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June 28, 2006

Tokyo Murtha's response

It looks like John Murtha (Cut-N-Run PA) has a press release concerning his "being misquoted" at the Miami conference he attended.

During the speech, I made a point that our international credibility was suffering, particularly due to our continued military presence in Iraq and that we were perceived as an occupying force. For illustrative purposes, I provided the example of a recent Pew Poll which indicates a greater percentage of people in 10 of 14 foreign countries consider the U.S. in Iraq a danger to world peace than consider Iran or North Korea a danger to world peace.
DO note that he doesn't offer his quote in context, but only an explanation of what he "really" meant.

Where's the full text of his actual words? Is there audio somewhere?

If Murtha wants to offer an explanation of his speech, fine and good. He may be finally realizing his shoot-from-the-lip that underlines his Toykoist motives is not bringing this unindicted co-conspirator in the Abscam scandal of the 80's the kind of attention he craves. But he doesn't offer any more of a quote than was attributed to him by the Sun-Sentinel.

Let's say I'm a bit cynical about the "misquote" because the second half of Murtha's press release claims his quote about redeployment to places like "Okinawa" was also a misquote. Transcript

REP. MURTHA: Kuwait’s one that will take us. Qatar, we already have bases in Qatar. So Bahrain. All those countries are willing to take the United States. Now, Saudi Arabia won’t because they wanted us out of there in the first place. So—and we don’t have to be right there. We can go to Okinawa. We, we don’t have—we can redeploy there almost instantly. So that’s not—that’s, that’s a fallacy. That, that’s just a statement to rial up people to support a failed policy wrapped in illusion.

MR. RUSSERT: But it’d be tough to have a timely response from Okinawa.

REP. MURTHA: Well, it—you know, they—when I say Okinawa, I, I’m saying troops in Okinawa. When I say a timely response, you know, our fighters can fly from Okinawa very quickly. And—and—when they don’t know we’re coming. There’s no question about it. And, and where those airplanes won’t—came from I can’t tell you, but, but I’ll tell you one thing, it doesn’t take very long for them to get in with cruise missiles or with, with fighter aircraft or, or attack aircraft, it doesn’t take any time at all.

Is this a "misquote?" or being "quoted out of context"?

No. Sorry. Murtha undercuts any credibility to the first "misquote" by tacking on the second as "another occassion" of the same. And why should anyone believe Murtha was more circumspect in Miami about America's threat to peace then he was about "the wrongful coverup" in Haditha in the same speech?

Murtha's press release also includes a link to a website that features both his press release and an article entitled "SwiftBoat II?"

What is it about "Swiftboating" for the Left community? Last I checked, not one thing alleged in the book was disproved. Indeed, Kerry's* Christmas in Cambodia was just one point of incredulity uncovered equal to Murtha's "rapid deployment from Okinawa."

Chancuff, who pointed me to the press release in the comments here says

When I read that story I was puzzled. It just didn't sound like something Murtha would say.
Really? Considering what Murtha has been saying since, at least, last November, it entirely was in character.

*515 days since he promised to fully release his military papers

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Posted by Darleen at June 28, 2006 06:33 AM

Comments

Well there are many, many places one can go if they sincerely want to understand how these GOP funded liars slandered a combat veteran for political purposes, but perhaps the most unimpeachable is the account from the other officer in the Silver Star incident.

As for Murtha's second misquote, I'm not sure what he was referring to, since he never denies the Okinawa quote and in fact, quotes it himself in the press release. Apparently he is referring to it being quoted without context someplace, but it's unclear from that release.

But any chance to swiftboat a veteran who exercises the Constitional rights he fought for.

Posted by: Lindy at June 28, 2006 08:16 AM

Still fighting about Kerry?

No matter how you cut it, Kerry faced bullets and bombs in 'Nam; which is more than anyone can say about most people on the far right, especially in the media.

Same for Murtha. There's no reason to be in Iraq; it's time to pull out.

Too bad Iraqis like to kill each other; but there's not much anyone can do about that; our presence is simply making things worse.

Even the administration is making noises about withdrawal.

Posted by: Carl W. Goss at June 28, 2006 09:34 AM

Lindy

If Kerry was LIBELED (do learn the correct terminology, ok?) then why has HE never filed a lawsuit, eh?

The book, which I did read, was not about one incident.

But I guess that 200 Vietnam vets are "liars" when it comes to Winter Soldier Kerry, eh?

Posted by: Darleen at June 28, 2006 12:21 PM

Lurch cannot, and wil not ever back up his claims of libel in any court of law. To do so would immediately require full disclosure, and it would all come out in one big pile. Its just stupid that anyone is still pretending for this ego driven opportunist. Must be just the on line hard Left because all my Liberal friends have long since given up on Mr. Queeg and his can of strawberries, and say they think he was a total fucking disaster as a candidate.

- I hope the "progressives" run another one with a dishonorable discharge just like him.

Posted by: Big Bang Hunter at June 29, 2006 02:12 AM

There's no reason to be in Iraq; it's time to pull out.

A pity that the insurgents disagree with you, Carl:

Eleven Sunni insurgent groups have offered an immediate halt to all attacks — including those on American troops — if the United States agrees to withdraw foreign forces from Iraq in two years, insurgent and government officials told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

Source: AP via Yahoo!.

