UPDATE: Patrick Murray responds. See the video at the bottom of this post and our press release issued yesterday.
Take a look at this video of Jim Moran from the October 6 Arlington County Democratic Committee meeting:
Here’s what he said:
What [Republicans] do is that they find candidates – usually stealth candidates – that haven’t been in office, haven’t served or performed any kind of public service. My opponent is typical.
Really, Jim? Col. J. Patrick Murray, U.S. Army (Ret.) served his country honorably for 24 years in the military. That includes deployment to Baghdad in 2007 and a tour at the United Nations. How dare you say that is not public service.
The local media hasn’t picked up on this; it was a letter to the editor of the Washington Times and a few Northern Virginia blogs that brought it to our attention.
Let’s put politics aside. This is utterly disgraceful. Jim Moran needs to apologize to the millions of Americans who have served and are serving their country in the best possible way they can, and to the families of military men and women who have sacrificed so much for our freedom.
RetireJimMoran.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 20, 2010
Contact: Tommy ValentinePRESS RELEASE
Jim Moran says serving in the military is NOT public service
Citizens Demand Apology for All Who Serve, Past & PresentARLINGTON, VA — The website RetireJimMoran.com is calling on Rep. Jim Moran of the 8th District of Virginia to apologize for comments Moran made about his Republican opponent in the November 2nd general election, Patrick Murray.
At the October 6 meeting of the Arlington County Democratic Committee (video here), Moran said, “What [Republicans] do is that they find candidates – usually stealth candidates – that haven’t been in office, haven’t served or performed any kind of public service. My opponent is typical.” Patrick Murray is a retired U.S. Army Colonel who served 24 years in the military, including deployment to Baghdad, Iraq as part of the troop surge in 2007.
“Let’s put politics aside. Moran’s comments are utterly disgraceful and insulting to not just Patrick Murray, but to all the millions of men and women who have served in our military, past and present,” said Tommy Valentine, webmaster of RetireJimMoran.com. “Serving honorably in the military, as Col. Murray did for 24 years, is the best kind of public service anyone can do for our great nation.”
“Moran needs to apologize to Patrick Murray and to the millions of brave men and women who fought and died to give him the freedom to say such things. His comments are gravely offensive to every patriotic American.”
Video of Moran’s remarks is available here: