"Mean Jean"? Nope, Just the Truth

The MSM's vilification assault on Representative Jean Schmidt, an Ohio Republican, began with the smear that "vintage Jean Schmidt" had levelled the accusation of cowardice at Democratic Representative and former Marine John Murtha. Labelling the newest House member "Mean Jean" and quoting an Ohio "newsletter":

"We have said innumerable times that she would go to Washington and open her mouth and create an embarrassment," said Jim Schifrin, the newsletter's publisher. "She will say things that turn people off like nothing you've ever seen."

Turn people off? This is the type of statement that can rally support to the War on Terror, buck up the increasingly weak-kneed Republicans, and yes, provides a jingoistic but accurate assessment of the sentiments of the troops in the field. El Presidente's father, a former Marine himself, agrees with the statement. Better to complete the task at hand rather than retreat and possibly have to refight the battle at a later time.

Was Rep. Schmidt attacking Rep. Murtha? Perhaps only in the most oblique manner. It was perhaps akin to calling a duck a duck, and the duck prostesteth too much. Democratic calls for immediate withdrawal, defeated 403-3, amounts to cutting and running, and that is precisely what the Marine's message was intended to criticize.

El Presidente believes that previous military experience may give a specialized perspective, but does not privilege the sentiments or make them holy writ. John Kerry's veteran status did not preclude any other non-serving American from offering their own perspective. If the logic of this notion were carried to its fullest (that only military veterans could truly offer insight or correct moral judgment in times of war) then the only ones speaking would be veterans, and those veterans, in fact the vast majority, would side with Republicans, and in a non-partisan manner, with the sentiments expressed by Colonel Danny Bubp. This would be something the Democrats could never support.

View video of Rep. Schmidt's comments at The Political Teen. Open Trackbacks: Sunday.
JunkYardBlog has an assessment of who the Democrats were actually booing.
Michelle Malkin on MSM "Headline Bias."