The American Spectator

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Fighting Words

1.10.06 @ 12:01AM

NO MORE MESSRS. NICE GUYS
Re: Jed Babbin's Time to Push Back:

Amen. I couldn't agree more! I have posted a link to your excellent column at Polipundit.com.
-- Lorie Byrd

Fighting words by Mr. Babbin. We'll see how many journalists step up to the plate on this one! A good place to start in pushing back might be for someone to suggest that John Murtha release his military medical records so we can all see what got him his two Purple Hearts. (Another Hero Mystery.) I have read in only one place that Mr. Murtha shares the military modesty of John Kerry in this regard. Do we need a group comparable to the Swifties to ask this reasonable question? After all, Mr. Murtha has enjoyed wounded hero status for some years. Even to using it as his bona fides for making his irrational statements of late. If he was brain damaged or mentally impaired in some way in his service in Vietnam (not a disqualification for Congress), we could be more forgiving of his rantings.

Frankly, I never heard of John Murtha or his glorious service to his country until a few months ago. I follow politics fairly closely and I am not aware of any of John Murtha's contributions on the floor in Congress. Now, suddenly, an old coot who might otherwise be wearing his VFW cap in some Grange Hall if he weren't a congressman, spouts off in opposition to the war in Iraq, and he is an "expert" in the tactics of war. If everyone who served in any war is entitled to a congressional seat (and increasingly they view this as a qualification), then my brother, who served three tours in Vietnam should be riding the Political Gravy Train. This is as silly as Murtha's maunderings.

Perhaps we should change the campaign laws so that anyone using his service record as a political ace-in-the-hole should release his ENTIRE military record during his campaign. Then we'd finally know what kind of discharge John Kerry got -- if he runs again.
-- Diane Smith
South San Francisco, California

Is this actually a real article? Or a spoof? "Dishonest and deranged rhetoric of the left"? "We have taken the high road too long"? This has to be a parody. Thanks for the laugh.
-- unsigned

I heard you, Friday, Jed, developing this theme on the air for HH. You've nailed it. A suggested theme is something like: Defend or Surrender? Republican or Democrat? I haven't got it yet, perhaps you can develop it. The Party of Defeat? Party of Surrender?

Keep up the great work.
-- Gary Stauffenberg

Great article, but I am very afraid our spineless Republicans do not have the will to stand up to these traitors in the Democrat party. They are too worried about being liked and "working" with the liberals. Bush has tried several times to get Teddy, the swimmer, Kennedy involved and what has that gotten him? If they don't start hitting back hard and soon the elections this year may not be pretty.
-- Elaine Kyle

I think Mr. Babbin is totally on-point in "Time to Fight Back" of the need to "push back" against the left. Unfortunately, Mr. Babbin's admonition of the need to "push back" does not go far enough.

At the American Thinker website, I just read of how the Republicans got "steamrolled by the left" in the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. It seems that on issue after issue, the common sense of libertarian and conservative principles are being waylaid by the left, whether of the liberal or even more socialistic progressive variety.

Unfortunately, far too many Republicans want to "play nice" rather taking off the gloves as Mr. Babbin advocates.
-- Tim Wise
Arlington, Virginia

Great article, Mr. Babbin. It's high time to get busy. This morning, I sent this email to my two federal officeholders who will be running for re-election this coming November.

"Since you are running for office in 2006, I would very much appreciate an email response to the three questions below, because, in all honesty, any candidate who does not agree with me on matters of national security is not worthy of my vote, regardless of any other considerations:

"1. Do you support the idea that we should use all legal means necessary to find out what the terrorists are doing in their to attempt to kill our families, and any constitutionality questions about those legal means should be worked out behind closed doors with the advice and consent of the Congress?

Letter to the Editor

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