LAT: "Swift Boat" Veterans Set Sights on Rep. Murtha

[DeepModem Mom]

"Swift Boat" Veterans Set Sights on Rep. Murtha
The Iraq war looms over another race, as the group that helped defeat John Kerry targets the antiwar lawmaker.
By Noam N. Levey, Times Staff Writer
August 13, 2006

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — Two years after a cadre of veterans helped sink the presidential campaign of Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.), they have found a new target in the old steel country of southwestern Pennsylvania: Democratic Rep. John P. Murtha.

In a fight that organizers say will feature rallies, TV ads and an aggressive Internet campaign, these activists are promising to make Murtha pay for his criticism of the Iraq war.

"I will do my best to 'Swift boat' John Murtha," retired Navy Capt. Larry Bailey said at a recent news conference here, invoking the 2004 campaign against Kerry that took its name from Vietnam War-era Navy vessels....

***

A decorated Marine wounded in action, Murtha became the first Vietnam veteran elected to Congress. He backed the first Persian Gulf War and has been a longtime champion of robust defense spending....Murtha, 74, established a new persona on Nov. 17, when he called a news conference to declare that, in his view, U.S. troops had become "the primary target of the insurgency" in Iraq and that it was "time to bring them home."...

***

Murtha may reflect the feelings of a large portion of his constituents, said Clay F. Richards, assistant director of the polling institute at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut....Opposition to the war "emerged earlier (in the region) than it did in other parts of the country," Richards said....

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-murtha13aug13,0,2265112.story?track=mostviewed-homepage

[sam sarrha]

1. if you dont sue those buggers ass's off they will never stop..

[calimary]

37. And what do we know about this Larry Bailey? Can HE be "swiftboated"?

Can we turn the tables on HIM? If you're gonna wade in the muck, Bailey, you're gonna get a lot of it on yourself.

[Phrogman]

43. Baileys the religious freak that removed the bell from UDT/SEAL training..

He's also the one involved with banning offensive songs that the SEAL trainees used to sing.

I remember seeing him on command P.T. evolutions, he was always the geeky one bringing up the rear with his gawky skinny white legs and his "mango" physique.

A non-hacking, ticket-punching, dog and pony desk jockey.

[PurpleChez]

45. I'm lamer than lame....

what do "removed the bell from UDT/SEAL training" and "command P.T. evolutions" mean? Thanks for broadening my horizons.

[Robb]

53. Hollywood explained the first one to me

Apparently during SEAL training, which is ungodly hard, recruits could quit -- by heading to a bell in the center of the compound and ringing it.
Clearly we have someone familiar with the teams who could explain the other, and this better. :)

[Occulus]

85. religious? Enough for me.

Destroy him. Completely.

The religious need not apply to the running of this country.

[sam sarrha]

57. is he guy that got the same medal for bravery Kerry did, at the same time

in the same battle fighting beside Kerry.. ?and accused him of not being there..?

why did kerry do nothing about that..? it made it look like the accuser was right, and him a coward.. we got to quit letting them get away with that..

[karynnj]

64. I don't think so

Kerry did get people who were at both places where he got his medals to tell their view - which back Kerry. Kerry also pointed out that the Navy records beacked him, Nixon administration people reviewed them in 1971 and on tape said Kerry was a war hero and squeaky clean. In 2004, Rep Senator Warner, who was the Secretary of the Navy, said Kerry's medals were correctly awarded.

Shouldn't that have been enough? (compare to handling of TANG)

[MasonJar]

68. Kerry's campaign was handling it and thought it was so absurd

that it would blow over, also just between the Dem Convention and the Pug so got more play. I heard a NYT reporter say that they didn't give it enough credence to spend enough time on it. We, the people, have to stop this now. Truly, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! How long are we going to sit still for this same old tired game. 60% still think Sadaam helped on 9/11 and that we found WMD. Give me a break.

[Monkeyman]

2. We shell see hmmmmmmmm

Wonder how many of vets are going to be there in support of Murtha hmmmmmmm

[jedr]

7. lots of us, see you in Johnstown in October!

[Monkeyman]

10. Yes you Will

[jedr]

14. Cool, stay in touch and drop me an E-mail.....

[happyslug]

19. IN MURTHA DISTRICT?????

In 2001, the GOP so gerrymander Murtha district, it is almost IMPOSSIBLE for him to lose. You must remember the GOP controlled the legislature and the Governorship in 2001 when the Federal Congressional Districts were redistricted. The problem for the GOP was how to make as many district "Competitive" for GOP candidates given that the Area west of Allegheny Mountain and south of I-80 is heavily Democratic (Even the Rural areas, the GOP is only strong is the Suburbans of Pittsburgh and in the area around I-80, as you go south the rural areas, except for the newer Suburbs, becomes more and more Democratic, and even the older suburbs are Democratic).

Thus all the traditional Rural Democratic areas south and west of Pittsburgh went to Murtha (Greene County for example). Then gave him the Monongahela Valley and even Little Washington (But gave Northern, Western and even South Western Washington County to a GOP District). The GOP then gave Murtha Latrobe and Vandergrift and the Conemaugh/Kiskiminetas River Valley (All heavy Democratic Areas). Finally after giving Murtha Johnstown and most of Cambria County (Except the most Northern and Republican part of the County) the GOP added the City of Indiana Pennsylvania, but left OUT Southern, Northern and Western Indiana County. The City of Indiana is where Indiana University of Pennsylvania is located. It is a bastion of liberalism so it had to go to Murtha NOT one of the Districts the GOP actually set up for them to win.

All told, given how that district is drawn, Murtha could come out anything short of a Card Carry Communist (Or bin Laden himself) and still win his District.

Murtha District (Click on Map for detail map of Murtha's District):
http://www.house.gov/murtha/district_map.shtml

That gets to why are these guys REAL intentions? It is NOT to defeat Murtha (unless these guys are delusional which I do not fully reject). I suspect it is mostly talk to impress people to donate to them (i.e. help us defeat even John Murtha, send donations). When Murtha is elected this November, these guys will release a press release that they could have defeated Murtha if people gave them more money. This gives them a cash reserved for the 2008 election.

[brer cat]

36. lol I thought GA made the most of gerrymandering...

Murtha's district looks like my pre-school granddaughter colored that map! Nah, she's a dem and she can color within the lines too!

[happyslug]

65. IT is all the fault of Computers

With today's computers you have programs that can design districts to be no more than 1-2 % different in population (Supreme Court Requirements when it comes to Redistricting) AND make up districts that are 90% or better the minority party (i.e. permitting the Majority party to make safe districts of 60% plus by putting all the Minority party members into one districts. The GOP has done this more often and better than the Democrats thus you get creations like Murtha's District.

[saigon68]

48. THOSE FUCKERS like retired Navy Capt. Larry Bailey are ONLY OUT

TO LINE THEIR OWN POCKETS WITH $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$FROM THE SHEEP.

[davidinalameda]

3. disgusting

not to speak ill of Kerry but I do believe that Murtha will give these SOBs a run for their money

[Monkeyman]

6. So will us vets convoy on its way

[davidinalameda]

8. bravo baby!

:yourock:

[PurpleChez]

46. Yea!!!

[karynnj]

66. Murtha has had a lot of support from Kerry on this

and the Patriot Group - made up of Kerry allies - has tracked the financec and political connects of these guys on their web site - and are helping Murtha.

[AX10]

4. That would be "Navy Captain" Larry Bailey.

Understand?!?

[madame defarge]

5. Check out this billboard...

http://www.democracycellproject.net/blog/archives/2006/08/is_this_propaga_1.html#comments

Un-friggin'-believable. On second thought, after reading who is sponsoring the billboard (http://www.rightmarch.com/about.htm), it's not so damn hard to believe. It's just unconscionable...

