Quote of the Day: Rep. John Murtha

In today's Washington Post comes a column by Wade Zirkle of Vets for Freedom, responding to Rep. Murtha's much-ballyhood opposition to the war because of his combat history. This paragraph pretty much sums it up:

While we don't question [Murtha's] motives, we do question his assumptions. When he called for an immediate withdrawal from Iraq, there was a sense of respectful disagreement among most military personnel. But when he subsequently stated that he would not join today's military, he made clear to the majority of us that he is out of touch with the troops. Quite frankly, it was received as a slap in the face.

And what the extreme anti-war left doesn't grasp (or is unconcerned with) is that most of their rhetoric does nothing to help the situation in the Middle East, except demoralize our family, friends and neighbors serving there and further divide our country against them. As Zirkle said to conclude the column, "All citizens have a right to express their views on this important national challenge, and all should be heard. Veterans ask no more, and they deserve no less."

(HT: HH)