Iraq withdrawal update

On my post about Schmidt: although I mentioned that HR 517 (calling for immediate withdrawal from Iraq) was sponsored by the Republican leadership, I should make clear that the leadership was not seriously calling for an end to the war; by all accounts, it was simply a ploy to discredit John Murtha by getting a massive vote against withdrawal on the record. The MSM, as usual, has largely failed to parse the differences between Murtha's resolution (which did not get a vote) and HR 517 (which did). They are not insignificant, as the post below should make clear. Finally, however, some folks are beginning to note that Murtha and the leadership were talking about two very different things. For more information, take a look at Fred Kaplan's article at Slate, as well as this entry at Salon.

Schmidt: you don't know Bubp-kis

 

Representive Jean Schmidt has this to say about her attack against John Murtha (D-PA) on the House floor last week:

Last week as I returned to the Capitol Building after attending a funeral at Arlington National Cemetery for a local fallen Marine, I found out that the Democrats had just announced their policy position to immediately withdraw troops from Iraq.

My good friend Representative Bubp called me to discuss this plan during the House debate on the issue of immediately removing troops from Iraq. [Ed. note: Bubp now says he didn't actually say this. Oops.]

I relayed our conversation with Representative Bubp on the House Floor.

Since that moment I have been attacked from across the country by the left.

I never meant to attack Congressman Murtha personally. I sent him a personal note of apology on Friday evening moments after my words. While I strongly disagree with his policy, neither Representative Bubp nor I ever wished to attack Congressman Murtha. I only take exception to his policy position.

Now let's look at what she actually said:

Yesterday I stood at Arlington National Cemetery attending the funeral of a young marine in my district. He believed in what we were doing is the right thing and had the courage to lay his life on the line to do it. A few minutes ago I received a call from Colonel Danny Bop [sic], Ohio Representative from the 88th district in the House of Representatives. He asked me to send Congress a message: Stay the course. He also asked me to send Congressman Murtha a message, that cowards cut and run, Marines never do. Danny and the rest of America and the world want the assurance from this body – that we will see this through.

Calling a colleague a coward is a violation of House rules, and Rep. Schmidt was forced to ask that her speech be withdrawn. So much for the "Gee, I didn't mean the guy I was pointing at when I said that" defense.

Finally, one minor factual point: Murtha didn't call for the U.S. to immediately cut and run; he proposed "immediate redeployment of U.S. troops consistent with the safety of U.S. forces, to create a quick reaction force in the region, to create an over-the-horizon presence of Marines, and to diplomatically pursue security and stability in Iraq" (transcript here). When questioned about a timeline, he said, "Well, I think they can get them out of there in six months. I think that we could do it -- you know, you have to do it in a very consistent way. But I think six months would be a reasonable time to get them out of there."

So Murtha wasn't calling for immediate withdrawal in a way anything like Jean Schmidt says he was. That IS the wording, however, for HR 517, which in a show of chest-thumping, went down to defeat 403-3. The sponsors of that legislation?

The House Republican leadership.