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| LA Times Whine: "Swift Boat" Veterans Set Sights on Rep. Murtha |
| 2006-08-13 |
| Two years after a cadre of veterans helped sink the presidential campaign of Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.), they have found a new target in the old steel country of southwestern Pennsylvania: Democratic Rep. John P. Murtha. In a fight that organizers say will feature rallies, TV ads and an aggressive Internet campaign, these activists are promising to make Murtha pay for his criticism of the Iraq war. "I will do my best to 'Swift boat' John Murtha," retired Navy Capt. Larry Bailey said at a recent news conference here, invoking the 2004 campaign against Kerry that took its name from Vietnam War-era Navy vessels. Few believe that Murtha, a Vietnam veteran who has represented his district since 1974, is in much danger of being driven from office. But in the wake of Sen. Joe Lieberman's defeat in Connecticut's Democratic primary last week, Murtha's showdown with an increasingly vocal group of opponents provides more evidence of the prominent role the Iraq war is playing in this year's midterm campaign. Unlike Lieberman, whose support for the war cost him Democratic voters, Murtha confronts a challenge sparked by his repeated calls for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. |
| Posted by:Slenter Hupavins5895 |
| #4 Murtha doesn't need the Swift Boat Vets, he's taken self-inflicted fire. The lawsuit should take good care of him. |
| Posted by: Captain America 2006-08-13 20:55 |
| #3 The guy could have been Sgt York in Vietnam. His problem is what he's going around saying these days. Kerry's different. He tried to say his wartime experience made him presidential. He made his military record an issue. The Swift Boaters addressed that issue. |
| Posted by: Baba Tutu 2006-08-13 19:29 |
| #2 Wow! Max Cleland was there? Declare victory! |
| Posted by: Frank G 2006-08-13 16:30 |
| #1 Get over yourself, LA Times. The reason "swift-boating" works is that it incorporates something you know very little about: The TRUTH. Truth is that Kerry LIED about his record in Vietnam, and LIED about the character of service of his fellow soldiers. Murtha is also LYING about the character of service of our boys in Iraq, and he will suffer the consequences for these LIES. Don't want to be targeted? Don't LIE. |
| Posted by: mcsegeek1 2006-08-13 16:04 |