[davidinalameda]

9. if the "right march" people think this is going to change any minds

in Murtha's districts, I have a couple of bridges that are for sale

Murtha has been a consistant voice for the military and for veterans during his career in Congress; the voters in his district know what kind of man he is and they won't fall for this crap

[PurpleChez]

47. There had been a billboard along the road from here to Atlanta...

Gwinnett county I believe...still lots of W stickers around there...very red part of a red state. Luckilly it's gone now, but it had read

"Congressman Murtha: Cowards cut and run. Marines don't."

I was just overwhelmed that anyone could presume to lecture John Murtha on what marines do and don't do. These cretins don't support THE war, they support WAR. War means America on the march, and they feel all manly by association. (Just think of all those war-fetishist CR frat boys who would never dream of actually enlisting to fight in the war they adore so much...they'd have to miss a BUNCH of DMB shows.) These folks react to criticism of the war the way they'd react to slander against Jesus. Although every 'reason' for the war has been debunked they quite literally continue to thank God that we are in Iraq. I've seen it...look for that fat-ass 'preacher' John Hagee on Trinity Broadcasting or one of the other video religion channels. In order to justify Bush's killing spree they've literally decided that Hussein was antichrist and that this is all part of biblical prophecy. Or, at least, that's what the bastards getting rich off defense contracts have told the proles. But IMHO they actually believe it.

[Qutzupalotl]

73. That billboard should have been a

midnight paintball target.

[HuffleClaw]

49. meep

you'd think that would be grounds for a lawsuit of some kind. though i do find it amusing that people have been putting anti-war stuff up on freeway overpasses by the hundreds and the right has to pay for their messages to be seen.

[Metta]

11. Up hill battle for them. Murtha's in solid with his constituency.

You can count on that.

[JohnnyLib]

12. he's got my out-of-state support

--he's already leading the charge and this battle needs to be won.

[Jim__]

13. Political smears against decorated veterans should be turned against

the repukes.

[Monkeyman]

15. It will be I promise you that Payback is a blank

[napi21]

16. Jack will smack 'em HARD, and I suspect they'll NEVER recover!

I'm originally from Pa. and I know Jack's personality and his supporters. He'll win this one and the swiftboaters won't know what just mowed 'em down!

[Monkeyman]

18. AS long as he leaves ONeil for me ran him out of IL. Want one more time

[SpiralHawk]

17. Why do republicons hate veterans who served with honor?

Is it because they are mainly AWOL chickenhawks themselves -- who did not have the guts to serve?

I think so. AWOL & Five Deferments Cheney are leading the republicons into the cesspool of propaganda.

[Monkeyman]

21. And they cut

Brain Injury research by 50%
PTSD by 35% research
600,000 veterans last year denied their health care
Returning troops not being treated right by the VA
If Cat.7-8 vets get cut 1.2 million veterans out on the street
Chicken Hawks care about the troops and veterans Bull Crap
Murtha fought every cut goes to Walter Reed to make sure the wouned are taken care of
Did his duty as a Marine and a Congressman reporting what happened in Iraq
The man is a vet who cares

[oasis]

60. Can't dispute the numbers. Bushco &GOP have abandoned America's vets.

:-(

[UTUSN]

20. Is it THIS a-hole, Craig MINNICK???????

**********QUOTE*********
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-vietnam6aug06,0,6350517.story?coll=la-home-headlines

VIETNAM: THE WAR CRIMES FILES
Civilian Killings Went Unpunished

Declassified papers show U.S. atrocities went far beyond My Lai.

By Nick Turse and Deborah Nelson, Special to The Times
August 6, 2006

.... Moments later, the 19 villagers lay dead or dying.

Back home in California, Henry published an account of the slaughter and held a news conference to air his allegations. Yet he and other Vietnam veterans who spoke out about war crimes were branded traitors and fabricators. No one was ever prosecuted for the massacre.

