Toughies

The BushCo smears of Rep. John Murtha (D-PA),ranking member on the House Appropriations defense subcommittee who served 37 years in the Marine Corps, for his speaking out against the Iraq War is a shanda on all of America. In today's Washington Post, Murtha shows how well he can handle himself, turning around the "Defeatocrat" label on the GOP with chainsaw. Excerpts (and the whole piece is thrilling):

The administration's use of Rovian catchphrases is nothing but propaganda designed to stifle the loyal opposition. We Democrats are determined to restore our nation's military strength, refocus on the real terrorist threat, bolster security safeguards at home and reestablish the credible standing we once had in the world. That is not defeatist. It is a call to formulate and execute a winning game plan for the War on Terror.

He goes into his regretted vote to authorize Bush on the War and gets to:

In the past nine months alone, $962 billion has been appropriated for the Defense Department, $190 billion for the war effort. A vast majority of Democrats voted for the funding. Democrats also identified shortfalls in body armor, armored vehicles and electronic jammers to defeat roadside bombs. Democrats uncovered problems with the military readiness of our ground forces in the United States and fought for measures to restore it. That's hardly defeatist.

After going through a list of all the retired generals speaking out against the war, Murtha reminds us:

The United States is about to begin its fifth year of occupation and fighting in Iraq. That makes this war longer than U.S. participation in World Wars I and II, and longer than the Korean War and our own Civil War. With every year of occupation, our efforts to fight global terrorism and our military's readiness to fight future wars have further deteriorated, along with our standing in the world. Meanwhile, the radical Islamic cause wins more and more recruits.

He goes through the nightmare statistics, some of which we've been sharing on Nettertainment, and then takes the battle right back to Bush's Brain himself:

Now, Karl Rove may call me a defeatist, but can anyone living in the real world deny that these statistics are heading in the wrong direction? Yet despite this bleak record of performance, the president continues to stand by his team of failed architects, preferring to prop them up instead of demanding accountability.

Democrats are fighting a war on two fronts: One is combating the spin and intimidation that defines this administration. The other is fighting to change course, to do things better, to substitute smart, disciplined strategy for dogma and denial in Iraq.

That's not defeatism. That's our duty.

That's one older tough Dem. Here's what's coming down the pike, the type of newly minted Democratic candidate that gives me hope this election cycle.

John Tester is running against Sen. Conrad Burns in that supposed red-state Montana, where Democratic Governor Bill Schweitzer is earning the citizen's widespread approbation. Tester is currently leading Burns in the polls. It doesn't help Burns that he is under investigation now, or that he's a batshit crazy old coot, but check out this video excerpt from their recent debate and see if Tester gives you the goosebumps like you haven't had in awhile with a Dem candidate.

Murtha and Tester -- clear-thinking, clear-speaking, tough guys on a mission.

Bring it home on November 7th.