Murtha on Rove: Sitting on "His Big, Fat Backside" Saying "Stay the Course"

What I admire about Congressman John Murtha (D-PA) is his fearless leadership and his unvarnished honesty. They're rare commodities in DC, but Murtha has them in spades. No fearful tiptoeing around hard truths and the latest poll numbers... he's honest, he's authentic and he's an unabashed patriot who had a long and distinguished 37-year career in the U.S. Marine Corps.

And let's be honest: bold leadership has been sorely lacking in the Democratic Party since Bill Clinton left office more than five years ago.

But even I was startled (and elated) yesterday when Murtha blurted out the truth on "Meet the Press" about Bush advisor and alter ego Karl Rove: "He’s, he’s in New Hampshire. He’s making a political speech. He’s sitting in his air conditioned office with his big, fat backside, saying, 'Stay the course.' That’s not a plan. I mean, this guy—I don’t know what his military experience is, but that’s a political statement. This is a policy difference between me and the White House."

Congressman Murtha was remarkable, articulate and passionate yesterday on "Meet the Press." He perfectly stated the stance of most Democrats in Congress on the Iraq War. Tim Russert's interview yesterday is a brilliant must-read both for Murtha's keen insight into the Iraq War, as well as on Bush and Rove.

I've excerpted it for your easy reading, at Rep. John Murtha Slams Rove, Iraq War on "Meet the Press."

Also, I've updated Iraq Statistics and Results, through June 15, 2006. The most shocking new tidbit of info: Halliburton Overcharges Classified by the Pentagon as Unreasonable and Unsupported - $1.4 billion. This was disclosed last week by Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) on the House floor during Thursday's emotional debte over the Iraq War.

Related Reading - The John Murtha Archives: Unleashed & Unplugged