Taylor Marsh on The Swiftboating of John Murtha

[Bob Geiger]

Even those of us who have watched the Republican smear machine for years have been sickened at how the GOP has coordinated its attacks against Congressman John Murtha (D-PA) for the crime of speaking out against our continued involvement in Iraq. After all, Murtha is only a highly-decorated combat Veteran, with 37 years in the Marine Corps, so who better to go after his patriotism and military record than a bunch of Republican Chickenhawks who have never served our country themselves?

Taylor Marsh comes to the rescue today on the subject of these attacks with an incredible piece of work called The Swiftboating of John Murtha and spells out in fascinating and repulsive detail what Murtha has endured over the last year.

An excerpt:

If Rep. Murtha didn't have real military clout, being the first Vietnam veteran elected to the House, the Republican Party wouldn't have bothered with him. But he does, so they did. It has now escalated into a conservative campaign to swiftboat a decorated Marine veteran.

Once called one of the most hawkish members of Congress, Rep. John Murtha is now being presented as some anti war coward. His remarks about Haditha have unleashed just the latest salvo in the swiftboating strategy invented by conservatives, which they are now being forced to defend and explain.

Prior to 2005, The Cybercast News Service (CNS), purveyor of all things conservative and run by L. Brent Bozell III, had only one article about Rep. John Murtha. The headline was laudatory: Congressional Bill Would Establish Memorial for Victims of 9/11 (March 8, 2002). But on November 18, 2005, Bozell's team shot into action and hasn't stopped attacking Rep. Murtha since.

For better or worse, Taylor doesn’t miss a disgusting trick, including attacks by the likes of Ann Coulter -- in which Coulter questioned the legitimacy of Murtha's many war medals -- Newsbusters, which did much the same thing and fellow Veteran Duncan Hunter (R-CA) who is more loyal to the sick GOP cause than another Vet and, as Taylor says, "is selling out a fellow brother in arms."

Taylor also covers, Diana Irey, Murtha's opponent for this year's election, who isn’t missing a chance to join the swiftboating and who happens to be married to someone profiting immensely from the Iraq war -- go figure.

If you only have time to read one thing this week, Taylor's article has got to be it.

Please go here to read more.

You can reach Bob Geiger at [e-mail] and read more from him at Democrats.com.

[DianaForRussFeingold]

1. Great article! recommended!

:hi: Thank you for posting that,very interesting. Here is another great article from 'The Patriot Project': July 04, 2006
4th of July Essay on Patriotism; http://www.patriotproject.com/2006/07/4th_of_july_ess_1.php#more
Welcome to DU :yourock:

[wiley]

2. The Patriot Project?

Never heard of them but I support their mission. Is it non-partisan? Is it legit?

Thanks

[blm]

4. Completely legit - It was set up by vets and friends of JK's who developed

a network to defend any veteran running as a Dem candidate who will certainly be targeted for speaking against the WH policies.

They had formed to complete a thorough research of every attack made against Kerry by the RW swiftliars, and became familiar with all their tactics and the people behind them. So they decided to use what they learned to protect all Dem vet candidates who will face the barrage of lies from GOP operatives.

They launched with a $500,000 start up, and will be most certainly be in need for this upcoming election cycle when the attacks are intensified.

[wiley]

24. Thanks. Bookmarking and recommending!

:patriot:

[Monkeyman]

27. Yep

We Veterans For Kerry were held back by DNC but not this time We are all over the Country with Veterans orgs . Mine is Veterans For Progress IL

[blm]

31. What was with the DNC back then? I heard stories about them suppressing

the antiBush attacks throughout the campaign because Clinton didn't think it would work. What did they tell you vets?

[NoAmericanTaliban]

3. Thanks for the info. Best way to fight the cowardly swift boaters is to

point out their own lack of military service & their chickenhawk nature. When Murtha was first attacked he mentioned Cheney's numerous deferments during Vietnam. Unfortunately swift boating has been very effective for the GOP in the past - Clinton, McCain, Kerry, Cleland & now Murtha are just some examples. Here is one I got today on Clinton http://www.gfrw.org/Bill_Hill_Clinton.htm

Looks like they are attacking the Clintons in anticipation of a Hillary run. The GOP is good at hiding behind the Flag, Bible, & children so expect much more of that. They are trying to paint the dems as cowards & themselves as 'true patriots'.

[Taylor Marsh]

5. Swiftboating of Murtha on Patriot Project

Hello everyone. I've never posted here, but I thought I'd jump in today.

First, thanks so much to Bob for putting up a diary on my piece at the Patriot Project.

