Matthews falsely suggested Murtha proposal for Iraq withdrawal "got what, 18 votes?"
SUMMARY: Chris Matthews falsely suggested that a proposal by Rep. John P. Murtha (D-PA) to redeploy U.S. forces from Iraq "got what, 18 votes?" In fact, Murtha's proposal -- to require the president to withdraw American troops from Iraq "at the earliest practicable date" -- has not been put to a vote in the House of Representatives.
On the March 22 edition of MSNBC's Hardball, host Chris Matthews falsely suggested that a proposal by Rep. John P. Murtha (D-PA) to redeploy U.S. forces from Iraq "got what, 18 votes?" In fact, House Joint Resolution 73, Murtha's proposal that, if approved, would require the president to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq "at the earliest practicable date" has not been put to a vote in the House of Representatives. House Resolution 571, a separate bill proposed by Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) that expressed "the sense of the House of Representatives that the deployment of United States forces in Iraq be terminated immediately," was defeated by a vote of 403-3.
Matthews made his comments during a discussion of the Iraq war with MSNBC political analyst Pat Buchanan and Leon Panetta, former chief of staff for President Clinton who is also a member of the Iraq Study Group. In response to Buchanan's assertion that "we'll know by November whether this thing [the war] is doable," Matthews stated:
MATTHEWS: I don't think anybody that's watching now is going to make a decision to pull our troops out in six months. I don't think that's on the table. That was the Murtha proposal that got what, 18 votes?
But Matthews apparently conflated the proposals offered by Murtha and Hunter. Murtha's proposal, which would require the president to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq "at the earliest practicable date," has never been put to a vote in the House. On November 17, 2005, the bill was referred to two House committees -- the International Relations Committee and the Armed Services Committee -- but has seen no action since. In contrast, Hunter's resolution calling for the U.S. troop deployment in Iraq to be "terminated immediately" -- a proposal described in news reports as a "political trap" and "aimed at embarrassing war critics" -- received only three "aye" votes when it was considered in the House. Murtha did not sponsor or vote for this bill, and in a floor statement prior to the vote, Murtha said of Hunter's proposal, "This resolution is not what I envisioned, not what I introduced."
Although neither Murtha's nor Hunter's proposal would "make a decision to pull our troops out [of Iraq] in six months," as Matthews stated, Murtha has stated that he believes a U.S. redeployment from Iraq could be completed within six months. Murtha made this assertion during a November 17, 2005, press conference. From the press conference:
QUESTION: Mr. Murtha, you say -- your first point about bringing them home consistent with the safety of U.S. forces. You know about these matters; what is your sense as to how long that would be?
MURTHA: Well, I think they can get them out of there in six months. I think that we could do it -- you know, you have to do it in a very consistent way. But I think six months would be a reasonable time to get them out of there.
Media Matters for America has previously noted (here and here) other media figures conflating the proposals put forth by Murtha and Hunter.
From the March 22 edition of MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews:
BUCHANAN: I think we'll know by November whether this thing is doable. Look, if this government collapses, and it doesn't come together, and there's a civil war --
[crosstalk]
MATTHEWS: I don't think anybody that's watching now is going to make a decision to pull our troops out in six months. I don't think that's on the table. That was the Murtha proposal that got what, 18 votes?
BUCHANAN: But see -- you've got a good point. The Democrats do not have any proposal on the table other than negativity.
Matthews is just a political commentator. You can't expect him to know FACTS about Congressional votes before shooting off his mouth, can you?
I've only been following this site for a short time... and, I swear I have witnessed a man literally whore himself to the GOP. It gets worse every day. I think 'Hardball' has taken a somewhat different meaning at this point.
Mis-informer of the year, back-to-back. Has anyone ever done that before?
When Chris said "18", it was simply a Freudian slip.
That number (18) is probably the amount, in millions, he's asking from Roger Ailes for a multi-year contract at FOX NEWS.
This is one of their favorite little tricks.
I remember how Rush and his ilk used to go on and on about how the Senate had rejected the Kyoto Protocol 95-0. It made no sense: all those liberal senators voted against Kyoto?
Turns out it was a lie: they conflated a vote on the protocol with a vote on a non-binding resolution about the protocol. The fact is Kyoto's never come up for a vote, just like Murtha's resolution.
How do they get away with this? Easy - they don't get called on it by the mainstream press. That's why MMFA is so important.
Intimidation runs rampant throught the MSM. They carry part of the responsibility for the situation we're in today.
If Z. Moussaoui had not lied to the FBI, 9/11 could have been prevented and if the MSM had done a thorough job of investigative reporting, we as a nation would have been better informed and better prepared for the assertions made by the Bush admin. We wouldn't have to have arguements about whether Bush lied or not. We would have known from the beginning he was wrong.
will have their own version of the bill and will claim Murtha is hold it hostage. We can't pull our troops out in 6 months because we have failed to secure and rebuild the country -- after we invaded it. Why because the administration and its cronies are corrupt in a biblical proportioned kinda of way.
Disregarding the mistake of going in; ignoring the refusal to put enough troops in; forget that they did not have a plan to rebuild the country; or that they would not even dream up a half-baked cover up like planting small traces of atomic material to make them look somewhat competent -- they just went oops! Like Lewis Black I'm okay with my government lying to me -- I have come to expect it -- but at least stick with the program. This why we invaded (I almost hit post with the word "evaded" here talk about a Freudian slip.) "follow the bouncin ball reason" is killing US, some of us literally.
As for Buchanan "negativity" issue, he'll be calling it something else come election time. My guess is something like "the administration brillant exit plan". Just as soon as he hears his masters voice and the check clears.
Put a national referendum in the 2006 elections calling for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq in a six-month period and lets see if it passes. My money is on yes.
Matthews knew there was no vote on Mirtha's proposal, he presided over it's early reporting on the day of the proposal on his show. He knew the Rethugs put an "immediate withdrawl" on the vote, for which Mirtha himself voted against.
They don't want debate, they want obiedence! Heil Bush/Cheney?
Oversight, we don't need no stinking oversight, where do you think you live, America?
What do you think this is a Democracy? Ha!
Happy Thoughts;
Dan Grady