HARRISBURG, Pa. — U.S. Rep. John Murtha, an influential critic of the Iraq War whose congressional
The Pennsylvania Democrat had been suffering complications from gallbladder surgery. He died at Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington, Va., spokesman Matthew Mazonkey said.
In 1974 Murtha, then an officer in the Marine Reserves, became the first Vietnam War combat veteran elected to Congress. One of Congress' most hawkish Democrats, he wielded considerable clout for two decades as the ranking Democrat on the House subcommittee that oversees Pentagon spending.
Murtha voted in 2002 to authorize President George W. Bush to use military force in Iraq, but Murtha's growing frustration over the administration's handling of the war prompted him in November 2005 to call for an immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops.
"The war in Iraq is not going as advertised. It is a flawed policy wrapped in illusion," he said.
Murtha's opposition to the Iraq war rattled Washington, where the tall, gruff-mannered congressman enjoyed bipartisan respect for his work on military issues. On Capitol Hill, Murtha was seen as speaking for those in uniform when it came to military matters.
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Late Edit: Newshounds resident academic compares Murtha to Jerry Falwell
I should point out that a lot of liberals had no problem whatsoever doing this sort of thing when Jerry Falwell died. Just something to think about.No you shouldn't and no it isn't
Even after being set straight Sergei continues to compare Murtha to Falwell...
How can somebody be so fucking smart and so fucking stupid at the same time?
The people now badmouthing Murtha feel roughly the same way about him that you felt about Falwell. You can't say that a tactic is immoral when used against your friends but not when used against your enemies. It's still the same tactic, and it's still wrong.
