House Anti-Murtha Leader Flip-Flops To Attack Iraq Plan
House Anti-Murtha Leader Flip-Flops To Attack Iraq Plan
Top House conservatives have teamed up with right-wing radio host Hugh Hewitt and other bloggers to launch a campaign attacking Rep. John Murtha’s (D-PA) new Iraq plan, which would attach measures to a defense spending bill requiring that all U.S. forces sent to Iraq are well-trained and well-equipped.
Rep. Sam Johnson (R-TX) is “leading the effort” to force a House vote on a “binding measure to prevent cutting or restricting money for the war.” During last week’s Iraq debate, Johnson attacked Iraq war critics relentlessly:
Debating non-binding resolutions aimed at earning political points only destroys morale, stymies success, and emboldens the enemy.
The grim reality is that this House measure is the first step to cutting funding of the troops…Just ask John Murtha about his “slow-bleed” plan that hamstrings our troops in harm’s way.
But as Digby first noted, Johnson had a much different view of the “power of the purse” when President Clinton sent U.S. forces to Bosnia in 1995. Here’s Johnson on the House floor on 12/13/95:
I wholeheartedly support withholding funds… Although it is a drastic step and ties the President’s hands, I do not feel like we have any other choice. The President has tied our hands, gone against the wishes of the American people, and this is the last best way I know how to show my respect for our American servicemen and women. They are helpless, following orders. But we, we are in a position to stop this terrible mistake before it happens.
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I really hate these guys. Really.
February 20th, 2007 at 12:14 pmThanks Nico for ferreting out that quote to show the complete hypocrisy of these repukes.
February 20th, 2007 at 12:14 pmSomeone needs to quote that passage during debate on the measure, and then ask why now is so different from then.
February 20th, 2007 at 12:16 pmRepublican slime.
February 20th, 2007 at 12:20 pm#1 Badmoodman
Yep. I’m heading down that path as well. This, coupled with the topic
below, and watching an Ann Coulter video on another site, has
just about done me in for the day.
Turning off the internets.
February 20th, 2007 at 12:21 pmThis goes without much explaination, that Hugh Hewitt and his Republican underlings don’t support fully trained, fully armored, and fully manned brigades being sent into combat zones. In other words, they support under manned, under trained, and under equipted brigades sent into combat zones. And they call that “supporting the troops”.
February 20th, 2007 at 12:26 pmerrrr… topic below=Teachers Unions/Al Qaeda/Insannity thread.
February 20th, 2007 at 12:30 pmMy mistake. Darn public education.
Why doesn’t the Johnson quote in 1995 suprise me?? REPUBLICANS ARE SCUM!!!!!
February 20th, 2007 at 12:31 pmSpin all they want QUESTION REMAINS;
Why do the GOP send troops into theatre without proper protective armaments and Humvee kits? Why do they allow injured returning troops to live in squaller the past four years?
Why do they NOT support the troops?
These are the only relevent questions.
February 20th, 2007 at 12:31 pmThese people (Repugs, Neocons, etc.) are pure evil. They represent the worst of humanity. They would destroy the enviroment, your job, your housing, your family, your freedom, your security, and the entire earth without so much as a second thought if they believed they could either make an extra buck for themselves or add to satisfying their megalomaniacal desires.
February 20th, 2007 at 12:34 pmIt’s time to take the gloves off – OK, way past time. Examples of Republican hypocrisy need to be repeated over and over again by Democrats. The public needs to hear quotes such as this and examples of not supporting the troops, such as cutting VA benefits over and over again. The frequency should be at least twice that of the Republican slogan-of-the week (such as “slow bleed”). The Democrats should pick a “hypocrite of the week” to focus on and relentlessly and forcefully expose the lack of morality of these hypocrites.
February 20th, 2007 at 12:44 pmOMG, that is the most blatent example of hypocrisy I have seen ever! I wish that the MSM would publish things like that.
I really don’t think that the American public is going to buy their swift boating this time. I can’t see how any patriotic american could object to making a requirement that our men and women be properly prepared before they are sent into the hellhold of Iraq. That’s what is so brilliant about Murtha’s plan. I can see the election of ‘08. Senator XXXX voted against allowing our brave men and women to be properly equipped and trained before sending them into the middle of a civil war. What a nightmare for the Republic party!
February 20th, 2007 at 12:44 pmIt’s time to take the gloves off – OK, way past time…….
Comment by PatrioticLiberalChristian(PLC) — February 20, 2007 @ 12:44 pm
You are 100% right! Democrats play right in to the stigmata that they are “weak” with tactics such as non-binding resolutions and the like. As long as Democrats allow Republicans to frame the arguement, they will always be on the defensive. Always having to defend themselves against what they allow the Republicans to portray them as. It’s time Democrats took a stand beyond campaign speeches and non-binding resolutions.
