NBC ignores Murtha’s Okinawa quote; claims he was correct
BY GREGOR

Via the Media Research Center:

NBC's Today on Monday ludicrously contended that a memo outgoing Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld penned in early November, which included amongst its options for Iraq the redeployment of troops to the perimeter of Iraq or to Kuwait, vindicated Congressman John Murtha, the featured guest of the 7am half hour, who advocated moving troops to Okinawa -- at least 5,000 miles away. David Gregory ignored Murtha's Okinawa idea: "What's striking is that Rumsfeld also suggested troop withdrawals or repositioning of forces to border areas or nearby Kuwait. When Democrats like John Murtha have suggested similar options the White House has accused them of quote, 'cutting and running."

Matt Lauer read part of Rumsfeld's memo to Murtha: "This is from Donald Rumsfeld's memo: 'Withdraw U.S. forces from vulnerable positions, cities, petroleum, etcetera. Move U.S. forces to a quick reaction force operating from within Iraq and Kuwait to be available when Iraq security forces need assistance.' How does that sound as compared to what you've been suggesting for more than a year?" Murtha agreed that's "exactly what I said a year ago," leading Lauer to empathize: "So without putting words into your mouth you feel that you were chided unnecessarily and wrongly and, and in some ways made the poster child for 'cut and run,' based on some assumptions you made and suggestions you made that the Secretary of Defense later came to the same conclusion, in some parts." Murtha liked Lauer's summary: "There's no question I was way ahead..."

The Today team somehow ignored this exchange on the June 18 Meet the Press on their own network:

John Murtha: "We can go to Okinawa. We, we don't have -- we can redeploy there almost instantly. So that's not -- that's, that's a fallacy. That, that's just a statement to rial up people to support a failed policy wrapped in illusion."

Tim Russert: "But it'd be tough to have a timely response from Okinawa."

Murtha: "Well, it, you know, they -- when I say Okinawa, I, I'm saying troops in Okinawa. When I say a timely response, you know, our fighters can fly from Okinawa very quickly. And when they don't know we're coming. There's no question about it. And, and where those airplanes won't -- came from I can't tell you, but, but I'll tell you one thing, it doesn't take very long for them to get in with cruise missiles or with, with fighter aircraft or, or attack aircraft, it doesn't take any time at all. So we, we have done -- this one particular operation, to say that that couldn't have done, done -- it was done from the outside, for heaven's sakes."

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