OK! Pelosi backs fightin' Marine JOHN MURTHA for Dem. Majority Leader!
Whether the Democrats realize it or not, they are in a state of PERMANENT CAMPAIGN against the much better funded Republican Party, and, worse, the clock is already ticking as the Republicans seek to gain the advantage to throw back ALL THE RESPONSIBILITY for THEIR OWN FAILED POLICIES back on the Democrats. It is the primal political trick in the book... BLAME YOUR ENEMIES!
Dem. Minority Leader, soon to be Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is reported in this article to be supporting Pennsylvania Representative Jack Murtha for the position of MAJORITY LEADER. We wholeheartedly endorse this move in the "post election power struggle" because, frankly, the other front-runner for the job, Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, has done not much to make the news these past 5 years, which is to say he has not distinguished himself in OPPOSITION to the radical, reactionary agenda of the Bush White House and right-wing elements of the Republican Party.
Jack Murtha, on the other hand, HAS stood up and CONFRONTED the Republican leadership, specifically on their ABUSES of the US military for partisan political purposes in the lead up to, and execution of, the Iraq war.
We remind again the Rumsfeld-Cheney-Bush defeated the Iraq army (and Taliban in Afghanistan) WITH BILL CLINTON's ARMY, regardless of how much Rumsfeld pouted about "you go to war with the Army you have, not the Army you want." Mr. Rumsfeld, that is the most abjectly chicken**** statement we have ever heard from the Pentagon: almost NO army or navy in history has ever gone to war with all the forces they desired, and in wartime most military units operate at 1/2 strength.. OR LESS. The fact is that Bush-Rumsfeld came into office in early 2001 and immediately proceeded to DISMANTLE the Army's department of PEACEKEEPING, and instead demanded BILLIONS of federal dollars for... STAR WARS. (The militarization of space with whatever kind of weapons anyone can dream of.) Secretary Rumsfeld should bear as much responsibility for the 9-11 attacks as anyone else... not just as the ultimate head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, but in particular because NOVICE National Security Advisor SPECIFICALLY INSISTED that the CIA memorandum "Al Qaida DETERMINED TO ATTACK IN AMERICA" was personally briefed to Secretary Rumsfeld, who proceeded to do that whole bureaucratic "box of rocks" act.
That is at least TWO MAJOR FAILURES of the Bush adminstration and Secretary of Defense - an abject FAILURE to DO ANYTHING, NOT_ONE_THING to prevent the 9-11 attacks; and a myopic, blind, arrogant approach to the occupation of Iraq. (And a completely tardy effort to provide sufficient body-armor and other basic supplies for troops in that on-going battle.)
IF the Democrats DO NOT DEFINE the Republican's shortcomings and failures, THEY (the Democrats) WILL BE BLAMED FOR THEM.
Congressman Murtha has demonstrated that he is not afraid to confront those failures, although he is far too willing to concede confirmation to Robert Gates as head of the Department of Defense. Gates a former CIA Director who has played bodyguard to the secrets of the Bush 1 papers locked away from public view in the Texas A&M library.
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Pelosi backs Murtha for majority leader
By DAVID ESPO, AP Special Correspondent 45 minutes ago
WASHINGTON - Rep. Nancy Pelosi, next in line to become speaker of the House, stepped into a postelection power struggle among fellow Democrats on Sunday with a letter of support for Rep. Jack Murtha in the race to pick a majority leader.
"Your presence in the leadership of our party would add a knowledgeable and respected voice to our Democratic team," Pelosi, D-Calif., wrote Murtha. The Pennsylvania lawmaker is widely viewed as an underdog in a two-man race with Maryland Rep. Steny Hoyer (news, bio, voting record) in this week's leadership elections.
Murtha issued a statement saying, "I am deeply gratified to receive the support of Speaker Pelosi, a tireless advocate for change and a true leader for our party and our country."
Hoyer has been second-ranking in the Democratic leadership behind Pelosi the past four years. He issued a statement saying he was confident he would win the race.
"Nancy told me some time ago that she would personally support Jack. I respect her decision as the two are very close," Hoyer's statement said.
Pelosi and Hoyer have long been rivals within the party caucus, while she and Murtha are allies of long standing.
Murtha, a former Marine who is respected for his knowledge of defense issues, gained national attention last year when he said U.S. troops should be withdrawn from Iraq.
Murtha announced last fall he intended to run for majority leader if Democrats won control of the House, a pre-election jab at Hoyer at a time the Marylander was pledging support for Pelosi.
Both Hoyer and Murtha traveled on behalf of Democratic candidates during the campaign. Hoyer's office said he visited 82 congressional districts and raised or contributed $8.2 million to the party's candidates in the months leading to the elections. No comparable figures were immediately available for Murtha's efforts.
Since the election, Hoyer has released letters of support in the leadership race from senior Democrats as well as from more than half of the incoming lawmakers who won their seats last week.
In her letter, Pelosi began by noting that Murtha had requested her support. Noting his opposition to the war, she added, "Your leadership gave so many Americans, including respected military leaders, the encouragement to voice their own disapproval at a failed policy that weakens our military and makes stability in that region even more difficult to achieve."