February 20th, 2007 at 12:57 pm#12 Kate Henry
In all fairness, he probably doesn’t remember all that far back, if he even remembers yesterday.
February 20th, 2007 at 12:57 pmEvery time an idiot makes statements such as these the Dems should be hammering him on the floor, in the press, on the steps of Congress, at lunch, on talk shows, etc. until he is just a bloody pulp. Make a concerted effort to punish these types of actions and statements. Beat them with a bigger stick.
February 20th, 2007 at 12:58 pmSam Johnson/Tom DeLay – A case of “guilt by association”?? I’d say there’s a high probability that they’re “two peas in the same pod”.
February 20th, 2007 at 12:58 pmhttp://www.jibjab.com/jokebox/jokebox/jibjab/id/32517/jokeid/27044
Here is a cute picture I thought I would share to brighten some spirits around here.
February 20th, 2007 at 1:00 pmHeh.
Besides, they can spin their drivel all they want. The american people have spoken and will no longer support the funding of a war based on lies….and continued lies…..and continued lies. It’s over! The people will reign in this democracy regardless of whether the likes of the GOP Tom DeLay’s like it or not. Tom DeLay is pond scum and deserves to be in jail for all he’s done. What a slimey rodent!
February 20th, 2007 at 1:00 pmI’d also say that we need to press the Dems to put their money where their mouth is when it comes to getting tough on these charlatans. It’s time to begin something with some “teeth” – like IMPEACHMENT PROCEEDINGS??? I’d also like to see key Dems spearheading investigations in the huge morass of corruption within the self-imploding GOP.
February 20th, 2007 at 1:01 pmIts not nice showing any more photos of Delay.
February 20th, 2007 at 1:03 pmWhat Democrat will have the nerve to remind Johnson of the flip? We can complain until the next election about the hypocrite but until someone inside the halls of congress points this out it’s just today’s news. Soon to be overshadowed by another celebrity death or head shaving.
February 20th, 2007 at 1:03 pmTrizza
I’m not really against the non-binding resolutions because they force the politicians to take a stand. They are necessary, if not sufficient. I think the debate over the Iraq resolutions has helped push the issue forward and led to some of the hypocritical statements such as this one. I want more resolutions and debate, not less like we had earlier.
February 20th, 2007 at 1:05 pmRipPubliCans = Hypocrites R’US
February 20th, 2007 at 1:05 pm“The truth is still the truth, and a lie is still a lie, and the rule of law should apply to everyone, no matter what excuses are made by the president’s defenders. The news media characterizes the managers as 13 angry men. They are right that we are angry, but they are dead wrong about what we are angry about. We have not spent long hours poring through the evidence, sacrificed time with our families, and subjected ourselves to intense political criticism to further a political vendetta. We have done so because of our love for this country and respect for the office of the presidency, regardless of who may hold it. We have done so because of our devotion to the rule of law and our fear that if the president does not suffer the legal consequences of his actions, the impact of allowing the president to stand above the law will be felt for generations to come.†–Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI).
February 20th, 2007 at 1:05 pm#10 It’s because they’re all “money whores” – it’s one of the qualifying characteristics into the GOP. Check out anyone you know to be a Repugnant and, voila!, they’d sell their soul for a dollar! Never fails!
February 20th, 2007 at 1:08 pmthis is just the type of juxtaposition I would like to see the MSM highlight – when it was “Clinton’s war” blocking funds was “right”, but for “Bush’s war” it is unpatriotic. The obvious Republican/Neo-Con retort will be “well, since Sept. 11th…”
February 20th, 2007 at 1:13 pm“If we are going to commit American troops, we must be certain they have a clear mission, an achievable goal and an exit strategy.â€
-Karen Hughes, speaking on behalf of presidential candidate George W. Bush
“No goal, no objective, not until we have those things and a compelling case is made, then I say, back out of it, because innocent people are going to die for nothing. That’s why I’m against it.â€
-Sean Hannity, Fox News, 4/5/99
“I had doubts about the bombing campaign from the beginning…I didn’t think we had done enough in the diplomatic area.â€
-Senator Trent Lott (R-MS)
“You think Vietnam was bad? Vietnam is nothing next to Kosovo.â€
-Tony Snow, Fox News 3/24/99
“Well, I just think it’s a bad idea. What’s going to happen is they’re going to be over there for 10, 15, maybe 20 yearsâ€
-Joe Scarboroug (R-FL)
“I’m on the Senate Intelligence Committee, so you can trust me and believe me when I say we’re running out of cruise missles. I can’t tell you exactly how many we have left, for security reasons, but we’re almost out of cruise missles.â€
-Senator Inhofe (R-OK )
