Jean Schmidt Is A National Embarrassment

If you missed it, definitely try to check out what Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-Ohio) said today in open session -- tonight's news should have it, and hopefully Crooks and Liars will post it.

Here are her words, but you really need to see the film of it because the last sentence of the below-quoted remarks was drowned out by the Democrats booing and trying to shut her down. It was great:

Ms. Schmidt: "Yesterday I stood at Arlington National Cemetery attending the funeral of a young marine in my district. He believed in what we were doing is the right thing and had the courage to lay his life on the line to do it. A few minutes ago I received a call from Colonel Danny Bop, Ohio Representative from the 88th district in the House of Representatives. He asked me to send Congress a message: Stay the course. He also asked me to send Congressman Murtha a message, that cowards cut and run, Marines never do. Danny and the rest of America and the world want the assurance from this body - that we will see this through.

Schmidt was forced to withdraw her words or else she would have been censured by the House leadership because "House rules do not allow members to impugn the integrity of any other members."

Meanwhile, the attack on Murtha continues:

Republican lawmakers say that ties between Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) and his brother's lobbying firm, KSA Consulting, may warrant investigation by the House ethics committee.

Will this GOP line of attack work? No it won't and here's why:

In a USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup Poll taken Friday through Sunday, more than half of those surveyed wanted to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq within the next 12 months.

Don't forget: this is the result from a poll that has a reputation for being skewed toward Republicans.

We have two options in Iraq: (1) start withdrawing troops, or (2) deploy many more troops there. The last couple of years have demonstrated one thing very clearly, namely, that "staying the course" is not an option. The American people are fed up with the Iraq Debacle, so they would never support deploying more troops there. This means that the only real option is to get out.

The Republicans know this, particularly those who are facing a reelection battle in 2006. I expect that we will begin significant troop withdrawals from Iraq sometime this Spring. The GOP cannot afford to go into next year's mid-term election with the same troop levels we have now.