With this recent post by MissLaura mentioning that PA Fighting Dem Patrick Murphy (D PA-08)was one of the Blue Dogs who voted for Jim McGovern's bill for a fully funded withdrawl from Iraq, I thought I'd draw attention to this article by Marion Callahan in his hometown paper, the Montgomery County Intelligencer, about how Murphy's "stance on the war has made him a lightning rod in a political storm".
Since I'm home with the folks for Mother's Day weekend in the Philly burbs, I was able to catch the article on the front page of the dead tree edition which they got delivered. I find it very interesting that the article's title in the print edition is "Murphy: Hero or Villain?", while the online version has the much less inflammatory title "Murphy in the Middle". Why the change, I wonder?
Generally the article quotes several veterans and their family members on both sides of the Iraq war debate, arguing that Murphy is either hurting the troops by undermining confidence in their mission, or that he's supporting them by trying to make sure they're not left in Iraq indefinitely. A few key quotes:
Murphy's withdrawal plan makes good on the promises he made during last year's campaign. Still, some military members in his Bucks County district consider the former Army captain's actions a detriment to the troops — even after he served in Bosnia and Iraq, earning a Bronze Star.
Tom Manion, father of fallen Marine 1st Lt. Travis Manion, stands behind his son's belief that Murphy's policies hurt the troops: "Travis believed that Patrick Murphy and like-minded politicians undermine our troops by attempting to usurp the commander in chief's ability to set strategy, and by putting our enemies on notice that United States lacks the full and unwavering resolve of its political leadership necessary to sustain the fight and secure victory."
A sniper killed Travis Manion, a 26-year-old Doylestown Township native, on April 29 in Iraq's Anbar province. Travis shared his thoughts about politics before his death. "Travis said that America's impatience posed perhaps the most significant threat to our ability to accomplish our mission in Iraq," his father said.
Purple Heart recipient Lance Marine Patrick Kelly believes Murphy is doing right by the troops.
"I agree with [Murphy]," said Kelly, 20, of Quakertown, also at Camp Lejeune recovering from arm injuries suffered when he was struck by an improvised explosive device. "Having a set timeline, knowing when we'll be out, would be so good for morale right now. I don't think we should leave all at once. I think we should slowly turn the cities over to the Iraq police and the Iraqi army. I agree in setting a timeline."
Kelly backs Murphy partly because he is a former service member. "Our congressman knows what most civilians don't understand — he knows what we go through and how to handle it. I can't see how people would view him as unpatriotic — being patriotic is helping our troops come home. The higher ranks may not agree with me, but many 19- and 20-year-olds on the ground doing the fighting do."
Navy Lt. j.g. Stephen Lovelace is on the fence when it comes to Murphy's plan to set a timeline.
...
Deborah Lovelace, his mother, who lives in Plumstead, wishes there was a clear-cut answer.
"People who come home after they've served don't want to leave things undone," she said. "I'm 100 percent behind the military, and as a parent, I'm concerned for my son. And some of his friends who are on their third tour in Iraq are getting extended. We don't have enough men over there as it is. How can we talk about [setting] a date for bringing them home?"
Personally I'd be very interested to see local letter-writer responses to this article. I'll have to ask my folks to keep an eye on the paper for the next few days, and keep y'all posted. I think it's important to be aware of what the hometown locals are saying with regard to the folks who are fighting for progressive ideals in Congress!
Murphy represents Bucks County; some districts of Abington, Upper Dublin and Upper Moreland in Montgomery County; and two wards in Philadelphia.