“I cannot support a failed foreign policy. History teaches us that it is often easier to make war than peace. This administration is just learning that lesson right now. The President began this mission with very vague objectives and lots of unanswered questions. A month later, these questions are still unanswered. There are no clarifiedrules of engagement. There is no timetable. There is no legitimate definition of victory. There is no contingency plan for mission creep. There is no clear funding program. There is no agenda to bolster our overextended military. There is no explanation defining what vital national interests are at stake. There was no strategic plan for war when the President started this thing, and there still is no plan todayâ€
-Representative Tom Delay (R-TX)
“Explain to the mothers and fathers of American servicemen that may come home in body bags why their son or daughter have to give up their life?â€
Sean Hannity, Fox News, 4/6/99
Victory means exit strategy, and it’s important for the President to explain to us what the exit strategy is.â€
-Governor George W. Bush (R-TX)
“This is President Clinton’s war, and when he falls flat on his face, that’s his problem.â€
February 20th, 2007 at 1:16 pm-Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN)
“You can support the troops but not the presidentâ€
-Representative Tom Delay (R-TX)

“This has been an unmitigated disaster … Ask the Chinese embassy. Ask all the people in Belgrade that we’ve killed. Ask the refugees that we’ve killed. Ask the people in nursing homes. Ask the people in hospitals.â€
-Representative Joe Scarborough (R-FL)
#24 We now know who the “true patriots” really are as we out these neocon liars and criminals. We’ve now got to face the harsh (and sad) reality that the true “enemy” is the “enemy within”. This is something which our little brainwashed minds finds difficult to process; this is something that, when we realize it is true, we not only process it and get angry but also find the will to attempt to do something about it. Americans are finding that they’ve been duped by the very people whom they trusted.
Americans are angry – angry at the charlatans posing as legitimate, honest representatives…..Angry at this administration of smoke & mirrors who continue to spin and deceive the people every day – and their complicit mainstream media whores to keep peddling the propaganda of this group of neocon rightwingnuts still in office. That’s what angers the american people.
If this war continues to linger any longer, it will effectively destroy any chances of a Republican ever inhabiting the white house for generations to come. The reprisal of the american people for being lied to in order to push a war profiteering, oil agenda in Iraq will be unforgivable. Better that the GOP candidates donate their money to the victims of Katrins than throw it away on a campaign to no where!
American will show their power and voice their disapproval by their vote in 08! And, if there is nothing done to bring our present voting system back into one that is verifiable and accountable (thanks Diebold, Ken Blackwell, et al for hacking the 04 election in Ohio!)….then the people will take the only measure left to them and that is the measure of peaceful demonstration.
The last peaceful demonstration in Washington, DC was huge although the sycophantic whoring media machine failed to report precisely how successful it was.
MLK’s infamous words are again freshly poised on the lips of the majority of americans today and they are: “We Shall Overcome”! And, overcome, we shall! We shall overcome the repression of our liberties…we shall overcome the corruption which abounds in our government….we shall overcome the aftershocks of this presidency and bring this country back to the lofty status it once enjoyed – internationally and domestically.
February 20th, 2007 at 1:16 pmThe sad fact is that we now cannot believe anything coming from the mouth of a Republican or the right-wing media. They’ve become totally irrelevant to the lanscape of america.
February 20th, 2007 at 1:17 pm#27 I should’ve mentioned that my post of quotes was regarding Clinton and the war in Kosovo.
February 20th, 2007 at 1:20 pmWe have posted QOUTES from all these people that have been behind bush and Iraq… When … WHEN are the democrats going to read these qoutes back to the faces of the republicans on the FLOOR of the house and senate??? WHEN??? When are we going to see the democrats show a spine and shame these “men” into admitting their hypocrisy and the harm they are doing to this country?
February 20th, 2007 at 1:40 pmGOP Donor Hit With Terror Charges
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/20/AR2007022000654.html
February 20th, 2007 at 1:50 pmObviusly being a rethuglican this glomb doesn’t know how to spell, and wouldn’t recognize the word hypocrisy if he fell over it. Another of the rethuglican’s who is a waste of humanity.
February 20th, 2007 at 2:03 pm#10 — I have only one comment on your post — I agree with it all — except I would change “They would destroy the enviroment, your job, your housing, your family, your freedom, your security, and the entire earth without so much as a second thought if they believed they could either make an extra buck for themselves or add to satisfying their megalomaniacal desires,” to “They are destroying the enviroment, your job, your housing, your family, your freedom, your security, and the entire earth without a second thought if they believe they can either make an extra buck for themselves or add to satisfying their megalomaniacal desires.” They are doing everything they can to destroy our planet, our country, and our citizenry.
February 20th, 2007 at 2:10 pmUgh! What a turd sandwich!