To give you background, it'a about supporting dissent. We're all patriots over there who want to stop the attacks on people and organizations who become targets of conservatives for speaking out against things we feel are unjust. I single out conservatives because they're the only ones doing it. Here's a post at my blog that explains a little more, if you're interested:

http://www.taylormarsh.com/archives_view.php?id=24232

The group is very legitimate, with serious people involved. Please take time to stop by. I'd be glad to answer any other questions you might have.

http://www.patriotproject.com/

Great to be here and have an opportunity to chat with the DU crowd.

TM

[BrewAz]

7. "Swift boat" the swift boaters...?

This is the part I do not get...whether John Kerry or John Murtha, Max Cleland or even John McCain....WHY DO SUCH DECORATED VETERANS PUT UP WITH IT?!?!?!?! Why turn the other cheek....or take the high road? Isn't enough enough?

The blabbering talking heads who perpetrate such "swift-boating" need to be "swift-boated" themselves. I get that the right thing for the DCrats to do is to take that "high road" and discuss the issues and ignore the litany of lies that the right has thrown. The problem is that if no one (read that Progressives) will fight the words...and we know that the media lets it slide...there are some 30-40% of American voters who believe it...because they see and hear it 24x7 on "foxnews" and the like.

Just look at what happened to McCain when the Bushcos swifted him during the last campaign. Something needs to be done. How hard could it be to "swift" an overweight-drug-addicted-neo-con talking head? or a lying-sexual-predator-spin-master with his own show on fox....to say nothing of a blonde airhead who has trouble answering a direct question, to say nothing of a 5-deferment able bodied male during the Viet Nam war?....or an AWOL National Guardsman who could not find oil in Texas? How hard could it be?

Isn't it time that we see some "swift-boating" of the swift boaters?

BrewAz

[NoAmericanTaliban]

8. Welcome to DU - I agree that taking the high road when the GOP doesn't

is not very effective. I was listening to the right wing Boots show when they were talking about the upcoming Swift Boat book during the 2004 election. They were discussing how they will use it to wipe out Kerry's combat experience compared to Bush national guard service. You could see this coming a mile away, yet Kerry was caught flat footed. Once the initial accusations are made the accused will waste time & effort in defending something he shouldn't need to defend in the first place.

As long as you drink the reich wing cool aid the supporters will forgive any indiscretion - for example adultery - look at Nut Gingrich - 3 X divorced and may be running for prez/ Tom hot tub Delay - big drinker and womanizer - before he was born again - W - drunk coke head - yet some now see him as the second coming of Christ. Their hypocrisy knows no bounds.

[Submariner]

10. I am not a decorated veteran

but I think the Kerry's and Murtha's do not rebut and attack intensely because after you have "Been There, Done That" in a combat theater one does not feel they have to explain themselves, which they should not have to do.

However, we all know the mental midget freeper-like element can't think outside the Fox news propaganda box and if they don't brighten up we're all screwed.

[Taylor Marsh]

11. To swiftboat the swiftboaters are not - that's the question

I had a conversation last week with Rep. Murtha's press secretary, which confirmed what I'd been told by others. She said that Murtha doesn't respond because it's not about him. He wants to keep the focus on Iraq and redeploying the troops.

I made a serious pitch to her, which went something like this: from McCain forward, every time we give the conservatives a pass on their smearing of veterans they learn they won't be held accountable. If Murtha doesn't push back it will never stop. McCain gave Bush a pass in 2000, so then it was Max Cleland's turn. Next came John Kerry. Kerry and others want the Patriot Project to stand up and shoot back at the people who dare smear patriotic Americans who dissent from the views of those in power. My piece today is just the beginning. Patriot Project is just getting started. They're a great group of people, of which I'm trilled to play a role.

[BrewAz]

14. Patriot Project....

Thanks for the heads up on your group...

BrewAz

[senseandsensibility]

17. And what was her response?

I agree with everything you said, of course. But I am very interested to know if she said anything when you presenting her with these compelling facts. Welcome to DU, by the way.:hi:

[Taylor Marsh]

13. To swiftboat the swiftboaters or not?

I answered this below as well, but it's not about the high road. The Patriot Project will be doing a lot more on these types of things. We're pushing back in a serious way now. We just have to convince veterans, who are humble and not given to defending themselves, that it's not just about them, but about all veterans, especially the next one the conservatives attack. I say conservatives because they're the only ones doing it.

[blm]

18. I think alot of them saw so much horror on battlefields they let this crap

go because it SHOULD be too petty to care about after you've had machine gun fire whizzing past your ears.

But it all comes down to the HORRIBLE role of the corporate media that now ENCOURAGES the liars and promotes their sensationalistic charges. This never would have happened even 10 years ago. Now the media pretty much gives the WH's preferred storyline on EVERYTHING, including the attacks on veterans who speak against them.

[Ian David]

19. I think we need to be doing even more, and doing even dirtier stuff

I think we should be sending out "decoy dates" to entrap and document "pro-family" repukes caught with their pants down.