Now, nearly 40 years later, declassified Army files show that Henry was telling the truth — about the Feb. 8 killings and a series of other atrocities by the men of B Company.

The files are part of a once-secret archive, assembled by a Pentagon task force in the early 1970s, that shows that confirmed atrocities by U.S. forces in Vietnam were more extensive than was previously known. ....

**********UNQUOTE***********


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x1826248

Know your scumbag Swiftbot: Craig MINNICK (against MURTHA)


*******QUOTE*******

[DeepModem Mom]

51. Very interesting info -- thanks, UTUSN! nt

[CBHagman]

62. Very disturbing.

For those who missed the link above, here it is again:

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-vietnam6aug06,0,6350517.story?coll=la-home-headlines

[AnnieBW]

22. Swift Boat This!

Yeah... right... those good folks in Pennsyltucky will keep voting for Murtha even if he put on a pink tutu and danced a jig with Barney Frank. Why? Because HE BRINGS HOME THE BACON. Or pork, if you will. And he'll be in an even better position to bring home the pork when he's Speaker, or whatever committee he'll head up.

All politics is local.

[pinto]

23. File under: When Political Extremists Overreach their Grasp.

These guys are shameless media sycophants. My gut take is there's a "McCarthy" moment somewhere down the road for the swift boaters.

Meanwhile, they'll probably get their sliver of media time. Sad.

[Aunt Anti-bush]

24. I'd like to give them all a swift kick...

No one messes with my Murtha.

[badgervan]

25. Not This Time, Slimeball Swifties

These idiots give my Navy a bad name. I can assure you that most vets admire and support Murtha, someone who is certainly not afraid of a few pindicks who lie to make themselves feel big make some easy dough. Murtha will swat them down like the maggots they are.

[Monkeyman]

27. HOOYA BROTHER

[RedEarth]

26. K&R

[onehandle]

28. Hey, Swift Boat Pussies. Why aren't you in Iraq?

You're combat ready. Get you and your children's asses over there.

Pussies.

[PittPoliSci]

29. good luck assholes.

everyone in Murtha's district LOVES him.

[blue neen]

30. Amen to that!

I'll happily be voting for him in November. :hi:

[agincourt]

31. If we needed any more proof,

that the Rove and GOPig party suck dead pig's cock. More revolting every year, they don't need to get sued they need their legs broke.

[SlavesandBulldozers]

32. i wonder if Tweety will make them his virtual co-host like he did

the other swiftboaters. who knows perhaps he's taking some Hard Balls on his chin right now from one of them, my guess is that he is.

[Olney Blue]

33. All hands on deck for the Swift boat liars!

[calimary]

38. Ever hear the one about how you eventually get the face you deserve?

YIKES!!! It's just been proven beyond ANY doubt. That ugliness goes WAY beyond just skin-deep.

[Phredicles]

34. The article made it sound like Murtha's constituents aren't buying it,

which you'd figure: They know him well. I think a big reason the Swift Butt scumbuckets got as much traction as they did on Kerry is that the country as a whole didn't know him as well (My read on the '04 primaries is that everyone panicked after "The Scream" and latched onto the guy with the most impressive resume, sight relatively unseen).

Also, it sounds like Murtha is ready for these fat shits, in contrast with the other reason they hurt Kerry as much as they did.

[calimary]

40. Well, that, and the fact that IDIOT mary beth cahill advised Kerry

that it'd all just blow over and he shouldn't dignify their attacks with any response. Besides, NOBODY'S gonna believe them, John. Take the high road. The rest of us were screaming, emailing, petitioning, writing, phoning, doing EVERYTHING we could to make a noise, to get him to respond, but he listened to that spineless, overpaid half-wit instead.

