Murtha, J

=morano spent a week in PA oppos res in newspapers etc Abscam, purple hearts John Murtha's past, and Moranosrchwtch: morano:<h2 style="font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0.6em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); line-height: 19.200000762939453px; background: none rgb(255, 255, 255);">First generation Swiftboater</h2>"As a reporter for the conservative Cybercast News Service from 2001 until earlier [in 2006], Morano peppered his climate reporting with skeptics' views that have surfaced as themes in [James] Inhofe's recent press attacks. Earlier this year, for example, Morano wrote about <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/NASA" title="NASA" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">NASA</a> scientist James Hansen's contributions to the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee, Sen. John Kerry (Mass.). ..."Morano, who worked as a producer in the mid-90s for radio commentator <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Rush_Limbaugh" title="Rush Limbaugh" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Rush Limbaugh</a>, was also among the first reporters to write about the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth campaign scrutinizing Kerry's Vietnam War record. And earlier this year, Morano penned an article questioning the Purple Heart medals of Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.), a leading critic of Bush's Iraq policy." <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Marc_Morano#cite_note-5" style="text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">[5]</a><h3 style="margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-style: none; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; background: none rgb(255, 255, 255);">John Kerry</h3>On May 3, 2004, Morano penned the CNS article <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.cnsnews.com/SpecialReports/archive/200405/SPE20040503a.html" style="text-decoration: none; padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">"Kerry 'Unfit to be Commander-in-Chief,' Say Former Military Colleagues"</a>. See <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Swift_Boat_Veterans_for_Truth" title="Swift Boat Veterans for Truth" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Swift Boat Veterans for Truth</a> article for details.<h3 style="margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-style: none; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">John Murtha</h3>It was also Morano, with CNS's <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Randy_Hall" title="Randy Hall" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Randy Hall</a>, who penned the January 2006, articles <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Marc_Morano#cite_note-6" style="text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[6]</a><a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Marc_Morano#cite_note-7" style="text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[7]</a> for CNSNews.com casting aspersions on Rep. <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/John_Murtha" title="John Murtha" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">John Murtha</a>'s Vietnam War record and rehashing his involvement in the early-1980s Abscam scandal. See <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Swiftboating_John_Murtha" title="Swiftboating John Murtha" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Swiftboating John Murtha</a> for details.=<table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="4" cellpadding="4" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><tbody><tr><td class="tanggalpost" style="text-align: right; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 1px;">Sunday, January 15, 2006</td></tr><tr><td class="judulpost" style="font-weight: bold;">The swiftboating of Jack Murtha</td></tr><tr><td class="isipost" style="text-align: justify; padding: 2px;"><div style="clear: both;">The HuffPo has more on the Murtha smear campaign, and its apparent <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2006/01/12/bush-admin-launched-secr_n_13713.html">origins in the West Wing</a>...

<blockquote>The Huffington Post has learned the Bush administration recently asked high ranking military leaders to denounce Congressman John Murtha. Congressman Murtha has called for the Bush Administration to withdraw US troops from Iraq.

The Bush Administration first attacked Rep. Murtha for his Iraq views by associating him with the filmmaker Michael Moore and Representative Jean Schmidt likened him to a coward on the floor of the House of Representatives. When those tactics backfired, Dick Cheney called Murtha "A good man, a marine, a patriot and he's taking a clear stand in an entirely legitimate discussion."

Though the White House has backed off publicly, administration officials have nevertheless recently made calls to military leaders to condemn the congressman. So far they have refused.</blockquote>The obvious question here would be whether any of the military leaders in question is willing to come forward and say the got such a phonecall, and then from whom. If true, this is a pretty nasty scandal.

Just to back up a bit, here's a clip from the <a href="http://www.cnsnews.com/news/viewstory.asp?Page=%5CSpecialReports%5Carchive%5C200601%5CSPE20060113a.html">January 13</a> Murtha smears story from right-wing/Bushophilic "news" site CNS News:</div><div style="clear: both;">
</div><div style="clear: both;">http://www.cnsnews.com/news/viewstory.asp?Page=%5CSpecialReports%5Carchive%5C200601%5CSPE20060113a.html  404
<blockquote>Having ascended to the national stage as one of the most vocal critics of President Bush's handling of the war in Iraq, Pennsylvania Democratic Congressman John Murtha has long downplayed the controversy and the bitterness surrounding the two Purple Hearts he was awarded for military service in Vietnam.

Murtha is a retired marine and was the first Vietnam combat veteran elected to Congress. Since 1967, there have been at least three different accounts of the injuries that purportedly earned Murtha his Purple Hearts. Those accounts also appear to conflict with the limited military records that are available, and Murtha has thus far refused to release his own military records.

A Cybercast News Service investigation also reveals that one of Murtha's former Democratic congressional colleagues and a fellow decorated Vietnam veteran, Don Bailey of Pennsylvania, alleges that Murtha admitted during an emotional conversation on the floor of the U.S. House in the early 1980s that he did not deserve his Purple Hearts.

"[Murtha] is putting himself forward as some combat veteran with serious wounds and he's using that and it's dishonest and it's wrong," Bailey told Cybercast News Service on Jan. 9. Murtha served in the Marines on active duty and in the reserves from 1952 until his retirement as a colonel in 1990. He volunteered for service in Vietnam and was a First Marine Regiment intelligence officer in 1966 and 1967.

Murtha and Bailey, once allies, were forced to run against each other in a Democratic congressional primary in 1982 following redistricting. Murtha won the election.</blockquote>And that election was bitterly fought, according to an exhaustive contemporaneous account in the <a href="http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/specialreports/2000census/lossofseats.html">Pittsburgh Tribune Review </a>and Bailey's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_A.Bailey">Wikipedia bio</a>, which also stated that after a series of failed re-runs for office, Bailey came darned near being elected to office as a Republican -- so close, that it seems misleading to characterize him as some sort of sunny fellow Democrat.

And the Swiftboating isn't Bailey's first crack at taking down Murtha. The same day CNS ran the Murtha military service smear, Bailey was the source of a was the subject of a <a href="http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewPolitics.asp?Page=%5CPolitics%5Carchive%5C200601%5CPOL20060113d.html">second story</a> by the same writers -- Marc Morano and Randy Hall -- claiming Murtha was also hiding other scandals -- of a criminal nature:
<blockquote>CNSNews.com) - Members of the press have given extensive and glowing coverage to Rep. John Murtha's criticism of the war in Iraq, but have overlooked a number of other controversies the Pennsylvania Democrat has experienced over the past 25 years. This includes his reported role as an un-indicted co-conspirator in the Abscam bribery scandal of the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Murtha has denied any wrongdoing, but Cybercast News Service has learned that one of Murtha's former allies, a Democratic congressman who served on the House Ethics Committee in 1981 and says he lobbied colleagues not to censure Murtha, now believes Murtha lied to him about his role in Abscam. ...

... Since Murtha's Nov. 17, 2005, call for an immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, one CNN anchor has called him "one of the most highly respected members of Congress," the Associated Press has referred to Murtha as "one of Congress' most hawkish Democrats," and ABC News has noted that he is "a decorated marine who served in Vietnam."

But a search of the Nexis online database by Cybercast News Service found only three newspaper articles over the past two months connecting Murtha with the FBI's Abscam (short for "Arab scam") sting operation that led to the arrest of several congressmen for accepting bribes.

According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, "Murtha was one of eight members of Congress lured to a Washington, D.C., townhouse by a team of FBI agents posing as representatives of a fictitious Arab sheik. They handed out briefcases filled with $50,000 in return for helping the sheik gain residency in the United States."

Noting that Murtha "is not squeaky clean," the Brattleboro, Vt., Reformer reported that the congressman "did not take the cash" offered by the agents. Instead, "he asked the fake sheik to consider investing some money in his struggling home town, Johnstown."

The Washington Post referred to the incident as "an ethical scrape" in which Murtha was "named as an unindicted co-conspirator and testified against two House colleagues."

But, a videotape of a Jan. 7, 1980 Abscam-related meeting involving Murtha shows that the congressman's rejection of the offered bribe was less than definite. "I'm not interested. I'm sorry," Murtha told the FBI agent, but added that he meant "at this point. <a href="http://www.cnsnews.com/cns/video/2005/FBIAbscamMurtha.wvx">See Video</a>.

"You know, we do business for a while, maybe I'll be interested, maybe I won't," Murtha said on the FBI videotape.

The congressman told the undercover FBI agent that he was a member of the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct and acknowledged: "If you get into heat with politicians, there's no amount of money that can help."

In November 1980, the Justice Department announced that Murtha would not face prosecution for his part in the scandal. "I did not consider that any money was offered, and certainly none was taken," Murtha told reporters. "The FBI who taped the entire conversation knows damn well no money changed hands."

Eight months later, the House ethics panel also chose not to file charges against the Pennsylvania Democrat. ...</blockquote>Bailey also claims that he "saved Murtha" from censure or worse at the hands of Congress...
<blockquote>"I worked hard, and I argued," and members of the committee "agreed with me," Bailey stated. "Part of my argument was that the FBI was overdoing it and there wasn't evidence that [Murtha] was doing anything wrong."

In 1982, as a result of congressional redistricting, Murtha and Bailey were forced to run against each other in a Democratic primary. Murtha emerged the winner.

In 2002, Murtha's ethics again became an issue in the congressional election. Bailey issued a <a href="http://www.politicspa.com/FEATURES/baileylttomurtha.htm" target="blank">public letter</a>, the contents of which have been published on the Internet and confirmed by Bailey. In the letter, Bailey admits that his opinion about Murtha's involvement in Abscam had dramatically changed by 2002.

"I was, to be honest, critical about how you misled me about Abscam where you convinced me you had voluntarily told federal agents about the offer of money to you," Bailey wrote Murtha in the letter.

"I learned later, after I had successfully defeated the ethics charges against you, that you had merely manipulated the system to cooperate with federal agents to avoid prosecution," Bailey added.

On Jan. 9, Bailey told Cybercast News Service that he now believes Murtha was "pretty damn stupid" during the Abscam sting.

"The idea that somebody is going to trot out $50,000 in cash in front of you and you don't know that is wrong is pretty damn stupid to me," Bailey said. "What bankers or investors run around with $50,000 in cash?"

Just hours after the July 1981 House Ethic Committee vote sparing Murtha from charges, E. Barrett Prettyman, Jr., special counsel for the panel's Abscam investigation, abruptly resigned. At the time, Prettyman refused to discuss with the press his reasons for stepping down.

When contacted by Cybercast News Service regarding the investigation, Prettyman called the Murtha situation "very interesting," but declined further comment, citing the need to maintain attorney-client privilege.</blockquote>The CNS article then goes on to accuse Murtha of undercutting the power of federal law enforcement, and whines that opponents of the war are turned into "Instantaneous heroes" by the media...

Meanwhile, the inimitable Murray Waas writes about GOP ties of one of Murtha's accusers, and the sloppy reporting of the WaPo's Howard Kurtz and his writing partner for their version of the Murtha smear:
<blockquote>The Washington Post yesterday morning gives <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/13/AR2006011301736.html">major play</a> to an attack of Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) on the website of the (until now) obscure Cybercast News Service. It accuses Murtha -- who had won eight military awards, including a Bronze star, and a Distinguished Service Medal of the United States Marine Corps, for his 37 years of military service -- of purportedly saying that he had not deserved to win two Purple Hearts also awarded him for his service during the Vietnam war.

The <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/13/AR2006011301736.html">Post story</a>, by reporters Howard Kurtz and Shallagh Murray, quotes extensively David Thibault, the editor in chief of the (who ever heard of them before the Washington Post decided to give them such prominence?) Cybercast News Service, as saying that Murtha's medals from 1967 are relevant now "because the congressman has really put himself in the forefront of the antiwar movement."

But the article tells us very little about Thibault himself. Had the reporters done a simple Internet search, they would have discovered <a href="http://www.cnsnews.com/corporate/staffbios.asp">this biography</a> of Thibault <a href="http://www.cnsnews.com/corporate/staffbios.asp">posted online</a> which describes him as a "senior producer for a televised news magazine" broadcast and sponsored by the Republican National Committee. I dunno, but I for one, would have wanted to know that. ...</blockquote>There's more. Read it all <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/murray-waas/the-washington-post_b_13860.html">here</a>.

And one more thing: Could the boys at CNS have been inspired to challenge Murtha's war hero status by a December 1 column by none other than <a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/200512020002">Ann Coulter</a>? Sure would shine an interesting light on their "journalism" (and Howard Kurtz's judgment) if they did...

