Jack Murtha has issued a statement that is just bizarrely worded. In the same breath which he apologizes for calling Western Pennsylvanians racists, he affirms that he indeed believes they are.
October 16, 2008FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Murtha Statement on Comments made about Western Pennsylvania Yesterday
JOHNSTOWN, PA -- Congressman John P. Murtha, Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, was quoted yesterday in remarks made at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (www.post-gazette.com ) and Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (www.pittsburghlive.com ). He issued the following statement today: "I apologize for making the comment that 'Western Pennsylvania is a racist area.'
"While we cannot deny that race is a factor in this election, I believe we've been able to look beyond race these past few months, and that voters today are concerned with the policy differences of our two candidates and their vision for the future of our great country.
"Senator Obama has shown sound judgment and has presented us with a change from the failed policies of George Bush and John McCain. I believe he will win both Pennsylvania and the White House."
He cannot help himself. He apologizes for saying that "Western Pennsylvania is a racist area," and instead of simply affirming that people there are not racists, he praises them for putting their perceived racism aside for at least the last few months.
You can't make this stuff up.
No one accused Pennsylvanian Jack Murtha of racism when he opposed Lynn Swann's gubernatorial run in the Keystone State. Funny how that works.
No. It's not. It's right how it works on one side and appalling how it works on the other.
My wife worked for a major cable news network for about a decade. When the Republican National Convention came to New York City in 2004, she worked it with them. She asked me one night heading in if I wanted anything. I initially said no, to which she said, "No sign, not anything?" I replied that that would be fine. How often do you have so many Republicans - elected or voting - within a 5 minute drive of my home in the Peoples Republic, anyway?
"Want any autographs or anything?" she asked, trying to accommodate my passion for politics. I laughed. "No, no. No need for any of that business." Then I paused. And gave her a longshot just because. "You know, if you see J.C. Watts, his I would take. That's probably the one politician in the whole place I would go out of my way to shake hands with and thank. He's my favorite Republican." I am loathe to treat politicians as some sort of stars or heroes.
As fate would have it, my wife was returning home, with a Bush-Cheney 2004 sign in tow - in the middle of Manhattan mind you - and waiting for a cab. Who walks across the street? J.C. Watts. My wife almost fell over. "J.C. Watts? Oh you have no idea..." And she proceeded to tell him the story of how his, of all those at the convention, was the name I mentioned and how much I thought of him and why.
Ever gracious and genuine, as she later conveyed was just as I had described, he penned his name to the Bush-Cheney 2004 sign with as much enthusiasm as I took in describing him to my wife. It hangs in my office to this day.
No. The broad charges of racism are not funny - not from Murtha, not from news commentators, and not from the candidate himself. Nor is it funny that such false blanket charges never come from Republicans when referencing others' opposition to their candidates (Swann, Steele, Blackwell, et al). It's just plain right that it doesn't. And just plain wrong when it does from Murtha and others. Not just wrong in principle, but wrong in fact.
And I am damn tired of being forced to defend against such outright garbage.
Shame on you, Jack Murtha. You disgust me.
Permalink | Linking Blogs | Sphere: Related Content | Digg this! | FARK It!
Filed under:
2008 Presidential Race
Comments (18)
He's overdue for retirement... (Below threshold)1. Posted by Gmac | October 16, 2008 12:44 PM | Score: 5 (7 votes cast)
He's overdue for retirement but as long as he's a liability I say put him in front of a microphone and let him continue to make an ass of himself and expose the racist leanings of the party he belongs to.
1. Posted by Gmac | October 16, 2008 12:44 PM |
Score: 5 (7 votes cast)
Posted on October 16, 2008 12:44
2. Posted by Scrapiron | October 16, 2008 12:51 PM | Score: 7 (7 votes cast)
Once a marine always a marine except when you become a traitor. Murtha is one of the few 'X' marines in the world. He accused the marines of cold blooded murder and is being sued for his idiot remarks. Now if someone can sue him for calling them racist his defeat would be assured.
2. Posted by Scrapiron | October 16, 2008 12:51 PM |
Score: 7 (7 votes cast)
Posted on October 16, 2008 12:51
3. Posted by JLawson | October 16, 2008 1:04 PM | Score: 9 (9 votes cast)
Democrats seem to be the most racist folks around. EVERYTHING revolves around skin color.
Martin Luther King would be appalled.
3. Posted by JLawson | October 16, 2008 1:04 PM |
Score: 9 (9 votes cast)
Posted on October 16, 2008 13:04
4. Posted by Paul Hooson | October 16, 2008 1:12 PM | Score: -5 (9 votes cast)
Murtha is a screwball, and hardly representative of most Democratic officeholders any more than Larry Craig is typical of most Republicans. Both parties have a few "crazy uncles".
