Disorder in the House

The Associated Press reports:

House Republicans maneuvered for swift rejection Friday of any notion of immediately pulling U.S. troops out of Iraq, sparking a nasty, sometimes personal debate over the war following a Democratic lawmaker's own call for withdrawal.

Just a day after Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., stoked a surging political fire over President Bush's Iraq policies by proposing that troops return home now, Republicans brought a measure to the House floor urging that a pullout begin immediately.

The symbolic vote was intended to fail, and furious Democrats accused the GOP of orchestrating a political stunt.

"A disgrace," declared House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. "The rankest of politics and the absence of any sense of shame," added Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, the No. 2 House Democrat.

..."We want to make sure that we support our troops that are fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. We will not retreat," Speaker Dennis Hastert, R- Ill., said of the nonbinding resolution.

Democrats claimed Republicans were changing the meaning of Murtha's withdrawal proposal. He has said a smooth withdrawal would take six months. Democrats said they planned to counter by voting against the GOP provision en masse.

At one point in the emotional debate, Rep. Jean Schmidt, R-Ohio, told of a phone call she received from a Marine colonel.

"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," Schmidt said. Murtha is a 37-year Marine veteran.

Democrats booed and shouted her down _ causing the House to come to a standstill.

Rep. Harold Ford, D-Tenn., charged across the chamber's center aisle screaming that Republicans were making uncalled-for personal attacks. "You guys are pathetic! Pathetic!" yelled Rep. Marty Meehan, D-Mass.

..."It's a pathetic, partisan, political ploy," said Rep. Nita Lowey, D- N.Y. Added Rep. Ellen Tauscher, D-Calif.: "It's just heinous."

"This is a personal attack on one of the best members, one of the most respected members of this House and it is outrageous," said Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass.

The outrage from the Dems is very amusing.

They're upset about personal attacks???

What have they been saying for months?

BUSH IS A LIAR! BUSH IS A LIAR! BUSH IS A LIAR!

But hey, don't think of that as a personal attack.

Let's take a look at the prayer delivered by Dennis Kucinich on February 17, 2002, in Los Angeles. The accusations he makes about President Bush and the administration are truly heinous.

Under the guise of a "prayer," Kucinich says, "The trappings of a state of siege trap us in a state of fear, ill equipped to deal with the Patriot Games, the Mind Games, the War Games of an unelected President and his unelected Vice President."

Kucinich "prays" about Bush authorizing the "bombing of civilians in Afghanistan." He says that Americans didn't ask "that the blood of innocent people, who perished on September 11, be avenged with the blood of innocent villagers in Afghanistan."

That's not personal?

What a joke!

Furthermore, I think it was inappropriate for the Dems to boo the message that Rep. Jean Schmidt delivered from the Marine colonel.

He has a right to his opinion. The Marine has had to listen to the Dems belittle the value of his mission. He had to hear Murtha say the U.S. military should no longer be in Iraq.

He disagrees. Don't you think the Marine deserves the courtesy of his words being heard and considered with respect?


Why would the Dems get all bent out of shape because the Republicans wanted to have an on the record vote on Iraq policy?

I was under the impression that the Dems wanted to make it clear to Americans that they are the anti-war, "Bring them home now" party.

Guess not.

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