Related: Murtha tells '60 Minutes' why and when we're <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/01/13/60minutes/main1208423.shtml">getting out of Iraq</a>... And the 'party of patriotism and the military" smears another veteran, says <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/20060115/cm_huffpost/013866;ylt=A86.I1oducpDpf8AURj9wxIF;ylu=X3oDMTBjMHVqMTQ4BHNlYwN5bnN1YmNhdA--">Bob Cesca</a>.<a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/20060115/cm_huffpost/013866;ylt=A86.I1oducpDpf8AURj9wxIF;ylu=X3oDMTBjMHVqMTQ4BHNlYwN5bnN1YmNhdA--"><img alt="Link" src="http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif" border="0" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 6px; background-color: rgb(241, 241, 241);" /></a></div></td></tr></tbody></table>http://m.newsbusters.org/blogs/tim-graham/2006/01/14/more-murtha-cnsnews-com-suggests-he-has-kerry-purple-heart-storiesnewsbusters:<h1 id="page-title" style="font-size: 1.3em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">More On Murtha: CNSNews.com Suggests He Has Kerry-Like Purple Heart Stories</h1><div id="node-3593" class="node node-promoted node-blog" role="article" style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; clear: both; font-size: 17px;">By <a href="http://m.newsbusters.org/bios/tim-graham.html" title="View user profile." style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;">Tim Graham</a> | January 14, 2006 | 09:29<div id="content-inner" style="overflow: auto;"><div class="user-picture" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div>Marc Morano and Randy Hall at <a href="http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewSpecialReports.asp?Page=\SpecialReports\archive\200601\SPE20060113a.html" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">CNSNews.com</a> also discovered that John Murtha has a past resembling John Kerry in telling different stories about his war wounds and a politicized process at seeking out Purple Hearts for surface wounds that did not require evacuation from the combat zone:<blockquote dir="ltr" style="quotes: ''; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px 0px 0px 3em;">A Cybercast News Service investigation also reveals that one of Murtha's former Democratic congressional colleagues and a fellow decorated Vietnam veteran, Don Bailey of Pennsylvania, alleges that Murtha admitted during an emotional conversation on the floor of the U.S. House in the early 1980s that he did not deserve his Purple Hearts."[Murtha] is putting himself forward as some combat veteran with serious wounds and he's using that and it's dishonest and it's wrong," Bailey told Cybercast News Service on Jan. 9. Murtha served in the Marines on active duty and in the reserves from 1952 until his retirement as a colonel in 1990. He volunteered for service in Vietnam and was a First Marine Regiment intelligence officer in 1966 and 1967.
Murtha and Bailey, once allies, were forced to run against each other in a Democratic congressional primary in 1982 following redistricting. Murtha won the election.Murtha has, in the past, publicly dismissed any questions about whether he deserved his two Purple Hearts, noting during his 1994 congressional campaign that "I am proud of my service in Vietnam."
In his Friday, Jan. 13, response to the Cybercast News Service investigation, Murtha again defended his military record."Questions about my record are clearly an attempt to distract attention from the real issue, which is that our brave men and women in uniform are dying and being injured every day in the middle of a civil war that can be resolved only by the Iraqis themselves," Murtha wrote in an email response.
"I volunteered for a year's duty in Vietnam. I was out in the field almost every single day. We took heavy casualties in my regiment the year that I was there. In my fitness reports, I was rated No. 1. My record is clear," Murtha added.
However, another source, World War II Navy veteran Harry M. Fox, previously indicated that Murtha in 1968 personally asked Fox's boss, then-U.S. Rep. John Saylor (R-Pa.), for assistance in obtaining the Purple Hearts, but was turned down because Saylor's office determined that Murtha lacked sufficient evidence of wounds. Murtha later challenged Saylor for his House seat in 1968 and lost. Fox said he personally viewed Murtha's military records in 1968 as Saylor's aide.
When Saylor died in 1973, Fox attempted to succeed his boss in Congress, but was narrowly defeated by Murtha in a 1974 special election."Pretending to be a big war hero and boasting about having medals is a slap in the face to our veterans who were seriously wounded or killed in action," Fox was quoted as telling the Uniontown Herald-Standard in the newspaper's Nov. 1, 1996 edition. "He campaigned as a war hero and I've never seen any documentation that he earned any of these honors," Fox reportedly stated.
On Friday, Jan. 13, Murtha's congressional communications director provided Cybercast News Service with a copy of a letter from the commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, citing Murtha's request of Sept. 26, 1967, seeking Purple Hearts. Cybercast News Service did not authenticate the letter.
"The records of this Headquarters show that you are entitled to the Purple Heart and a Gold Star in lieu of a second Purple Heart for wounds received in action against insurgent Communist Guerrilla forces on 22 March and 7 May 1967 in the Republic of Vietnam," according to the letter signed by an individual identified only as A. Gardoni. Gardoni's title is not listed on the letter.
Cybercast News Service attempted to contact Fox for this article, but learned that the health of the 81-year-old was too poor to allow him to communicate. But in a 1996 newspaper article, Fox questioned whether Murtha deserved his Purple Hearts, alleging that there was insufficient evidence of injuries and that Murtha was never confined to a hospital
"Of course Congressman Saylor wanted to help if he could, but there was nothing in the service record to indicate the wounds were of any severity and the documents specifically indicated that next of kin was not notified in either instance," Fox told the Herald-Standard in 1996. "We were amazed that Mr. Murtha was asking for Purple Hearts for superficial lacerations," he added.
Murtha's accounts of his Vietnam War wounds may also conflict with the available U.S. Marine medical records obtained by the media.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on May 12, 2002, reported that "Marine Corps casualty records show that Murtha was injured in 'hostile' actions near Danang, Vietnam, on March 22, 1967, and May 7, 1967.
"In the first incident, his right cheek was lacerated, and in the second, he was lacerated above his left eye. Neither injury required evacuation," the Post-Gazette reported.But an Oct. 26, 1994, article in the Herald-Standard quoted Murtha as describing two different injuries.
"I was wounded in the arm with shrapnel from a bullet that hit the motor mount of a helicopter. In the other, my knee was banged up and my arm was banged up when a helicopter was shot down from a very few feet," Murtha told the Herald-Standard.
A June 1, 1967 report in the Johnstown Tribune-Democrat quoted a letter that the newspaper indicated was sent by Murtha to his wife that same year. The letter apparently detailed yet another version of how Murtha qualified for one of his Purple Hearts. According to the Johnstown Tribune-Democrat, Murtha's injuries involved his being "struck in the ankle" by a "shot that ricocheted off the helicopter."</blockquote></div></div>404 cns but freeper re-post:<a id="top" target="self" href="http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1557630/posts" style="color: rgb(224, 0, 64); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; text-decoration: none;">Murtha's War Hero Status Called Into Question</a> <a href="http://www.freerepublic.com/%5Ehttp://www.cnsnews.com/ViewSpecialReports.asp?Page=/SpecialReports/archive/200601/SPE20060113a.html" target="blank" style="color: rgb(224, 0, 64);">cnsnews.com ^</a> | 1/13/05 | By Marc Morano and Randy Hall  Posted on 1/13/2006 11:53:53 AM by <a href="http://www.freerepublic.com/_paltz/" title="Since 1999-09-23" style="color: rgb(224, 0, 64);">paltz</a>(CNSNews.com) - Having ascended to the national stage as one of the most vocal critics of President Bush's handling of the war in Iraq, Pennsylvania Democratic Congressman John Murtha has long downplayed the controversy and the bitterness surrounding the two Purple Hearts he was awarded for military service in Vietnam.Murtha is a retired marine and was the first Vietnam combat veteran elected to Congress. Since 1967, there have been at least three different accounts of the injuries that purportedly earned Murtha his Purple Hearts. Those accounts also appear to conflict with the limited military records that are available, and Murtha has thus far refused to release his own military records.A Cybercast News Service investigation also reveals that one of Murtha's former Democratic congressional colleagues and a fellow decorated Vietnam veteran, Don Bailey of Pennsylvania, alleges that Murtha admitted during an emotional conversation on the floor of the U.S. House in the early 1980s that he did not deserve his Purple Hearts."[Murtha] is putting himself forward as some combat veteran with serious wounds and he's using that and it's dishonest and it's wrong," Bailey told Cybercast News Service on Jan. 9. Murtha served in the Marines on active duty and in the reserves from 1952 until his retirement as a colonel in 1990. He volunteered for service in Vietnam and was a First Marine Regiment intelligence officer in 1966 and 1967.Murtha and Bailey, once allies, were forced to run against each other in a Democratic congressional primary in 1982 following redistricting. Murtha won the election.Murtha has, in the past, publicly dismissed any questions about whether he deserved his two Purple Hearts, noting during his 1994 congressional campaign that "I am proud of my service in Vietnam."In his Friday, Jan. 13, response to the Cybercast News Service investigation, Murtha again defended his military record."Questions about my record are clearly an attempt to distract attention from the real issue, which is that our brave men and women in uniform are dying and being injured every day in the middle of a civil war that can be resolved only by the Iraqis themselves," Murtha wrote in an email response."I volunteered for a year's duty in Vietnam. I was out in the field almost every single day. We took heavy casualties in my regiment the year that I was there. In my fitness reports, I was rated No. 1. My record is clear," Murtha added.However, another source, World War II Navy veteran Harry M. Fox, previously indicated that Murtha in 1968 personally asked Fox's boss, then-U.S. Rep. John Saylor (R-Pa.), for assistance in obtaining the Purple Hearts, but was turned down because Saylor's office determined that Murtha lacked sufficient evidence of wounds. Murtha later challenged Saylor for his House seat in 1968 and lost. Fox said he personally viewed Murtha's military records in 1968 as Saylor's aide.When Saylor died in 1973, Fox attempted to succeed his boss in Congress, but was narrowly defeated by Murtha in a 1974 special election."Pretending to be a big war hero and boasting about having medals is a slap in the face to our veterans who were seriously wounded or killed in action," Fox was quoted as telling the Uniontown Herald-Standard in the newspaper's Nov. 1, 1996 edition. "He campaigned as a war hero and I've never seen any documentation that he earned any of these honors," Fox reportedly stated.On Friday, Jan. 13, Murtha's congressional communications director provided Cybercast News Service with a copy of a letter from the commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, citing Murtha's request of Sept. 26, 1967, seeking Purple Hearts. Cybercast News Service did not authenticate the letter."The records of this Headquarters show that you are entitled to the Purple Heart and a Gold Star in lieu of a second Purple Heart for wounds received in action against insurgent Communist Guerrilla forces on 22 March and 7 May 1967 in the Republic of Vietnam," according to the letter signed by an individual identified only as A. Gardoni. Gardoni's title is not listed on the letter.Cybercast News Service attempted to contact Fox for this article, but learned that the health of the 81-year-old was too poor to allow him to communicate. But in a 1996 newspaper article, Fox questioned whether Murtha deserved his Purple Hearts, alleging that there was insufficient evidence of injuries and that Murtha was never confined to a hospital."Of course Congressman Saylor wanted to help if he could, but there was nothing in the service record to indicate the wounds were of any severity and the documents specifically indicated that next of kin was not notified in either instance," Fox told the Herald-Standard in 1996. "We were amazed that Mr. Murtha was asking for Purple Hearts for superficial lacerations," he added.Murtha's accounts of his Vietnam War wounds may also conflict with the available U.S. Marine medical records obtained by the media.The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on May 12, 2002, reported that "Marine Corps casualty records show that Murtha was injured in 'hostile' actions near Danang, Vietnam, on March 22, 1967, and May 7, 1967."In the first incident, his right cheek was lacerated, and in the second, he was lacerated above his left eye. Neither injury required evacuation," the Post-Gazette reported.But an Oct. 26, 1994, article in the Herald-Standard quoted Murtha as describing two different injuries."I was wounded in the arm with shrapnel from a bullet that hit the motor mount of a helicopter. In the other, my knee was banged up and my arm was banged up when a helicopter was shot down from a very few feet," Murtha told the Herald-Standard.A June 1, 1967 report in the Johnstown Tribune-Democrat quoted a letter that the newspaper indicated was sent by Murtha to his wife that same year. The letter apparently detailed yet another version of how Murtha qualified for one of his Purple Hearts. According to the Johnstown Tribune-Democrat, Murtha's injuries involved his being "struck in the ankle" by a "shot that ricocheted off the helicopter."Murtha, a 16-term congressman from southwestern Pennsylvania and the senior Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, drew national attention on Nov. 17, 2005, when he called for an immediate withdrawal of American forces from Iraq.The Vietnam veteran even took a swipe at President Bush and Vice President Cheney, neither of whom have actual combat experience."I like guys who've never been there, who criticize us who've been there," Murtha said. "I like that. I like guys who got five deferments and never been there and sent people to war and then don't like to hear suggestions that what may need to be done."Murtha discussed his own combat experience as a marine intelligence officer in his 2004 autobiography, "From Vietnam to 9/11: On the Front Lines of National Security.""I had been awake more than twenty-four hours by the time we landed. A few hours into the battle, an on-again-off-again event, I could no longer keep my eyes open. I curled up next to a bunker and fell into a deep sleep for about an hour. Even the noise of frequent gunfire didn't wake me up. (One of my fellow officers told me the next morning that when he hadn't seen me for an hour or so, he assumed I was dead,)" Murtha wrote of one of his Vietnam combat experiences on page 14 of the 2004 paperback edition of his book. Murtha's two Purple Hearts are referenced on the back of the book.In addition to his Purple Hearts, Murtha received the Vietnamese Cross for Gallantry and the Bronze Star with combat "V" for service in the 1st Marine Division in Vietnam. Murtha also served in the Marines during the Korean War but did not serve in Korea, according to his book.'He's a phony and a liar'Bailey said during the time Murtha was being investigated for his role in the Abscam FBI sting in 1980, Murtha made a confession on the House floor.... you admitted, back in our corner, that you didn't earn your purple hearts (sic) (you indicated you had small scratch on your cheek that wasn't even directly related to an APC [Armored Personnel Carrier] that ran over a small antipersonnel mine that was behind you). The other purple heart [sic] you even declined to explain," wrote Bailey in an open letter dated May 5, 2002.Bailey is also a decorated Vietnam combat veteran. He served in the U.S. Army's 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions and was awarded a Silver Star and three Bronze Stars."At the time (of Murtha's alleged admission), you were feeling particularly vulnerable because it wasn't too long after you had called me crying and sobbing, thanking me for 'saving your life' before the ethics committee (on Abscam-related charges). There was no doubt in my mind that you were expressing to me that you did not believe you did anything sufficient to earn the purple heart [sic] and that you didn't want to be active in my efforts to laud Vietnam veterans that served with us," Bailey wrote in his May 2002 letter."You may deny that all you wish -- but you and I know that that conversation took place," he added.In the Jan. 9 interview with Cybercast News Service Bailey affirmed the contents of his 2002 letter."The issue here is this idea or pretense that [Murtha] knows combat and he's got two Purple Hearts. He's a phony and a liar," Bailey said.Bailey also questioned why Murtha has thus far declined to release his full military records in order to clear up the controversy."The Marine Corps ought to be able to produce all the orders, the medical stuff, the citations and the orders granting [the Purple Hearts] and everything else. Where is that stuff?" he asked.According to a May 16, 2002, edition of the Washington, Pa., Observer-Reporter, Murtha "produced military paperwork indicating he was entitled to the awards," and a Murtha spokesperson was quoted as saying that "the media for years has investigated 'and found nothing.'"But Murtha's paperwork did nothing to sway Bailey's opinion."You may fool a few reporters into believing that merely because you got some perfunctory paperwork made out by a friend, that that means you earned the purple hearts [sic]. But even if you were awarded the medals later, there should be affidavits from witnesses. These things should be easy to get," Bailey wrote in his letter while demanding an apology from Murtha for questioning his credibility.Murtha could end the controversy at any time, Bailey added, simply by calling a press conference and producing the evidence of his wounds."Explain where you were and what you were doing when you got the purple hearts.[sic] Explain who was with you and treated your wounds, but most important, Jack, describe your wounds or the lack thereof, as you did for me, years ago," Bailey wrote."Unless the Marine Corps gives out medals for unsubstantiated noncombat-related telltale scratches, procured for use in political campaign -- then show me the money, Jack," Bailey added.Murtha: 'I'm proud of my service in Vietnam'During the 1994 congressional campaign against GOP opponent Dr. William Choby, Murtha's two Purple Hearts became a political issue."Explain your Purple Hearts. He (Murtha) used them to get elected," Choby charged in 1994.In responding to the charges, Murtha claimed that he "didn't ask for the Purple Hearts."I'm proud of my service in Vietnam. I don't know if he (Choby) served in the service at all. I left my family and my business to serve in Vietnam. My family made great sacrifice for me to make that service in Vietnam, so I'm very proud of that," he told the Uniontown Herald-Standard in the newspaper's Oct. 26, 1994 edition."I am disappointed that a guy (Choby) would say something like that when I volunteered in the reserves and I felt it was important that I go. What's the point in all this? It's irritating," Murtha added.Choby also challenged the validity of Murtha's Bronze Star with Combat 'V' during the 1996 congressional campaign."I find it very curious that Combat 'V' doesn't even exist in any of the materials he had distributed," Choby was quoted as saying in the Herald-Standard of Oct. 13, 1996. "His military record improves over the years," he added.The Murtha controversy is reminiscent of the flap surrounding the war record of 2004 Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry. But while critics like the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth attacked Kerry in 2004 because of his anti-war activism of the 1970s, Murtha's three chief accusers all made their allegations years and in some cases decades before Murtha emerged last November as a prominent anti-war activist.Choby told Cybercast News Service on Jan. 5 that Murtha's entire political career is based on his war record. "Without that credibility of those combat medals, he would have never been elected to office," Choby said.(Monisha Bansal also contributed to this article.)Read Article About Murtha's Links to Abscam <hr noshade="1" size="1" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';" />TOPICS: <a href="http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/breaking-news/index" style="color: rgb(224, 0, 64); font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Breaking News</a>; <a href="http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/news-news/index" style="color: rgb(224, 0, 64); font-family: 'Times New Roman';">News/Current Events</a>; <a href="http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/wot-news/index" style="color: rgb(224, 0, 64); font-family: 'Times New Roman';">War on Terror</a> KEYWORDS: <a href="http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/109th/index" style="color: rgb(224, 0, 64); font-family: 'Times New Roman';">109th</a>; <a href="http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/abscam/index" style="color: rgb(224, 0, 64); font-family: 'Times New Roman';">abscam</a>; <a href="http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/anotherpurpleowie/index" style="color: rgb(224, 0, 64); font-family: 'Times New Roman';">anotherpurpleowie</a>; <a href="http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/cnsnews/index" style="color: rgb(224, 0, 64); font-family: 'Times New Roman';">cnsnews</a>; <a href="http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/exmarine/index" style="color: rgb(224, 0, 64); font-family: 'Times New Roman';">exmarine</a>; <a href="http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/foundkerrysmedals/index" style="color: rgb(224, 0, 64); font-family: 'Times New Roman';">foundkerrysmedals</a>; <a href="http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/liar/index" style="color: rgb(224, 0, 64); font-family: 'Times New Roman';">liar</a>; <a href="http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/murtha/index" style="color: rgb(224, 0, 64); font-family: 'Times New Roman';">murtha</a>; <a href="http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/murthamedals/index" style="color: rgb(224, 0, 64); font-family: 'Times New Roman';">murthamedals</a>; <a href="http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/phony/index" style="color: rgb(224, 0, 64); font-family: 'Times New Roman';">phony</a>; <a href="http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/phonyandaliar/index" style="color: rgb(224, 0, 64); font-family: 'Times New Roman';">phonyandaliar</a>; <a href="http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/purpleheart/index" style="color: rgb(224, 0, 64); font-family: 'Times New Roman';">purpleheart</a>; <a href="http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/purplehearts/index" style="color: rgb(224, 0, 64); font-family: 'Times New Roman';">purplehearts</a>=david horowitz; discover the networks:<ul style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><li style="list-style-position: inside; padding-left: 16px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Former Democratic Congressman from Pennsylvania</li><li style="list-style-position: inside; padding-left: 16px;">Called Iraq War "un-winnable" and described U.S. military as a "catalyst for violence" [true]</li><li style="list-style-position: inside; padding-left: 16px;">Claimed that U.S. Marines committed "murder" in Haditha [they admitted to killings]</li><li style="list-style-position: inside; padding-left: 16px;">Died February 8, 2010</li></ul>

