Marine calls Murtha ‘some fat little bastard.’
Marine calls Murtha ‘some fat little bastard.’
The right-wing, led by Drudge, is promoting criticisms of Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) made by Iraq war vet Shawn Bryan. Calling Murtha “some fat little bastard,” Bryan — a Marine — asserted that Murtha’s efforts to reveal the cover-up of the Haditha massacres “betrayed” his service. But VetVoice’s RockRichard astutely notes that Bryan is getting worked up over comments that weren’t even directed at him. That’s because Bryan was not a member of the Marines who participated in the Haditha tragedy:
Shawn Bryan served in the 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines in Iraq. That Battalion returned from Iraq in early October of 2005, over a month before the Haditha killings.
Moreover, VetVoice notes that some of Murtha’s harshest critics fail to appreciate that Murtha worked tirelessly in Congress to get more funding for better armor to protect the troops.
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Why does Drudge hate veterans?
November 3rd, 2008 at 7:05 pm“Don’t ask – don’t tell” must also apply to homicide.
Whodathunkit?
November 3rd, 2008 at 7:05 pmShawn Bryan is a disgrace to the Corps.
November 3rd, 2008 at 7:13 pmWell they also didn’t notice that McCain was against most benefits for the troops.
November 3rd, 2008 at 7:16 pmBlair rats out Bush to avoid arrest and life in jail
November 3rd, 2008 at 7:18 pm‘some fat little bastard.’
Fat and little. Take you pick, Marine.
November 3rd, 2008 at 7:19 pmWill Sgt. Bryan be reprimanded for talking down a Colonel?
November 3rd, 2008 at 7:22 pmMarine calls Murtha ‘some fat little bastard.’»
– - Hey, Murtha is not little!
November 3rd, 2008 at 7:36 pmZooey Says:
Why does Drudge hate veterans?
November 3rd, 2008 at 7:05 pm
The same reason he hates human beings – he wishes he was one.
November 3rd, 2008 at 7:36 pmO.T.
November 3rd, 2008 at 7:49 pmBREAKING…
Gov. Sarah Palin Cleared of Ethics Charges by Alaskan State Independent Counsel
A-hole. Since when does the “service” of the Marines involve the commission of, and then the covering up of war-crimes and crimes against humanity?
November 3rd, 2008 at 7:51 pmShawn Bryan is a toady little tool, but Murtha, though I respect his service and want him to keep his seat, should look at handing over the seat to a better candidate in 2010. I think it’s time.
November 3rd, 2008 at 7:55 pmBadmoodman Says:
O.T.
BREAKING…
Gov. Sarah Palin Cleared of Ethics Charges by Alaskan State Independent Counsel
November 3rd, 2008 at 7:49 pm
Gee, I guess it really does help to appoint all the members of the Board.
November 3rd, 2008 at 7:55 pmFunny about Murtha being upbraided by fat-headed mediawhores for calling some western Pennsylvanians racist rednecks.
Did he lie…?
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November 3rd, 2008 at 8:07 pmBTW — I can see calling Murtha a fat big bastard. But calling him a little bastard is completely uncalled for…
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November 3rd, 2008 at 8:09 pmBryan is obviously a Repub jerk – how dare he malign a war hero? Is Bryan a war hero? Probably not. What a pathetic Repub smear merchant. Bryan should be deeply ashamed for hating veterans. And he should be a poster boy for hating veterans & hating support for veterans. Bryan– you are an anti-troop creep.
November 3rd, 2008 at 8:10 pmAnd what can we call this anti-veteran marine?
November 3rd, 2008 at 8:38 pmBreaking news, somebody 19 comments down on a ThinkProgress post thinks that Drudge is just another nobody with a blog. HOLD THE PRESSES!!!1!
November 3rd, 2008 at 9:34 pmBTW
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Gov. Sarah Palin violated no ethics laws when she fired her public safety commissioner, the state personnel board concluded in a report released Monday.
“There is no probable cause to believe that the governor, or any other state official, violated the Alaska Executive Ethics Act in connection with these matters,” the report says.
November 3rd, 2008 at 10:18 pm
I was standing all of three feet away when Shawn made his comments. I don’t recall “fat little bastard,” I think the words he used were actually “fatass bastard.”