4. Posted by Paul Hooson | October 16, 2008 1:12 PM |
Score: -5 (9 votes cast)
Posted on October 16, 2008 13:12
5. Posted by Peter F. | October 16, 2008 1:13 PM | Score: 8 (8 votes cast)
Where's the outrage? Where's the call for him to resign? Where's the ACLU? Where's Keith Olbermann?
All I hear are the crickets and tumbleweeds of a double standard.
5. Posted by Peter F. | October 16, 2008 1:13 PM |
Score: 8 (8 votes cast)
Posted on October 16, 2008 13:13
6. Posted by WildWillie | October 16, 2008 1:17 PM | Score: 8 (10 votes cast)
Paul, you couldn't be more wrong. Murtha is the guy your party leaders held up as an expert in military, etc. He was the media darling and ALL dems embraced him. Your comparison is just idiotic. I did not even hear or know Craig until his incident. Cheesh! I live for the day that a lib can say they are wrong. ww
6. Posted by WildWillie | October 16, 2008 1:17 PM |
Score: 8 (10 votes cast)
Posted on October 16, 2008 13:17
7. Posted by sshiell | October 16, 2008 1:22 PM | Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Murtha = SEMPER ONE!!!
7. Posted by sshiell | October 16, 2008 1:22 PM |
Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Posted on October 16, 2008 13:22
8. Posted by LaMedusa | October 16, 2008 1:36 PM | Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
"All I hear are the crickets and tumbleweeds of a double standard."
Wow. I like that. :)
8. Posted by LaMedusa | October 16, 2008 1:36 PM |
Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
Posted on October 16, 2008 13:36
9. Posted by apb | October 16, 2008 1:46 PM | Score: 8 (8 votes cast)
Both parties have a few "crazy uncles".
Eh - aunts, too - Pelosi, Feinstein, Boxer, nutbag McKinney ... hmmm - seems the nutty aunts dominate a certain political side of the moat.
9. Posted by apb | October 16, 2008 1:46 PM |
Score: 8 (8 votes cast)
Posted on October 16, 2008 13:46
10. Posted by P. Bunyan | October 16, 2008 4:24 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
I'm not trying to minimize this or anything, but on the long list of things for which Murtha needs to apologize, this is not at the top.
No surprise that he rose to power and prominence in the Democrat party, though.
10. Posted by P. Bunyan | October 16, 2008 4:24 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on October 16, 2008 16:24
11. Posted by Brian The Adequate | October 16, 2008 4:28 PM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Nice try Hoosen, but wrong.
Murtha is a long term subcommittee chair for defense appropriations and was floated by Pelosi for the position of majority leader when she was elevated to speaker.
Craig is a career back bencher that no one would ever have heard of if he had not been caught seeking his jollies in a public restroom.
11. Posted by Brian The Adequate | October 16, 2008 4:28 PM |
Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on October 16, 2008 16:28
12. Posted by Clint | October 16, 2008 4:34 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
How's he doing in the polls?
I thought we had a pretty good candidate going up against him...
12. Posted by Clint | October 16, 2008 4:34 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on October 16, 2008 16:34
13. Posted by Jon S. | October 16, 2008 6:51 PM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
For what it's worth, I was hoping that JC Watts would be the surprise McCain VP pick. No disrespect to Palin, who I like a lot.
13. Posted by Jon S. | October 16, 2008 6:51 PM |
Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on October 16, 2008 18:51
14. Posted by Gordon | October 16, 2008 10:35 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
O brother where art thou:
"Is you is or is you ain't my constituency"
14. Posted by Gordon | October 16, 2008 10:35 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on October 16, 2008 22:35
15. Posted by jhow66 | October 16, 2008 11:52 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
lee lee is calling you Paulie Hoosie.
15. Posted by jhow66 | October 16, 2008 11:52 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on October 16, 2008 23:52
16. Posted by ODA315 | October 17, 2008 1:26 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
As an old combat vet I REALLY want to hit this scumbag where it hurts,...in his lazy pork-laden political career.
Just donated to LTC Bill Russell's campaign. Bill's a recently retired airborne ranger qualified USMA grad. Lots of combat leadership experience as an infantry officer in both Gulf Wars and Kosovo (little closer to danger than sitting on your fat ass in an S-2 shop in Saigon). Bill's raising lots of cash.
I think he'd do a fine job leading thos racists in western PA. Go take a look.
http://russellbrigade.com/
16. Posted by ODA315 | October 17, 2008 1:26 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on October 17, 2008 01:26
17. Posted by Mark Ducharme
| October 17, 2008 8:43 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
I was stationed next door in Jersey another lifetime ago and, all I can tell you is, I still wonder why God hasn't annexed that friggin' wasteland yet. He must be sparing the Liberty Bell.
17. Posted by Mark Ducharme
| October 17, 2008 8:43 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on October 17, 2008 20:43
18. Posted by nhright | October 17, 2008 10:26 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
testing
18. Posted by nhright | October 17, 2008 10:26 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on October 17, 2008 22:26