John “Jack” Murtha, a <a href="http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/groupProfile.asp?grpid=6214" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Democrat</a> from western Pennsylvania’s Twelfth District, was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1974 to 2010. Prior to his stint in Congress, he spent five years in the Pennsylvania legislature.

Born in June 1932, Murtha enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps at age 20. After completing his military service, he relocated to Johnstown, Pennsylvania and remained active in the Marine Corps Reserve. He attended the University of Pittsburgh on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GI_Bill" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">G.I. Bill</a>, graduating with a degree in economics in 1962. In 1966 he volunteered for service in the Vietnam War. Upon returning, he began his career in politics.

In the early 1980s, Murtha was named as an “unindicted co-conspirator” in the so-called “Abscam” investigation of legislative corruption. In that case, undercover FBI agents posed as a fictitious Arab sheikh and his retinue, and offered bribes to members of the House and Senate in exchange for political favors to a non-existent sheikh named “Kambir Abdul Rahman.” The legislators -- one of whom was Murtha -- were asked to: (a) help “Rahman” purchase asylum in the United States; (b) help him transfer his financial assets out of his country; and (c) get involved in a potentially lucrative investment scheme.

An FBI videotape captured Murtha, then a member of the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, <a href="http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/Articles/John%20Murtha%20Caving%20In%20to%20Arabs%20Since.html" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">telling</a> the agent: “When I make a f*in’ deal I want to make sure that I know exactly what I’m doing and ... what I’m sayin’ is, a few investments in my district ...”  Murtha <a href="http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/Articles/John%20Murtha%20Caving%20In%20to%20Arabs%20Since.html" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">emphasized</a> that he wanted to give those investments the appearance of having been made “legitimately ... when I say legitimately, I'm talking about so these bastards up here can’t say to me ... ‘Jesus Christ, ah, this happened,’ then he [someone else], in order to get immunity so he doesn’t go to jail, he starts talking and fingering people and then the son of a bitch all falls apart.”

Ultimately Murtha rejected the bribe but not the possibility of future payment: “You know, we do business for a while, maybe I'll be interested, maybe I won’t,” Murtha <a href="http://www.crosswalk.com/news/1373165.html" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">said</a> on the tape. Murtha himself avoided prosecution by testifying against two House colleagues targeted in the FBI sting.

This was not Murtha’s only involvement in financial chicanery. In 2004 the congressman steered<a href="http://spectator.org/archives/2006/02/02/murky-jack-murtha" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">more than $20 million in federal appropriations</a> to at least ten companies represented by KSA consulting, a lobbying firm where Murtha’s brother, Robert “Kit” Murtha, is a senior partner, and where a former aide for Murtha is a top official.[why didn't morano use this?]

After the U.S. invasion of Iraq in March 2003, Murtha cultivated a reputation as one of Congress’ most vocal critics of the war effort. Initially (in <a href="http://www.ontheissues.org/PA/John_Murtha_War+Peace.htm" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">October 2002</a>) he voted to authorize America’s use of military force against Iraq, albeit grudgingly: “I only voted for it,” he explained, “because I [had] said to [Vice President] Cheney and the President, ‘You have to go to the <a href="http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/groupProfile.asp?grpid=7147" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">U.N.</a>,’ and when they did that, what the hell could I do?”

During the second term of the Bush administration, Murtha consistently assailed the manner in which the Iraq War was prosecuted. At a May 2004 news conference with Rep. <a href="http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/individualProfile.asp?indid=1248http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/individualProfile.asp?indid=1248" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Nancy Pelosi</a>, Murtha<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/05/06/murtha.iraq/" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">asserted </a>that the Bush administration’s strategy in Iraq had made the war “un-winnable.” At the same time, he acknowledged that “[i]t would be devastating to pull out now.”

But in a <a href="http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/pa12_murtha/pr051117iraq.html" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">November 2005 statement</a>, Murtha reversed his position on the matter of troop withdrawal. Describing the military as “stretched thin,” the congressman alleged that “the Army is broken”; that the “future of our military is at risk”; and that “the presence of U.S. troops in Iraq” was not only “impeding … progress” there, but was acting as a “catalyst for violence.”

In May 2006 Murtha reacted swiftly and angrily to unsubstantiated allegations that a squad of eight U.S. Marines had killed, without cause, up to two-dozen unarmed civilians in the Iraqi town of Haditha. The congressman appeared on <a href="http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/groupProfile.asp?grpid=6986" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none;">ABC</a>’s This Week program, where he <a href="http://www.iowapresidentialwatch.com/pages/MurthaHadithaTimeline.htm" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none;">said</a> that the Marines had “overreacted because of the pressure on them and they killed innocent civilians in cold blood.” “There’s no question in my mind about what happened here,” declared Murtha. “There was no gunfire [from the Iraqis]. They [the American Marines] killed four people in a taxi and then in addition to that, they went into the rooms and killed them.” He further alleged that the U.S. military was trying to “cover up” what had occurred in Haditha.

In the May 17, 2006 edition of Hardball with <a href="http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/individualProfile.asp?indid=1759" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Chris Matthews</a>, Matthews said to Murtha: “[W]hen you say cold blood, Congressman, a lot of people think you're basically saying you have got some civilians sitting in a room or out in a field and they're executed just on purpose.” Murtha <a href="http://www.iowapresidentialwatch.com/pages/MurthaHadithaTimeline.htm" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">replied</a>, “That’s exactly what happened.”

By June 2008, it had become apparent that Murtha’s allegations against the eight Marines were entirely unfounded. Charges had been dismissed against six of the eight, while a seventh had been acquitted. Moreover, two of the Marines <a href="http://wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=67434" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">filed</a> defamation and <a href="http://kdka.com/local/Marine.Murtha.Slander.2.825039.html" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">slander</a> <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/01/AR2006080101345.html" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">suits</a> against Murtha.

In <a href="http://ontheissues.org/PA/John_Murtha_War+Peace.htm" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">June 2006</a> Murtha voted NO on a congressional proposal to formally declare that Iraq was a crucial theater in the overall war on terror, and that the setting of a firm withdrawal date for U.S. troops would be unwise.

In October 2006 Murtha voted to withdraw all U.S. troops from Iraq at the earliest practicable date.

In early 2007 Murtha spoke out against the Bush administration’s planned troop “surge” -- where an additional 21,500 soldiers would be deployed to Iraq in an effort to quell the insurgency there. Vowing “to stop this surge,” Murtha <a href="http://www.crosswalk.com/news/11529862/" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">stated</a> that “surges have not worked in the past” because enemy forces “disappear, and then they come back later on. To think that a surge will work is, in my estimation, false thinking.” Instead, he argued, “we have to turn this [war effort] over to the Iraqis.”

In <a href="http://ontheissues.org/PA/John_Murtha_War+Peace.htm" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">May 2007</a> Murtha voted YES on beginning to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq within 90 days.

In February 2008 the taxpayer watchdog group Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW), which promotes fiscal responsibility and federal earmarks reform, named Murtha as Congress’ 2007 “<a href="http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/Murtha_Named_Top_Porker_i/2008/02/21/74372.html" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none;">Porker of the Year</a>” -- “for flouting the rules and playing games with reform, while filing spending bills with pork and arrogantly threatening anyone that challenges his authority.” According to CAGW, Murtha had secured 72 earmarks worth $149.2 million for his district in fiscal year 2007. “Rep. Jack Murtha has long been known inside the Beltway for using threats, power plays, and backroom deals to control spending decisions,” <a href="http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/Murtha_Named_Top_Porker_i/2008/02/21/74372.html" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">CAGW said</a>. “There is an area of the House floor known as ‘Murtha’s corner,’ where the legendary appropriator dispenses earmarks. The overwhelming vote for Porker of the Year vote shows that his shameful behavior is attracting attention throughout the country.”

Further questions about Murtha’s ethics as regards his use (or misuse) of taxpayer money were raised by the expenses associated with the John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County Airport in Johnstown, Pennsylvania -- the congressman's home district. <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,551680,00.html" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">This facility is equipped with</a> a $7 million air-traffic-control tower, a $14 million hangar, and an $18 million, state-of-the-art runway. As a result of Murtha’s influence, more than $150 million in taxpayer funds were funneled to this airport between 1999 and 2009, including $800,000 (from the February 2009 stimulus bill) which was allocated for repaving an "alternate runway." Notwithstanding these massive expenditures, only 3 flights per day originate from Murtha’s airport; all 3 go to Washington, DC.

In June 2008 Murtha voted "Yes" on a resolution drawn up by congressman <a href="http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/individualProfile.asp?indid=630" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Dennis Kucinich</a> to investigate the feasibility of impeaching President Bush for “high crimes and misdemeanors.”

