It's inappropriate for members of congress to slander each other. If she hadn't retracted, she would have been censured by the leaders of her party. Your gleeful support and the need of some republicans to resort to childish name calling only undermines your position and makes you look ridiculous.
As a veteran, I can see why you would be offended. I apologize - not for what I said, but rather the circumstances it was said under. I am sure that the fact that Rep. Schmidt called another veteran (albeit at the time she didn't know it) a coward rubs you the wrong way. Your shot about the Republicans being the childish one is ridiculous - the Democrats in office are hardly innocent of the same tactics.
As a mother of a veteran of the same war , who was there a year after you - I will add that pulling out is wrong. That is, it is unacceptable to those that went there willingly and served without reservations for their country and commander-in-chief, and who believe that they are helping the Iraqi people and see their gratitude for what they do and who also believe the job is not finished.
I think that Rep. Schmidt certainly knew Rep. Murtha was a veteran when she made her comment, but that's besides the point. And it's also true that both parties have been guilty of being childish and shortsighted. I'm not a member of either party, and I try not to be a democratic apologist. Democrats are just as responsible for the war as Bush, because they voted for it.
I respect those affiliated with the military who believe we should 'stay the course', but I simply believe that you are wrong. From personal experience, it is my opinion that our presence in Iraq is destabilizing the whole region and legitimizing the hardcore Islamic terrorists among the average Arab. I guess only time will tell who's right. To me, the administration's answer to critics-- "Just wait a little longer, trust us", has become unacceptable. It's not unpatriotic or cowardly to criticize something that one truly believes is wrong. Even Bush realized the fallacy of trying to smear his legitimate critics and changed his tune today.
Just call me old, but my memory is longer than yours at this point. I wish you would take a long hard look at history and re-evaluate your position.
Iran Embassy Hostages, 1979; Beirut, Lebanon, Embassy, 1983; Beirut, Lebanon, Marine Barracks, 1983; Lockerbie, Scotland, Pan-Am flight to New York, 1988; First New York World Trade Center attack, 1993; Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, Khobar Towers Military complex, 1996; Nairobi, Kenya, U.S. Embassy, 1998; Dares Salaam, Tanzania, U.S. Embassy, 1998; Aden, Yeman, USS Cole, 2000; New York, World Trade Center, 2001; Pentagon, 2001; and Shanksville, Pennsylvania, Plane Crash, 2001
In 1990 we went into the region to stop Saddam from his destabilization of the region after his assault on not only the Kurds, but also Kuwait. Had we said no then, do you really believe that region would be more stable now? Do you really believe that more recent assaults (after 1990) against Americans would never have happened? This is a war not against the people of the region, but of a radical religious group - whose views are not shared by the majority of the people living in the region, but rather who live in fear of their tyranny over them.
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