The Swift-Boating of Congressman Murtha

Yesterday, UncommonSense noted the Huffington Post bombshell that a swift-boat campaign against Jack Murtha was incubating within the walls of the White House. The HuffPo had learned that Bush was trying to enlist surrogates, including active-duty military leaders, to attack Murtha's credibility. We noted also the rank hypocrisy of a self-styled war president who cannot break the pattern of cowardice that reached full bloom during vietnam and continues right into the present day.

As for Bush, it would be nice to have a president who acts like a man. Men don't hide behind trees and throw rocks at their enemies from a distance. They don't send other people out to fight their battles for them.

Today, the festering smear campaign burst open in the usual fashion at something called CNSNews.com.

Firedog Lake calls it for what it is.

Let the Swift Boating of Murtha Begin:

Murtha's War Hero Status Called Into Question
By Marc Morano and Randy Hall
CNSNews.com Staff
January 13, 2006

Read Article About Murtha's Links to Abscam

(CNSNews.com) - Having ascended to the national stage as one of the most vocal critics of President Bush's handling of the war in Iraq, Pennsylvania Democratic Congressman John Murtha has long downplayed the controversy and the bitterness surrounding the two Purple Hearts he was awarded for military service in Vietnam.
Suggest the ominous in a big buildup -- people who don't read closely will think there's a lot of shit on this guy and it's been going on for a long time, it's not something that just got dragged out now.

Then find some old veteran to do your dirty work for you so the criticism won't be laid at the feet of chickenshit bedwetting BushCo. hatchet men:

World War II Navy veteran Harry M. Fox, previously indicated that Murtha in 1968 personally asked Fox's boss, then-U.S. Rep. John Saylor (R-Pa.), for assistance in obtaining the Purple Hearts, but was turned down because Saylor's office determined that Murtha lacked sufficient evidence of wounds. Murtha later challenged Saylor for his House seat in 1968 and lost. Fox said he personally viewed Murtha's military records in 1968 as Saylor's aide.

Make sure your story is unverifiable:

Cybercast News Service attempted to contact Fox for this article, but learned that the health of the 81-year-old was too poor to allow him to communicate.

Bury this caveat in the bottom of the story. People will not read that far.

Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

Update: Per Jeff B. in the comments: "Marc [Morano] was also a reporter and producer for the Rush Limbaugh Television Show from 1992 to 1996."

And from DKos: "Murtha turned down the [ABSCAM] bribe. The video of him being offered the bribe, refusing it, and getting up and walking out was shown on national TV. He even testified against two Congressmen in their trials." (thanks Slothrop)

Steve Gilliard adds:

Jack Murtha is not John Kerry.

Kerry, by his own admission, had angered many of the officers he had served with.

But Murtha, well, he's a Marine, and they do things differently. There is a sense of fraternity among Marines which doesn't exist in the other services. When Paul Hackett ran for Congress, guys who had fought in Korea, voted Republican their entire lives, voted for him, worked on his campaign.

Well, if the right thinks this is going to work, well, they're gonna learn the hard way. If they're gonna imply that a former Marine DI lied about his medals, they're gonna need proof.And a lot of it. Otherwise, they're gonna get their dicks smacked hard. Because this attacks the Corps, not just one man.

Now, we wait. We wait to see how, or even if, the traditional media pick up on this. So far, this story appears to be resonating entirely in the blogosphere. It is not being well-received. Left-leaning bloggers have been all over this one from before they got the first word out. Way to go, HuffPo!

As of 8:45, CST, a Google News search for "murtha" "iraq" turns up a whopping two results on the "controversy" over Murtha's medals.

"All 2 related" are from... you guessed it, CNSNews. So far, not likely the results for which BushCo. was hoping.

The simple truth is, this story can bounce between the right and left sides of the blogosphere until judgment day and it won't matter one bit. It becomes harmful if credible print and TV outlets begin reporting it in the way that they reported the Swift-Boat/Kerry story, as through each side has a valid point.

If they cover it as an administration-driven campaign against Murtha, it hurts Bush more than anyone else.

Let's see what the next few days bring.