Shawn was assigned to Murtha’s personal securtity detail when Murtha visited his area of operations, he even thought they parted on good terms–with Murtha telling them what a good job they were doing, only to see Murtha on TV weeks later, blathering on about how the war in Iraq was lost.
Shawn was in the unit that was replaced by the “Haditha Marines,” the unit that Murtha accused–without a single shred of evidence–of committing murder. Shawn served in and around Haditha, Ramadi, and Fallujah. Shawn has served his country honorably, and repeatedly, as a leader in a unit that saw 46 Marines and Sailors killed during their deployment. His unit suffered heavier losses than any other unit in the Middle Eastern theater of operations, before or since. Wouldn’t you take issue with some politician calling your men murderers?
By the way, the only Marine who hasn’t been completely exonerated is LTC Chesani, who was in command of the Marines who Murtha originally accused, who was not in the area when the incident never happened, and who conducted an above-board investigation into the incident that the Marines, the JAG and the DOD all found was thorough and fair. The only reason he’s not been exonerated is because a certain political party is using leverage in the DOJ to continue persecuting him.
When Murtha’s generation returned from Vietnam, they were unjustly called murderers and baby killers. Murtha, without evidence, did the same thing to honorable Marines who were currently serving, to advance his political capital.
And you call Shawn a traitor because, as a private citizen, he exercised his right to speak out against Jack Murtha and to peaceably assemble? Shawn feels so betrayed that he took time off from work and flew from Albuquerque, NM to speak at a small rally in New Stanton, PA.
Shawn has defended your freedom–what have you ever done to deserve it?
November 3rd, 2008 at 10:41 pmAnd you call Shawn a traitor because…
No one called him a traitor… you pulled that out of your ass
Shawn has defended your freedom–what have you ever done to deserve it?
Shawn fought to fill the pockets of war profiteers and expand US dominance… nothing more. The US hasn’t fought for anyone’s freedom since WWII. This is not the fault of him or any other soldier. They dont decide to go to war, they simply follow orders.
November 3rd, 2008 at 11:29 pmziegenfuss,
Who called Shawn a traitor? I didn’t when I wrote the article at VetVoice, and neither did anyone in the comments.
Second, your explanation of the Haditha charges is flat out wrong. NO ONE was exonerated in those killings. The case was not referred to trial because military courts could not compel the testimony of Iraqi citizens. And DoJ has nothing to do with a Court-Martial. Courts-Martial are exclusively conducted by DoD.
You can argue Shawn’s intentions on his behalf all you want, but it doesn’t changed the fact that Shawn Bryan insinuated that he was part of the unit involved in the Haditha killings when he wasn’t.
And to answer your final question, I spent 14 months, the first 14 months of my only child’s life, in a combat theater. What have you done?
November 3rd, 2008 at 11:31 pmziegenfuss Says:
Shawn has defended your freedom–what have you ever done to deserve it?
November 3rd, 2008 at 10:41 pm
Actually, the Iraqis were not threatening my freedom. There were 935 recorded lies taking us into this counter-productive fiasco. The Bush and the Patriot Act do threaten my freedom.
Similar to Haditha, there was an attempted coverup to the My Lai Massacre. F.A.I.R. said:
“Beginning months after My Lai, evidence of the massacre was presented to top national news media by Vietnam veteran Ron Ridenhour and others, but not one outlet would touch the story. It wasn’t until November 1969, more than a year and a half after the My Lai slaughter, that the story was finally published by the small, alternative Dispatch News Service and dogged investigative reporter Seymour Hersh.”
There was an excellent book written disproving the myth that vets returning from Nam was spat on and called babykillers by protesters. (How would they have gotten inside a military airport?)
From Slate: “When Holy Cross College scholar Jerry Lembcke studied the allegations for his 1998 book Spitting Image: Myth, Memory, and the Legacy of Vietnam, he found no evidence to back the claim.”
http://www.slate.com/id/2161038/
November 4th, 2008 at 12:32 amThat should be: the Bush administration and the Patriot Act
November 4th, 2008 at 12:34 amTim Vaculik Says:
And an earlier report by the Legislature found she HAD violated ethics laws. So you really got NOTHIN.
November 4th, 2008 at 12:35 amziegenfuss Says:
“….Murtha on TV weeks later, blathering on about how the war in Iraq was lost.”
Don’t believe you. Evidence?