I want videotape of Rick Santorum masturbating on someone's couch while he's watching gay porn, and I'm willing to contribute $200 of my own money to pay a private investigation company to make that happen.

That is, within the limits allowed by law.

[Child_Of_Isis]

22. That is, within the limits allowed by law.

Fuck the law! The GOP doesn't care about the law! Their prez cares even less.

Okay...I'm a bad person..:blush:

[The Wizard]

25. Don't you mean

"the" video tape? Make them deny W giving Don King a blow job. They have demonstrated that it's OK to lie. If "the" pictures of a rabid dog fucking Dick Cheney in the ass were to be published would freepers blame Bill- Clinton's penis?:puke:

[w8liftinglady]

21. I,for one,am grateful to you for this.

Murtha is a hero,in my opinion,because he gave the soldiers 'permission" to question the war.My son felt free to disclose some of his horrendous experiences after Murtha came out against the bush Administration's "stay the course" plan.These brave guys are tired,and it's starting to show.

[NoAmericanTaliban]

9. Welcome to DU. I love your site & added it to my favorites

you you 'godless bitch'. Nice emails you are getting from these 'Christian' folks out there. Glade the reich wingers are showering you with 'Jesus' love. They are often no better than the Taliban. Nothing like religious fundies to make your day :) Look forward to exploring you site some more.

[Taylor Marsh]

12. My "Christian" hate mail

Yeah, my hate mail from "Christians" is something, isn't it? On that note, did you happen to see the Raw Story article on hate mail? Amanda Doss, who's in the middle of all the Murtha swiftboating, was so incensed by her hate mail she shut down one of her sites, which I cover in the Patriot Project piece today. They interviewed yours truly in it. Here it is if you feel so inclined:

http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/New_Murtha_Lied_Website_posts_hateful_0625.html

Thanks for putting me in your favorites!

[ninkasi]

20. Thank you for being here

I look forward to reading more of your work. Conservatives are disgraceful in attacking dissent, and dissent has always been one of America's most important rights. Only tyrants and their supporters try so ruthlessly to silence their critics. Anyway, welcome to DU.:hi:

[Toots]

30. Sure would love to see something on the Republican's Purple Heart Bandaids

They proudly wore at their last Convention. I was sickened by such a prominent lack of respect. It is one thing for some right wing whacko like Brent Bozell to write such crap but when the Republican Party itself shows such displays of disrespect and it then goes unreported by any major Media I shudder for our country.

[karynnj]

33. I'm still stunned that there was NO media condemnation of

those band aids. This was a major missed opportunity for McCain - he spoke to that crowd. He should have demanded that they be removed because they were a disgrace - that he spoke without commenting on this is worse than the photo of him hugging Bush. He did say early on that the lies about Kerry's service were disgraceful, so he should as a veteran have been disgusted by the bandaids. (Kerry's actual service was more heroic than McCain's anyway until he was captured.)

[mikeyj84]

15. Chicken Hawks

More like chicken shits, Not one of Bushies war boys ever spent a day in the military, Bush's NG service is a fraud, Cheney and the Liar of all times Rove both with college deferments, and old Rummy another joke.I can't believe people actually buy into this shit and Ann Coulter, who the Hell died and made her words Gospel, that stupid ass wouldn't know the truth if it smacked her in the face. I only wish there were more John Murtha's who tell like it is!!!!!!!!

[Monkeyman]

28. Your Right but we call the cut and ran Republicans

They can not fight us vets on that one we got their non-serving butts there

[pnorman]

6. There's an interesting NYT interview with George Soros link there:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/11/magazine/11wwln_q4.html?ex=1152676800&en=be17563826e78e8e&ei=5070

Thanks for that link. I'll be deploying it shortly.


pnorman

[RedEarth]

16. Thanks for the heads up on the article.......bookmarking

[DianaForRussFeingold]

23. Patriot Project 's Mission

"Freedom of speech and the right to dissent are cornerstones of our democracy.

The Patriot Project will defend any man or woman, regardless of party or affiliation, who is attacked or defamed and whose patriotism is questioned simply because they exercise their rights as Americans.This is our mission." Here is another great read! 'July 07, 2006
Paul Krugman: The Treason Card
Democratic Underground discusses a must-read from Paul Krugman:

http://www.patriotproject.com
:applause:

[freesqueeze]

26. Has He Changed So Much?

"Once called one of the most hawkish members of Congress"

Don't get me wrong, I'm proud of him. But, can't you still be a "hawk" and recognize the idiocy that is the Iraq Invastion?

[abester]

29. apparantly not. Besides, all hawks are idiots for choosing short time

posturing over long term stability and peace.

[mkb]

32. Food for Thought

     Be careful what you ingest, especially from
right-wingers, who try to poison the system.
     Murtha looks pretty good relative to his accusers, who I
don't think really have the credentials to criticize him.