Murtha Wont Be Stopped

On Monday, 2/19/07, a posting on this blog carried the title "Cowards Bad Mouth Murtha". Today, 2/25/07, the WaPo sums up the results of a weeks worth of decorated war hero bashing by the pro-war right with the headline "Murtha Stumbles on Iraq Funding Curbs".

Where have the democrats been these last six days? Why have they refused to defend Murtha if not his plan? OK, so maybe it isn't the best plan on the table. But, it's one with realistic goals and a concrete means of achieving them. Is that what they don't like about it? And even if the democrats are not serious about ending this pointless war, they should leap to the defense of a colleague who has personally supported the troops and the military more than just about anyone else in the country. The fact that they have left one of their own to the wolves should be yet another cause for their shame.

As I understand it, Murtha's plan takes the military's own current standards of readiness regarding rest, training and equipment, and writes them into the budget so that funding to send troops into combat is only available if those troops are rested, trained and equipped properly. Maybe that doesn't solve all the Iraq problems by itself. But, what the hell is wrong with saying we wont send troops who, by the military's own standards, are not ready to go?

Love him or hate him, one thing is certain; he's not giving up. Murtha joined the marines in 1952, volunteered for Vietnam in '66 and retired with the navy distinguished service medal. He has worked tirelessly for the military and veterans throughout his career in Congress (Novak said he was best known as a purveyor of pork). And, he has been calling for de-escalation of the war and re-deployment of the troops since early 2005. When it comes to protecting the troops and America, this guy is a pit bull. Chicken Hawks from both sides of the aisle beware, while he still breathes, he wont let go and he wont cut and run and he wont give up.