And as usual, all those of our guys who chose the high road learned that the high road with these people takes you straight over a cliff. Kerry shoulda smacked 'em upside the head IMMEDIATELY, AND repeatedly, before their lying, classless, traitorous, anti-American shit had a chance to sit and fester, and take root, and contribute to the results of Election 2004. They were allowed to yammer on for about a week, uninterrupted and unchallenged, and that led some voters to wonder - if he won't defend HIMSELF, how can he be counted on to defend us? Which was total bullshit here (I'd feel a whole lot better, AND safer, if someone like John Kerry were running things today), but you can understand why some ill-informed, easily scared and manipulated people might well conclude that.

Sorry for the rant, but this STILL makes me MAD!!! That basically lost him the election - then and there. He never recovered.

I just hope TO GOD that Murtha doesn't take this lying down, even if his constituents presumably know better and love him to pieces. I wouldn't take ANYTHING, not even that, for granted. NEVER EVER EVER EVER EVER let the bad guys' lies go unanswered and unchallenged. And NEVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER let them get the last word.

[DeepModem Mom]

52. "The high road with these people takes you straight over a cliff."

Words of wisdom, well said, Calimary!

[Phredicles]

56. "ignore it and take the high road" sounds an awful lot like the brilliant

advice Michael Dukakis followed regarding the Willie Horton ads. As you say, NEVER let the lies go unchallenged.

[grannylib]

35. I'm not from his state, but let me know what I can do to help take these

fuckers DOWN...
I am SO sick of cowardly chickenhawks like Dim Son and Cheney the Dick using others to smear honorable veterans. I am SO tired of these fucking liars.
I'd like to give all the 'swifties' a good swift kick in the ass and put 'em on a sinking ship. It's where they belong.

[Miss Chybil]

39. They're going to make an American pay for speaking his mind?

Huh! What country are they from?

[Akoto]

41. Good luck with that one, dirtbags.

Not in a million years could they take Murtha down in my eyes, nor in the eyes of anyone else, I suspect. He is far more honorable a man than any of them could ever hope to be.

[screenplaya]

42. The Warmongers planted this seed a long time ago.

CNS garbage.



Murtha's War Hero Status Called Into Question
By Marc Morano and Randy Hall
CNSNews.com Staff
January 13, 2006

http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewSpecialReports.asp?Page=/SpecialReports/archive/200601/SPE20060113a.html

[truthisfreedom]

44. yawn. Murtha can hold his own.

nothing to see here.

[farmbo]

50. Murtha needs to invite Bailey to "discuss" these issues in the parking lot

...of Heinz Field before the Steelers-Browns home game... mano y mano...with longneck Rolling Rock bottles.

[Hawaii Hiker]

54. Swift Boat Drunks

It angered me so much what these cowardly drunks did to John Kerry back in 2004..I remember writing to almost every sponsor of Sinclair Media back when they were about to air that documentary on Kerry right before the election...It's baffling that some people bought the sh*t from those Swift Boat Booze hounds where they give the draft dodging Bush a pass, & attack an honorable man like Senator Kerry....

Swift Boaters are as low as you can sink....F-them...

[Olney Blue]

76. Welcome to DU, Hawaii Hiker!

:hi:

It's about time you got here.

[Hawaii Hiker]

81. Thank You!

Thanks Olney Blue, great to be here!...Actually, I've been a lurker for a long time, always reading the Top 10 idiot lists...

[Olney Blue]

82. So many idiots, so little time....

:)

[BlueJac]

55. Let free speech prevail........

These American haters will fail.....the truth speaks the loudest this time around.

[tired of the right]

58. When this veteran said this

""I will do my best to 'Swift boat' John Murtha," retired Navy Capt. Larry Bailey said," I take it to mean that he will lie through his teeth to get Murtha beat in the election. Why would anyone with any sense listen to someone like that? Ruin your own credibility if you want to Captain Bailey.

[colorado_ufo]

59. He so much as admits

that this was the planned action of the "Swiftboaters" with Kerry: Not to get out some concept of truth, but to simply, politically, ruin him.