In the 2008 Democratic primaries, Murtha endorsed Senator <a href="http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/individualProfile.asp?indid=18" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Hillary Clinton</a> for President. After Mrs. Clinton lost her party’s nomination to Illinois Senator <a href="http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/individualProfile.asp?indid=1511" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Barack Obama</a>, Murtha voiced his support for the latter.

On October 15, 2008, Murtha courted controversy when he accused voters in his home district of Pennsylvania of being racists because, in his estimation, they were not supporting Obama’s candidacy in adequate numbers (though Obama was in fact leading in the polls). “I think Obama is going to win, but I don’t think it's going to be a runaway,” Murtha <a href="http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08289/920064-100.stm" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">said</a>. “There is no question that western Pennsylvania is a racist area,” he added. “The older population is more hesitant [to embrace a black candidate].”

Murtha’s remarks <a href="http://www.mcall.com/news/local/all-a1_5race.6638769oct22,0,133283.story" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">drew considerable media attention</a>, and the congressman issued an ambiguous <a href="http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08290/920412-100.stm" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">apology</a> the next day: "It's [the racism is] better than it was a few weeks ago. It's better than it was a few months ago."

The following week, in an October 20 interview with a local news channel, Murtha sought to further<a href="http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/news/17764334/detail.html" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">clarify</a> his remarks: “What I mean is there’s still folks that have a problem voting for someone because they are black.... This whole area, years ago, was really redneck.”

On February 8, 2010, Murtha died of complications from gallbladder surgery at <a href="http://topics.breitbart.com/Virginia+Hospital+Center/" class=" lingo_link lingo_link_hidden" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Virginia Hospital Center</a> in <a href="http://topics.breitbart.com/Arlington/" class=" lingo_link lingo_link_hidden" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Arlington.</a>

Following is an overview of Murtha’s policy positions and voting record on key pieces of legislation during his years in the House of Representatives:

Abortion and the Rights of the Unborn: Murtha largely breaks from the Democratic Party stance on the issue of abortion. In <a href="http://www.ontheissues.org/PA/John_Murtha_Abortion.htm" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">April 2000</a> and <a href="http://www.ontheissues.org/PA/John_Murtha_Abortion.htm" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">October 2003</a>, he voted in favor of legislation to ban the late-term abortion procedure commonly known as partial-birth abortion. In <a href="http://www.ontheissues.org/PA/John_Murtha_Abortion.htm" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">February 2004</a> he voted for the Unborn Victims of Violence Act, which proposed to make it an added criminal offense for someone to injure or kill a fetus while carrying out a crime against a pregnant woman.

Marriage: In <a href="http://www.ontheissues.org/PA/John_Murtha_Civil_Rights.htm" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">July 2006</a> Murtha voted NO on a Constitutional Amendment defining marriage strictly as a union between one man and one woman.

Education: In <a href="http://www.ontheissues.org/PA/John_Murtha_Education.htm" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">November 1997</a> and <a href="http://www.ontheissues.org/PA/John_Murtha_Education.htm" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">August 1998</a>, Murtha voted against the implementation of school voucher programs, which would have helped low-income families shoulder the cost of sending their children to private schools. Murtha has received a <a href="http://www.ontheissues.org/PA/John_Murtha_Education.htm" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">rating</a> of 100% from the <a href="http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/groupProfile.asp?grpid=7428" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">National Education Association</a> (NEA), America’s largest labor union.

Crime: In <a href="http://www.ontheissues.org/PA/John_Murtha_Crime.htm" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">April 1994</a> Murtha voted NO on replacing the death penalty with life imprisonment. In<a href="http://www.ontheissues.org/PA/John_Murtha_Crime.htm" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">June 2000</a> he voted NO on funding for alternative sentencing instead of more prisons.

Illegal Immigration: In <a href="http://www.ontheissues.org/PA/John_Murtha_Immigration.htm" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">May 2004</a> Murtha voted against requiring hospitals to report illegal aliens who receive medical treatment. In <a href="http://www.ontheissues.org/PA/John_Murtha_Immigration.htm" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">September 2006</a> he voted against a bill authorizing the construction of 700 miles of double-layered fencing between the U.S. and Mexico. Murtha is <a href="http://www.ontheissues.org/PA/John_Murtha_Immigration.htm" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">rated</a>25% by the U.S. Border Control (USBC), signifying that his voting record is weak on the issue of border defense.

Fossil Fuels: In <a href="http://www.ontheissues.org/PA/John_Murtha_Energy+Oil.htm" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none;">June 2000</a> Murtha voted YES on implementing the Kyoto Protocol climate-change treaty. In <a href="http://www.votesmart.org/issue_keyvote_detail.php?cs_id=V3506&can_id=27048" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none;">April 2005</a> he voted against a proposal to ban oil exploration in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). In <a href="http://www.votesmart.org/issue_keyvote_detail.php?cs_id=V3642&can_id=27048" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none;">October 2005</a> he voted against the construction of new oil refineries in the United States. In <a href="http://www.votesmart.org/issue_keyvote_detail.php?cs_id=V3830&can_id=27048" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none;">May 2006</a> he voted against an amendment calling for the continued prohibition of drilling for natural gas in the Outer Continental Shelf. In <a href="http://www.votesmart.org/issue_keyvote_detail.php?cs_id=21116&can_id=27048" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none;">July 2008</a> he voted in favor of permitting oil exploration in ANWR.

Taxes: In <a href="http://www.ontheissues.org/PA/John_Murtha_Tax_Reform.htm" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">March 2000</a> Murtha voted NO on $46 billion in tax cuts for small business. In <a href="http://www.ontheissues.org/PA/John_Murtha_Tax_Reform.htm" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">July 2000</a>and again in <a href="http://www.ontheissues.org/PA/John_Murtha_Tax_Reform.htm" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">April 2004</a>, he voted against eliminating the “marriage penalty.” In <a href="http://www.ontheissues.org/PA/John_Murtha_Tax_Reform.htm" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">April 2001</a> he voted NO on eliminating the “death tax.” In <a href="http://www.ontheissues.org/PA/John_Murtha_Tax_Reform.htm" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">October 2001</a> he voted NO on a $99 billion economic stimulus package. In <a href="http://www.ontheissues.org/PA/John_Murtha_Tax_Reform.htm" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">April 2002</a> he voted against making President Bush’s tax cuts permanent. In<a href="http://www.ontheissues.org/PA/John_Murtha_Tax_Reform.htm" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">September 2004</a> he voted NO on providing tax relief and simplification measures. In <a href="http://www.ontheissues.org/PA/John_Murtha_Tax_Reform.htm" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">December 2005</a> he voted against retaining reduced taxes on capital gains and dividends.

Counter-Terrorism & Homeland Security: In <a href="http://www.votesmart.org/issue_keyvote_detail.php?cs_id=14627&can_id=27048" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">August 2007</a> Murtha voted against a bill permitting the Director of National Intelligence and the Attorney General “to authorize foreign intelligence acquisition concerning those reasonably believed to be outside of the U.S., provided that written certification is presented that the procedure does not constitute electronic surveillance under existing law, the surveillance is made with the assistance of a communications provider, and the significant purpose of the acquisition is to obtain foreign intelligence information.”

Patriot Act: In <a href="http://www.votesmart.org/issue_keyvote_detail.php?cs_id=V3097&can_id=27048" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">October 2001</a> Murtha voted to pass the <a href="http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/guideDesc.asp?catid=101&type=issue" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Patriot Act</a> anti-terrorism legislation. However, in <a href="http://www.votesmart.org/issue_keyvote_detail.php?cs_id=V3580&can_id=27048" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">July</a> and <a href="http://www.votesmart.org/issue_keyvote_detail.php?cs_id=V3720&can_id=27048" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">December 2005</a>, he voted against bills reauthorizing and extending the Act.

