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Condemn and Remove Congressman Murtha

Dr. Domenick J. Maglio, Ph.D. Neo-Traditionalist

In a grandstanding news conference on May 17, 2006, John Murtha, serving as a Congressman from Pennsylvania since 1974, tried and convicted American soldiers before having any evidence. He said that Marines in Haditha “shot 24 Iraqis in cold blood” and claimed “the military tried to cover it up.” He said his military insiders told him that there was no firefight, no IEDs just 24 innocent victims. He implied our soldiers were out-of-control sadistic murderers.

“There was no question in my mind what happened. There was no gunfire. They killed four people in a taxi and then in addition to that they went into the rooms and killed them. And I don’t know who were involved in it but it is something that we cannot excuse. I can understand it but it can’t be excused.” “Murtha on Haditha: I know there was a cover up,” Secure America, May 30, 2006. There was a firefight recorded by a predator drone airplane.

Buried 6/18/2008 on the back pages of newspapers in the United States, a small article appeared. This article: “Charges Dismissed in Haditha’s Deaths,” a military judge in Camp Pendleton dismissed charges against Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani, the highest ranking officer charged in the deaths of 24 Iraqis nearly four years ago.” Tampa Tribune, 6/18/08, pg. 6.

Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani, a father of six children and a 20-year war hero, spent the past three years having to survive under the horrendous pressure of being considered a war criminal. He was not granted due process, neither were the other seven supposedly murderous soldiers. Each was presumed guilty and had to prove their innocence. Seven out of the eight soldiers have already been exonerated and the eighth has not yet been tried.

The opportunist, Murtha, rushed to judgment and did not even wait for an internal military investigation. Murtha was in the middle of jockeying for the limelight during a presidential nomination campaign when he made these false inflammatory statements.

Murtha has a long history of sleaziness as a congressman. The late 1970s FBI Abscan sting operation has a tape of him and FBI agents posing as middle-eastern businessmen discussing a $50,000 bribe for political favors. He said on the tape “you know we do business for awhile, maybe I’ll be interested.”

The Citizens Against Waste voted Murtha as the Top Porker of the Year in 2007. These shenanigans indicate a less than honorable character but pales in comparison to his besmirching our troops in a time of war. These Marines under life and death circumstances have to make split second decisions. For a 30+year congressman to make anti-American statements against our troops without any evidence is an unconscionable act.

Murtha must be punished by being removed from his high level position as representative of the United States of America. He has disgraced himself, and dishonored our heroic troops. His actions are nothing short of treasonous.

The greater shame is the lack of outrage or action by the other congressmen to Murtha’s politically motivated slandering of our soldiers and their commanders. It shows that no matter how heinous the actions of a governmental official it will be overlooked by the “good old boy corrupt club.” They are so busy scrounging for dirty money that they protect each other’s despicable acts rather than defend American interests.

Murtha is a symbol of a slimy politician selling his power to the highest bidder and who is even willing to trample on the lives of our professional troops. Only by Murtha’s colleagues in the U.S. Congress doing their duty of removing him from office can we restore the honor of these Marine’s and the reputation of our congress.

By allowing self-serving politicians to use their office to spread despicable lies about our troops we are aiding and abetting our enemies. We must support and protect our troops doing their dangerous and honorable duty to diminish the power of evil.

John Murtha must go to re-establish a respectable level of accountability and integrity in the highest ranks of our representative government or we will continue to disintegrate from within.

Dr. Maglio is the author of Invasion Within and Essential Parenting. He is a psychotherapist and the owner/director of Wider Horizons School.