November 4th, 2008 at 12:39 amThe Mission was accomplished May 1, 2003.
Oh, here you were all along Timmy. Goody. I have time to play Whack-a-Troll before bedtime.
November 4th, 2008 at 12:48 am.
A young Marine still wet behind his ears has what to say about a US Marine Colonel who served in the Vietnam War and earned; The American Spirit Honor Medal, Bronze Star, 2 Purple Hearts, Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, and the Navy Distinguished Service Medal?
.
November 4th, 2008 at 1:10 amA guy with a blog says that an ex-Marine says that Murtha’s a jerk. This is what we’ve come to in election news.
November 4th, 2008 at 3:25 amThere are many soldiers who were killed by fellow soldiers and this will come out with the new White House Administration. Murtha will also get to the bottom of who killed Pat Tillman and why? Yes a Marine and all soldiers have a code but not murder of fellow soldiers and innocent people. Some soldiers have followed the Bush/Cheney policy and they are rewarded with bonuses and promotions. Petraeus also covers up what ever the White House tells him. Our soldiers have had a Commander-in-Chief who is pure Evil and some followed him without question. We watched Generals testify that a soldiers murder wasn’t their responsiblity.
November 4th, 2008 at 3:51 amOh, we can all hear the likes of Sen. Glenn Beck now….
“How can we disgrace our military by INVESTIGATING!!! these so called KILLINGS??? by members of our Armed Services. We bring peace and freedom to a country and people like Murtha want to smear the names of the good kids who serve our colors?! I’m not going to stand for it, because I’m a Christian who lives by one set of laws that goes against the virtues extolled by those I say I live by!”
November 4th, 2008 at 3:53 amWar crimes are STILL war crimes, even when the perpetrators are Americans. Remember My Lai.
November 4th, 2008 at 10:01 amI am a Marine and Iraq
November 4th, 2008 at 10:23 amooops…hit enter accidentally…
Anyway, I am a Marine and Iraq Vet. The Shawn Bryan should be ashamed of himself. Disgracing another veteran for simply holding our armed services up to the highest standard so that we deserve the respect and honor we are given is not a crime.
War crimes HAVE happened over in Iraq, whether it was Marines in Haditha, or an Army unit that moved into Yusifiyah (after my unit left). Whether it was in Abu Ghraib or torture in Guantanamo, we, as veterans and as a nation, are responsible for letting it happen and letting it continue. This is what makes me angry, not someone that is trying to stop it.
I fought for this country because I believe it can be great, but only if he hold it, and ourselves, to its principles.
November 4th, 2008 at 10:28 amdear hippies
November 4th, 2008 at 10:53 amI am so glad to have found you. You people are funny. I say fat little bastard and even the hippies get wound up. Listen, since none of you have ever been to Iraq and Im betting never fought for anything, most of this will go over your head. One of you was right the Haditha incident went down after my unit left…rocket scientist that pulled who I was with dig further and you will find fat little bastard and I have similar awards. The Marines that replaced us inherited one of the most violent regions in the world and we were all to familiar with the key players like the doctor who six months after the shootout signed death certificates….but your press forgot to tell you that he had been detained previously for insurgent ties including the ambush orchestrated from HIS hospital that killed three of our Marines and a navy corpsman.
So when Fat Little Bastard within 24hours of the announcement of a story in the Post waddles infront of a camera and calls the Marines of 3-1 cold blodded murderers with no due process, well needles to say his level of betrayal is amazing. All but one of the Marines has had the charges dropped due to the investigation being bullshit in the first place….its was an unfortunate firefight, nothing more.
As for the comments about speaking up to a Col…well I am out of the Corps and I can speak to who and how I choose, a right I fought for, and obviously you never have but I bet its your favorite right……except when someone is not saying what you like.
John Murtha is a Fat Little Bastard and that is that. His betrayal of the Marines was not an investigation it was passing public judgement on the Marines.
Funny how everyone on this blog is the WE HAVE RIGHTS to do whatever fits our agenda for the day…..but dont the brave Amereicans who fight for our country have rights to…..not to be abused by a reckless corrupt puppet who will sale anyone out for a vote…even the men and women who protect this great country.