A__holes.

[warrens]

61. They're going to be swallowing their teeth

Even the Repukes like Murtha personally.

[long_green]

63. What's to Swiftboat?

Murtha's service is unimpeachable and he makes no bones about changing his mind on the war. There's just no place for a smear to take hold. He must be destroyed because he's against the war? That's a very risky stance to take because if they fail to stop him and a few others, they'll look weak.

[Dr Fate]

70. You dont get it. All they have to do is make things up .

All they have to do is make it up- like they did with various Kerry, Gore or Clinton "scandals."

The scandal does not have to be real.

This is one thing we need to wake up to- Murtha's REAL record is not the issue- the issue is what the SBVs & the media SAY Murtha's record is.

[muntrv]

67. Will Murtha torpedo the swift boaters? He better or he'll end up

like John Kerry.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

72. We need to torpedo them, so Murtha can focus on the important issues

Seems to me that this is a job for MoveOn and other Dem-supporters. The candidates shouldn't have to deal with the swift boat schmucks.

[BlueStater]

69. Good

I'll never forget what these assholes did to Kerry. It's time someone put them in their place.

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

71. These SOB's

have no shame. They are despicable and beyond contempt. If I was working with Mr. Murtha I'd advice hism to take off the gloves and put there baseteards in their place. But the reall issue is; who is funding this crap? That is the person or persons I'm most interested in...... :mad:

[tbyg52]

74. I will Swift-Boat Murtha, he said?

Doesn't he realize Swift-Boat means "innundate an honorable person with lies"? If he does, does he care?

[Joanne98]

75. Get in the ring Bailey! Cowardly &^%$#!

[Tarc]

77. The Swifties are vile pieces of human trash

Ah, no, wait a sec; that is insulting to the trash!

During the presidential elections, I was on the Swifty forums for a bit, lurking...and trying to hold the bile down as I read through their swill. From the freepers to worldnetdaily to littlegreenfootballs, I have never run across a group of people more repulsive, disgusting, or pathologically depraved as the good Swifties were. How people can live day in and day out believing such absolute bullshit is true is almost beyond belief.

But if there's anything to be learned from Kerry's tangling with those halfwits, is that their spew needs to be countered and countered HARD, right from day 1. Murtha has to step up and slam them into the dirt, the second that they so much as blink in his general direction.

[Name removed]

78. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[opihimoimoi]

79. Brains got Stolen Syndrome

[badgervan]

83. That's Odd.....

At my VA Post, the opposite is true. Murtha is seen as an authentic, truthful vet who cares very much about where we send our military, and why - and that vets have their promised health care and other contracted benefits when they're discharged. Nam vets especially are behind him big time. Methinks you understate Murtha's support amongst most vets, and even amongst your post.

[Occulus]

84. Exactly what aid and comfort are you referring to?

Please... be specific. That, or shut the FUCK up.

[LynnTheDem]

86. Gawd but I detest ignorant lying MFIng rightwingnuts.

Don't you?

[Joey Liberal]

88. Murtha is a national hero

Impeach Bush.

[Mad_Dem_X]

80. These people have no decency or shame!

I am constantly amazed at the depths these s.o.b. Repukes will sink to get what they want. Go get 'em, Rep. Murtha!!!

[Joey Liberal]

87. Will USMC Vets stand up for Murtha?

I wonder how all of the USMC Vietnam vets will react to one of their own being "swift boated"?

[Canuckistanian]

89. Pathetic

A group of veterans, funded by another group of Chickenhawks with the sole aim of smearing other veterans who disagree with them politically, using lies and distortions.

What a noble bunch.

[badgervan]

90. Yep

Sickens me. bush was going to "unite" us, remember? I can truly say that I hate him more than Nixon. And man, did I hate Nixon! We must reclaim our country from these fearmongering war lovers.