Both major Cincy papers came out with editorials condemning Jean Schmidt's cheap shot against John Murtha. The Post was particularly harsh, while the Enquirer, as expected from the more conservative paper, was a bit more guarded.
Highlights below the fold.
The Post
editorial reads almost like a dKos post:
Just minutes after she was sworn in Sept. 6 to represent the Cincinnati-based 2nd Congressional District, Jean Schmidt promised that she would never resort to name calling.
In that inaugural speech in the House floor, Schmidt declared, "It is easy to quickly sink to the lowest form of political debate. Harsh words often lead to headlines, but walking this path is not a victimless crime."
It took Schmidt less than three months to expose herself as a hypocrite.
During a heated debate on the House floor Friday night, she nearly provoked a brawl when she insinuated that U.S. Rep. John Murtha, a Pennsylvania Democrat who is pressing for a prompt withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, is a coward.
During an acrimonious floor debate, the Loveland Republican quoted a Marine colonel from Ohio who, she said, "asked me to send Congress a message: Stay the course.'' So far, so good. But then Schmidt added words she should have swallowed: "He also asked me to send Congressman Murtha a message: Cowards cut and run. Marines never do."
The Post editorial also suggests something we haven't heard before--somebody (Harold Ford, Jr., maybe?) almost punched Mean Jean's lights out.
With that the House erupted into shouting and, witnesses said, came close to a physical altercation.
The Post goes on to say, in a nutshell, that her apology to Murtha doesn't cut it--and also highlights a slightly less personal cheap shot by another area congresscritter.
By now Schmidt has presumably apologized to Murtha, a decorated Marine and one of the Pentagon's most reliable allies on Capitol Hill. But as of this writing she has yet to explain herself to her constituents. She owes us an apology as well. It appears she also owes that Ohio Marine colonel an apology, given that he told The Post, through a spokesman, that his remarks to Schmidt had never been directed against Murtha.
For the sake of efficiency, perhaps Schmidt and another of the region's freshmen in Congress, Geoff Davis from Northern Kentucky, ought to call a joint press conference. Davis has been indulging in much the same line of attack against critics of the administration's Iraq policy, though it hasn't been quite as personal.
As it happens, Davis joined Schmidt and nine other Republicans last Thursday for a press conference in Washington to respond to Murtha's original suggestion that the United States begin pulling out of Iraq within six months, put responsibility for maintaining order in the hands of Iraqis and establish a rapid reaction force in the Middle East, perhaps based in Kuwait.
Davis told reporters that he views calls for an immediate pullout as "shameful" and implied that Murtha and those who support him are working on behalf of al-Qaida.
The Enquirer seems to be trying to keep the gloves on:
It's not every freshman member of Congress who manages to be featured on all the network news shows and "Saturday Night Live" in the same weekend, but Rep. Jean Schmidt, R-Clermont County, pulled it off. All she had to do was stand on the floor of the House on Friday and throw the word "coward" in the direction of Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa.
Murtha, as it happens, is a decorated Marine Corps veteran of two wars.
Schmidt was way out of line. Not only was she factually wrong about Murtha, her remark was a clear breach of decorum in the House, where members are not supposed to stoop to personal insult.
And it ends with this "duh!" moment:
When we endorsed Schmidt for Congress, we knew she was conservative, strong-willed and direct. Those remain admirable qualities, but they must be tempered by fairness and a respect for the views and experiences of others. She quickly realized she had gone too far with her words. She apologized to Murtha and asked that her remarks be stricken from the record.
We suggest the next time she addresses the House, she imbue her words with wisdom as well as passion.