Rep. Murtha is dead at age 77, felled from surgical complications.
He was a fierce defender of the military, and a fierce garbber of defense contracts for his constituents, and entirely unapologetic about both. I don’t agree with much of his approach, but I am more than willing to honor a man who truly believed in this country and served it as best he knew how.
He will be missed.
It is the job of a Congress member or Senator to grabber for his/her district until such a time that earmarks are somehow eliminated or limited. That said, he did a damn good job for his peeps. Not as good as Robert Byrd, but good. He was also a Marine who never forgot that we have Marines to put them in harm’s way, but never for the wrong reasons.
He seemed like a tough SOB, one that you’re glad is on your side. RIP.
De mortuis nil nisi bonum, vero.
Defending the military sometimes means pointing out the warts so it gets better. Every single Marine and Marine Reservist I know personally said the exact same thing as Murtha–those kids panicked, and they screwed the pooch as a result.
Also, if you’re going to type in Latin, provide a translation.
If the accusations he makes where true then he was protecting the miliatry. Murders are murders even if they are wrapped up in a flag and get clapped walking through airports.
It is vital that any civilised country can be seen to enforce it’s rules and laws on it’s own. These men if guilty brought shame and disgrace on the organisation and the country that Murtha seemed to love greatly.
Say nothing but good of the dead. Also, for some reason, Rowr tossed ‘truth’ in there. Tis a classic aphorism.
Uncanny timing here, but the death of former U.S. Rep. Charlie Wilson (D, Tex), who died of an apparent heart attack today, was just released on the newswire.
He and Murtha were allies in Congress and probably good buddies, too. Their connection re. dodgy ethics and cooperating on funding the Mujaheddin was a plot point in the film Charlie Wilson’s War.