Murtha Continues His Downward Slide

Rep. John Murtha, the guy whose anti-war statements started the improvement in the president's approval numbers, is continuing his efforts to undermine the war and his country:

Rep. John Murtha, a key Democratic voice who favors pulling U.S. troops from Iraq, said in remarks airing on Monday that he would not join the U.S. military today.

A decorated Vietnam combat veteran who retired as a colonel after 37 years in the U.S. Marine Corps, Murtha told ABC News' "Nightline" program that Iraq "absolutely" was a wrong war for President George W. Bush to have launched.

"Would you join (the military) today?," he was asked in an interview taped on Friday.

"No," replied Murtha of Pennsylvania, the top Democrat on the House of Representatives subcommittee that oversees defense spending and one of his party's leading spokesmen on military issues.

"And I think you're saying the average guy out there who's considering recruitment is justified in saying 'I don't want to serve'," the interviewer continued.
"Exactly right," said Murtha, who drew White House ire in November after becoming the first ranking Democrat to push for a pullout of U.S. forces from Iraq as soon as it could be done safely.

He's just become a cranky old man. This is not a good start for the Dems in '06.

UPDATE: Scrappleface adds:

The 73-year-old Democrat lawmaker could not be reached for comment, as colleagues speculated that he already may have entered Canada to ride out the remainder of the U.S. military occupation of Iraq.