U.S.: John Murtha: A friend of the military, not a friend of the Iraq War
- Every person who serves in the military has lost an advocate and a good friend.
- Wisconsin Rep. David Obey • On the death of Rep. John Murtha. Murtha, one of Congress’ most-hard-nosed members, had served Pennsylvania’s 12th district since 1974. He was best-known for his stance on military issues, mainly because he had been there – he was the first Vietnam veteran to serve in Congress. Notably, Murtha was an early critic of the Iraq War, at a time when the war was still popular with the American public. He also had some notable weaknesses, such as being notorious for pushing pork into his own district. Even so, his death was unexpected – doctors accidentally hit his intestine during routine gall bladder surgery, which means a malpractice lawsuit is possibly in the doctors’ future. source