<a href="http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/Read.aspx?GUID=8A275009-56F8-4673-92C3-0295D051A844" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none;">Military Commissions</a>: In <a href="http://www.votesmart.org/issue_keyvote_detail.php?cs_id=V3906&can_id=27048" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">September 2006</a> Murtha voted against a bill authorizing the President to establish <a href="http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/Read.aspx?GUID=8A275009-56F8-4673-92C3-0295D051A844" style="color: maroon; text-decoration: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">military commissions</a> to try enemy combatants captured during the war on terror.=<p style="list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 8px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; line-height: 18px; font-size: 13px; font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The Huffington Post has learned the Bush administration recently asked high ranking military leaders to denounce Congressman John Murtha. Congressman Murtha has called for the Bush Administration to withdraw US troops from Iraq.<p style="list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 8px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; line-height: 18px; font-size: 13px; font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The Bush Administration first attacked Rep. Murtha for his Iraq views by associating him with the filmmaker Michael Moore and Representative Jean Schmidt likened him to a coward on the floor of the House of Representatives. When those tactics backfired, Dick Cheney called Murtha "A good man, a marine, a patriot and he's taking a clear stand in an entirely legitimate discussion."  Though the White House has backed off publicly, administration officials have nevertheless recently made calls to military leaders to condemn the congressman. So far they have refused.<p style="list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 8px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; line-height: 18px; font-size: 13px; font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Rep. Murtha spent 37 years in the Marine Corps earning a Bronze Star, two Purple Hearts and a Navy Distinguished Service Medal. His service has earned him the respect of the military, and made him a trusted adviser to both Republican and Democratic presidents and leaders of the armed forces.<p style="list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 8px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; line-height: 18px; font-size: 13px; font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Unfolding...http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2006/01/12/bush-admin-launched-secre_n_13713.html?view=screen<p style="list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 8px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; line-height: 18px; font-size: 13px; font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">=
=<div id="mw-content-text" lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Attacks on <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Democratic_Party" title="Democratic Party" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Democratic</a> <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/U.S.House_of_Representatives" title="U.S. House of Representatives" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Rep.</a> <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/John_P.Murtha" title="John P. Murtha" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">John Murtha</a> (D-Pa.) <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Swiftboating_John_Murtha/External_Links_2005" title="Swiftboating John Murtha/External Links 2005" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">commenced immediately</a> after his November 17, 2005, <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/John_P.Murtha_Statement_to_the_Press_November_17,2005" title="John P. Murtha Statement to the Press November 17, 2005" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">statement to the press</a> in which he called for the immediate redeployment of U.S. troops in <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Iraq" title="Iraq" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Iraq</a>, (H.J. Res. 73) <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/11/17/MNGV2FPT755.DTL" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat;">[1]</a> saying, "The U.S. cannot accomplish anything further in Iraq militarily. It is time to bring them home." Because several individuals involved in the attacks on Murtha were also part of the <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Swift_Boat_Veterans_for_Truth" title="Swift Boat Veterans for Truth" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Swift Boat Veterans for Truth</a> campaign against Sen. <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/John_Kerry" title="John Kerry" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">John Kerry</a>(D-Mass.) in 2004, the attacks have been called the "<a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Swiftboating" title="Swiftboating" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">swiftboating</a>" of John Murtha.
<div id="toc" class="toc" style="border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 7px; display: table; zoom: 1; background-color: rgb(249, 249, 249);"><div id="toctitle" style="direction: ltr; text-align: center;"><h2 style="margin: 0px 0px 0.6em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border: none; display: inline; background: none;">Contents</h2>  [<a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Swiftboating_John_Murtha#" class="internal" id="togglelink" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">hide</a>] </div><ul style="line-height: 1.5em; list-style-type: none; margin: 0.3em 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: none;"><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-1" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Swiftboating_John_Murtha#Murtha_and_President_George_W.Bush" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">1 Murtha and President George W. Bush</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-2" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Swiftboating_John_Murtha#Murtha_Resolution:Two_Versions" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">2 Murtha Resolution: Two Versions</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-3" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Swiftboating_John_Murtha#Open_Letter:.22Gunny_Kurt_G..22" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">3 Open Letter: "Gunny Kurt G."</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-4" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Swiftboating_John_Murtha#It.27s_Official:Swiftboaters_to.22swiftboat.22_Murtha" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">4 It's Official: Swiftboaters to "swiftboat" Murtha</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-5" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Swiftboating_John_Murtha#The.22Boot_Murtha.22_Campaign" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">5 The "Boot Murtha" Campaign</a><ul style="line-height: 1.5em; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: none;"><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-6" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Swiftboating_John_Murtha#Boot_Murtha_Rally.21" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">5.1 Boot Murtha Rally!</a></li></ul></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-7" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Swiftboating_John_Murtha#Swiftboat_Candidate:Diana_L.Irey" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">6 Swiftboat Candidate: Diana L. Irey</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-8" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Swiftboating_John_Murtha#Swiftboat_by_Jason_Mattera" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">7 Swiftboat by Jason Mattera</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-9" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Swiftboating_John_Murtha#Murtha:Pro-Defense" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">8 Murtha: Pro-Defense</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-10" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Swiftboating_John_Murtha#Resources_and_articles" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">9 Resources and articles</a><ul style="line-height: 1.5em; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: none;"><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-11" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Swiftboating_John_Murtha#Anti-Murtha_Websites" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">9.1 Anti-Murtha Websites</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-12" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Swiftboating_John_Murtha#Other_Websites" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">9.2 Other Websites</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-13" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Swiftboating_John_Murtha#Related_SourceWatch_articles" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">9.3 Related SourceWatch articles</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-14" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Swiftboating_John_Murtha#Profiles" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">9.4 Profiles</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-15" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Swiftboating_John_Murtha#By_John_Murtha" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">9.5 By John Murtha</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-16" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Swiftboating_John_Murtha#External_articles" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">9.6 External articles</a><ul style="line-height: 1.5em; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: none;"><li class="toclevel-3 tocsection-17" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Swiftboating_John_Murtha#2003" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">9.6.1 2003</a></li><li class="toclevel-3 tocsection-18" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Swiftboating_John_Murtha#2004" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">9.6.2 2004</a></li><li class="toclevel-3 tocsection-19" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Swiftboating_John_Murtha#2005" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">9.6.3 2005</a></li><li class="toclevel-3 tocsection-20" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Swiftboating_John_Murtha#2006" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">9.6.4 2006</a></li></ul></li></ul></li></ul></div><h2 style="font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0.6em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Murtha and President <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/George_W.Bush" title="George W. Bush" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">George W. Bush</a></h2>"Underscoring the rising emotions of the war debate," the Seattle Times <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2002630917_murtha18.html" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">reported</a> November 18, 2005, was the fact that Murtha had "rebuked" President <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/George_W.Bush" title="George W. Bush" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">George W. Bush</a> and Vice President <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Dick_Cheney" title="Dick Cheney" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Dick Cheney</a> "for their aggressive new campaign to denounce war critics."<dl style="margin-top: 0.2em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><dd style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-left: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-right: 0px;">"'I like guys who've never been there that criticize us who've been there,' Murtha said. 'I like that. I like guys who got five deferments [Cheney] and [have] never been there and send people to war, and then don't like to hear suggestions about what needs to be done. I resent the fact, on Veterans Day, he [Bush] criticized Democrats for criticizing them.'" <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2002630917_murtha18.html" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">[2]</a></dd></dl>The Bush White House had attacked immediately following Murtha's call "for repositioning U.S. troops outside Iraq." <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.consortiumnews.com/2006/011606.html" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">[3]</a><a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/CNN" title="CNN" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">CNN</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/11/18/murtha.iraq/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat;">reported</a> November 17, 2005, that <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Bush_administration" title="Bush administration" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Bush administration</a> spokesman <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Scott_McClellan" title="Scott McClellan" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Scott McClellan</a> said "it is 'baffling that [Pennsylvania Rep. John Murtha] is endorsing the policy positions of <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Michael_Moore" title="Michael Moore" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Michael Moore</a> and the extreme liberal wing of the Democratic party'.""McClellan called Murtha, a retired Marine colonel who earned a Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts for his service in Vietnam, 'a respected veteran and politician who has a record of supporting America.'"But McClellan added, 'The eve of an historic democratic election in Iraq is not the time to surrender to the <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Terrorist" title="Terrorist" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">terrorists</a>.'""On Capitol Hill, House Speaker <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Dennis_Hastert" title="Dennis Hastert" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Dennis Hastert</a>, R-Ill., accused Murtha and other House Democrats of adopting a 'cut and run' policy and said Murtha had delivered 'the highest insult' to the men and women serving overseas," theSeattle Times <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2002630917_murtha18.html" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat;">wrote</a>."Murtha and others 'would prefer that the United States surrender to the terrorists who would harm innocent Americans,' Hastert said. 'To add insult to injury, this is done while the president is on foreign soil.'" President Bush was then in Busan, South Korea.<h2 style="font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0.6em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Murtha Resolution: Two Versions</h2>On November 18, 2005, while the debate on John Murtha's resolution on redeployment of US troops in Iraq was broadcast live on C-SPAN, the Daily Kos <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/11/18/163220/03" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">posted</a> online the two versions—the first being that proposed by John Murtha (H.J. Res. 73) and the second characterized as the <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/GOP" title="GOP" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">GOP</a> "rewrite":Murtha Version
<dl style="margin-top: 0.2em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><dd style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-left: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-right: 0px;">"Whereas <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Congress" title="Congress" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Congress</a> and the American People have not been shown clear, measurable progress toward establishment of stable and improving security in Iraq or of a stable and improving economy in Iraq, both of which are essential to 'promote the emergence of a democratic government';</dd></dl><dl style="margin-top: 0.2em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><dd style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-left: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-right: 0px;">"Whereas additional stabilization in Iraq by U.S. military forces cannot be achieved without the deployment of hundreds of thousands of additional U S. troops, which in turn cannot be achieved without a military <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Draft" title="Draft" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">draft</a>;</dd></dl><dl style="margin-top: 0.2em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><dd style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-left: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-right: 0px;">"Whereas more than $277 billion has been appropriated by the United States Congress to prosecute U.S. military action in Iraq and <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Afghanistan" title="Afghanistan" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Afghanistan</a>;</dd></dl><dl style="margin-top: 0.2em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><dd style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-left: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-right: 0px;">"Whereas, as of the drafting of this resolution, <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Iraq_Coalition_Casualty_Statistics" title="Iraq Coalition Casualty Statistics" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">2,079 U.S. troops have been killed</a> in <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Operation_Iraqi_Freedom" title="Operation Iraqi Freedom" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Operation Iraqi Freedom</a>;</dd></dl><dl style="margin-top: 0.2em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><dd style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-left: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-right: 0px;">"Whereas U.S. forces have become the target of the <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Iraqi_insurgency" title="Iraqi insurgency" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">insurgency</a>,</dd></dl><dl style="margin-top: 0.2em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><dd style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-left: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-right: 0px;">"Whereas, according to <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Bush_administration_approval_ratings" title="Bush administration approval ratings" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">recent polls</a>, over 80% of the Iraqi people want U.S. forces out of Iraq;</dd></dl><dl style="margin-top: 0.2em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><dd style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-left: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-right: 0px;">"Whereas polls also indicate that 45% of the Iraqi people feel that the <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Civil_war_in_Iraq" title="Civil war in Iraq" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">attacks</a> on U.S. forces are justified;</dd></dl><dl style="margin-top: 0.2em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><dd style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-left: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-right: 0px;">"Whereas, due to the foregoing, Congress finds it evident that continuing U.S. military action in Iraq is not in the best interests of the United States of America, the people of Iraq, or the Persian Gulf Region, which were cited in Public Law 107-243 as justification for undertaking such action;</dd></dl><dl style="margin-top: 0.2em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><dd style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-left: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-right: 0px;">"Therefore be it Resolved by the <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/U.S.Senate" title="U.S. Senate" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Senate</a> and <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/U.S.House_of_Representatives" title="U.S. House of Representatives" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">House of Representatives</a> of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That:</dd></dl><dl style="margin-top: 0.2em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><dd style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-left: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-right: 0px;"><dl style="margin-top: 0.2em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;"><dd style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-left: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-right: 0px;">"Section 1. The deployment of United States forces in Iraq, by direction of Congress, is hereby terminated and the forces involved are to be redeployed at the earliest practicable date.</dd></dl></dd></dl><dl style="margin-top: 0.2em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><dd style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-left: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-right: 0px;"><dl style="margin-top: 0.2em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;"><dd style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-left: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-right: 0px;">"Section 2. A quick-reaction U.S. force and an over-the-horizon presence of U.S Marines shall be deployed in the region.</dd></dl></dd></dl><dl style="margin-top: 0.2em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;"><dd style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-left: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-right: 0px;"><dl style="margin-top: 0.2em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;"><dd style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-left: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-right: 0px;">"Section 3 The United States of America shall pursue security and stability in Iraq through diplomacy.</dd></dl></dd></dl>GOP "rewrite"??
<dl style="margin-top: 0.2em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><dd style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-left: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-right: 0px;">"Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the deployment of United States forces in Iraq be terminated immediately.</dd></dl><dl style="margin-top: 0.2em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><dd style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-left: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-right: 0px;">"Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that the deployment of United States forces in Iraq be terminated immediately."</dd></dl><h2 style="font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0.6em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Open Letter: "Gunny Kurt G."</h2>Following Murtha's <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://thinkprogress.org/2006/05/30/murtha-haditha/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">remarks</a> on the reported massacre of Iraqi civilians by U.S. Marines at <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/War_Crimes_Against_the_Civilians_of_Iraq" title="War Crimes Against the Civilians of Iraq" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Haditha</a>, in an open letter <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://rightequalsmight.blogspot.com/2006/06/lets-talk-sir.html" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">posted</a> June 24, 2006, on his Blog <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.rightequalsmight.com/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">Right Equals Might</a>—and which has been reposted around the internet (<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1662305/posts" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">including</a> on <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Free_Republic" title="Free Republic" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Free Republic</a>)—"Kurt G. Gunnery Sergeant, USMC, Retired" accused Murtha of "badly damaging our military's effectiveness with your irresponsible and completely false rantings."Instead of providing any real proof to make his point, "Kurt G." attacked Murtha, stating that "People see you now as 'Osama's Congressman,' and as someone putting forth 'insane strategy'." The "People" to whom "Kurt G." refers are not without bias, with both phrases taken from well-known <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Conservative&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Conservative (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(165, 88, 88); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">conservative</a> writers posting in well-known conservative publications.The first phrase, "Osama's Congressmen", comes from the June 20, 2006, <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/FrontPageMag.com" title="FrontPageMag.com" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">FrontPageMag.com</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/Printable.asp?ID=23021" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">article</a> of the same name written by <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Ben_Johnson" title="Ben Johnson" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Ben Johnson</a>, the Magazine's managing editor and author of the book "57 Varieties of Radical Causes: Teresa Heinz Kerry's Charitable Giving." The second, "insane strategy", comes from the June 24, 2006, Toledo Blade <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060624/OPINION04/606240327" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">article</a> by former <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Republican_National_Committee" title="Republican National Committee" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Republican National Committee</a> deputy press secretary and nationally syndicated columnist <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Jack_Kelly" title="Jack Kelly" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Jack Kelly</a>.On July 7, 2006, Gunnery Sergeant Kurt Grinstead appeared in a follow-up to his letter on <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Fox_News" title="Fox News" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Fox News</a>' Your Money with Stuart Varney (sitting in for program host <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Neil_Cavuto" title="Neil Cavuto" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Neil Cavuto</a>) "and literally ripped Murtha over his public statements about our Marines being cold blooded killers while the investigation is still going." <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://209.157.64.201/focus/f-bloggers/1655156/posts?page=60#60" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">[4]</a> See <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.foxnews.com/video2/launchPage.html?070706/070706_cav_murth&Is%20Murtha%20Anti-Marine?&Your_World&Retired%20Marine%20speaks%20out%20against%20Rep.%20Murtha&Politics&-1&Is%20Murtha%20Anti-Marine?&Video%20Launch%20Page" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">Fox News video "Is Murtha Anti-Marine?"</a>.According to <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.s2online.org/marine.htm" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat;">The Marine Page</a>, Retired Gunnery Sergeant Kurt Grinstead owns Chesty's restaurant/nightclub in Fresno, California.<h2 style="font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0.6em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">It's Official: Swiftboaters to "swiftboat" Murtha</h2>John McCaslin <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://washingtontimes.com/national/20060628-122030-5000r.htm" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat;">posted</a> "Murtha missionaries" in the June 28, 2006, Washington Times' "Inside the Beltway":<dl style="margin-top: 0.2em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;"><dd style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-left: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-right: 0px;">"Just in time for the <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/U.S.congressional_elections_in_2006" title="U.S. congressional elections in 2006" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">2006 midterm elections</a>, we learn that supporters of the 2004 <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Swift_Boat_Veterans_for_Truth" title="Swift Boat Veterans for Truth" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Swift Boat Veterans for Truth</a> campaign against Sen. <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/John_Kerry" title="John Kerry" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">John Kerry</a> are starting "Murtha Lied"—with a Web site 'and all the accouterments of a hotshot political campaign,' says the guiding force, retired Navy SEAL Capt. <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Larry_Bailey" title="Larry Bailey" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Larry W. Bailey</a> of North Carolina.</dd></dl><dl style="margin-top: 0.2em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><dd style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-left: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-right: 0px;">"Capt. Bailey informs fellow veterans in a memo we obtained that he's just opened a bank account in the name of 'Vets for Truth,' as 'we're going to need enough money to send our <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.operationstreetcorner.com/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">Operation Street Corner</a> 'missionaries' into Rep. John Murtha's home district in Pennsylvania.'</dd></dl><dl style="margin-top: 0.2em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><dd style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-left: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-right: 0px;">"Mr. Murtha, a veteran of the Marine Corps who has served more than 35 years in the House, has been the most outspoken member in Congress against U.S. war policy in Iraq. Keep an eye out for the veteran group's launch at www.murthalied.com."</dd></dl>Note: July 5, 2006: The MurthaLied.com website is no longer active. <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Amanda_P.Doss" title="Amanda P. Doss" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Amanda P. Doss</a> registered the domain name <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.murthalied.com/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">MURTHALIED.COM</a> on June 15, 2006. Doss was also listed as the administrative and technical contacts. The mail contact address is a post office box in care of Network Solutions. <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.networksolutions.com/whois/results.jsp?whoistoken=0" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">[5]</a>Note (1) <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.freerepublic.com/_ipwgop/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">Linda Eddy</a>, "the webmaster and political cartoonist" for Larry Bailey made a correction June 29, 2006, in the comments section of the <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Free_Republic" title="Free Republic" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Free Republic</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1657581/posts" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">repost of McCaslin's article</a> in which she said "the group's name is NOT Vets for Truth... it's <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Vets_For_The_Truth" title="Vets For The Truth" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Vets For The Truth</a> (VFTT)." (2) Bailey is president of Vietnam Veterans for the Truth, which was established "on the heels of the more well-known" Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/New_Murtha_Lied_Website_posts_hateful_0625.html" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">[6]</a> It is therefore likely that the bank account to which he refers is for VFTT and not SBVT. (3) Operation Street Corner is the product of Amanda Doss.<h2 style="font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0.6em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">The "Boot Murtha" Campaign</h2><h3 style="margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-style: none; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Boot Murtha Rally!</h3>Scheduled for October 1, 2006, at 2:00 PM, at the Cambria County War Memorial Arena in Murtha's hometown of Johnstown, PA, the Boot Murtha Rally is sponsored by <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/%22Boot_Murtha%22" title="" boot="Boot" murtha="Murtha" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">"Boot Murtha"</a> founders <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Vets_For_The_Truth" title="Vets For The Truth" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Vets For The Truth</a>. Full details can be read on the <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/GOPUSA" title="GOPUSA" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">GOPUSA</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.gopusa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=31656" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">forum</a>.<h2 style="font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0.6em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Swiftboat Candidate: Diana L. Irey</h2><a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Diana_L.Irey" title="Diana L. Irey" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Diana L. Irey</a>, a <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.co.washington.pa.us/generalpage.php?menuDept=3&genPageID=47" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">Washington County, Pennsylvania, Commissioner</a> elected to office in 1996 <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.irey.com/about/default.aspx" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">[7]</a>, is a <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Republican_Party" title="Republican Party" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Republican</a> running against Murtha, the Democrat incumbent <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/U.S.House_of_Representatives" title="U.S. House of Representatives" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Representative</a> for Pennsylvania's 12th <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Congress" title="Congress" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Congressional</a> District in the<a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/U.S.congressional_elections_in_2006" title="U.S. congressional elections in 2006" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">2006 midtern election</a>.Irey "has raised more than $300,000 and assembled a team of experienced national <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/GOP" title="GOP" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">GOP</a> operatives to run her campaign," Kathy Kiely <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-07-24-lawmakers-war_x.htm" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">reported</a> July 25, 2006, in USA TODAY.Irey compares herself to Murtha on her campaign website, saying that she is <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.irey.com/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">"Right for the Job"</a> and that Murtha is <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.irey.com/OutOfTouch.aspx" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">"Out of Touch"</a>.Donations for Irey's campaign are through <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.donationreport.com/init/controller/ProcessEntryCmd?key=L1M1P2P903" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAdUlEQVQYV2P4//8/Awxv3LThf0dXKxyD+DA5DEUg+tWrV2AaWTFcIboJyJrhCtGtRMcgebhpL2/4/v//Lvn//x+7IRjIfn8v+P/t055gxZgKPzaC8Y/nMYQVLpnM8f/zo3AqKfzyOOL/h/sh/59c9sBUSIyvAeRdJWjk4E//AAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat;">DonationReport.com</a>, which belongs to eDonation.com, a member of <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/The_Donatelli_Group" title="The Donatelli Group" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">The Donatelli Group</a>, a fundraising company that has raised campaign funds for the <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Republican_National_Committee" title="Republican National Committee" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Republican National Committee</a>,<a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Republican_National_Convention" title="Republican National Convention" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Republican National Convention</a>, <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Bush-Cheney%2704_Inc." title="Bush-Cheney '04 Inc." style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Bush-Cheney '04 Inc.</a>, <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/John_McCain" title="John McCain" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">John McCain</a>, the <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/NRA" title="NRA" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">NRA</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.campaignline.com/webedition/page.cfm?pageid=401&navid=51" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat;">[8]</a>, and an exhaustive list of Republican members of the <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/U.S.Senate" title="U.S. Senate" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">U.S. Senate</a> and the <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/U.S.House_of_Representatives" title="U.S. House of Representatives" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">U.S. House of Representatives</a>, as well as other political organizations,<a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.campaignsolutions.com/contents/clients/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat;">[9]</a> including most recently the pro-war in Iraq group <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Vets_for_Freedom" title="Vets for Freedom" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Vets for Freedom</a>.The Donatelli Group, using its "primary segment" Campaign Solutions <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.edonation.com/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat;">[10]</a>, is associated with <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Creative_Response_Concepts" title="Creative Response Concepts" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Creative Response Concepts</a>, the <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Public_relations" title="Public relations" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">public relations</a> firm that advised the SBVT. <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://committeeforjustice.org/cgi-data/news/files/72.shtml" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat;">[11]</a>The Donatelli Group not only produced the RNC website <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://onepeoplesproject.com/site/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=488" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">[12]</a> but also created the Swift Boat Vets' .org and .com websites. Connell Donatelli Inc., another member of The Donatelli Group, is listed as Registrant, Administrator, and the Tech Organization for the SBVT websites. <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://mailgate.supereva.com/soc/soc.veterans/msg45136.html" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">[13]</a>Irey's campaign <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.irey.com/News/Read.aspx?ID=3" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat;">"Dream Team"</a> includes web designer <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/New_Media_Communications,Inc." title="New Media Communications, Inc." style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">New Media Communications, Inc.</a>, another Donatelli Group affiliate; <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Jason_Davidek" title="Jason Davidek" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Jason Davidek</a>, a former staffer for U.S. Senator <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Rick_Santorum" title="Rick Santorum" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Rick Santorum</a> (R-Pennsylvania); and media analyst <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/John_Brabender" title="John Brabender" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">John Brabender</a>, who has been connected either directly or indirectly <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.politicalfriendster.com/showPerson.php?id=2845&name=John-Brabender" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat;">[14]</a><a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.politicalfriendster.com/showConnection.php?id1=2845&id2=1917" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat;">[15]</a> to disgraced <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Lobbyist" title="Lobbyist" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">lobbyist</a> <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Jack_Abramoff" title="Jack Abramoff" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Jack Abramoff</a> and former Congressman <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Tom_DeLay" title="Tom DeLay" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Tom DeLay</a>.<h2 style="font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0.6em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Swiftboat by Jason Mattera</h2>Jason Mattera, of the Young America's Foundation, confronted Rep. Murtha <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMedVWUsSFU" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat;">in this YouTube</a><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMedVWUsSFU" style="text-decoration: none; padding-right: 13px; background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat;"> video</a> for accusing the Haditha Marines of murder "in cold blood." While some charges have been dropped against the marines involved, it doesn't change the fact that they did kill the civilians, through admission of the marines themselves. The squad leader of the marines involved in the event, SGT Wuterich, admits it in a <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/03/15/60minutes/main2574973.shtml" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat;">CBS interview</a>. Other marines involved have gotten deals by testifying against each other<a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18237072/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat;">[16]</a><a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-08-31-marines-haditha_N.htm" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat;">[17]</a>, or admitted to lying and trying to cover up the incident. One marine even <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/05/10/1919131.htm" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat;">admitted to urinating</a> on one of the civilians killed. While Murtha's comments can be seen as crude and off base, they are technically correct. Despite the evidence provided by the Marines themselves, many self described supporters will falsify the accounts, such as saying Islamic Terrorists killed those civilians, in hopes of persuading others into believing a lie. Other supporters admit the Marines did it, but try to justify their violation of the Rules of Engagement (ROE), by saying things like "Walk in their shoes", which Murtha, a Vietnam veteran, certainly has.<h2 style="font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0.6em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Murtha: Pro-Defense</h2>"Murtha in particular is, by any benchmark, untouchable when it comes to matters of military and national defense," Andy Ostroy <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://ostroyreport.blogspot.com/2006/06/repugs-would-swift-boat-jesus-if-he.html" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat;">wrote</a> June 20, 2006, in The Ostroy Report Blogspot. "Up until the Fall of '05, when he introduced his controversial troop draw-down resolution, he was perhaps the most highly respected defense expert in <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Congress" title="Congress" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Congress</a>. A hawkish Democrat war hero with a highly decorated 37-year career in the <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/U.S.Marine_Corps" title="U.S. Marine Corps" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">U.S. Marine Corps</a>. He volunteered for Vietnam in '66-'67 and received two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star with Combat 'V'. Retired from the Marine Corps Reserve as a colonel in 1990. Awarded the Navy Distinguished Service Medal by the Marine Corps Commandant when he retired. Well-respected by both parties for his first-hand knowledge of military and defense issues, of which he has dutifully served and advised both <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Republican_Party" title="Republican Party" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Republican</a> and Democratic presidents. One of the most effective advocates for a strong national defense. A ranking member and former chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. He was an early key <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/George_W.Bush" title="George W. Bush" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Bush</a> ally on the <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/War_in_Iraq" title="War in Iraq" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Iraq war</a>, serves as a de facto spokesman for the <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Pentagon" title="Pentagon" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Pentagon</a>, and has very close relationships with many top generals."