Progressive Talking Points 11/18/05

The Plea of a Veteran

Calling for the immediate redeployment of U.S. troops in Iraq yesterday, retired Marine and Congressman Jack Murtha (PA) passionately argued that U.S. troops have done everything we have asked of them and we can accomplish nothing more militarily. Murtha pointed out that the extended deployment of more than 150,000 troops in Iraq has put the “future of our military at risk.” While Murtha calls for a more rapid timeline than the Center for American Progress, his proposals echo the themes of the Center's plan of redeployment from Iraq, entitled Strategic Redeployment . Congressmen Murtha recognizes the facts on the ground in Iraq. Like leading Republicans, Congressman Murtha is right when he says that Iraqis will only step up and take responsibility for security when U.S. troops leave.

• The administration will continue to smear any dissenting views no matter how credible they are. It did not take long for the Bush Administration to respond to the Murtha proposal through White House spokesperson Scott McClellan: “It is baffling that he is endorsing the policy positions of Michael Moore and the extreme liberal wing.” What is truly baffling is that the White House does recognize that two-thirds of Americans support some form of withdrawal from Iraq.
  
  
• Leading conservatives will imply that Congressmen Murtha’s proposal is unpatriotic. Responding to Murtha, Rep. J.D. Hayworth asked, "Dare we now snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, plagued by poll-driven self-doubt of those who embrace surrender?" Rep. John Carter said, "And I'm here to tell you that the soldiers that are going to war on behalf of this country are the best people on Earth, and they do not deserve to have people bail out on them and take the cowardly way out and say, We're going to surrender." No one can challenge the patriotism or in-depth knowledge on national security issues of Murtha, a decorated Marine who has fought for decades on the battlefield and in Congress on behalf of our men and women in uniform and the security of our nation.
  
  
• The Administration cannot argue with the fact that the status quo in Iraq is untenable. It has diminished American power and weakened our ability to keep America secure. It is no secret that since the Iraq War terrorist attacks have increased, our nation’s armed forces are stretched thin and America’s image abroad has eroded. Congressmen Murtha’s courageous statements yesterday recognize that America needs a new direction in Iraq.