Jean Schmidt has issued a statement over her remarks to the House last week:
(courtesy of
WKRC 12)
STATEMENT FROM CONGRESSWOMAN JEAN SCHMIDT Washington, DC –
Last week as I returned to the Capitol Building after attending a funeral
at Arlington National Cemetery for a local fallen Marine, I found out that
the Democrats had just announced their policy position to immediately
withdraw troops from Iraq.I strongly opposed the plan from the moment I heard it.
My good friend Representative Bubp called me to discuss this plan during
the House debate on the issue of immediately removing troops from Iraq.I relayed our conversation with Representative Bubp on the House Floor.
Since that moment I have been attacked from across the country by the
left.I never meant to attack Congressman Murtha personally. I sent him a
personal note of apology on Friday evening moments after my words. While I
strongly disagree with his policy, neither Representative Bubp nor I ever
wished to attack Congressman Murtha. I only take exception to his policy
position.I am amazed at what a national story this has become. It was never
intended.I am thankful for the thousands of supportive messages I have received
from the people I represent and others across the nation since Friday. But
this story has been way too focused on me, my conviction and word selection.
Instead this story should be focused on the extremely poor policy the
minority now propose. A policy, I might point out, that through this media
storm has now been repudiated by dozens of leading members of the minority.I have been attacked very personally, continuously since Friday evening.
I am quite willing to suffer those attacks if in the end that policy I so
strongly oppose is exposed as unsound. First and foremost I support the
troops. They dodge bullets and bombs while I duck only hateful words.While I wish this national media attention had never occurred, I do not
shy from my strong opposition of the minority’s position.I strongly oppose withdrawing our troops until we give them a chance to
do what we sent them there to accomplish. They haven’t failed us. We must
not fail them.
Apparently Mrs. Schmidt wasn’t aware of the fact when your in Congress you
are under the national spotlight. She definitely did not realize that freshman
congressmen do not make such attacking comments without some sort of
ramifications.
Schmidt still says her comments were not meant to attack anyone (namely
Murtha) yet she directed her comments towards him. Well we her in the Cincinnati
area are use to Jean Schmidt lying. She said she never contacted Governor Taft
over gambling legislation either until Paul Hackett showed the proof on the
steps of Hamilton County’s court house.