Dear shawn7bryan,
Those that serve in the military have no easy job. I do not envy the task placed upon those shoulders. I do take exception with your assumption that ANYTHING a Marine does has the right to commit war crimes… NO MARINE HAS THAT RIGHT!!! PERIOD!!!
Truth, in acts of war, lines will be crossed. However, it is the brave marine that is willing to accept the CONSEQUENCES of crossing those lines, while it is the coward that hides behind blind a false bravado of excuses and evasions of ANY responsibility for poor decisions and acts of war crimes.
Now, short of being Palinesq with your, “How dare you criticize the troops…” b.s., REMEMBER this, if what you are fighting for is the freedoms ALL Americans cherish, how is it principally correct to chastise Americans for exercising the freedom of speech? While we may disagree with how Murtha went public, isn’t that his Right, too? However, if Murtha was wrong, as you said, “its was an unfortunate firefight, nothing more,” then why the conviction of a war crime having been committed at all? … if Murtha was wrong, as you say he was.
.
November 4th, 2008 at 11:57 amOops,
should read (,,,while it is the coward that hides blindly behind…)
And I forgot to mention, the realities what they are, do not forget that the Armed forces are being used as tools. You Sir, are a pawn! And nothing more. And should you disagree, I ask you to think about this “ASSIGNMENT” you’re given in Iraq. When you’re asked to put your life on the line, should it be for noble and just causes, or should it be to protect a lie?
I support the troops…
… Who refuse to follow illegal orders!
The WAR IN IRAQ IS AN ILLEGAL WAR AS IT WAS BASED ON LIES!
THERE WAS NO TRAINING GROUND FOR MILITANTS IN IRAQ, UNTIL BUSH LIED!
THERE WERE NO CAR BOMBS IN IRAQ, UNTIL BUSH LIED!
THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO HADITHA, IF BUSH HAD NOT LIED!
AND 4100+ SERVICE MEN AND WOMEN HAVE DIES BECAUSE BUSH LIED!
.
November 4th, 2008 at 12:08 pmShawn,
The issue isn’t Murtha’s statement, its the fact that you are dishonest by insinuating that you were one of the Marines that Murtha was talking about. You weren’t and you know it. Your feigned outrage is dishonest, disgusting, and dishonorable.
You might also want to talk to an attorney about unlawful campaign cooperation involving your work for Vets for Freedom and the Russell campaign. I’d like to know who paid for you to fly from your home out west to Pennsylvania, and who put you in contact with the Russell campaign for this event.
November 4th, 2008 at 12:43 pmDear shawn7bryan,
I have not said anything negative about your service, even though you discount mine. You seem to think you are the only one who has been and fought in Iraq. That is irrelevant.
I will grant you the point that Senator Murtha may have spoken too soon and most definitely too specifically. He should not have commented on simply the TIME article. However, charges were dismissed because of lack of evidence, not because of any conclusive evidence either way. We both know that collecting evidence would be darn near impossible. We also know that the stories changed of the Marines and the Col. after the fact. First the casualties were from the IED blast, then from the “unfortunate firefight”. I never made that mistake and find it difficult everyone would.
The Marines definitely deserve the benefit of the doubt. Those who put them in the position hold much of the responsibility. What I can tell you is that it is a little suspicious to me that 11 women and 5 children were killed in an unfortunate firefight; however, it is not out of the realm of possibility. I know our town usually cleared out before a major attack. I can also say that I never fired unless I knew what I was firing at – although at times were were less discriminate on returning indirect fire.
Regardless, we have seen atrocities in Iraq, if Haditha was not one of them, I am sure there are some that have not been witnessed.
As you can see, I am torn on this. I know what it is like to have rounds crack past your head and not know where they are coming from, not having a target; what I hope is that our brave military acts with Honor when on the battlefield, and if, by some horrible chance, they don’t, there are those that have the courage to bring it to light so we can learn and it doesn’t happen again. I don’t make a habit of judging someone else’s service or their situation. I had a rougher time in Iraq than many, but many were in much worse situation than I; however, something about Haditha does not feel right.
This isn’t about John Murtha and some premature comments, it is about holding our own accountable if we do cross the line. If we do not and simply protect our military men and women simply because they wear the uniform, it disgraces not just the uniform, but everything I hope this country stands for. We are only the good guys if we act like the good guys, not just because we are the United States.
