Don't Go Into The Light

Interesting that Murtha seems to be so much of a threat that they are calling out the character-assassination squad. Of course, purple hearts are often given for fairly minor injuries. To harp on the severity of the wounds is to trivialize the contribution of all of the brave people who served and who were lucky enough not to get hurt.

It would be foolish or Murtha to release his military record--these sort of guys can always find something to distort.

Ah, but the flip side is that if he doesn't then he must have something to hide.

Of course, since he's sunk his own ship with the American public anyway, this is little more than an interesting aside.

Instead of attacking someone, why don't you talk about GW Bush's battle record or sevice record or whatever he was doing after his flight status was revoked?

Gee, Tom, hasn't that ANG stuff been debunked about a million times?

Besides, I didn't attack Murtha on his medals. Look at the very first line of my post where I said that this is speculative. I even gave him the benefit of the doubt and suggested a way he could clear the issue up once and for all.

Murtha has made his own bed through his statements made in this century. Unlike some, I don't need to go back nearly 50 years to illustrate Murtha's demagoguery.

But since you asked, Bush served honorably, even volunteered to go to 'Nam, received an honorable discharge at the end of his service, and this has been shown through his own records and eyewitness accounts. Oh - and a few documents that show otherwise have been proven to be forgeries by partisan hacks.

Happy?

Murtha responded already to this; kind of disingenuous of you not to update your post anything about his response.

If you're all about him releasing his records, let's talk about those missing TANG files again, or the censored portions (James R. Bath, remember that?)

The Bush administration is the most secretive ever and you get on Murtha for not being 120% open? You want his military docs, but are you willing to show someone your tax docs based on a speculation by someone you know only wants to do you harm?

Let's not be coy here. You know what this is about; smear the messenger while ignoring the ongoing Iraqi civil war.

My, my! Relax, Josh! Please try to take note that I'm just reporting an interesting story I found at CNS. I didn't demand Murtha release his records, I didn't say CNS's account was true (except in my update to poke a little fun at Pelosi), I said it was speculative.

And what was Murtha's response - If I had seen it I would have posted it.

If you mean this:

Cindy Abram, a spokeswoman for Murtha, said, "We certainly believe that the questions being raised are an attempt to distract attention from what's happening in Iraq." As for how Murtha won the Purple Hearts, she said: "We think the congressman's record is clear. We have the documentation, the paperwork that proves that he earned them, and that he is entitled to wear them proudly."

then I guess that although this isn't a response from Murtha, it's good enough for you, and your wish has been filled.

Coy? I grew up in the south - isn't that the family that fought the Hatfields?

Yes, relax Tom and Josh. haven't you learned by now the GOP has a tight and unwaivering grip on the truth. And yes, John Kerry did not release his military record (during his campaign). However on June 7,2005 Mr. Kerry did allow the Navy to release his full record and I'm sure Mr Murtha has every bit as much to hide as Mr Kerry did.
One of the last points to be of issue, was if Mr. Kerry wrongfully received one of his purple hearts for a wound caused by "friendly fire". These "friendly" wounds as we all know don't count, just ask Pat Tillman, I'm sure the Swifties can get a statement from him.
Oops don't look now, but Truth is turning cyanotic, guess it's just "friendly fire".

Even then, Kerry released only a limited set - and only to a favored newspaper. Not the complete record he promised as all.

No, the truth isn't turning cyanotic at all - just your comment.

Why are you saying calm down? Are you backing off your accusation?

Meanwhile, you are doing your readers a disservice.

Here are some quotes from the WaPo article that more accurately summarize it.

"In a conversation on the House floor in the early 1980s, said Bailey [a former political opponent of Murhta's], who won a Silver Star and three Bronze Stars in Vietnam, Murtha told him he did not deserve his Purple Hearts. He recalled Murtha saying: "Hey, I didn't do anything like you did. I got a little scratch on the cheek."

[SNIP]

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, citing Marine records, reported that year that Murtha was wounded during "hostile" actions near Da Nang, Vietnam: "In the first incident, his right cheek was lacerated, and in the second, he was lacerated above his left eye. Neither injury required evacuation."

So this story is based on the account of a former political opponent of Rep. Murtha who is taking a decades-old compliment ("Aw, I didn't get as hurt as you") into some confession.

This is an unsubstantiated allegation from a former adversary versus Marine documents.

Why don't you quote some of those people calling Murtha a liar. They are all losers in races against Murtha. Not too hard to put two and two together.

1. So, we're supposed to take the word of a sore loser, a- guy who lost to Murtha multiple times, who's basing his testimony on what a dead guy supposedly told him 20 years ago? Gimme a break.
2. Bush specifically did NOT volunteer for 'Nam. Get your facts right.

First of all it was the MCCOYS, and I grew up in South Brooklyn.

Second, it was quite clear that, just as in the case of the swift boating of Kerry, this was a transparent attempt to get something negative into play on Murtha.

Third, anyone with any concept of responsibility would have checked this out before repeating it.

Fourth, anyone with any ethical restraint would have condemned the originators of this little stinkbomb.

Where does that leave LB?

Joshowitz:

Please be so kind as to re-read the post. I made no accusation, and even said the story I quoted was speculative. Since this was characterized as such, combined with the fact that it's irrelevant to current events, there was no need to explore futher. I updated with quotes from other bloggers and notables merely as a courtesy. In general, I try to limit my commentary to subjects where more facts are available - in this case there were virtually none, hence the lack of commentary on my part. It's disingenuine of you to continue to characterize the post otherwise.

You want to rail on someone who's making accusations? Go elsewhere - there are none in this post for you to attack.

Buzz,

I didn't recommend taking the word of either party - get your facts straight.

Since you brought it up, here's a quote from the Washington Post, on Bush's volunteerism:

"Had my unit been called up, I'd have gone . . . to Vietnam," Bush said. "I was prepared to go."

But there was no chance Bush's unit would be ordered overseas. Bush says that toward the end of his training in 1970, he tried to volunteer for overseas duty, asking a commander to put his name on the list for a "Palace Alert" program, which dispatched qualified F-102 pilots in the Guard to the Europe and the Far East, occasionally to Vietnam, on three- to six-month assignments.

He was turned down on the spot. "I did [ask] – and I was told, 'You're not going,' " Bush said.

Only pilots with extensive flying time – at the outset, 1,000 hours were required – were sent overseas under the voluntary program. The Air Force, moreover, was retiring the aging F-102s and had ordered all overseas F-102 units closed down as of June 30, 1970.

The problem is not that my facts aren't right - it's that your facts are left.

Actually, Eli, it leaves me neutral - I didn't weigh in on either side.

I quoted both pros and cons in the updates, and still maintained that it was speculative and irrelevant.

Repeating the story shows lack of ethical restraint? I'll expect to see your complaints lodged against AP, NYT, Huffington Post, CBS, and all the other places that repeated CNS's story.

Your lack of ethical restraint in mischaracterizing my post leaves you where?

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Message deleted by moderator and comments closed for this post - play nice, folks.
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