<h2 style="font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0.6em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Resources and articles</h2><h3 style="margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-style: none; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Anti-Murtha Websites</h3><ul style="line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0.3em 0px 0.5em 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAUAAAANAQMAAABb8jbLAAAABlBMVEX///8AUow5QSOjAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAABNJREFUCB1jYEABBQw/wLCAgQEAGpIDyT0IVcsAAAAASUVORK5CYII=); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">BlogsforBush (<a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="http://www.blogsforbush.com/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">http://www.blogsforbush.com</a>) <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.blogsforbush.com/mt/find.cgi?IncludeBlogs=1&search=Murtha&x=16&y=1" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">search</a> for "Murtha" finds articles dated from November 17, 2005.</li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">BootMurtha (<a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="http://bootmurtha.com/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">http://bootmurtha.com/</a>)</li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">CensureMurtha (<a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="http://censuremurtha.com/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">http://censuremurtha.com</a>) (owned by Jason Montoya, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://noodleheadstudios.com/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">Atlanta Web Design</a>)</li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">MurthaLied (<a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="http://www.murthalied.com/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">http://www.murthalied.com/</a>) (inactive)</li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">MurthaMustGo! (<a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="http://www.murthamustgo.com/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">http://www.murthamustgo.com/</a>) redirects to MurthaMustGo! Blogspot (<a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="http://murthamustgo.blogspot.com/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">http://murthamustgo.blogspot.com/</a>)</li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">OldWarDogs (<a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="http://www.oldwardogs.us/mad_jack_murtha/index.html" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">http://www.oldwardogs.us/mad_jack_murtha/index.html</a>) and mirror site SmallTownVeteran (<a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="http://www.smalltownveteran.net/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">http://www.smalltownveteran.net/</a>) by <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/3910172" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">Bill Faith</a></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Republican_National_Committee" title="Republican National Committee" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Republican National Committee</a>'s <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.gop.com/News/Read.aspx?ID=6465" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">"John Murtha's Cut-And-Run Tour"</a>.</li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Vets_for_Freedom" title="Vets for Freedom" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Vets for Freedom</a> (<a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="http://www.vetsforfreedom.org/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">http://www.vetsforfreedom.org/</a>)</li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Vets for Freedom Troop Blog (<a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="http://www.vetsforfreedom.org/blog/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">http://www.vetsforfreedom.org/blog/</a>)</li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Vets4Irey (<a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="http://vets4irey.com/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">http://Vets4Irey.com</a>)</li></ul><h3 style="margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-style: none; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Other Websites</h3><ul style="line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0.3em 0px 0.5em 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAUAAAANAQMAAABb8jbLAAAABlBMVEX///8AUow5QSOjAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAABNJREFUCB1jYEABBQw/wLCAgQEAGpIDyT0IVcsAAAAASUVORK5CYII=); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://citizenagainstlies.blogspot.com/2006/07/murtha-swiftboaters-strike.html" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">Citizen Against Lies Blogspot</a>.</li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Mike Lyon (sponsor), <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/681546983?ltl=1151506358" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">"Swift-Boat Response" Petition</a>, The Petition Site.com. Target: <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Republican_National_Committee" title="Republican National Committee" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Republican National Committee</a>.</li></ul><h3 style="margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-style: none; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"><a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Swiftboating_John_Murtha/SourceWatch_Resources" title="Swiftboating John Murtha/SourceWatch Resources" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Related SourceWatch articles</a></h3><h3 style="margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-style: none; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Profiles</h3><ul style="line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0.3em 0px 0.5em 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAUAAAANAQMAAABb8jbLAAAABlBMVEX///8AUow5QSOjAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAABNJREFUCB1jYEABBQw/wLCAgQEAGpIDyT0IVcsAAAAASUVORK5CYII=); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://patriotproject.com/smear/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">"Smear of John Murtha,"</a> Patriot Project, 2006. Narrative and interactive chart showing interconnections of the "swiftboating" of John Murtha.</li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.house.gov/murtha/iraq_stance.shtml" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">"Jack's Stance on Iraq."</a> Rep. John Murtha's Official <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/U.S.House_of_Representatives" title="U.S. House of Representatives" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">U.S. House of Representatives</a> website.</li></ul><h3 style="margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-style: none; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">By <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/John_Murtha" title="John Murtha" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">John Murtha</a></h3><ul style="line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0.3em 0px 0.5em 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAUAAAANAQMAAABb8jbLAAAABlBMVEX///8AUow5QSOjAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAABNJREFUCB1jYEABBQw/wLCAgQEAGpIDyT0IVcsAAAAASUVORK5CYII=); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.house.gov/murtha/news/nw021009.htm" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">Press Release: "Murtha Supports Iraq Resolution with Reservations,"</a> Official U.S. House of Representatives website, October 9, 2002.</li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.counterpunch.org/murtha11172005.html" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">"The War in Iraq is Not Going as Advertised. Iraq Must Be Freed from the US Occupation,"</a> CounterPunch, November 17, 2005.</li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.crooksandliars.com/2005/11/17.html#a5913" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">"Murtha Speech,"</a> Crooks and Liars, November 17, 2005. WMP and QT video links.</li></ul><dl style="margin-top: 0.2em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><dd style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-left: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-right: 0px;"><ul style="line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0.3em 0px 0.5em 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAUAAAANAQMAAABb8jbLAAAABlBMVEX///8AUow5QSOjAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAABNJREFUCB1jYEABBQw/wLCAgQEAGpIDyT0IVcsAAAAASUVORK5CYII=);"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.dccc.org/stakeholder/archives/003914.html" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">"Murtha in Full,"</a> The Stakeholder, November 17, 2005. Transcript of speech.</li></ul></dd></dl><ul style="line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0.3em 0px 0.5em 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAUAAAANAQMAAABb8jbLAAAABlBMVEX///8AUow5QSOjAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAABNJREFUCB1jYEABBQw/wLCAgQEAGpIDyT0IVcsAAAAASUVORK5CYII=); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/28432/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">"Iraq Cannot Be Won,"</a> AlterNet, November 19, 2005.</li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rep-john-murtha/questions-about-my-record_b_13759.html" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">"Questions About My Record,"</a> The Huffington Post, January 13, 2006.</li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rep-john-murtha/despite-another-67-billi_b_17036.html" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">"Despite Another $67 Billion, Our Army is Broke and Badly Depleted,"</a> The Huffington Post, March 9, 2006.</li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.house.gov/list/press/pa12_murtha/PRiraqtrascript.html" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">Press Release: "Murtha press conference transcript on Iraq"</a> and <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.house.gov/list/press/pa12_murtha/PRhaditha.html" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">Press Release: "Murtha Statement on Haditha Incident,"</a> Official U.S. House of Representatives website, May 18, 2006.</li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2006-06-15-troops-opposing_x.htm" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">Opinion: "Enough is enough,"</a> USA TODAY, June 15, 2006.</li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rep-john-murtha/fighting-back_b_23900.html" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">"Fighting Back,"</a> The Huffington Post, June 27, 2006.</li></ul><h3 style="margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-style: none; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">External articles</h3><h4 style="margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-style: none; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">2003</h4><ul style="line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0.3em 0px 0.5em 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAUAAAANAQMAAABb8jbLAAAABlBMVEX///8AUow5QSOjAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAABNJREFUCB1jYEABBQw/wLCAgQEAGpIDyT0IVcsAAAAASUVORK5CYII=); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Chris Buckley, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/search/s_124407.html" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">"Local lawmakers convinced war inevitable"</a> The Valley Independent (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review), March 19, 2003.</li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Matthew Junker, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_128029.html" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">"Murtha satisfied with game plan in Iraq,"</a> Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, April 8, 2003.</li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">John Salsgiver, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_129780.html" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">"Switch-hitter,"</a> Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, April 18, 2003.</li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">David Firestone, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0917-06.htm" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">"Democratic Hawk Urges Firing of Bush Iraq Aides,"</a> New York Times (Common Dreams), September 17, 2003.</li></ul><h4 style="margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-style: none; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">2004</h4><ul style="line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0.3em 0px 0.5em 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAUAAAANAQMAAABb8jbLAAAABlBMVEX///8AUow5QSOjAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAABNJREFUCB1jYEABBQw/wLCAgQEAGpIDyT0IVcsAAAAASUVORK5CYII=); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Sheryl Gay Stolberg, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://justoneminute.typepad.com/main/2005/11/and_then_there.html#comment-11315361" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">"Political Memo; Partisan Ire At Rumsfeld Over Abuse,"</a> New York Times (JustOneMinute Blog), May 7, 2004. Read to the end to read the Times May 22, 2004, retraction.</li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.mrc.org/cyberalerts/2004/cyb20040507.asp#3" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">"Koppel’s Topic Thursday Night: 'Is Iraq an Unwinnable War?'"</a> CyberAlert, May 7, 2004: "John Murtha: 'We can not prevail in this war at the policy that’s going today.'"</li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Ted Barrett, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/05/06/murtha.iraq/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">"'Unwinnable' comment draws GOP fire. Democratic lawmaker says changes needed for victory,"</a> CNN, May 10, 2004. Murtha "said the problems in Iraq are due to a 'lack of planning' by <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Pentagon" title="Pentagon" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Pentagon</a> chiefs and 'the direction has got be changed or it is unwinnable.' ... Republicans seized on that word, ignoring Murtha's overall point: that more troops and equipment should be sent to Iraq."</li></ul><h4 style="margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-style: none; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">2005</h4><ul style="line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0.3em 0px 0.5em 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAUAAAANAQMAAABb8jbLAAAABlBMVEX///8AUow5QSOjAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAABNJREFUCB1jYEABBQw/wLCAgQEAGpIDyT0IVcsAAAAASUVORK5CYII=); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Swiftboating_John_Murtha/External_Links_2005" title="Swiftboating John Murtha/External Links 2005" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">2005 (November—December)</a></li></ul><h4 style="margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-style: none; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">2006</h4><ul style="line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0.3em 0px 0.5em 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAUAAAANAQMAAABb8jbLAAAABlBMVEX///8AUow5QSOjAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAABNJREFUCB1jYEABBQw/wLCAgQEAGpIDyT0IVcsAAAAASUVORK5CYII=); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Swiftboating_John_Murtha/External_Links_January-May_2006" title="Swiftboating John Murtha/External Links January-May 2006" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">January—May 2006</a></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Swiftboating_John_Murtha/External_Links_June_2006" title="Swiftboating John Murtha/External Links June 2006" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">June 2006</a></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Swiftboating_John_Murtha/External_Links_July_2006" title="Swiftboating John Murtha/External Links July 2006" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">July 2006</a></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Swiftboating_John_Murtha/External_Links_August_2006" title="Swiftboating John Murtha/External Links August 2006" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">August 2006</a></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Swiftboating_John_Murtha/External_Links_September-November_2006" title="Swiftboating John Murtha/External Links September-November 2006" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">September-November 2006</a></li></ul></div><div id="catlinks" class="catlinks" style="border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 5px; margin-top: 1em; clear: both; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"><div id="mw-normal-catlinks" class="mw-normal-catlinks"><a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Special:Categories" title="Special:Categories" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Categories</a>: <ul style="line-height: 1.5em; list-style: none none; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; display: inline;"><li style="margin: 0.125em 0px; display: inline-block; line-height: 1.25em; border-left-style: none; padding: 0px 0.5em 0px 0.25em; zoom: 1; background-color: rgb(249, 249, 249);"><a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Category:Congresspedia" title="Category:Congresspedia" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Congresspedia</a></li><li style="margin: 0.125em 0px; display: inline-block; line-height: 1.25em; border-left-width: 1px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0px 0.5em; zoom: 1; background-color: rgb(249, 249, 249);"><a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Category:Member_of_Congress_sub-page" title="Category:Member of Congress sub-page" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Member of Congress sub-page</a></li><li style="margin: 0.125em 0px; display: inline-block; line-height: 1.25em; border-left-width: 1px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0px 0.5em; zoom: 1;"><a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Category:Scandals" title="Category:Scandals" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Scandals</a></li><li style="margin: 0.125em 0px; display: inline-block; line-height: 1.25em; border-left-width: 1px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0px 0.5em; zoom: 1; background-color: rgb(249, 249, 249);"><a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Category:Elections(U.S.)" title="Category:Elections (U.S.)" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Elections (U.S.)</a></li><li style="margin: 0.125em 0px; display: inline-block; line-height: 1.25em; border-left-width: 1px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0px 0.5em; zoom: 1; background-color: rgb(249, 249, 249);"><a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Category:Politics(U.S.)" title="Category:Politics (U.S.)" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Politics (U.S.)</a></li><li style="margin: 0.125em 0px; display: inline-block; line-height: 1.25em; border-left-width: 1px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0px 0.5em; zoom: 1; background-color: rgb(249, 249, 249);"><a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Category:Political_dirty_tricks" title="Category:Political dirty tricks" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Political dirty tricks</a></li></ul></div></div>=Amanda Prewett Doss of Texarkana, Texas <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.smalltownveteran.net/posts/2006/06/operation_stre.html" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">[1]</a>, webmaster and organizer for <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.operationstreetcorner.com/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">Operation Street Corner</a>, was honored by her "supporters" January 20, 2005, at an "'Un-augural' reception" for "substantial contributions to the veterans' revolt against Sen. <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/John_Kerry" title="John Kerry" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">John Kerry</a>'s 2004 presidential bid", which was held at the <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/National_Press_Club" title="National Press Club" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">National Press Club</a>, <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/NewsMax" title="NewsMax" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">NewsMax</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2005/1/21/03848.shtml" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">reported</a>.<div id="toc" class="toc" style="border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 7px; font-size: 12px; display: table; zoom: 1; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; background-color: rgb(249, 249, 249);"><div id="toctitle" style="direction: ltr; text-align: center;"><h2 style="margin: 0px 0px 0.6em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border: none; font-size: 12px; display: inline; background: none;">Contents</h2>  [<a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Amanda_P.Doss#" class="internal" id="togglelink" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">hide</a>] </div><ul style="line-height: 1.5em; list-style-type: none; margin: 0.3em 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: none;"><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-1" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Amanda_P.Doss#Swiftboating_John_P.Murtha" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">1 Swiftboating John P. Murtha</a><ul style="line-height: 1.5em; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: none;"><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-2" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Amanda_P.Doss#Domain_Registration" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">1.1 Domain Registration</a></li></ul></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-3" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Amanda_P.Doss#.22Operation_Street_Corner.22" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">2 "Operation Street Corner"</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-4" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Amanda_P.Doss#Under_the_Auspices_of..." style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">3 Under the Auspices of ...</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-5" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Amanda_P.Doss#Related_SourceWatch_Resources" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">4 Related SourceWatch Resources</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-6" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Amanda_P.Doss#External_links" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">5 External links</a></li></ul></div><h2 style="font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0.6em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); font-size: 19px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; background: none rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Swiftboating" title="Swiftboating" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Swiftboating</a> <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/John_P.Murtha" title="John P. Murtha" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">John P. Murtha</a></h2>"Now meet Amanda Doss. She's one of those people and is about to put up a web site called Murthalied.com which, based on her known alliances with the kings of the bottom feeders, the <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Swift_Boat_Veterans_for_Truth" title="Swift Boat Veterans for Truth" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Swift Boat Liars</a>, will attempt to smear a fine man like John Murtha—and other Veterans, like me, as well—with new and improved levels of low-rent attacks," Bob Geiger <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/38103/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">wrote</a> June 25, 2006, in AlterNet."But we're on to her already and she's rushed her web site into production quickly to <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.murthalied.com/index.html" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">spotlight</a> the '…negative, hateful, or inappropriate email' she is allegedly receiving from readers of progressive blogs.""The latest salvo appears to be a new smear site, MurthaLied.com," Geiger <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.alternet.org/story/38145/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">wrote</a> June 27, 2006, in AlterNet, "which is about to be drawn out from under a rock and it certainly has all the looks of the same people who brought you pure fiction about <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/John_Kerry" title="John Kerry" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Kerry</a> in 2004. The website is run by a woman named Amanda Doss, who has a long alliance with—guess who?—the Swift Boat Liars and a whack job named <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Ted_Sampley" title="Ted Sampley" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Ted Sampley</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache:LOGZZj1k3mQJ:www.independentsforkerry.org/uploads/media/vvajk.html+%22ted+sampley%22&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=1&client=firefox-a" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat;">[2]</a>, who runs the hate site, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.usvetdsp.com/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat;">The U.S. Veteran Dispatch</a>."That name may sound familiar to you. This is the same guy who once wrote of <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/John_McCain" title="John McCain" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">John McCain</a> as <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.usvetdsp.com/manchuan.htm" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat;">'The Manchurian Candidate'</a> and suggested that McCain had been brainwashed during his lengthy captivity while a POW in Vietnam. Oh, yeah, he also said McCain was a KGB Spy. It's also the same Sampley who headed <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Vietnam_Veterans_Against_Kerry&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Vietnam Veterans Against Kerry (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(165, 88, 88); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Vietnam Veterans Against Kerry</a> and was responsible in 1992 for faking a photo of Kerry allegedly shooting an American MIA in Vietnam."It was <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Republican_Party" title="Republican Party" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Republican</a> McCain who called Sampley 'one of the most despicable people I have ever had the misfortune to encounter' and said 'Sampley has a nose for publicity and knack for making money from invented controversies'," Geiger wrote."If you want to know what kind of people are going after a legitimate American hero like John Murtha, look no further than the likes of Sampley, Doss," <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/David_Thibault" title="David Thibault" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">David Thibault</a>, editor in chief of <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Cybercast_News_Service" title="Cybercast News Service" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Cybercast News Service</a>—"who picked up the prevailing tactic of the <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/GOP" title="GOP" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">GOP</a>, which is to smear the patriotism and good name of any Democrat who dares question <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/George_W.Bush" title="George W. Bush" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Bush</a> and the <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/War_in_Iraq" title="War in Iraq" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">war</a> -- even if, like Murtha, you happen to be a 37-year military veteran and a former Parris Island drill instructor decorated for valor in combat"—"and their Republican backers."<h3 style="margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-style: none; font-size: 17px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; background: none rgb(255, 255, 255);">Domain Registration</h3>The <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.murthalied.com/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">MURTHALIED.COM</a> domain name was registered June 15, 2006, by Amanda Doss, who is also listed as the administrative and technical contacts. The mail contact address is a post office box in care of Network Solutions. <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.networksolutions.com/whois/results.jsp?whoistoken=0" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">[3]</a><h2 style="font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0.6em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); font-size: 19px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; background: none rgb(255, 255, 255);">"Operation Street Corner"</h2>The "Operation Street Corner" front page opens to the heading "Kerry Lied While Good Men Died," subheaded by "The Vietnam Veterans' Grassroots Campaign Against John Kerry and Jane Fonda, traitors to our country."The donations link for Doss's "Operation Street Corner" redirects to a <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Vietnam_Vets_for_the_Truth" title="Vietnam Vets for the Truth" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Vietnam Vets for the Truth</a> PayPal <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAdUlEQVQYV2P4//8/Awxv3LThf0dXKxyD+DA5DEUg+tWrV2AaWTFcIboJyJrhCtGtRMcgebhpL2/4/v//Lvn//x+7IRjIfn8v+P/t055gxZgKPzaC8Y/nMYQVLpnM8f/zo3AqKfzyOOL/h/sh/59c9sBUSIyvAeRdJWjk4E//AAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">web page</a>. Additionally, the mailing address for "Operation Street Corner" is c/o Vietnam Vets for the Truth, Box 458, Nash, TX 75569. <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.operationstreetcorner.com/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">[4]</a><h2 style="font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0.6em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); font-size: 19px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; background: none rgb(255, 255, 255);">Under the Auspices of ...</h2>According to the OSC website (accessed August 21, 2006), "Operation Street Corner is organized by Vets For The Truth, which is under Iowa Presidential Watch's 527 PAC which follows FEC rules and regulations."<h2 style="font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0.6em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); font-size: 19px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; background: none rgb(255, 255, 255);">Related SourceWatch Resources</h2><ul style="line-height: 19.200000762939453px; margin: 0.3em 0px 0.5em 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAUAAAANAQMAAABb8jbLAAAABlBMVEX///8AUow5QSOjAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAABNJREFUCB1jYEABBQw/wLCAgQEAGpIDyT0IVcsAAAAASUVORK5CYII=); font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Larry_Bailey" title="Larry Bailey" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Larry Bailey</a></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Ann_Coulter" title="Ann Coulter" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Ann Coulter</a></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Leo_Pusateri" title="Leo Pusateri" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Leo Pusateri</a></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Swiftboating_John_Murtha" title="Swiftboating John Murtha" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Swiftboating John Murtha</a></li></ul><h2 style="font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0.6em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); font-size: 19px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; background: none rgb(255, 255, 255);">External links</h2><ul style="line-height: 19.200000762939453px; margin: 0.3em 0px 0.5em 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAUAAAANAQMAAABb8jbLAAAABlBMVEX///8AUow5QSOjAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAABNJREFUCB1jYEABBQw/wLCAgQEAGpIDyT0IVcsAAAAASUVORK5CYII=); font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2005/1/21/03848.shtml" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">"Vets Against Kerry Celebrate in D.C.,"</a> NewsMax, January 21, 2005.</li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Jerome_Corsi" title="Jerome Corsi" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Jerome Corsi</a>, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=42810" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">"SF180 forms to flood Kerry's office,"</a> <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/WorldNetDaily" title="WorldNetDaily" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">WorldNetDaily</a>, February 11, 2005.</li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.smalltownveteran.net/posts/2006/06/operation_stre.html" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">"Operation Street Corner, Vietnam Veterans for the Truth and Larry Bailey,"</a> Small Town Veteran, June 22, 2006.</li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Sean-Paul Kelley, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://agonist.org/sean_paul_kelley/20060623/theyre_gonna_swiftboat_murtha" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">"They're Gonna Swiftboat Murtha,"</a> The Agonist, June 23, 2006.</li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=1499689&mesg_id=1500546" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">"Y'all she was Amanda Prewett when arrested for flippin' the bird!"</a> Democratic Underground Message Forum, June 24, 2006.</li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Bob Geiger, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/38103/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">"Right wing Swiftboater Doss slimes war hero. Republican smear merchant whines about responses in kind,"</a> AlterNet, June 25, 2006.</li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Ron Brynaert, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/New_Murtha_Lied_Website_posts_hateful_0625.html" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">"New 'Murtha Lied' Website posts 'hateful' emails after liberal blogs start digging,"</a> The Raw Story, June 26, 2006.</li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">mrs panstreppon, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.tpmcafe.com/blog/mrs_panstreppon/2006/jun/26/dear_ms_amanda_p_ross" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">"Dear Ms. Amanda P. Doss,"</a> TPM Cafe, June 26, 2006.</li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">QEd, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://mlmliberal.blogspot.com/2006/06/texarkana-web-designer-amanda-doss.html" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">"Texarkana web designer Amanda Doss linked to murdered arms dealer,"</a> MLM Liberal Blogspot, June 26, 2006.</li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Bob Geiger, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.alternet.org/story/38145/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">"Why Do Republicans Hate America's Veterans? The right-wing smear machine has set upon John Murtha -- a decorated combat veteran -- for speaking out against the Iraq war,"</a> AlterNet, June 27, 2006.</li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Lorelei Kelly, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.democracyarsenal.org/2006/06/mr_murtha_blogs.html" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">"Mr. Murtha: Blogs One, Right-wing Goons Zero,"</a> Democracy Arsenal Blog, June 27, 2006.</li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Daniel, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.tpmcafe.com/blog/daniel/2006/jun/27/lesson_for_amanda_doss_swiftboater" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">"Lesson for Amanda Doss, Swiftboater,"</a> TPM Cafe, June 27, 2006.</li></ul>=David Thibault was the editor-in-chief of <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Cybercast_News_Service" title="Cybercast News Service" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Cybercast News Service</a> (CNS) from April 2005. Thibault joined CNS in 2000 as managing editor.<a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/David_Thibault#cite_note-Staff_Bio-1" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[1]</a> He died from leukemia on July 20, 2007.<a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/David_Thibault#cite_note-2" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[2]</a>According to a biographical note:<dl style="margin-top: 0.2em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><dd style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-left: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-right: 0px;">"Before arriving at CNSNews.com, David worked for nearly 20 years in either radio and television news or as a congressional press secretary. He worked as a newscast producer and general assignment reporter for ABC affiliate WJLA-TV in Washington, D.C., between 1989 and 1993 before becoming senior producer for <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/GOP" title="GOP" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">GOP</a>-TV's Rising Tide, the televised weekly news magazine broadcast by the <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Republican_National_Committee" title="Republican National Committee" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Republican National Committee</a>. David first came to the nation's capital in 1987 as press secretary for Rep. <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Judd_Gregg" title="Judd Gregg" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Judd Gregg</a> after serving as a news anchor and later news director for WFEA-AM in Manchester, N.H., between 1981 and 1987. David holds a degree in communications from the<a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=University_of_New_Hampshire&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="University of New Hampshire (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(165, 88, 88); background: none;">University of New Hampshire</a>."<a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/David_Thibault#cite_note-Staff_Bio-1" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[1]</a></dd></dl><div id="toc" class="toc" style="border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 7px; font-size: 12px; display: table; zoom: 1; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; background-color: rgb(249, 249, 249);"><div id="toctitle" style="direction: ltr; text-align: center;"><h2 style="margin: 0px 0px 0.6em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border: none; font-size: 12px; display: inline; background: none;">Contents</h2>  [<a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/David_Thibault#" class="internal" id="togglelink" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">hide</a>] </div><ul style="line-height: 1.5em; list-style-type: none; margin: 0.3em 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: none;"><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-1" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/David_Thibault#Articles_and_Resources" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">1 Articles and Resources</a><ul style="line-height: 1.5em; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: none;"><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-2" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/David_Thibault#Sources" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">1.1 Sources</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-3" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/David_Thibault#Related_SourceWatch_Articles" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">1.2 Related SourceWatch Articles</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-4" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/David_Thibault#External_links" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">1.3 External links</a></li></ul></li></ul></div><h2 style="font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0.6em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); font-size: 19px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; background: none rgb(255, 255, 255);">Articles and Resources</h2><h3 style="margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-style: none; font-size: 17px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; background: none rgb(255, 255, 255);">Sources</h3><ol class="references" style="line-height: 19.200000762939453px; margin: 0.3em 0px 0.5em 3.2em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: none; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><li id="cite_note-Staff_Bio-1" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">↑ <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/David_Thibault#cite_ref-Staff_Bio_1-0" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;"><span class="cite-accessibility-label" style="top: -99999px; clip: rect(1px 1px 1px 1px); overflow: hidden; position: absolute !important; padding: 0px !important; border: 0px !important; height: 1px !important; width: 1px !important;">Jump up to:1.0</a> <a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/David_Thibault#cite_ref-Staff_Bio_1-1" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">1.1</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://web.archive.org/web/20070203183925/http://www.cnsnews.com/corporate/staffbios.asp" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">"Staff"</a>, February 2007. (This page is archived in the Internet Archive).</li><li id="cite_note-2" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/David_Thibault#cite_ref-2" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;"><span class="cite-accessibility-label" style="top: -99999px; clip: rect(1px 1px 1px 1px); overflow: hidden; position: absolute !important; padding: 0px !important; border: 0px !important; height: 1px !important; width: 1px !important;">Jump up↑</a> Susan Jones, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewCommentary.asp?Page=/Commentary/archive/200707/COM20070720d.html" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">"David Thibault, RIP: Farewell to a Friend"</a>, CNSNews.com, July 20, 2007.</li></ol><h3 style="margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-style: none; font-size: 17px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; background: none rgb(255, 255, 255);">Related SourceWatch Articles</h3><ul style="line-height: 19.200000762939453px; margin: 0.3em 0px 0.5em 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAUAAAANAQMAAABb8jbLAAAABlBMVEX///8AUow5QSOjAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAABNJREFUCB1jYEABBQw/wLCAgQEAGpIDyT0IVcsAAAAASUVORK5CYII=); font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/GOPUSA" title="GOPUSA" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">GOPUSA</a></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://mail.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Rising_Tide_(Republican_National_Committee_TV_Broadcast)" title="Rising Tide (Republican National Committee TV Broadcast)" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Rising Tide (Republican National Committee TV Broadcast)</a></li></ul><h3 style="margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-style: none; font-size: 17px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; background: none rgb(255, 255, 255);">External links</h3><ul style="line-height: 19.200000762939453px; margin: 0.3em 0px 0.5em 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAUAAAANAQMAAABb8jbLAAAABlBMVEX///8AUow5QSOjAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAABNJREFUCB1jYEABBQw/wLCAgQEAGpIDyT0IVcsAAAAASUVORK5CYII=); font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Terry Krepel, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://conwebwatch.tripod.com/stories/2004/brock04.html" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAVElEQVR42n3PgQkAIAhEUXdqJ3dqJ3e6IoTPUSQcgj4EQ5IlUiLE0Jil3PECXhcHGBhZ8kg4hwxAu3MZeCGeyFnAXp4hqNQPnt7QL0nADpD6wHccLvnAKksq8iiaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) 100% 50% no-repeat;">"What Matters. CNSNews.com and the Media Research Center love to attack David Brock, though they have yet to prove him wrong. Plus: They go after Air America, too,"</a> ConWebWatch, May 27, 2004: "Seems like someone needs to check their own house of bias before being overly concerned about the alleged biases of others."</li></ul><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Murtha">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Murtha</a>

