The War Over The War Intensifies

Washington Post media columnist Howard Kurtz wonders if we've reached a turning point in the debate over the war in Iraq. His query follows the announcement by Pennsylvania Democratic congressman - and former war supporter - John Murtha that the US should pull its troops out of the country immediately.

Kurtz calls Murtha "one of the least likely candidates to demand an immediate pullout from Iraq" because of his being a Vietnam veteran, big Pentagon supporter" and one who "rarely makes waves on the Hill. We're not talking Ted Kennedy here. He supported the Gulf war and the Iraq war."

Kurtz goes on to observe:
"The Murtha Moment follows Bill Clinton saying the war was a mistake, John Edwards saying his vote was a mistake, the Nation saying it won't support any pro-war Dems, Senate Republicans saying the White House should fill out quarterly report cards on how it's getting us the heck out, and a few things I'm sure I've forgotten.

"The point is not that an irresistible groundswell for withdrawal is sweeping the country. The point is that the landscape is changing as politicians scramble to catch up with polls showing a majority see the war as a blunder. We seem to have moved beyond the administration's things-are-improving-in-Iraq argument to a more narrow focus on how to extricate American troops."

As usual, Kurtz's column is a good summary of the coverage on current events.

Iraq Turning Point? [Wash Post]