Here is probably one of the worst arguments I have heard about the Iraq war:

Rep. John Murtha (news, bio, voting record) says the military is blaming
him for a recruitment slump instead of recognizing mistakes that have led to
an enlistment shortage.

“They’re trying to direct attention away from their problems,” said
Murtha, D-Pa., a decorated Marine Corps veteran who has become a leading
voice in Congress advocating an early withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq.

Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said during a
news conference Thursday that Murtha’s remarks about Iraq are damaging to
troop morale and to the Army’s efforts to bring up recruitment numbers.
Pace, the nation’s top general, was asked specifically about an ABC News
interview this week in which Murtha, 73, said if he were eligible to join
the military today he would not join, nor would he expect others to join.

“That’s damaging to recruiting,” Pace said. “It’s damaging to morale of
the troops who are deployed, and it’s damaging to the morale of their
families who believe in what they are doing to serve this country.”

Military officers usually are reluctant to get drawn into political
debates, but Pace said Murtha’s remarks about recruiting are relevant to his
responsibilities as Joint Chiefs chairman.

Pace praised the congressman’s record but criticized his remarks.

“When a respected leader like Mr. Murtha, who has spent 37 extremely
honorable years as a Marine, … has served the country extremely well in
the Congress of the United States — when a respected individual like that
says what he said, and 18- and 19-year-olds look to their leadership to
determine how they are expected to act, they can get the wrong message,”
Pace said.

In a statement released Thursday, Murtha said: “The military had no
problem recruiting directly after 9/11 because everyone understood that we
had been attacked. But now the military’s ability to attract recruits is
being hampered by the prospect of prolonged, extended and repeated
deployments, inadequate equipment, shortened home stays, the lack of any
connection between Iraq and the brutal attacks of 9/11, and — most
importantly — the administration’s constantly changing, undefined,
open-ended military mission in Iraq.”

Later Thursday, Murtha said he’s spoken with military leaders and
“they’re frustrated by their mission.”

Article continues
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OK stop right there. Murtha didn’t really enter the picture on the Iraq
debate until the end of November. Prior to that he was one of the few Democrats
that was supporting this war. Now in November, all activity duty branches
exceeded their recruitment goals. The Army and Marines got 105% of their goal,
the Navy got 102% and the Air Force came it at 101%. For the reserve side of
things, the Army National Guard, Air Force and Marine reserve units all met or
exceeded their goal. The hardest hit was the Air National Guard who came in at
71%.

The numbers are not out for December yet so I can’t comment on that month but
the rest of last year is out. The military had major recruitment problems way
before Murtha even changed sides on the war. It was all over the news. So who do
you blame for that low trend?

Perhaps more attention should be given to public opinion polls. Support for
this war is at an all time low and more and more people are becoming uneasy with
our President. That alone should be a big indicator for our military leaders of
why people won’t sign up. Add to the fact that overall approval of our
government as a whole is at an all time low that also diminishes reasons of why
people would go and fight for this country. What do they want to protect – the
fat politicians who are getting rich from bribes?

I got a little message for General Pace. You are in the military serving our
country. You are their to protect our democracy. Without dissent or questions
raised about the powers to be we would not have a democracy. You really should
consider that because while your trying to defend our democracy and seed one in
the Middle East, your comments which are flat out lies are also hurting our
democracy.