On Sunday night, I participated in a debate with my opponent on the issues of the War in Iraq and the War on Terror. We were both asked whether we would support torture. This was my response:
We need to be absolutely clear, to the world and to our professional soldiers, that the United States of America does not condone torture, and does not conduct torture. Period. Not only is it not right morally, but strategically, as a military professional, it's wrong. When you look back at our nation's history, when you look back at Desert Storm back in the early 90's, when we had tens of thousands of Iraqis, thousands of them in the first few days of the campaign rose with the white flag of surrender. Why did they do that, ladies and gentlemen? They surrendered because they knew when captured by the Americans we would treat them humanely. We would treat them appropriately, and we would follow the Hague and Geneva Conventions.
When I sat and taught the rules of engagement, and I was the law enforcement officer in my combat brigade, my soldiers knew, our paratroopers knew, that they were professional soldiers, that we have army values. Those Army values cannot be breached. Those same Army values that I taught to the 600 Iraqi Civil Defense Corps members, the new Iraqi Army, to make sure that they too understood that we are a part of a profession. That we are to act appropriately. That we are to follow the law of war. Because it is a profession, and it's a profession that we take very seriously. And for those members to talk tough, from the White House or wherever, to try and blur the lines, it's hurting our own soldiers. It's hurting our military profession. [Doylestown Intelligencer Debate, 9/24/06]
As an Iraq War veteran, I know our country needs to refocus our efforts on winning the War on Terror. It's why I've proposed a phased redeployment from Iraq, to start bringing our troops home.
You can read about "The Murphy Plan: A Soldier's Plan for Iraq" here.
My opponent has refused to support a timeline, choosing instead to call President George Bush "bold" and "resolute," and saying that we should "support" the President's open-ended commitment in Iraq. As a soldier, I can tell you we have timelines for everything in the military. From little things like when to take your morning run, to marquee events like when the Iraqi government would hold legislative elections. The United States has always operated with timelines in Iraq - bringing our troops home should be no different.
My second television advertisement compares my opponent's support of the President's position to my support for a timeline to bring our troops home.
However, I need your help.
The Netroots has always been willing to stand behind Democrats who make their voice heard - any help you can offer in this crucial time would be appreciated.
Maybe you can contribute to my campaign through the Netroots Candidates ActBlue site. If you're in the Bucks County/Philadelphia area, maybe you can give an hour or two before the election for phone-banking or canvassing.
Again, thank you for all your support thus far. These are important times in America, and it's critical we elect a Democratic Congress in November - to preserve the America many have fought for, and the America we all love.
Patrick Murphy
Democrat for Congress, Pennsylvania's 8th District