One of Hoyer's supporters, Rep.-elect Baron Hill of Indiana, depicted Pelosi's letter as good news for the Maryland lawmaker. Hill said the letter was a statement of personal intent, adding, "She's not asking other members to vote for Murtha."
Dem. Minority Leader, soon to be Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is reported in this article to be supporting Pennsylvania Representative Jack Murtha for the position of MAJORITY LEADER. We wholeheartedly endorse this move in the "post election power struggle" because, frankly, the other front-runner for the job, Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, has done not much to make the news these past 5 years, which is to say he has not distinguished himself in OPPOSITION to the radical, reactionary agenda of the Bush White House and right-wing elements of the Republican Party.
Jack Murtha, on the other hand, HAS stood up and CONFRONTED the Republican leadership, specifically on their ABUSES of the US military for partisan political purposes in the lead up to, and execution of, the Iraq war.
We remind again the Rumsfeld-Cheney-Bush defeated the Iraq army (and Taliban in Afghanistan) WITH BILL CLINTON's ARMY, regardless of how much Rumsfeld pouted about "you go to war with the Army you have, not the Army you want." Mr. Rumsfeld, that is the most abjectly chicken**** statement we have ever heard from the Pentagon: almost NO army or navy in history has ever gone to war with all the forces they desired, and in wartime most military units operate at 1/2 strength.. OR LESS. The fact is that Bush-Rumsfeld came into office in early 2001 and immediately proceeded to DISMANTLE the Army's department of PEACEKEEPING, and instead demanded BILLIONS of federal dollars for... STAR WARS. (The militarization of space with whatever kind of weapons anyone can dream of.) Secretary Rumsfeld should bear as much responsibility for the 9-11 attacks as anyone else... not just as the ultimate head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, but in particular because NOVICE National Security Advisor SPECIFICALLY INSISTED that the CIA memorandum "Al Qaida DETERMINED TO ATTACK IN AMERICA" was personally briefed to Secretary Rumsfeld, who proceeded to do that whole bureaucratic "box of rocks" act.
That is at least TWO MAJOR FAILURES of the Bush adminstration and Secretary of Defense - an abject FAILURE to DO ANYTHING, NOT_ONE_THING to prevent the 9-11 attacks; and a myopic, blind, arrogant approach to the occupation of Iraq. (And a completely tardy effort to provide sufficient body-armor and other basic supplies for troops in that on-going battle.)
IF the Democrats DO NOT DEFINE the Republican's shortcomings and failures, THEY (the Democrats) WILL BE BLAMED FOR THEM.
Congressman Murtha has demonstrated that he is not afraid to confront those failures, although he is far too willing to concede confirmation to Robert Gates as head of the Department of Defense. Gates a former CIA Director who has played bodyguard to the secrets of the Bush 1 papers locked away from public view in the Texas A&M library.
===========================================
Pelosi backs Murtha for majority leader
By DAVID ESPO, AP Special Correspondent 45 minutes ago
WASHINGTON - Rep. Nancy Pelosi, next in line to become speaker of the House, stepped into a postelection power struggle among fellow Democrats on Sunday with a letter of support for Rep. Jack Murtha in the race to pick a majority leader.
"Your presence in the leadership of our party would add a knowledgeable and respected voice to our Democratic team," Pelosi, D-Calif., wrote Murtha. The Pennsylvania lawmaker is widely viewed as an underdog in a two-man race with Maryland Rep. Steny Hoyer (news, bio, voting record) in this week's leadership elections.
Murtha issued a statement saying, "I am deeply gratified to receive the support of Speaker Pelosi, a tireless advocate for change and a true leader for our party and our country."
Hoyer has been second-ranking in the Democratic leadership behind Pelosi the past four years. He issued a statement saying he was confident he would win the race.
"Nancy told me some time ago that she would personally support Jack. I respect her decision as the two are very close," Hoyer's statement said.
Pelosi and Hoyer have long been rivals within the party caucus, while she and Murtha are allies of long standing.
Murtha, a former Marine who is respected for his knowledge of defense issues, gained national attention last year when he said U.S. troops should be withdrawn from Iraq.
Murtha announced last fall he intended to run for majority leader if Democrats won control of the House, a pre-election jab at Hoyer at a time the Marylander was pledging support for Pelosi.
Both Hoyer and Murtha traveled on behalf of Democratic candidates during the campaign. Hoyer's office said he visited 82 congressional districts and raised or contributed $8.2 million to the party's candidates in the months leading to the elections. No comparable figures were immediately available for Murtha's efforts.
Since the election, Hoyer has released letters of support in the leadership race from senior Democrats as well as from more than half of the incoming lawmakers who won their seats last week.
In her letter, Pelosi began by noting that Murtha had requested her support. Noting his opposition to the war, she added, "Your leadership gave so many Americans, including respected military leaders, the encouragement to voice their own disapproval at a failed policy that weakens our military and makes stability in that region even more difficult to achieve."
One of Hoyer's supporters, Rep.-elect Baron Hill of Indiana, depicted Pelosi's letter as good news for the Maryland lawmaker. Hill said the letter was a statement of personal intent, adding, "She's not asking other members to vote for Murtha."
posted by verifi at 9:09 PM
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