John Patrick "Jack" Murtha, Jr. (pronounced <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:IPA_for_English" title="Wikipedia:IPA for English">/ˈmɜrθə/</a>; June 17, 1932 – February 8, 2010) was an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_the_United_States" title="Politics of the United States">American politician</a> from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S.state" title="U.S. state">U.S. state</a> of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennsylvania" title="Pennsylvania">Pennsylvania</a>. Murtha, a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Party%28United_States%29" title="Democratic Party (United States)">Democrat</a>, represented <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennsylvania%27s_12th_congressional_district" title="Pennsylvania's 12th congressional district">Pennsylvania's 12th congressional district</a> in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_of_Representatives" title="United States House of Representatives">United States House of Representatives</a> from 1974 until his death in 2010.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Murtha#cite_note-2">[3]</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Murtha#cite_note-3">[4]</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Murtha#cite_note-4">[5]</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Murtha#cite_note-5">[6]</a>

A former Marine Corps officer, Murtha was the first <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_War" title="Vietnam War">Vietnam War</a> veteran elected to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._House_of_Representatives" title="U.S. House of Representatives" class="mw-redirect">U.S. House of Representatives</a>. A member of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennsylvania_House_of_Representatives" title="Pennsylvania House of Representatives">Pennsylvania House</a> from 1969 to 1974, he narrowly won a special election to Congress in 1974 and was successively reelected every two years until his death. In the first decade of the 21st century, Murtha had been best known for his calls for a withdrawal of American forces in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq" title="Iraq">Iraq</a>, as well as questions about his ethics.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Murtha#cite_note-6">[7]</a>

