Murtha: Kerry Flap ‘Just Distracting From The Real Issue, The War On The Ground’Today on MSNBC, Rep. John Murtha (D-PA), a 26-year Marine Corps veteran, talked about the media flap over remarks by Sen. John Kerry (D-MA). Murtha said there is “no question in my mind that John Kerry supports the troops,” and that right-wing attacks on Kerry are “just distracting from the real issue: the war on the ground.” Watch it:
http://thinkprogress.org/2006/11/01/murtha-kerry-iraqIn September, Reps. Murtha and Dave Obey (D-WI) released a report finding that the U.S. Army’s preparedness for war has “eroded to levels not witnessed by our country in decades.” Some key facts:
– As of today, the Army has only one unit in reserve for every unit deployed - a ratio that history shows cannot be sustained for any length of time without serious adverse consequences to the force.
– Of the 16 active-duty, non-deployed combat brigades in the United States managed by the Army’s Forces Command, the vast majority of them are rated at the lowest readiness ratings. These ratings are caused by severe equipment shortages.
– The situation facing the Army Guard and Reserve is comparatively worse. Of all the Guard units not currently mobilized, about four-fifths received the lowest readiness rating.
http://thinkprogress.org/2006/11/01/murtha-kerry-iraq