A New Low

Today on the floor of the House, Rep. Jean Schmidt, who was elected in the recent special election in Ohio after almost blowing a hugh lead to Democrat Paul Hackett, a recently returned Iraq war veteran, made a nasty ad hominem attack on Rep. John Murtha, who called for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq yesterday. Schmidt recounted a phone message from a Marine Colonel:

"He asked me to send Congress a message, stay the course. He also asked me to send Congressman Murtha a message, that cowards cut and run, Marines never do."

It caused a furor in the House and broke rules of decorum by criticizing another member by name. It is disgraceful for Schmidt to stoop to the level she did.