John Kerry: “yesterday, as all of us know, Jack Murtha, one of the most respected Congressmen on military affairs, one of the most…”

“yesterday, as all of us know, Jack Murtha, one of the most respected Congressmen on military affairs, one of the most respected Congressmen on national security issues, a former marine drill sergeant and a decorated Vietnam veteran, spoke out on our policy in Iraq. Whether one agrees or disagrees with Congressman Murtha is not the point. He did not come to this moment lightly. Any one of us who knows Congressman Murtha or anybody who has worked with him over these years, Republican or Democrat, respects this man, respects his personal commitment to our country, respects his understanding of these issues, and understands he did not come to that moment lightly. He spoke his mind and he spoke his heart out of love for his country and out of absolute and total unconditional support for the troops, of which he was once one. I do not intend to stand for, nor should any of us in the Congress stand for, another Swiftboat attack on the character of Jack Murtha. It frankly disgusts me that a bunch of guys who never chose to put on the uniform of their country now choose in the most personal way, in the most venomous, to question the character of a man who did wear the uniform of his country and who bled doing it. It is wrong. He served heroically in uniform. He served heroically for our country. Have we lost all civility and all common sense in this institution and in this city? No matter what J.D.…”