February 20th, 2007 at 2:24 pmLies like a rug and with presumed impunity because the general (my dear father included) public has only an attention span for sound bites. A sad state indeed.
February 20th, 2007 at 3:55 pm“Victory Caucus”… more DELUSION…
seems there’s a lot of that going around…
combined with the flipflop flu, a very dangerous mix…
there is a remedy… keep up the exposure and disclosure and make sure to circulate and communicate as much as possible…
February 20th, 2007 at 4:07 pmRepublican’ts are a serious, dangerous, and imminent threat to our way of life. None among them speak truly of anything, all are motviated only by cash (for campaigns and cushy post-term jobs), and they conduct themselves as though playing a game rather than serving the public. There is a HUGE difference between them and the Dems who, albeit beholden to campaign $ and not without some bad apples, do not conduct themselves as though playing a game 110% of the time.
Time for the RNC to face RICO prosecution. Once we’ve got the White House back, and Spitzer is the AG, they will.
As far as this lying old sack of sh*t Johnson is concerned, maybe we can find a way for him to join “the hammer” in the dustbin of obscurity.
February 20th, 2007 at 4:24 pmRepublican’ts are a serious, dangerous, and imminent threat to our way of life. None among them speak truly of anything, all are motviated only by cash (for campaigns and cushy post-term jobs), and they conduct themselves as though playing a game rather than serving the public. There is a HUGE difference between them and the Dems who, albeit beholden to campaign $ and not without some bad apples, do not conduct themselves as though playing a game 110% of the time.
Time for the RNC to face RICO prosecution. Once we’ve got the White House back, and Spitzer is the AG, they will.
As far as this lying old sack of sh*t Johnson is concerned, maybe we can find a way for him to join “the hammer” in the dustbin of obscurity.
February 20th, 2007 at 4:25 pmRepublican’ts are a serious, dangerous, and imminent threat to our way of life. None among them speak truly of anything, all are motviated only by cash (for campaigns and cushy post-term jobs), and they conduct themselves as though playing a game rather than serving the public. There is a HUGE difference between them and the Dems who, albeit beholden to campaign $ and not without some bad apples, do not conduct themselves as though playing a game 110% of the time.
Time for the RNC to face RICO prosecution. Once we’ve got the White House back, and Spitzer is the AG, they will.
As far as this lying old sack of sh*t Johnson is concerned, maybe we can find a way for him to join “the hammer” in the dustbin of obscurity.
February 20th, 2007 at 4:25 pmwhoa! – very sorry about the multi-post….site was responding strangely – could a moderator help me out and rid us of the 2 copies? “TP Admin, cleanup on thread 14″ thanks
February 20th, 2007 at 5:09 pmHYPOCRISY, THY NAME IS Sam Johnson! This repugnant-repub texas cracker is a disgrace to the congress of the United States of America and the sooner he is voted out of office, the better off WE WILL ALL BE!!!! Any creep like Johnson who associates with a slimy reptile vermin like Tom DeLay is NO BETTER than an animal, a rabid dog or coyote to be shot and put out of its misery!!!!!
February 20th, 2007 at 8:55 pm[...] Rep. John Murtha’s plan which would require any troops sent to be properly trained, rested and equipped, would stop not only the surge, but would force the number of troops we have in Iraq down because after four years of this shit, we barely have any troops that are well trained, rested and equipped. It would support the troops by actually protecting them, either by making sure that they are ready when they are deployed, or by keeping them out of harms way when they are not ready. [...]
February 20th, 2007 at 10:38 pmCall his office and ask them why he is such a hypocrite.
February 20th, 2007 at 10:55 pmPhone:(202)225-4201
I’m just hoping the prez doesn’t do a ME and leave troops for 13 years in the middle of a civil war, can we good little demonut’s say B-O-S-N-I-A or my favorite, K-O-S-O-V-O. Good little demmies. Forget all demonut’s war’s just remember we HATE ALL WAR’S WE DON’T START unless a cigar is involved. Now turn to the cartoon network and repeat after me. I’M CIGAR MAN AND I MAY BE KNOWN AS MS. CIGAR MAN IF THE WIFEY HAS HER WAY. LONG LIVE TROOPS IN BOSINA AND KOSOVO.
February 20th, 2007 at 11:58 pmIt’s nice how this post fails to mention Rep. Johnson is a Vietnam POW and the same people that slam President Bush for opposing Cindy Sheehan and John Murtha say such hateful remarks about POW Sam Johnson.
February 21st, 2007 at 9:41 am[...] week attacking Iraq war critics relentlessly for “cutting funding of the troops,” while conveniently forgetting that he “wholeheartedly supported withholding funds” to end the U.S. involvement in [...]
February 27th, 2007 at 10:44 am