In 2006, after the Democrats won control of Congress in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S.House_election,2006" title="U.S. House election, 2006" class="mw-redirect">2006 midterm elections</a> he made a failed bid to be elected <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Party_leaders_of_the_United_States_House_of_Representatives" title="Party leaders of the United States House of Representatives">House Majority Leader</a> during the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/110th_United_States_Congress" title="110th United States Congress">110th Congress (2007–2009)</a> with the open support of the new <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speaker_of_the_United_States_House_of_Representatives" title="Speaker of the United States House of Representatives">House Speaker</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nancy_Pelosi" title="Nancy Pelosi">Nancy Pelosi</a>.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Murtha#cite_note-Murtharun-7">[8]</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Murtha#cite_note-Pelosi.Murtha-8">[9]</a> He lost to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steny_Hoyer" title="Steny Hoyer">Steny Hoyer</a> of Maryland.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Murtha#cite_note-9">[10]</a> After the Republican's defeat to the Democratic Majority in 2006 Murtha re-assumed his chairmanship of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Committee_on_Appropriations" title="United States House Committee on Appropriations">House Appropriations</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Appropriations_Subcommittee_on_Defense" title="United States House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense">Defense Subcommittee</a>. He had previously chaired this subcommittee from 1989 to 1995 and served as its ranking member from 1995 to 2007.

<h2>Contents</h2>

[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Murtha#" class="internal" id="togglelink">hide</a>] </div>

<ul>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-1"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Murtha#Background">1 Background</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-2"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Murtha#Political_career">2 Political career</a>

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<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-3"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Murtha#Abscam_investigation">2.1 Abscam investigation</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-4"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Murtha#Earmarks_and_campaign_contributions">2.2 Earmarks and campaign contributions</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-5"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Murtha#Views_on_the_2003_Iraq_War">2.3 Views on the 2003 Iraq War</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-6"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Murtha#2005_Resolution_on_removing_American_forces_from_Iraq">2.4 2005 Resolution on removing American forces from Iraq</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-7"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Murtha#Jean_Schmidt_and_the_.E2.80.9Ccoward.E2.80.9D_controversy">2.5 Jean Schmidt and the “coward” controversy</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-8"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Murtha#Haditha.2C_Iraq_killings">2.6 Haditha, Iraq killings</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-9"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Murtha#Sun-Sentinel_story_and_correction">2.7 Sun-Sentinel story and correction</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-10"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Murtha#2008_Presidential_Election">2.8 2008 Presidential Election</a></li>

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<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-11"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Murtha#Political_views">3 Political views</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-12"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Murtha#Death_and_legacy">4 Death and legacy</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-13"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Murtha#Controversy">5 Controversy</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-15"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Murtha#References">7 References</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-16"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Murtha#External_links">8 External links</a></li>

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Murtha, J

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