On last night's "The NewsHour" on PBS Rep. J.D. "Rita" Hayworth (R-AZ) [ok, that's not his middle name, he's just annoying me today], not known to be one of the brighter bulbs in Congress, criticized Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) yesterday for saying he thought the war in Iraq was unwinnable, and the administration doesn't know what it's doing there. Hayworth's response?
"I would caution those, even as I embrace the right to dissent, I would caution those who choose to blame America first..."WTF? Who blamed America for anything? Murtha simply expressed an opinion that this battle doesn't seem winnable and perhaps we ought to consider other policy options. How in the name of God is that "blaming" America?
Of course, Murtha isn't blaming America, and Hayworth knows it. But the Republicans have made such good fodder over the past two years of accusing anyone who criticizes them of being un-American, and it's worked quite well, they figure 'why stop now?'
