DEFEND OUR MARINES
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Will John Murtha
Apologize for Comments?
Fox News: Hannity & Colmes
Transcript: September 20, 2007
REP. JOHN MURTHA (D), PENNSYLVANIA: There was no IED that killed these innocent people. Our troops overreacted because of the pressure on them, and they killed innocent civilians in cold blood. And that’s what the report is going to tell.
ALAN COLMES: That was Congressman John Murtha, voicing his views about the Haditha Marines. It was alleged that they participated in retribution killings of innocent civilians after losing a colleague to a roadside bomb.
Now the number of Haditha participants being accused of all charges is growing and some want Murtha to apologize. Next guest confronted the congressman about just that.
JASON MATTERA, YOUNG AMERICAN FOUNDATION: A number of the charges have been dropped on the Haditha incident; they’re being dropped. Would you like to issue an apology for saying that they killed innocent civilians in cold blood?
MURTHA: Is the trial still going on?
MATTERA: The charges are being dismissed.
MURTHA: Are they still going on? Out, out.
COLMES: With us, Young American Foundation spokesperson Jason Mattera, and the executive director of Young Voter PAC, Jane Fleming Kleeb.
Let me just point out, Jason, that the clip we just made of Murtha making those charges, what he actually said was that sources in the military have told him that an internal investigation would show that there was no fire fight and all the other things he said.
And furthermore, there are still three soldiers, you know, up on charges. As he pointed out to you, this is not over yet, as you well know.
MATTERA: Yes, I know. He’s, he’s posturing and banking on that these charges will stick and that these Marines will be convicted of murder, because or else he will be found out to be a liar.
But let’s stick to the facts here. Three out of the out of the Haditha Marines, three of them have been cleared or are in the process of being cleared. And a fourth is expected to be cleared.
So he should issue an apology the same for let me finish, he should issue an apology for saying they killed innocent civilians in cold blood, which is just not true.
COLMES: Well, first of all, he was quoting a military source. And by the way, the person who…
MATTERA: Quoting military. Why are you carrying water for this man, Alan?
COLMES: Let me point out something to you, Jason.
MATTERA: Go ahead.
COLMES: The person clearing these people is Lieutenant General James Mattis. Let me put up on the screen what Mattis is quoting as having said.
He said it’s a lot of fun to fight. It’s fun to shoot people. I’ll be right up front with you. I like brawling. He said that in San Diego. You go to Afghanistan, you get guys who slap women around for five years because they don’t wear a veil. You know, guys like that don’t got no manhood left anyway. It’s a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them.
Do you agree with those sentiments? This is the guy clearing these people.
MATTERA: OK. That’s besides the point.
COLMES: No, it is the point.
MATTERA: That’s not, that’s not the point. He has cleared them. If you have personal objections with what you just showed on the screen, then that’s your prerogative.
HANNITY: Hey…
MATTERA: … but these men have been cleared, and Murtha should be called out.
SEAN HANNITY: Hang on a second.
MATTERA: Murtha should be called out. He’s a liar. He should resign.
HANNITY: Let me go to Jane Fleming. This is too important. Jason, by the way, great work. You did the job…
MATTERA: Thank you, Sean.
HANNITY: You did you tell job that our mainstream media should have done here.
Now, here are the facts, Jane Fleming. He went out there. I don’t care where he thinks he got his information. He went out there and definitively accused these brave Marines of killing innocent civilians in cold blood. They’re now exonerated. These cases aren’t going to be dropped…
JANE FLEMING KLEEB, YOUNG VOTER PAC: They’re not exonerated yet, Sean.
HANNITY: Excuse me, excuse me. These cases are going to be dropped against four of these guys. My question is why doesn’t he have the decency to apologize? That’s all that Jason was asking.
KLEEB: OK. My question to you and Jason is when did you become part of the legal team of the Marines?
HANNITY: I’m not asking you that.
KLEEB: Neither one of you know if those charges are going to be dropped. Neither one of you.
HANNITY: You are so intellectually dishonest. You are so intellectually dishonest. You know something? I make mistakes, and I apologize…
KLEEB: Sean, neither one of you guys are part of the legal team. And so I’m sorry that you guys are making assumptions.
MATTERA: If you read the paper, Jane.
HANNITY: Excuse me. The charges have been dropped on for three of these guys. He accused them of killing civilians in cold blood. I would sue him, myself. Why shouldn’t we have the decency to apologize?
KLEEB: One of the soldiers whose charges have been dropped have been dropped because he made a plea agreement…
HANNITY: Excuse me.
KLEEB: … with the folks because he then is going against one of the other military guys. And so, let’s try to get our facts straight and not try to spin the details.
MATTERA: If Jane knew her facts, she would know that that…
HANNITY: That’s right.
MATTERA: That lieutenant has changed his testimony five times. And Lieutenant General James Mattis, who Alan referred to, has cleared the other two. Even the New York Times wrote an article a few weeks ago that said the case is up in smoke.
HANNITY: Jane, here’s my last question. You know something? He was wrong about brave American heroes because he is so invested in his political agenda. Why don’t you have some integrity and say that, for moral reasons, he owes those men an apology when the charges are dropped? Why don’t you have the decency to say that and request that of this man?
KLEEB: Because I have trust and faith in our legal process.
MATTERA: They cleared him.
KLEEB: And if the soldiers are found…
HANNITY: He slandered them.
KLEEB: If they are found not guilty then we will move on from there. But you have no idea. You and Jason are not part of the legal team. You have no idea.
COLMES: We’re just out of time.
(CROSSTALK)
COLMES: We are going to get cut off by a computer in a moment. Thank you both. More after the break coming right back.
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Note: Colmes and Kleeb are either lying or pig ignorant about the Haditha investigations. Their statements would be laughable if the Haditha Marine families weren’t watching these clowns and dying a little from listening to these gross distortions.
On the other hand, Jason Mattera deserves major kudos for doing the media’s job and confronting a great menace to our nation: Congressman John Murtha. One day Murtha will receive the desserts he so richly deserves.