Debate Live Blog

     The trick is that this Hunter amendment is not what Murtha said.

     It is not traditional in the House for the majority to introduce fake resolutions interpreting the words of members of the opposite party.

• Phil Gingrey, (R-Georgia)
  • reads the bill
  • No mention of Iraq, just of "amendment"
• James McGovern (D-Massachusetts)
  • Asks about amendment, Gingrey is granted 10 second to explain it is about immediate withdrawal from Iraq
  • Explains it is an attack on Murtha
• Phil Gingrey
  • Defends amendment
• James McGovern
  • Anyone who believes this isn't about Murtha isn't living in reality.
• David Obey (D-Wisconsin)
  • Three terms in Viet Nam
  • Says Murtha calls evokes Fulbright, to bring the best to debate Iraq.
  • Calls it an attack on Murtha, an attempt to stop the Murtha resolution, but no effort to get facts
  • Calls it despicable
• Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Florida)
  • So much crap it is really hard for me to describe
  • Calls the war in Iraq "honorable and wise"
  • Says courage won (ed: i.e. not bombs)
  • For example, repeatedly connects Islamic terrorism and Saddam's regime
• ? (D-Massachusetts)
  • Calls this debate a farce
• ? (R-?)
  • Brings up Sea World
  • Proves Gingrey is lying by saying the debate is because of recent Democrat actions
  • Brings up likely fake al-Zawahiri/Zarqawi letter
  • The 2,000 lives would have been given in vain
• ? (D-Massachusetts)
• Charles Rangel (D-New York)
  • Notes that there is no one in Iraq to surrender
  • Calls it a sad day
• Phil Gingrey
  • Says the debate will be at least three hours
  • Calls this "plenty of time."
• ? (R-Georgia?)
  • Calls it a "war for the free world"
  • Says the enemy in Iraq is al-Qaeda (or at least implies it quite directly)
  • Brings up Caliphate canard, talks about al-Qaeda against many well-accepted rights
  • Brings al-Zawahiri (he can't pronounce it) to Zarqawi (messes this up, too) letter (second time in one debate)
  • Says that if America withdrew from Iraq every American on the globe would be at risk
• Jane Harmon (D-California)
  • Brings up letter to Chairman of House Intel Cmte that expresses outrage over shutdown of investigation
  • Change of course is urgently needed.
  • Brings up attack by Cheney on Murtha, calls this rule a stunt
  • Iraq policy failing
  • Suggestions include power sharing and no designs on oil
• ? (R-Georgia)
  • What a loser! Brings up Scoop Jackson and calls the Democrats Michael Moore and Cindy Sheehan
  • Says Democrats are siding with the terrorists
  • Brings up that he "represents" the Third Division
  • Quotes the Division General (who can't legally criticize the troops)
  • Setting a date would mean that all the deaths would be in vain
  • Says the gangs of anti-Americans would wait until Americans left
  • Compares Democrats to French
  • Praises President
  • Says we have captured "116 al-Qaeda Presidents"
  • Lists schools and water and fire and police record
  • Proves Gingrey was lying by saying the resolution is there because of Murtha's comments yesterday
• ? (D-California)
  • Praises Murtha, has served with him for 20 years on the Armed Service Cmte
  • Calls this move outrageous, and beneath contempt
  • Making politcs out of war
  • "Have you no shame?"
• Davis (R-Virginia)
  • Says the words in the House hurt Iraq _and_ Afghanistan
  • Says foreigners don't understand free speech
  • Says Murtha's comments don't jibe with active duty military
  • Says Murtha was encouraging our enemies (puts it another's mouth once)
  • Again says debate will kill troops
• S Reyes (D-Texas)
  • Calls it a strategy "This dog don't hunt"
  • Says General Kelly said we are a nation at war but where DC doesn't sacrifice
  • Quotes Sergeant brought up the Charge of the Light Brigade, says policy is flawed
  • Reads some of the Charge of the Light Brigade "Ours is not to reason why/Ours is but to do or die"
  • Says the bill is bad
• ? (R-?)
  • Proves Gingrey died
  • Says "How dare you?"
  • How do you explain to a 19 year old?
  • Says the _Democrats_ don't want this debate (complete lie)
  • We are fighting because we don't want our kids living in a world dominated by terrorism
  • Asserts the terrorists think Iraq is part of the war on terrorism
  • Calls Iraq "The War for the Free World"
• ? (D-California)
  • Praises Murtha for knowing a lot about defense
  • Calls this a stunt
  • Brings up flawed intelligence, nuclear intelligence
  • Brings up pre-war letter he wrote to President
  • Deception or Incompetence (Ed: That's what I say!)
• Duncan Hunter (R-CA)
  • Says it is not a stunt or an attack
  • Says the media is saying that the Congress is going against the war (Ed: this motion will certainly come out less favorably than HJR 114)
  • The troops are the most important people here
  • Has held hearings
  • Has full hearings on some topics
  • Will vote against his own resolution
• Tierney (D-Massachusetts)
  • Says the troops will be more surprised that the Republican leader on House Armed Services is calling for instant, unsafe withdrawal
  • The administration has no clue and no idea
  • Politicizing getting out as the administration politicized getting in
  • Distinguishing between Murtha's motion and Hunter's
• Duncan Hunter
  • Defends wording of resolution
• ? (D-?)
  • Calls this a counterfeit bill
• ? (D-California)
  • Why did Hunter introduce the counterfeit motion?
• Duncan Hunter
  • Reads letter from Captain in Iraq
• ? (D-?)
  • Says Zarqawi will use this even more
• ? (D-?)
  • Says only substantive act about Iraq since war started
  • Says should be ashamed
• ? (R-?)
  • (ed: Calm speaker)
  • Wants bipartisanship after this motion fails to plan for victory plan
• Barney Frank (D-Massachusetts)
  • Thought it was anti-Murtha motion, finds out it is anti-Dan Rather motion
• ? (D-?)
  • "pathetic, partisan political ploy"
  • Says administration is mocking Murtha
• Jean Schmidt (R-Ohio)
  • Brings up she was in Arlington yesterday
  • This (expletive deleted) calls Murtha a "Cut and Run Marine
• ? (D-Arkansas)
  • Demands previous speaker's words be taken down

     At this point nearly 15 minutes pass in complete silence.