John Murtha, the Pennsylvania congressman who died at 77 on Sunday, was a true patriot and credible voice in the Democratic party on military and national security issues. The first Vietnam veteran elected to the House of Representatives,. Murtha originally supported the war in Iraq when he was convinced that deposing Saddam Hussein was vital to national security, he changed course in November 2005 when he decided it was time to bring the troops home. A former Marine Corps officer, Murtha had been tested in battle in Vietnam and probably forgot more about war than most people in the Bush administration ever knew. But he didn't forget when it was time to admit a mistake and change course.
Murtha was also a populist on economic issues, receiving strong support from labor unions, and he also supported health care reform. Though a Democrat, he was conservative on social issues, in keeping with the traditional outlook of working class Irish Catholic Pennsylvanians like himself. A true workingman's politician, he was one of the most distinctive and distinguished voices in the House.
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