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Free Throws
Rich Galen Monday November 21, 2005
Last week, a Democratic Congressman from Pennsylvania, Jack Murtha, acted as if he had climbed Mount Sinai and come back with a whole new tablet reading: "Thou Shalt Withdraw from Mesopotamia," or (in the words of Samuel Johnson) "words to a like effect."
On CNN Thursday afternoon, Wolf Blitzer conducted a live interview with Murtha which was followed by a lively discussion between The Mullman and Paul Begala.
Murtha, we have been told over and over and over and OVER served, was wounded and was decorated in Vietnam. We had also been told over and over and OVER that he is a leading Democratic hawk.
So, when Jack Murtha decides we should leave, it must mean it is time to back up the M1-A1s and bring everyone home.
The Democrats were thrilled with the reaction and were perfectly happy to stand aside and let Murtha have all the attention. They didn't have to agree or disagree, all they had to do was to point to the fact that Mr. Murtha served in the Marine Corps, in Vietnam and who would know better than a Vietnam veteran what should be done in Iraq?
First of all, Mr. Murtha did NOT say the troops should be withdrawn and brought back to Ft. Bragg or Camp Pendleton. What he said was that we should withdraw the troops but leave them IN THE REGION so they could be quickly re-deployed if necessary.
Why take them out of Iraq, then? Well, because our troops have been a magnet for and a target of terrorists.
Ok, then, if we move them to, say, Kuwait or the UAE or Qatar or Jordan will they cease to be a magnet for, and the target of, terrorists? Do we think they don't have cars?
The French don't have cars. They've all been burned up. The terrorists have cars.
Secondly, Mr. Murtha did not say the troops should be pulled out tomorrow afternoon. He was speaking in a time frame of about six months.
Six months from now is about the middle of May 2006. If the December elections go as well as the previous two and the Iraqi security, police, and military force build-up continues apace, it the commanders on the ground might decide it is time for a significant draw-down long about next Spring even without Mr. Murtha's guidance.
Thirdly, Mr. Murtha said the upturn in violence occurred after Abu Ghraib came to the public's attention. By saying that he was suggesting the added violence was the fault of American troops.
He is wrong on both fronts. A new level of violence was triggered by the attack on a food convoy in Fallujah (more than an month earlier)
during which escorts were attacked, shot, burned, and hacked to pieces which were then hung from a bridge. That outrage was not caused by American troops.
After a day of bobbing and weaving by both Republicans and Democrats, the GOP leadership in the House decided to, as I said on Fox on Saturday, "Make the Democrats put their voting cards where their mouths are."
Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Duncan Hunter (R-CA) introduced a resolution approximating Jack Murtha's position demanding the withdrawal of troops and dared the Democrats to vote for it.
The resolution failed 403 to 3. Mr. Murtha voted against it to give political cover to his caucus.
There was outrage on the floor of the House over the whole thing which was, again, characterized as calling Mr. Murtha a coward which I do not believe any Member of Congress did. Nor should they have done.
What truly enraged the Dems was, after a full day during which Mr. Murtha got to stand at the foul line and shoot rhetorical free throws the House Republicans decided to play a little "D" so to speak.
The House Republicans said to the Democrats that if they want to play at this level, every shot is going to be contested. If you get an elbow or a hip, quit crying and, if you've got any game at all, take the ball up the floor.
About time, too.
On the Secret Decoder Ring page today: A link to Samuel Johnson, a brief description of the M1-A1 Main Battle Tank, a Mullfoto of a covered bridge; and some Harry Potter photos.
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Copyright © 2005 Richard A. Galen
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