November 4th, 2008 at 12:50 pmI do take issue with Max-1
It is very easy for you to sit there and say those in the Military should disobey orders that are not directly illegal or that do not break the Geneva Conventions. It is not so easy. It is a simple matter to say no if you are given an order to shoot an unarmed civilian. It is easy to disobey when told to execute people or torture people (at least it should be), but we can not decide what is strategically relevant or necessary.
I agree that we should not have gone into Iraq, but lets put the blame where it belongs. It belongs with congress who abdicated their responsibilities so they could wipe their hands of it when it went bad and claim responsibility if it worked. They should not have given powers to the President, they should declare war or not. The blame belongs with us, the citizens who, all too willingly swallowed the justifications for invading Iraq and not standing up. Obviously it lies with those who lied with the purpose of sending us to Iraq, but our democracy, our country depends on a system where those who try to usurp power are struck down by the rest of us. We all allowed it to happen, now we need to repair what we can and figure out how to prevent this from happening again.
November 4th, 2008 at 1:00 pmOnce again rickeyrocket I never said I was one of the guys acused, I was in Iraq when Murtha came to Haditha and the guys accused were the unit that replaced us. Murtha had already betrayed our unit and then screwed over them by calling them cold blooded murdrers. As for my attorneys…..dude wake up, Vets For Freedom paid for my flight…we have officially endosed Russell, no boogey man, no acorn scandal, no false statements.
November 4th, 2008 at 3:40 pmMax1
November 4th, 2008 at 3:44 pmWow I hope those guys you support to disobey orders never have to protect you Im thinking they may reconcider who they are protecting.
The Iraq war is not about protecting us. It is about controlling that part of the world. The main reason for wanting control of that part of the world is OIL. PNAC and the Pentagon wrote this very very clearly in the late 90’s. The ones making foreign policy decisions in the Bush White House are from PNAC. The Bush White House does not equal my country.
November 4th, 2008 at 4:41 pmShawn,
I see you specifically dodge a discussion with me. First, if you could have a reasonable discussion – something sorely lacking in discussing today’s issues – we could discuss whether it was appropriate for Senator Murtha to make the comments he did or not.
As for a lawsuit for libel, that seems a little ridiculous to me. It was one statement based on information that event he NCIS thought were credible enough to indict the Marines.
As for betraying you, how did he do that? Did he send you to Iraq? Did he set up the no-bid contracts that gave Haliburton contractors 10x what a Cpl or Sgt makes to do the same job? Did Senator Murtha pay KBR to purify water that it didn’t do and serve poison water to the troops? Did he pay KBR for the showers with faulty electrical wiring that killed at least 13 Soldiers and Marines? Did he vote against amendments to limit tour lengths or against the amendments to get MRAPS and better armor?
No he didn’t. He made a controversial and offensive statement; however, if it were me, and I believed it to be true, I would rather speak out against war crimes then stand silent, even if I may be wrong. It may have been offensive, and he may have been too quick to judge, but my guess is that you have said some nasty things in your time too. He did not say anything more than what the TIME article insinuated and the NCIS were justifiably investigating.
I only hold other Marines up to the same standards that I hold myself.
November 4th, 2008 at 4:51 pmkeith
November 4th, 2008 at 4:58 pmmoving is always an option………
Shawn,
Changing the country is also a good option.
November 4th, 2008 at 5:06 pm“Here in America we are descended in blood and in spirit from revolutionists and rebels – men and women who dare to dissent from accepted doctrine. As their heirs, may we never confuse honest dissent with disloyal subversion.”
– President Dwight D. Eisenhower
shawn7bryan Says:
keith
moving is always an option………
Notice you could not refute anything I said. Maybe you should move to a more conservative country, since you are in the minority and I am in the 65% majority. I’m thinking you will like Colombia.
If you loved your spouse and they were ailing, would you try to help them or just leave them? I know McCain and Gingrich would just dump them for a younger, richer spouse.
Thanks, Dancaveman, I guess shawn prefers following chicken hawks to General Eisenhower who warned us of the military industrial complex:
“In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the militaryindustrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.
We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together.”
November 4th, 2008 at 5:40 pmThe Downing Street Memo and Joe Wilson testimony tell us that we were given known lies to lead us into war. The Pentagon Papers told us we were lied into the Vietnam War.
November 4th, 2008 at 5:45 pm