Can you say Haditha? There's not much for me to say about this one, beyond the fact that the Navy is sure to feel some heat from some who thought the late Rep. Jack Murtha was wrong when he accused Marines of massacring people "in cold blood" in the Iraqi town.
Here's the official note, that was done in the best Washington tradition of hoping sensitive things will go quietly into the night if you release them late on a Friday afternoon: "The secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) honored the legacy of the late U.S. Representative John Murtha by declaring April 23 that the Navy's 10th San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship, LPD 26, will bear his name." Most of the LPD class are named after cities.
Now I have to say I enjoyed Murtha's company. The man was canny, boasted a fine sense of humor and knew how to work his fellow legislators. Of course, he also knew how to work contributors, and few could deliver earmarks as well as he could.
He was a 19-term congressman who rose to lead the House Appropriations defense subcommittee after being the first Vietnam veteran elected to Congress.
It will be interesting to see the public reaction to this one. I think he deserves the honor.
