Murtha to Earthling Translation...
By Moe Lane Posted in User Blogs — Comments (12) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
Self-promoted from Diaries, because of this. You'd think that a weblog commenter would not have to explain current events to the Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee's Subcommittee on Defense, but then truth is stranger than fiction, because fiction has to make sense.
Sorry: I don't know who said that first.
...requested by Jeff Goldstein. Can't say that I blame him: this Russert interview was almost... sad.
If I wasn't a bloodthirsty imperialist Likudnik-loving neocon chickenhawk dupe of the ruling class, that is.Anyway, if you can explain to Jeff what Rep. Murtha meant, assuming that even Murtha himself really knows, more power to ya. After that, check out Blackfive and his graphic aid demonstrating why we don't want to put forces designated for quick-response Iraqi operations in Okinawa.
No, seriously. Murtha suggested Okinawa as a possible base. Without visible irony.
in the wacky spoof "Naked Diplomacy 2.5".
Perhaps we could build giant underground tunnels from the USA to Iraq for rapid deployment. Why, it wouldn't even take any energy, gravity would move them there. Just jump in and pop out the other side.
Or, we could finish off those giant suborbital transport rocket ships that can take a battalion to any location on the globe in under 2 hours.
"sigh", for a supposed ground pounder, he should know the only way to win a military engagement is boots on the ground, boots on the ground, boots on the ground.
First, thanks for noting the Okinawa flub by Murtha. (MTP transcript here. Scroll past the ad to get to the Okinawa part.) I think Russert gets so involved in his interview set-pieces that he's losing the ability to think on his feet.
Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal's lead editorial is on Murtha and defeatism today:
As for Mr. Murtha's proposal that U.S. forces should redeploy to some nearby part of the Middle East, this is merely a disguise for what everyone would understand was a defeat in Iraq. Anyone who doubts it should merely listen to Mr. Murtha, who said again yesterday on NBC's Meet the Press that "We can't win a war like this." It's more accurate to say that our troops have a harder time winning a war with political leaders as inconstant as Mr. Murtha, who voted to commit U.S. troops but now lacks the will to finish the job.
Is obviously doing a John Edwards. At least his only driving political ambition is to be Speaker of the House, not POTUS.
All his anti-war bull is just a tool to energize the wacko fringe for his run to be speaker.
Another politician using the soldiers under fire to further his political career.
I'm sure all the vets in the house would vote for this traitor, IF the D's won the House. I still doubt this strongly.
role. Inchoherent, rambling, unprincipled, senseless, unaware of it all but proud and full of himself. A shambles of a man, just perfect for the Democratic hierarchy. If annointed he will be hailed by our perspicuous media as hero and seer.
I can't believe this nut is still getting press. It makes me sick that he's building his political career on the backs of the American military.
He admits he couldn't get out of the Green Zone the last time he was in Iraq, but he speaks of conditions across the country as if he's witnessed them first-hand. His memories of US troops and Iraqis are 180 degrees from mine. I've eaten with Iraqi National Guardsmen who recognized that they became a target when they put on the uniform, but they did it because they're willing to die to free their country. Is that losing? I don't think so. Did you see the reaction of the troops when the President visited them? Is that troops who are losing, who don't know their mission? I don't think so.
It's like last fall when he said that the Army hadn't made its recruiting numbers because of Iraq - I checked the DoD website the day he said that, and all branches had made their monthly and annual numbers to date. He is not at all worried about the truth.
One more thing and I'll stop: In my world, backing out of Somalia the way we did is nothing to be proud of. Not only did it help convince Bin Laden that we could be beaten, but it also left behind a problem that we will have to deal with in the future, as Islamists are moving to make Somalia their next stronghold.
If anyone wonders about the value of Murtha's advice, they need look no further than the mess that is Somalia (and we have had troops a lot closer to there than Okinawa, but it hasn't done much good.)
as to why Rep Murtha doesn't answer the questions with the logical answers. I believe that he might be waiting til mid-October and spring an electoral surprise of Rovian majesty.
Mr Murtha knows the answer is to relocate ALL the troops, every last one, back home to America and when necessary just tell Scotty to beam them back. With that added to the Dem arsenal of ideas we are doomed in the mid-terms.
Murtha talks, she's starting to get press coverage.
and to Republican chances for victory in November to keep Murtha on as many "news" shows as possible. The man is totally disconnected.
Even though he's not on the House Armed Services Committee (although Cynthia McKinney is), Murtha is promoted as an "expert" on all things military. I find it interesting that he's been been pushing for a redeployment of forces from Iraq to Okinawa since he started shooting his mouth off in earnest last year. He continually brags about his high level contacts in the Pentagon.
Today it was announced that the Japanese Government has reached tentative agreement with the Pentagon in a negotiation that's been on-gong for several years to redeploy major chunks of US forces from Okinawa to Guam over the next several years. This was no secret. I've known about it for at least two years, first heard about it from my son when he was stationed on Oki in 2003. Of course, he was no Congressman, he held the highly sensitive position of Machinegun Team Leader in a SpOps unit. You get all sorts of highly classified info when command a machinegun team. </snark>
Diana Irey, who's running against Murtha, will be on FoxNews live at 12:45 EDT today. I don't know much about her, but hopefully she will make the Congressman look like the fool he is. Murtha spending lots of time before the cameras only helps our side.
Clearly, the Congressman's senescence is only feigned, and as the elections approach he will become reinvigorated, showing himself to be not fog-headed and foolish, but clearminded and foolish.
Hopefully Michelle Malkin or Ian will put up the video.
Irey was very well spoken and pounded Murtha. Fox invited him to appear with her, he declined. I would love to see her get time with Russert, it would be a thing of beauty.
It's great.
with discharge papers. He speaks about military matters and strategic planning with such incompetence, that I would liken it to what would happen if a major corporation were to promote a part-time mail room clerk, to the job of CEO, and then marvel at the horror show as he is thrust before news conference after news conference.
It is a sad thing to see, and it is more than that. It is destructive.
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