Posted by: I R A Darth Aggie at June 29, 2006 11:23 AM

This story has taken so many twists and turns, if you blink, you'll crash at the next turn, as some significant players already have.

New developments are being being tracked at this news site:

http://theinfozone.net/JohnMurtha.html

A notable development: The original Sun-Sentinel's article written by Elizabeth Baier, has been removed from their site and replaced with Ms. Baier's revised story.

If any of you bookmarked Sun-Sentinel's original article that has made them famous for their "the shot heard around the world", check your bookmarked page now. The significance of this is rather overwhelming. This weeks' hysteria, and subsequent retractions and corrections is over something that "never happened".

Interesting to note, it retains the original publication date June 25, 2006, and The Sun-Sentinel did not note this story is a revision.

We here at "The World of Journalism Is Flat, Too" tip our hats to all those who have taken up our cause that we began at 12:03AM Monday, June 26, 2006, when I sent an email complaining about Elizabeth's article to 39 staff members at the Sun-Sentinel and 70+ staff members at the Arizona Star.

What will happen next week, will surprise you further.

Cliff Hancuff
The World of Journalism is Flat, Too

Posted by: chancuff at July 2, 2006 12:44 PM

As of the date and time stamp of this posting the following is correct:
The original first paragraph written by Elizabeth Baier at the Sun-Sentinel has been removed. Since their original correction to their story and my constant vigilance and the constantly updated reporting at theinfozone.net, they have rewritten this entire original article.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-ctownhall25jun25,0,7119684.story

What distinguishes this as unique is that though newspapers certainly update stories all the time, but when doing so, they are required by standard journalism practice to make clear it’s a revision, stating prominently at the top this story is a revision and updating the date of the article to the date of the revision. They have done neither.

Any impression created by this posting that this indicates that the Sun-Sentinel is covering up what they started by making all the uproar of this week over something that “never happened” is not my intent here. (legal disclaimers have become necessary)

Cliff Hancuff
The World of Journalism Is Flat, Too

Posted by: chancuff at July 5, 2006 07:37 PM

Looking at the large number of blog posts I've placed throughout the blogsphere in the last 2 weeks, I'm sure I'm not alone in thinking they look like spam.

My apologies to all.

Some interesting things happened today. I received an email response from Bill Pasco(e) of Diana Irey's campaign against John Murtha for the 12th District of Pennsylvania seat in the House of Representatives.

In responding Mr. Pascoe's email, I found it useful to CC that response to him to Elizabeth Baier and her editor Ms. Rosenhause (Managing Editor Sun-Sentinel).

The topic of those emails was "Rovian Architecture Unplugged". If you are interested to learn more, feel free to write them.

Make "Rovian Architechure Unplugged" your subject heading so they know what your inquiry is about.

Their email addresses:

Bill Pascoe phone: (724) 258-2300

bill@irey.com

Elizabeth Baier

ebaier@sun-sentinel.com

Sharon Rosenhause

srosenhause@sun-sentinel.com

Cliff Hancuff
The World of Journalism Is Flat, Too

Posted by: chancuff at July 11, 2006 10:04 PM

Despite an email warning to Mr. Pasco to contact Sharon Rosenhause, Managing Editor at the Sun-Sentinel, irey.com continues to maintain this page.

"Is Murtha channeling Marty McFly? Congressman’s June 27 press release magically includes information from … June 28?"

http://www.irey.com/news/Read.aspx?Id=61

In my email exchange with Mr. Pasco yesterday he attempted to float this clever headline with me in an email. I responded to him with this:


----------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you really want to follow this "rapid crash journalism" course of action of yours, let me assist you in doing so properly. This is John Murtha's original press release issued by Cindy Abram on June 27th.

http://theinfozone.net/PDFfiles/MurthaPressRelease.pdf
...
You can understand why Cindy Abram updated Mr. Murtha's press release from the 27th now, I presume. After all, most would conclude that the Sun-Sentinel, who created this mess to start with, was in a better position to fix what Elizabeth Baier broke than theinfozone.net.

Please note: Ms. Baier as well as her editor Ms. Rosenhause are recipients of this email.

Mr Pasco(sic), perhaps they will be gracious enough to assist you towards a more lucid understanding of your "Marty McFly" insight.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------


Apparently Mr. Bill Pascoe puts more faith in continuing his slander strategy than makes sense.

Ms Rosenhause has her own special part in this. The Sun-Sentinel has removed their retraction ... the correction that rewrote the "the shot heard around the world" first paragraph. The Sun-Sentinel has suddenly placed it in their paid archives, removing it from public domain. The only way you will find the unethical rewrite (still in public domain) is through google cache. You may wish to contact her as well.

For the sake of clarity, inquiries regarding THIS turn of events should include the Subject Line: Mr. Bill

Bill Pascoe
bill@irey.com
phone: (724) 258-2300

Sharon Rosenhause
srosenhause@sun-sentinel.com
phone: (954) 425-1200


Cliff Hancuff
The World of Journalism Is Flat, Too

Posted by: chancuff at July 12, 2006 11:47 AM