What is Jack Murtha afraid of?
From an Irey Campaign press release:
...heh. Some "hawkish" democrat he is. Might one be so bold as to label him a "chickenhawk"?IREY: JACK MURTHA IS SCARED TO DEBATE ME
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Bill Pascoe Thursday, October 12, 2006 (724) 258-2300 (JOHNSTOWN, October 12) -- Washington County Commissioner and Pennsylvania 12th district Republican Congressional nominee Diana Irey held a press conference in Johnstown today and released the following statement:
"Jack Murtha is scared to debate me.
"That's the only conclusion one can draw from the news we got two days ago from the League of Women Voters -- Jack Murtha, we were told, refuses to get on a stage here in the 12th District and debate me over the significant issues in this campaign.
"That is a disservice to the voters of the 12th District. It demonstrates once again the callous disregard and disrespect Jack Murtha feels toward anyone who dares to utter a word in opposition to him -- the same kind of disregard and disrespect he showed again yesterday, when, in a fundraising solicitation he wrote on behalf of a radical left-wing organization, he wrote of those who disagree with him, and I quote, 'screw them.'
"Mr. Murtha's refusal to debate the issues in front of those he seeks to represent, I might add, came less than a week after the Johnstown Tribune-Democrat published a lead editorial calling on Mr. Murtha to debate me.
"Here, in part, is what the Trib-Dem said just eight days ago:
It is time for a debate in the 12th Congressional District race. Voters deserve more than the constant Iraq-war rhetoric they have been getting from incumbent John Murtha .? He has spent much more time defending his Iraq war statements and helping other Democrats raise campaign money than actually talking about the issues in his home district . [V]oters deserve more. Let's get these candidates together to talk about the issues . Voters deserve a chance to see these candidates debate the issues face to face.
"Perhaps Mr. Murtha is scared to debate me because he knows I will hold him accountable before the voters for the lies he's been feeding his constituents for more than a quarter century about his role in the biggest corruption scandal in history. Ever since the release of Jack Murtha's full, unexpurgated ABSCAM FBI surveillance video 13 days ago, we have known the truth -- that Jack Murtha has been lying to his constituents for 26 years now regarding his behavior.
"Perhaps Mr. Murtha is scared to debate me because he knows I will hold him accountable before the voters for his long history of ethically questionable behavior in trading hundreds of millions of dollars in earmarked federal appropriations for millions of dollars in campaign contributions -- behavior so flagrant that even a liberal congressional watchdog group listed him just a few weeks ago as one of the 25 most corrupt Members of Congress.
"Perhaps Mr. Murtha is scared to debate me because he knows I will hold him accountable before the voters for his clear belief that he is above the law, and for his determination to conduct himself under a different set of rules than that which applies to the rest of us -- as witness his attempt to enact legislation that would have required you and I, as taxpayers, to foot the legal bills of Members of Congress who had been convicted of taking bribes.
"Perhaps Mr. Murtha is scared to debate me because he knows I will hold him accountable before the voters for his rush to judgment in the matter of U.S. Marines at Haditha -- where he acted as prosecutor, judge, and jury, declaring that American soldiers had, and I quote, 'killed innocent civilians in cold blood' -- before the first Marine was charged, before the first court-martial was convened, before the first Marine was convicted.
"The League of Women Voters has offered to sponsor a debate. The Tribune-Democrat has offered to help schedule and sponsor a debate. Several television stations here in the district have offered to air the debate.
"Mr. Murtha, come out and debate. Or risk being laughed at in the American Legion and VFW halls of our district, and risk being mocked at NRA banquets throughout our community.
"Oh, I forgot -- you don't visit those places.
"The choice is yours, Jack."
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