November 18, 2005
“I am disgusted by the course of events today. As the daughter of a veteran of two wars I am offended and outraged by this personal assault on decorated war veteran Congressman John Murtha.
“The Republican majority has lost any sense of decorum or decency. Their abuse of power is obscene.
“There will be a reckoning, though, because the American people want accountability, not more Republican cover-ups.
“The American people want honesty, not more misleading and manipulation.
“They want to end this unnecessary and senseless war, not a policy of ‘stay the course’ that has no goals, no benchmarks, no plans, and no end.
“The Republican majority’s effort in distorting and politicizing the resolution offered by a decorated war veteran is nothing short of despicable.
“The reality is that these are desperate actions by a desperate majority and a desperate administration.
“This last minute effort isn’t about a debate on the issues the Murtha resolution raises.
“It isn’t about how intelligence was misused by the administration. But it
should be. “It isn’t about how we are going to bring our troops home. But it should be.
“This resolution is just about politics.
“I support the Murtha resolution and this is not the Murtha resolution. I reject this cynical and disgraceful stunt from a party devoid of ideas on ending the war in Iraq and how to safely bring our troops home.”
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Barbara Lee Blasts Phony GOP Withdrawal Measure Calls Effort a “Cynical, Disgraceful Stunt”
(Washington, DC) – Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) issued the following statement in response to the Republican leadership’s decision to call for a vote on a GOP-authored measure that was designed to look like a measure introduced yesterday by Ranking Member of the Defense Appropriation Committee, John Murtha (D-PA), but which stripped many of the key elements included in Murtha’s bill:“I am disgusted by the course of events today. As the daughter of a veteran of two wars I am offended and outraged by this personal assault on decorated war veteran Congressman John Murtha.
“The Republican majority has lost any sense of decorum or decency. Their abuse of power is obscene.
“There will be a reckoning, though, because the American people want accountability, not more Republican cover-ups.
“The American people want honesty, not more misleading and manipulation.
“They want to end this unnecessary and senseless war, not a policy of ‘stay the course’ that has no goals, no benchmarks, no plans, and no end.
“The Republican majority’s effort in distorting and politicizing the resolution offered by a decorated war veteran is nothing short of despicable.
“The reality is that these are desperate actions by a desperate majority and a desperate administration.
“This last minute effort isn’t about a debate on the issues the Murtha resolution raises.
“It isn’t about how intelligence was misused by the administration. But it
should be. “It isn’t about how we are going to bring our troops home. But it should be.
“This resolution is just about politics.
“I support the Murtha resolution and this is not the Murtha resolution. I reject this cynical and disgraceful stunt from a party devoid of ideas on ending the war in Iraq and how to safely bring our troops home.”