Unfortunate Title

Headlines like this one bug me. It's really an unfortunate choice of words: "Vets Set Sights on Murtha". Mind you, I agree with the group's sentiments, as any long term reader knows. I detest John Murtha and make no secret of it. Still a headline like the above makes a legitimate political campaign sound vaguely violent.

The “Swift Boat” veterans who grabbed national headlines in 2004 when they attacked John Kerry in his failed presidential bid now are turning their sights to Johnstown.

Their target is U.S. Rep. John Murtha, a critic of the Iraq war and a de facto spokesman on the subject for the national Democratic Party.

Armed as a new group – Veterans for the Truth – they’re bringing their campaign to “Redeploy John Murtha From Congress” to his backyard.

They plan to hold a national rally in Johnstown in October “to show their outrage at John Murtha over what he is saying about our troops,” state chairman and former Johnstowner Mark Parker said in a release.

Details of the rally will be outlined at a news conference at 11 a.m. Thursday in front of Murtha’s office at 647 Main St.

Murtha, who will not be in his district office Thursday, appears unfazed by the pending “Swift Boat’’ campaign.

He is scheduled that day to be in Clarks Summit, Lackawanna County, campaigning for Democrat Chris Carney, who’s running against incumbent Republican Don Sherwood in the 10th District.

In a statement released by his office, Murtha said, “Nobody has done more for the troops than I have.

“This is a policy difference, and everybody has the right to an opinion.”

Murtha is running for re-election against Diana Irey, a Washington County commissioner, who has been critical of Murtha’s comments about the war and what she sees as his lack of support for the troops.

Since I've also been pretty vocal about supporting Diana Irey as well, it's pretty easy to see where my sympathies are on this issue. The more attention that is drawn to the hostile and corrosive remarks Murtha has made, the better.