Posted by
on Thursday, March 01, 2007 1:29:36 PM
I am the first one out the gate today, and I discovered this op-ed from Jack Murtha through Real Clear Politics. Needless to say, I think it would be best if Mr. Murtha kept his mouth shut before he upset his fellow Democrats in the House, again:
Let's revisit history. On Nov. 17, 2005, I said that the failed war policies of this administration were destroying the future of our military. I said that our military is stretched thin, that the war in Iraq is resulting in significant shortfalls at our bases in the United States and that we must rebuild our Army. I knew then that the war policies of this administration were unsustainable and that our military preparedness and strategic reserve would suffer.
After visiting Iraq in 2003, I was the one who found severe shortages in body armor and shortages in armor and spare parts for our military vehicles. I worked with my colleagues to fix these problems. Since the start of this war, Congress has provided an additional $145 billion for essential war fighting and life sustaining items which the president did not ask for but which were needed. Congress also provided funding for 30,000 extra troops as a "temporary increase in end strength" because our military asked for it.
At the beginning of the Iraq war, 80 percent of all Army units and almost 100 percent of active combat units were rated at the highest levels of readiness. Just the opposite is true today. Virtually all of our active-duty combat units at home and all of our guard units are at the lowest level of readiness.
This rates more like revisionist history rather than a revisitation of it. The armor question was dealt with rather quickly by the Pentagon once it was determined that our enemies were using IEDs against convoys, and the Humvees needed stronger armor. In fact, his assessment of a lack of armor or readiness now is a farce; a political talking point at best turned into a desperate lie from the Left.
The units are ready to be deployed, and the sheer fact he is citing Gen. Pace shows the desperation Jack Murtha is espousing. Gen. David Petreus has said his units in Iraq are quite ready, well-equipped, and doing their jobn. They do need the extra forces over there to continue a surge that has been met with a great deal of success since the new offensive began despite what the critics have been saying. But Jack Murtha and the Democrats are trying to spin it as though our troops are not up to the task. They are also lying about how much they care about the safety and well-being of the troops.
If they actually believed that, then they would not be trying to pass non-binding resolutions in an attempt to constrain the president and turn more people against the plans for victory. If they truly believed that, then they would not be sending a message to our enemies, with thier constant squabbling and attempts to micro-manage things, that this nation is divided over our efforts to destroyt them. If they truly believed that they appreciated the troops efforts, they would not be trying to "undeclare" a war they cannot, or to withdraw the troops before their mission is done.
Jack Murtha is certainly entitled to his opinion, though we would prefer it was a bit more educated than what he is presenting to the public. It is clear from his op-ed that he has an axe to grind, and a soapbox to stand on with the hopes that someone will listen to him. The Blue Dog Democrats in the House rebelled against his latest not-so-stealthy attempt to undermine the president. If he keeps this up, there is likely to be repercussions coming from his constituents and his colleagues. And when that happens, there will be no hiding behind Nancy Pelosi's skirt to protect him. He is significantly raising the ire of many of his colleagues in the House, and they appear to have had just about enough of this dishonorable cry-baby.
Marcie