the bushpig to the curb, i do not know!

[faithnotgreed]

5. kick for truth

[Justice]

6. Nurtha is my hero

He is solid as granite.

[sampsonblk]

7. Murtha: Hung out to dry alone

For a minute, when public opinion seemed to favor it, high level Dems stood with Murtha. But as soon as the Repub counterattack started, all the top Dems dumped Murtha like a hot potato and left him to stand almost alone.

This is what gives me the biggest headache of all, regarding the current state of our party. Public opinion can be moved with a sustained, concerted effort. The Repubs know it. And as soon as they find themselves in a compromising situation, they immediately band together and fight back with all guns blazing.

For our party, if public opinion isn't on our side from the start, its immediate surrender. Even if we're right and they are completely wrong. See Katrina, NSA wiretaps, Abu Ghraib, IWR, Plame, Richard Clarke, Bolton, Alito, Condi "who would have ever thought" Rice, and many more.

[Imagevision]

8. Countless numbers of US. troops support Murtha!

[Hekate]

9. My hubs watched with me. "That man has balls," he said admiringly.

Congressman Murtha acquitted himself well, as always. The man is solid.

Oddly enough, I didn't mind Tim Russert this time. Although he phrased all his questions along RW party talking points, it seemed to me that he was really feeding lines to Murtha.

Russert waited for Murtha to answer each question at length -- he never talked over him, never interrupted, and never raised his voice, all of which we have come to expect from the rest of the RW talking heads on the tube.

My impression: Tim Russert was giving John Murtha a respectful platform to say what needs to be said. At least for today.

Hekate

[Disturbed]

10. Murtha is a true American.

Russert did give him a platform and asked hardball questions which Murtha answered straight forwardly with passion.