Murtha's Mess

Can I get a fact-check from the congregation:

Something isn't quite jibing here relating to the whole Murtha mess.

Murtha makes statements that could ostensibly undermine the war effort by reducing the numbers of people enlisting in the military or reenlisting after completing their original service. Is there any actual proof that he's done this?***

Murtha denies that this is the case. I know that Gen. Pace has said that Murtha undermined the war effort with his statments, but is there any tangible proof that American citizens actually believed anything Murtha said and caused a drop in the enlistment rates? Because the earlier enlistment rates that I recall seeing showed that the military was doing a very good job on new enlistments and reelistments were at record levels.

The AP story continues:

In a statement released Thursday, Murtha said: "The military had no problem recruiting directly after 9/11 because everyone understood that we had been attacked. But now the military's ability to attract recruits is being hampered by the prospect of prolonged, extended and repeated deployments, inadequate equipment, shortened home stays, the lack of any connection between Iraq and the brutal attacks of 9/11, and ? most importantly ? the administration's constantly changing, undefined, open-ended military mission in Iraq."

Later Thursday, Murtha said he's spoken with military leaders and "they're frustrated by their mission."

Speaking before a town hall meeting on Iraq in Arlington, Va., hosted by Rep. Jim Moran, D-Va., Murtha said Pace called him to discuss the war.

"Peter Pace told me this last night: They know militarily they can't win this," Murtha said.

Blackfive says it best in taking apart Murtha on this last point:

Pace noted, correctly, that a military victory is impossible against an insurgency of this type as the bad guys will never engage in suicidal force on force engagements. But that was never the (non-existent) plan, we always knew that the military had to provide security while the Iraqi forces were trained and took over.

Rep. Murtha purposefully misrepresented what was stated for political gain and knowing full well that most Americans would simply hear the 'can't win' part without knowing the full context and how, in fact, the US is winning because the terrorists cannot control their own destiny. Their future is wholly based on what the US does. If the US withdraws prematurely, the terrorists win. If the US shows weakness, the terrorists will seek to capitalize on the media frenzy that ensues. The terrorists are far more adept at using the media than most folks realize - precisely because many in the media have taken it upon themselves to undermine the US war effort - by either conscious decision or through a complete and utter inability to fully report the situation in Iraq or Afghanistan.

What complicates this whole matter is that just when you think Rep. Murtha's mess is over, he keeps stepping in it - saying that he's concerned that ...

I worry about a slow withdrawal which makes it look like there's a victory when I think it should be a redeployment as quickly as possible and let the Iraqis handle the whole thing."

I'm sorry, but that's precisely what it is, what it should look like, and what every US citizen should want.

Others have already started taking Murtha to task for his statements, including Gateway Pundit, Michelle Malkin, Greyhawk at Mudville Gazette, Byrd Droppings, Macsmind, and Mark in Mexico.

UPDATE:
Down at the bottom of Greyhawk's posting you have an intermediate answer - the Army met its recruiting goals for the last six months. We'd need a further breakdown for pre and post-Murtha anti-US statements.

UPDATE:
Posted to Basil's Blog and Jo's Cafe. Also covering Murtha's madness: TMH's Bacon Bits and bRight and Early.

UPDATE:
Posted to Stop the ACLU.

UPDATE 1/7/2006:
Michelle Malkin now has video of the exchange between Reps. Moran and Murtha and Sgt. Mark Seavey at a town hall meeting where Murtha got a dressing down by Seavey.

UPDATE 1/7/2006:
Still more from Michelle Malkin, who has additional video of the exchange between Moran, Murtha and a retired US General Wagner who served in Vietnam. Also chiming in on Murtha's comments and noting that Marines police themselves when they get out of line - The Donovan (Argghhh!). Further posted to Point Five.