Feingold commends Murtha's call for troop withdrawal

[leftchick]

Feingold commends Murtha's call for troop withdrawal

FREDERIC J. FROMMER

Associated Press


WASHINGTON - Sen. Russ Feingold, who has pushed for a target date to bring U.S. troops home from Iraq, commended Rep. John Murtha for calling for the immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops.

"I'm not surprised that someone's doing it, and I'm not surprised that it's Representative Murtha, because he has shown a consistent courage in pointing out the flaws in this policy," Feingold, D-Wis., said in a telephone interview Thursday. "Representative Murtha's statement is a very important one."

Feingold, whose call in August for a timetable has put him on the far edges of Congress for months, now finds a prominent hawk taking a position that goes even further. Feingold has stressed all along that he does not support an immediate troop withdrawal, but said Thursday he understands why Murtha, D-Pa., is staking out this position.

"If there's a choice between simply staying there without a plan, which is what the Bush administration has, or simply leaving, I would prefer simply leaving," Feingold said.

He said the United States should have a plan to both finish the job in Iraq and bring the troops home.

"But Representative Murtha is pointing out that we're not getting any cooperation from the administration on that," Feingold said.

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/world/13195138.htm

[Sabien]

1. SHOUT IT FROM THE ROOFTOPS RUSS!

Nobody can call him a flip-flopper.

He had the cajones to vote against giving King George 2nd (George the Selected) the ability to go to war in Iraq in the first place.

Give 'em hell Russ

www.fightingbob.com

[Jackpine Radical]

2. Welcome aboard Sabien.

I've been pushing Russ for 2008 around here for a long time now.

Oh, and I've been at all the Bobfests to date too. Thanks for putting the link out there.

Quite a few Cheeseheads on the board. Stop by the WI page sometime.

[Sabien]

3. howdy

Aquai Jackpine - thanks for the welcome, tried to send private message, but newbies can't do that.

Saw your post on the Abramoff thing.

Intertribal here...

:thumbsup:

[newyawker99]

8. Hi Sabien!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[rodeodance]

4. go Russ go

"But Representative Murtha is pointing out that we're not getting any cooperation from the administration on that," Feingold said.

[ninkasi]

5. I have a tremendous amount of respect

for both Murtha and Feingold. I'm proud of a lot of our Democratic leaders right now. I've spoken out when I felt they were silent, now I'm applauding the ones who are speaking out.

[lebkuchen]

6. Murtha's office lines were constantly busy yesterday

both in Penn. and DC. I wanted to congratulate him.

[radio4progressives]

7. I got through Murtha's PA office this AM/ I'm thrilled with Feingold's

remarks.

There's a lot I like about Feingold, his position on the Patriot Act, his position on the War, his position on the separation of church and state - i think he voted for the bankruptcy bill which stunned me, but i still think his vote for Roberts was strategic. Keeping his poweder dry for to make his case against someone like Alito. That's my theory for now. I hope he proves me right.

But generally speaking I'm always impressed when I hear him in committee hearings.

[NewHampshireDem]

10. I still scratch my head over his vote on the bankruptcy bill n/t

[TheGunslinger]

9. Very well-phrased. Very well-phrased, indeed!

[mb7588a]

11. atta boy, russ. nt.